College basketball has a problem it has never figured out: things start to get a bit interesting and then the exam period and Christmas force a huge level of disruption. Getting started up again, or at least getting back in a good groove, is not easy.
And that’s at least partly why we see games like Monmouth at Syracuse.
Monmouth, which competes in the Colonial, came in at 1-9 and leaves at 1-10. They’re just not very good.
Coached by former UNC star King Rice (who is assisted by fellow former Heel Brian Reese), the Hawks hung around for about 25 minutes before the Orange began to squeeze them out.