Notre Dame vs. Monmouth Prediction, Game Preview

The Monmouth Hawks will travel to Orlando, Fla. to take on the No. 17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the AdvoCare Invitational. Below is the Notre Dame vs. Monmouth prediction and game preview.


Notre Dame vs. Monmouth Game Preview

Game Broadcast

Date: Thursday, Nov. 26
Game Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: HP Field House, Orlando, Fla.
Network: ESPNU

Why You Need To Care

Notre Dame is one of a handful of teams that are competing at a high level both on the gridiron and on the hardwood. While the Fighting Irish are hoping to land a spot in the College Football Playoff, the men’s basketball team is off to a good start as the No. 17 team in the country.

The Fighting Irish are 3-0 after taking down St. Francis (PA), Milwaukee and UMass-Lowell.

The other end of the court will be manned by the Hawks. Monmouth is 2-1 with its first win of the season coming in an overtime thriller against the UCLA Bruins. After dropping one to USC, the Hawks bounced back by beating Drexel.

Why Notre Dame Will Win

The Fighting Irish certainly know how to score the basketball with an average of 85.3 points per game, but the defensive effort has to be taken up a notch. Opponents are shooting 40.2 percent from the field against Notre Dame. They’re also shooting 46.9 percent from three. Monmouth may not be a top 25 team, but it also averages 85.3 points per game. Notre Dame has to force the Hawks into some contested looks and make them uncomfortable.

Why Monmouth Will Win

While they can score the basketball, the Hawks are giving up the exact same number of points per game as they score themselves (85.3). Monmouth is losing the rebounding battle this season, too. So it’ll have to come up big on the boards in order to knock off the No. 17 team in the country. If they can’t do that, the Hawks may be sitting ducks.

Players Who Matter

Notre Dame has a couple playmakers on its roster, but as a senior, Zach Auguste has to be one his team can count on in any caliber of game — even against an unranked Monmouth. Auguste is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. It’ll be up to him and Demetrius Jackson to lead the offensive attack. Jackson is averaging 20 points per game on 60 percent shooting.

The Hawks will lean on junior guard Justin Robinson to continue his volume shooting. He takes 18 shots per game and knocks down 46.3 percent of them for 24 points per game. The x-factor for Monmouth, though, will be senior guard Deon Jones. A guard shouldn’t be the team’s leading rebounder, but Jones is just that for the Hawks (8.7 rpg). If he can come up big on the glass and add some points, Monmouth might hang in there.

What’s Going To Happen?

This should be Notre Dame’s game to lose. Auguste and Jackson are well seasoned, and both are shooting far too well for the Fighting Irish to blow this game. Notre Dame will take high-percentage shots and win the turnover battle to improve to 4-0.

Notre Dame vs. Monmouth Prediction


Robert Judin:
Notre Dame 87, Monmouth 73

Jordan Cornette:
 Notre Dame 81, Monmouth 75

Line: Notre Dame -10

MORE:Power 12 College Basketball Rankings, Week 3