Monmouth University of the No. 1 seed at next month's MAAC Tournament, but will not change its approach with three regular-season games still to play. The Hawks have won 13 straight games with Fairfield up next Tuesday.
Monmouth University knows exactly where it will be in 11 days.
The Hawks (23-5, 15-2 MAAC) claimed a second straight MAAC regular-season title on Friday evening when they won their 13th straight game, 93-75, over Niagara. With that, Monmouth is booked as the No. 1 seed for a MAAC Tournament quarterfinal on March 3 at 7 p.m. Before that, the Hawks will head to Fairfield on Tuesday evening (7 p.m., ESPN3), host Siena for Senior Night on Friday, and close the regular season at Iona on Sunday.
Monmouth obviously cannot improve on clinching the 1-seed, so everything through that quarterfinal is in stone. With nowhere to go in the standings, will the team's approach change with three regular-season games left?
"We are trying to win the next game, we got Fairfield next on Tuesday," Monmouth head coach King Rice said. "We know they're playing for a lot. The last time we played them, we beat them by a bunch of points (Jan. 22, 91-49). They're kids, so they're going to want to bounce back. Sydney (Johnson) is a really good coach, they're hard to play in their building, or they'll put a 40-banger on us."
If that wasn't clear enough, no, nothing is changing. Monmouth taking its foot off the gas now, off two dominant wins at Siena and over the Purple Eagles, would be counterproductive. Taking it easy now would only mean having to turn it back on at the MAAC Tournament, where a loss means no NCAA Tournament for a program that has won 51 games and counting since the beginning of last season.
Instead, the move on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday is to treat the game like any other game, because that is what Fairfield, Siena and Iona are going to do. All three teams are jockeying in the middle of the standings as the top five teams receive first-round byes and avoid having to play on Thursday evening.
Furthermore, Friday night vs. the Saints promises to be emotional as Monmouth will honor six seniors, Josh James, Greg Nocak, Je'lon Hornbeak, Justin Robinson, Collin Stewart and Chris Brady. Sunday's trip to Iona will be the latest revival of what has become one of the league's hotly-contested rivalries. Playing poorly in either game shouldn't be on anyone's agenda.
In staying sharp, Monmouth stayed on schedule. According to Rice, the plan was to have Friday and Saturday off, go light on Sunday, then have a regular practice on Monday. Rice giving his kids two days off after a game is not an uncommon occurrence.
He was also able to get some of his regulars extra rest against Niagara with the outcome not in doubt in the second half. No one played more than the 23 minutes Hornbeak did, Robinson went 22 minutes, and Micah Seaborn went just 14 as he continues to nurse a left knee injury.
"When it's this late in the season, you rest during practice," Rice said. "We're trying to keep sharp, we're playing for a lot of things, so no, guys are going to keep playing normal minutes in these games."
Monmouth University knows exactly where it will be in 11 days.
The Hawks (23-5, 15-2 MAAC) claimed a second straight MAAC regular-season title on Friday evening when they won their 13th straight game, 93-75, over Niagara. With that, Monmouth is booked as the No. 1 seed for a MAAC Tournament quarterfinal on March 3 at 7 p.m. Before that, the Hawks will head to Fairfield on Tuesday evening (7 p.m., ESPN3), host Siena for Senior Night on Friday, and close the regular season at Iona on Sunday.
Monmouth obviously cannot improve on clinching the 1-seed, so everything through that quarterfinal is in stone. With nowhere to go in the standings, will the team's approach change with three regular-season games left?
"We are trying to win the next game, we got Fairfield next on Tuesday," Monmouth head coach King Rice said. "We know they're playing for a lot. The last time we played them, we beat them by a bunch of points (Jan. 22, 91-49). They're kids, so they're going to want to bounce back. Sydney (Johnson) is a really good coach, they're hard to play in their building, or they'll put a 40-banger on us."
If that wasn't clear enough, no, nothing is changing. Monmouth taking its foot off the gas now, off two dominant wins at Siena and over the Purple Eagles, would be counterproductive. Taking it easy now would only mean having to turn it back on at the MAAC Tournament, where a loss means no NCAA Tournament for a program that has won 51 games and counting since the beginning of last season.
Instead, the move on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday is to treat the game like any other game, because that is what Fairfield, Siena and Iona are going to do. All three teams are jockeying in the middle of the standings as the top five teams receive first-round byes and avoid having to play on Thursday evening.
Furthermore, Friday night vs. the Saints promises to be emotional as Monmouth will honor six seniors, Josh James, Greg Nocak, Je'lon Hornbeak, Justin Robinson, Collin Stewart and Chris Brady. Sunday's trip to Iona will be the latest revival of what has become one of the league's hotly-contested rivalries. Playing poorly in either game shouldn't be on anyone's agenda.
In staying sharp, Monmouth stayed on schedule. According to Rice, the plan was to have Friday and Saturday off, go light on Sunday, then have a regular practice on Monday. Rice giving his kids two days off after a game is not an uncommon occurrence.
He was also able to get some of his regulars extra rest against Niagara with the outcome not in doubt in the second half. No one played more than the 23 minutes Hornbeak did, Robinson went 22 minutes, and Micah Seaborn went just 14 as he continues to nurse a left knee injury.
"When it's this late in the season, you rest during practice," Rice said. "We're trying to keep sharp, we're playing for a lot of things, so no, guys are going to keep playing normal minutes in these games."
