The Army Black Knights and the Stonehill Skyhawks meet Thursday in college basketball action from Merkert Gymnasium. Army is 0-1 on the young season after a tough loss to Marist in their opener. As for Stonehill, they’re 0-1 as well. The Skyhawks lost big to George Washington on Monday. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.

Army Black Knights 

The Black Knights took a minor step forward last season, breaking the .500 mark with a 17-16 overall record and a 10-8 result in Patriot League play. The Knights landed in fourth place among the standings with that effort, behind Colgate, Navy and Lehigh. After a win over Boston U in the conference tourney, the Black Knights fell to Colgate to end their season. 

In their opener versus Marist on Monday, the Black Knights got off to a rough start. Army was drilled 42-26 in the first half and limped the rest of the way in a 71-55 defeat. Leading the scoring was Ryan Curry with 13 points and four rebounds. Josh Scovens added 11 points with two rebounds and two assists as well. 

Stonehill Skyhawks 

Over on the Skyhawks’ side, they posted a losing record last season at 14-17 overall. Stonehill did better among Northeast Conference teams however, finishing 10-6 for a third-place finish. The Skyhawks were in the first season of a four-year transition from Division II to Division I last year and aren’t eligible for postseason play until 2026-27. 

Stonehill won’t have to worry about postseason games if they continue playing like they did in their opener versus George Washington on Monday. The Skyhawks fell behind 37-20 by the break and coughed up 52 points in the second half for an 89-44 blowout loss. No Stonehill player hit double-figure scoring; Louie Semona topped the team on nine points and four rebounds. 

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’m going to lean toward Army here, but I’m not touching it. Neither team played very well in their opener, but the good news is that this one should be more competitive on both sides. The Knights shot a tepid 38.6 percent from the field versus Marist (who shot 50 percent) in their opener, coughing up 18 turnovers along the way. Army did edge the Foxes in rebounding 32-30 however, which will come in handy for second-chance points in this one. Stonehill shot just 21.4 percent from the field in their opener loss, a stat which most assuredly will improve in game two. I don’t think the Skyhawks will cover/win, but it should be an entertaining matchup all the same.