SETON HALL (6-0) at
SAINT MARY'S (5-0)
Saturday, December 1
McKeon Pavilion - Moraga, California
7:00 p.m. ET
THE MATCHUP: The Pirates travel to California to take on the Saint Mary’s Gaels in a battle of unbeatens. Both teams are currently receiving votes in the Associated Press Top-25 poll and both have upset victories over ranked teams. The Pirates defeated #23-ranked Virginia on Nov. 24, while the Gaels beat #11-ranked Oregon on Nov. 20. This will be the fifth time in history that the teams have met, with the series tied at 2-2. The Pirates beat the Gaels last season, 93-82 in overtime at Continental Airlines Arena.
TV: None
RADIO: The game will be broadcasted by WABC 770 AM, with Gary Cohen on play-by-play and Dave Popkin as the analyst. The game will also be heard on WSOU 89.5 FM, Seton Hall’s student radio station.
SHU ON THE WEB: Tune in for a live audio stream of all games on www.shupirates.com
BIG EAST CONFERENCE: www.bigeast.org
SCOUTING SAINT MARY’S
Saint Mary’s provides a formidable opponent for the Pirates chances to improve to 7-0. The Gaels enter this game with a perfect 5-0 record having won each game by at least six points. On Nov. 20, Saint Mary’s defeated #11-ranked Oregon in convincing fasion, 99-87. They’re averaging 86.2 points per game and allowing only 67.8. The Gaels will provide a challenge to the Pirates’ frontcourt. Seven members of their roster check in at 6-foot-7 or taller. They have four players averaging in double-digit scoring and are led by freshman Patrick Mills at 15.8 points per game. Saint Mary’s enters the game receiving 50 votes from the Associated Press Poll, while Seton Hall is only two teams higher at 54 votes.
SETON HALL - SAINT MARY’S SERIES
The teams will meet for only the fifth time in the history of the programs with the series tied at two a piece. Last season, Seton Hall defeated Saint Mary’s, 93-82 in overtime. It was the first time the two teams had played since the 1983-84 season. This is the first trip for Seton Hall to Moraga, California.
PIRATES DEFEAT PRINCETON, 65-55
Seton Hall won their first road game of the season with a 65-55 victory over the Tigers in Princeton. The Pirates last two opponents were played at the neutral site of The Palestra. Seton Hall closed out the first half with an 8-0 run which gave the Pirates a 10-point cushion that they would hold for the rest of the game. Sophomore Eugene Harvey led Seton Hall with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor.
GREAT START
With the victory over Princeton, the Pirates improved to 6-0. It is the program’s best start since they went 13-0 to open the 1988-89 season. That season, the Pirates finished with an overall record of 31-7 and lost in overtime of the NCAA Championship Game.
PROUD PAPA
Seton Hall Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez became a father for the first time prior to the Princeton game. Brooke Kimberly Gonzalez entered the world at 11:41 a.m. on Wednesday, November. 28.
GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION
Seton Hall received votes in both the Associated Press (AP) and ESPN/USA Today weekly rankings on Monday, Nov. 26. The Pirates received 54 votes in the AP Top-25 poll, which ranks them 34th in the nation. They received two points in the ESPN/USA Today poll. It marks the first time since February 6, 2006 that Seton Hall has received votes in either poll. Pollsters took notice of the Pirates following their 74-60 victory over #23-ranked Virginia on Nov. 24.
PHILLY HOOP GROUP CHAMPS
The Pirates went 4-for-4 in games in the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic. They defeated Robert Morris, 111-107 in overtime on Nov. 18, and Loyola, 94-80 on Nov. 20, at Prudential Center. They then took on two more opponents in the Championship Round at The Palestra in Phildephia, Pa. The Pirates defeated Navy, 79-75 on Nov. 23, and Virginia, 74-60 on Nov. 24. The victory over Virginia earned the Pirates the title of the Independence Bracket.
