Earlier this week, Justin Monden made his announcement to commit to Maryland Eastern Shore, spending his first two collegiate seasons at Georgia Southwestern. Given some of the key pieces departing from the Hawks’ roster, Monden will be a vital piece for this group. Struggles were definitely expected in Coach Hill’s first year at the helm, but things should only improve as the culture and roster construction get established. So, what will the Hawks be getting with Monden?
He’s a smart, balanced point guard who simply knows how to run a team while consistently finding ways to apply scoring pressure. Monden is a reliable perimeter shooter who can knock down three-pointers (37.7%) or access his lethal midrange pull-up seemingly whenever he desires. He mixes it up well to attack the basket and highlight the ability to finish or kick out to an open teammate. Monden plays under control but knows when to assert himself. Given his ability to hit shots off the catch, he’s also quite comfortable as an off-ball threat from beyond the arc. Oddly enough, Monden was actually more productive and efficient in away games. Add in his solid defensive presence, and it’s easy to envision him being heavily involved for this group.
There’s really nowhere to go but up for the Hawks. Although they lost their leading scorer (KC Shaw), the majority of this roster is young and progressing. Last year, they only had two seniors in their top seven of minutes played. Not only should each of these guys make strides going into next season, but it allows a veteran piece like Monden to be a seamless fit. Coming off a season with averages of 12.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG and 42/38/88 splits, folks should expect him to be an excellent addition to this roster.