Sophomore guard Abdi Bashir Jr. scored 38 points, a career high, as Monmouth lost a high-scoring affair against No. 24 Rutgers on Friday.
The story heading into the game was the much anticipated debut of Rutgers freshman sensation Ace Bailey, who is projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He missed the first two games of the Scarlet Knights season due to a hip injury. Bailey quickly made his presence known, as the first shot of his collegiate career was a three-pointer less than 30 seconds into the game.
For the first seven minutes of the game, no team led by more than four points. However, an 11-0 run for Rutgers midway through the first half put the Scarlet Knights up by 16 points. Rutgers would lead by double digits for the remainder of the game from that point forward, with the final score being 98-81.
Bailey led the way for Rutgers along with freshman guard Dylan Harper, who is also projected to be a top pick in this year’s draft. Bailey and Harper scored 17 and 20 points respectively. The duo of Bailey and Harper are widely considered to be one of the best duos in college basketball this season.
For Monmouth, despite the loss, there were some positive signs, especially with Bashir. In his 38-point effort, he shot 59% from three point range. Through four games, Bashir is averaging 23.3 points per game, which is tied for 21st amongst all players in college basketball this season. Junior guard Madison Durr, a transfer from The Citadel, continues to play a large role for Monmouth as well. He scored 17 in the loss, continuing his streak of scoring double digit points in every game so far this season.
While the offense has shown positive signs, Monmouth continues to struggle on defense. Through four games, the Hawks have allowed 90.3 points per game. Their defense is ranked 338th in the country according to KenPom’s metrics.
Monmouth, still looking for its first win of the season, travels to Kansas to play Wichita State on Monday. After, they will go to Texas to play in the Axe ‘Em Classic, where they will play three games in three days against Youngstown State, Stephen F. Austin, and Presbyterian. Rutgers looks to remain undefeated as they host Merrimack, then travel to Georgia to play Kennesaw State.