PIRATES vs. THE WCC
Seton Hall has an all-time record of 12-4 against current teams of the West Coast Conference. They’ll play Saint Mary’s for the fifth time on Saturday, which is more games than any other WCC member. They have winning and undefeated records against five other teams including Gonzaga. The Pirates played the perennial WCC power only once in their history, a 92-70 victory on Dec. 31, 1954.
RIPPING THE RANKED
Seton Hall upset victory of #23-ranked Virginia on Nov. 24 marks the first Pirates win over a ranked opponent since they defeated eighth-ranked Pittsburgh on March 3, 2006.
BIG BENCH
The Pirates have gotten great play from their bench all season long. Seton Hall’s bench has outscored their opponent’s in 4-of-6 games so far. Against Princeton, the Pirates’ bench outscored Princeton’s, 20-2.
CHAIRMAN OF THE “BOARD”
Sophomore John Garcia is currently averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. which ties him for seventh in the BIG EAST. Garcia had six rebounds vs. Monmouth, eight against Robert Morris and then recorded his first career double-double including 10 rebounds vs. Loyola. Against Navy, he turned in one of the best rebounding performances of any Pirate in recent years, collecting 19 rebounds in only 23 minutes off the bench. He had six versus Virginia and eight more at Princeton.
REBOUNDING WELL
The Pirates have out-rebounded five of their six opponents so far this season. Currently, they’re averaging 42.0 rebounds per game, which ranks them fifth in the BIG EAST, and are limiting their opponents to only 37.3. Against Navy, Seton Hall grabbed a season-high 50 rebounds. Last season, the Pirates averaged only 34.0 rebounds per game.
#15 BECOMES #101
During the Monmouth game, Eugene Harvey became the 101st player in Seton Hall history to record at least 500 career points. Currently, Harvey ranks 79th all-time with 596 points. Last season, Jamar Nutter and Brian Laing became the 99th and 100th members respectively to enter the exclusive club.
EXTRA BASKETBALL
Seton Hall’s victory over Monmouth marked the first time they opened the season with an overtime game since they defeated Catholic, 69-67, to start the 1963-64 campaign. The Pirates’ victory over Robert Morris marked the first time in the history of the program that they’ve started the season with two overtime games.
LOTS OF POINTS
Seton Hall’s 111-107 overtime victory over Robert Morris marked the first time that the Pirates scored over 100 points since a 104-85 victory over St. Peter’s on Nov. 27, 2000. It was the first time that both teams scored over 100 points since the Pirates lost at Providence, 106-101, on Feb. 2, 1975. Seton Hall’s 111 points are the most since a 113-91 victory over Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 29, 1996.
LAING BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Brian Laing was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on November 26. Laing helped the Pirates to a 3-0 week, averaging 22.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over that span. It is the first time that Laing has received the honor in his career, although he has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll four times. Laing is the first Pirate to be named Player of the Week since Donald Copeland on January 30, 2006.
LAING MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Senior Brian Laing was named the Most Valuable Player of The Philly Hoop Group Classic. He scored at least 25 points in three of the four games of the tournament, culminating with a 25-point, 10-rebound performance against #23-ranked Virginia in the event’s championship game.
SCORING 30
Brian Laing’s offensive output against Robert Morris was the first Seton Hall 30-point scoring effort since Andre Barrett and John Allen both scored 30 in a 97-80 victory over St. Peter’s on Feb. 9, 2003. It is the most points since Adrian Griffin scored 32 at Pittsburgh on Jan. 30, 1996.
GAUSE TIES GAUSE
The reigning BIG EAST steals champion again tied the single-game steals record with eight against Monmouth. Last season, junior Paul Gause recorded eight steals against Saint Mary’s to tie Levell Sanders for the record. He completed the season with a Pirates single-season record of 90 steals, leading the BIG EAST in steals per game (3.1) and ranking second in the nation. He currently has 143 career steals and factors to be a leading contender for BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Currently, he leads the BIG EAST again with 2.83 steals per game.
STIX TRANSFERS IN
Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced that Robert Mitchell has transferred to the University. Mitchell played basketball last season at Duquesne University and will sit out the 2007-08 season due to NCAA regulations. The 6-foot-6, 180-pound Mitchell will be eligible to practice with the Pirates this season, but won’t see game action until 2008-09. Last season at Duquesne, Mitchell led the Dukes in scoring with a 16.4 points per game average, which ranked ninth in the nation among Division I freshmen. Mitchell was named Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week five times en route to being ultimately named Rookie of the Year by the conference.
AIR JORDAN LANDS AT HALL
Seton Hall men’s basketball head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced that Jordan Theodore (Englewood, N.J.) has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University and play basketball for the Pirates beginning in the 2008-09 season. Theodore averaged 16.9 points, 6.7 assists and 4.6 steals per game as a junior at Paterson Catholic last year. He helped lead them to an 18-8 record and scored a career-high 31 points vs. DePaul in the county final. Additionally, he was the point guard for the #1 rated summer AAU basketball team, the New York Gauchos.
FORMER PIRATE EDDIE GRIFFIN DIES
Former Seton Hall men’s basketball student-athlete, Eddie Griffin, died on August 17 in Houston, as confirmed by the Harris County medical examiner’s office. Griffin played for the Pirates during the 2000-01 season. Although Griffin only wore a Seton Hall uniform for one season, his exploits won’t soon be forgotten. He is a member of the Pirates’ 500-point club and remains the all-time single-season leader with 133 blocks. Eddie Griffin was 25-years old.
CHANGES COMING TO THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
The Presidents of the BIG EAST Conference voted to include all 16 member institutions in the men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments beginning in 2009. The Presidents took this action at their annual meeting, which was held Nov. 6 in Philadelphia, Pa. Currently, the top 12 teams in the final regular-season standings advance to participate in the men’s and women’s championships. The men’s championship is held in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The women’s championship is held in Hartford, Conn., at the Hartford Civic Center. The new format will have the teams seeded 9 through 16 meet on the first day of competition. The matchups will be No. 9 vs. No. 16, No. 10 vs. No. 15, No. 11 vs. No. 14 and No. 12 vs. No. 13. The winners of those four games will meet seeds 5 through 8 on the second day of play. The 9/16 winner will advance to play the No. 8 seed. The 10/15 winner will play the No. 7 seed. The 11/14 winner will meet the No. 6 seed. The 12/13 winner will play the No. 5 seed. Those four winners will advance to play the top four seeds in the quarterfinal round. Thus, the top four seeded teams still will not play until the quarterfinals, which occurs in the current 12-team format.
PRESEASON BIG EAST PREDICTIONS
Seton Hall was predicted to finish 13th in the 16-team BIG EAST Conference. Last season, the Pirates were predicted to finish 15th and they ended up placing 13th. Georgetown and Louisville are the co-favorites to win the regular-season title in the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The two teams tied for first place in the balloting with 217 points. Seton Hall was selected to finish 13th with 56 points. Georgetown senior Roy Hibbert, a unanimous selection to last season’s All-BIG EAST First Team, was been named the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head men’s basketball coaches. Syracuse freshmen Jonny Flynn and Donte’ Greene were selected BIG EAST Co-Rookies of the Year. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
PIRATES ADD ADUBATO; PROMOTE VALCARCEL
Scott Adubato is the Pirates’ newest assistant coach. Adubato most recently served as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and replaces former Seton Hall assistant, Geoff Billet, who left in August. Adubato spent parts of two years on head coach Mike Fratello’s coaching staff after serving the previous five seasons with the Grizzlies as a scout. Prior to joining the Grizzlies, he served as an advance scout for the New York Liberty of the WNBA, working with his father, head coach Richie Adubato. His coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Trojans of the USBL (1999-2000), the San Diego Stingrays of the International Basketball League (1999), Georgia State University (1997-1999), Collin County Community College (1993-1995), the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1993-1994) and Old Dominion University (1990-1991). Elvis Valcarcel was promoted to administrative assistant. This season will be Valcarcel’s second with Seton Hall as he spent last season as the team’s video coordinator. Valcarcel replaces former Pirate great Shaheen Holloway who accepted an assistant coach position at Iona College.
