When Joe Desantis recruited Rob Monroe to play guard at Quinnipiac, he saw potential that was overlooked by many other schools. That potential has shown on the court for the past three years. As a freshman, Monroe led all Division 1 players in assist/turnover ratio with an outstanding 3.07 mark. In addition to the points he created for teammates, Monroe was second on the team in scoring with an average of 13 per game. His efforts helped Quinnipiac reach the NEC Championship, one game short of the NCAA tournament.
Looking to avoid a “sophomore slump”, Monroe came out gunning, leading the Bobcats with 15 points against the #14 ranked University of Connecticut. Despite struggling through a high ankle sprain that caused him to sit out five games, Monroe still averaged 13.3 points/game on the year, good for third on the team. Once again, he helped the Bobcats go deep into the NEC tournament, this time falling one game short of a second consecutive NEC Championship appearance.
After two inspiring campaigns, Monroe was selected to the preseason All-NEC team. As a team, Quinnipiac was picked to win the NEC, and everything was looking good. However, the team stumbled out of the gates and was never able to fully right the ship. Despite missing the last four games of the season with a broken foot, Monroe finished second on the team in scoring, posting 15.5 points/game.
This season, Monroe has done nothing but contribute positive plays to the team. The senior has embraced his leadership role, as evidenced by his selection as NEC player of the week for his efforts Nov. 29 – Dec. 5. During that span, Monroe averaged 32 points and 6.5 assists in two wins. Against Cornell Dec. 1, Monroe posted a season high 32 points while dishing out 5 assists. Just three days later, Rob again poured in 32 points while handing out 8 assists in the Bobcats conference opener versus Robert Morris.
One week later against Drexel, Monroe scored 17 points in the second half, after being held scoreless in the opening 20 minutes. The senior led the Bobcats’ during their late surge that cut the Dragon lead to 7 points with just under two minutes remaining. However, the Bobcats were unable to get any closer, losing the game 66-59.
Even though Monroe was unable to lead the Bobcats to their fourth straight win, he has shown early this season that he has saved his best for last. He is currently 14th on the Quinnipiac all time scoring list, and Monroe looks to continue his ascent into the top 10. Barring any injuries or other setbacks, the senior looks to have his best season in a Bobcat uniform. One thing is for sure, Monroe will leave an outstanding mark on a program that gave him a chance when others looked the other way.
