Sacred Heart vs New Hampshire prediction: Sacred Heart's rebuilt roster brings a gunner's habits to Durham
The Pioneers return barely any of last season's minutes, and New Hampshire's poor shooting makes this challenge game a test of who has found an offense first.
- Two rebuilt or rebuilding offenses feel each other out; Sacred Heart's transfers likely carry more shooting than a New Hampshire team that struggled to score.
- Sacred Heart's three-point volume against a New Hampshire defense whose opponents rarely launched from deep last season.
- No spread or total has been posted; last season Sacred Heart finished 302nd in adjusted net efficiency, New Hampshire 344th.
A roster built from scratch
Sacred Heart enters the inaugural America East–Metro Challenge as a near-total reboot. Players on this season's roster logged just 16.0% of last season's minutes and 13.5% of its points, so the 14-19 team of 2025-26 is a weak guide to the one that takes the floor in Durham.
The departures cut straight into the shooting. Nyle Ralph-Beyer made 92 threes at 44% last season, and Yann Farell hit 41.1% from deep. Dashon Gittens, who started all 32 games, is also gone. Last season's offense ranked 12th in the country in 3-point attempt rate (the share of shots taken from deep) and 69th in 3-point percentage, and Ralph-Beyer and Farell supplied a lot of that shooting.
The question is whether the new arrivals keep that identity alive. Samson Reilly, in from Quinnipiac, shot 48.1% on threes in limited minutes there. Jo Van Buggenhout handed out 3.1 assists per game at Indiana State. Anthony Latina, who coached his 13th season at Sacred Heart last year, has a lot of fitting together to do in a few weeks.
New Hampshire's scoring problem
New Hampshire's issue last season was simple: it couldn't put the ball in the basket. Its effective field goal percentage (which counts threes 1.5 times) of 47.7% ranked 337th, and it made just 30.9% of its threes. It also converted only 66.0% at the line, 355th nationally, a liability in any close finish.
The Wildcats did one thing well. They grabbed 74.1% of available defensive rebounds, 25th in Division I, which limits second chances for a Sacred Heart team that ranked 237th in offensive rebounding last season. Opponents also took relatively few threes against them, a style point worth watching against a team built to shoot.
The preseason outlook is modest. New Hampshire was picked ninth in the America East preseason poll, with 13 points. Nathan Davis, in his fourth season, adds transfers Erik Oliver-Bush from Manhattan, Drew McKenna from Old Dominion and Adam Squire from Indian River State, plus three freshmen.
Challenge stakes and recent history
The game is one of two each team plays in the new event, one at home and one on the road, running Nov. 5 through Nov. 8. Sacred Heart's schedule lists a 2 p.m. tip, though New Hampshire, as host, sets the time and hasn't confirmed it.
The recent series is split. New Hampshire won 90-84 at Sacred Heart in November 2023, and the Pioneers answered with an 80-63 win on a neutral floor a year later. Last season's adjusted numbers (points per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents) favored Sacred Heart, but with this much roster change those figures mostly describe teams that no longer exist.
What to watch
- How many threes Sacred Heart's new guards take early, and whether Reilly's shooting translates to a bigger role.
- New Hampshire's free-throw shooting if the game is close late.
- Whether the Wildcats' defensive rebounding holds up against a fresh Sacred Heart frontcourt.
Key players
- Samson Reilly (Sacred Heart): He made 37 of 77 threes at Quinnipiac last season, a 48.1% clip in 9.0 minutes a night.
- Jo Van Buggenhout (Sacred Heart): He averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 assists at Indiana State last season, though he shot 28.8% from three.
- Jaden Slaughter (Sacred Heart): He averaged 5.3 points in 20.7 minutes last season and made 79.5% of his free throws.
- Abdou Yadd (Sacred Heart): He carried a 26.2% usage rate last season but shot 38.7% from the field.
Numbers that matter
| Sacred Heart returning minutes | 16.0% | Almost all of last season's production is gone, so 2025-26 team stats say little about this roster. |
|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart 3-point attempt rate, last season | 12th | The Pioneers were among the most three-heavy teams in the country before losing their top shooters. |
| New Hampshire effective FG%, last season | 47.7% | That ranked 337th nationally and sat at the root of a 9-21 season. |
| New Hampshire free throw %, last season | 66.0% | Ranked 355th, a weakness that matters most in a tight game. |
| New Hampshire defensive rebound %, last season | 74.1% | Ranked 25th, the Wildcats' clearest strength. |
Sacred Heart vs New Hampshire: quick answers
When is Sacred Heart vs New Hampshire?
Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET.