Monroe at Saline: 5 Key Questions
On Tuesday December 19, Monroe visited Saline for an SEC Red showdown. Both teams were looking to rebound from tough conference losses. Saline started hot, jumping to a 9-0 lead that turned into a 14-5 margin at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was highlighted by a tough Saline defense. The Hornets had trouble with some easy looks however, keeping Monroe alive at the half trailing 18-7. Saline’s Coach Fosdick made 2nd Half adjustments, applying more full court pressure defense and relying on his bench, specifically junior guard Jameson Simion. By the end of the third quarter Saline had extended their lead to 18, leading 33-15. Monroe kept playing hard and kept the 4th quarter close, but Saline held their lead and earned a 51-31 win.
5 KEY QUESTIONS:
1) Can Monroe cut down on their turnovers?
They should be able to, as they have two guards that can handle the ball in Carson Delbin (2019, G) and Jalen Johnson (2019, G).
2) Will Monroe rely on their defense more as the season goes on?
In my opinion, they should. Other than getting beat on backdoor cuts, they were pretty solid on the defensive end. As they learn to talk more on defense, it could develop into a team strength.
3) Can Saline’s bench continue to provide a spark?
Saline keeps getting contributions from their bench. Jameson Simion, Peter Jacobsen, Ryan Grill, and Adam Heisler have all provided come up big in certain situations throughout the season.
4) Who will handle the ball for Monroe?
My guess would be Carson Delbin. He showed flashes against Saline. He is their best ball handler and made some solid passes in traffic when teammates cut to the basket.
5) Can Saline’s Griffin Yaklich and Emmett Turner continue to carry the scoring load?
They both can get baskets in their own way and have provided Saline’s scoring punch all season. Their task is much easier with Ryan Koch, Connor Terech, and Erik Wenning all playing well like they have this far.