770 WABC RADIO GETS ’EM ALL
All 31 Seton Hall men’s basketball regular season games in 2007-08 will be heard on its flagship radio station, 77WABC, it was announced on Tuesday. The agreement will enable the Pirates faithful to easily find the games on the radio dial. In past seasons, Seton Hall game broadcasts lacked a consistency with one station. This year, all 31 regular season games will be broadcasted via 77WABC. Veteran radio announcers Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will return for their fifth season covering Pirates basketball.
BIG EAST SCHEDULE
Starting this season, Seton Hall will face all 15 of its BIG EAST opponents at least once. They will play Marquette, USF and Rutgers twice. The Pirates open the conference slate against Connecticut on January 3 and finish against Rutgers on March 9. Both games will be at Prudential Center.
TV SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Twenty-one of the Pirates’ 31 scheduled regular season games will be televised either nationally or regionally this season. Seton Hall will get the nation’s attention five times with two broadcasts on ESPN2 (at Providence – Jan. 24, Syracuse – March 5), two on ESPNU (N.C. State – Dec. 27, at Villanova – Feb. 9) and one on ESPN360 (at USF – Feb. 26). Via ESPN Regional, Seton Hall’s games will be shown an additional 14 times with broadcasts on SNY (nine), MSG (three) and FSNY (two). The Prudential Center-opening game against Monmouth on November 11 will be carried by SNY.
LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAM
Go to www.shupirates.com to hear a live web audio stream of all Seton Hall men’s basketball games this season. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will bring you all the action. Get the HALL PASS Today! Video streaming will be available for the Princeton game only.
2007-08 CAPTAINS TRIO
For the second straight season, head coach Bobby Gonzalez has appointed three captains for the season. Senior Brian Laing will captain the team for the second consecutive year, while senior Jamar Nutter and junior Paul Gause join him to make the trifecta.
HARVEY IS COUSY AWARD CANDIDATE
Sophomore Eugene Harvey has been named a Pre-season Candidate for the 2007-08 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The honor is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard annually spanning across all divisions within the game by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The selection criteria emphasizes leadership, team work, success, and fundamentals as being critical parts for the game of basketball as a point guard. Nominations are solicited from across the country from head coaches and the winner is selected by a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee made up of the biggest names in college basketball.
PIRATES EARN FIRST PRUCENTER WIN; CLIP HAWKS
Seton Hall opened their 2007-08 season with an 89-81 overtime victory against Monouth last Sunday. It marked the first time that the Pirates have opened the season with an overtime game since they defeated Catholic, 69-67, to start the 1963-64 campaign. Sophomore Eugene Harvey tied his career-high with 27 points to lead Seton Hall, while Monmouth’s Jhamar Youngblood scored 27 in the losing effort. Seton Hall senior Brian Laing recorded his seventh career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Paul Gause tied the Pirates single-game record with eight steals, a mark he already shared with Levell Sanders. The Pirates were out-shot for the game, 42.3%-to-47.6%, but they out-rebounded the Hawks, 43-to-34 and forced them to commit 23 turnovers. Seton Hall, last year’s BIG EAST leader in steals per game, had 21 in their season-opening victory.
PIRATES “ROCK”ING
For the first time in 26 years the Seton Hall men’s basketball team are calling a new arena it’s home, Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. This spectacular, state-of-the-art venue has the capability to hold 18,500 fans for basketball games, but with the newest curtaining technology, will limit the Seton Hall faithful to seating on the lower level only and a capacity of approximately 9,000. Prudential Center contains 750 television monitors, a 4,800 square-foot, state-of-the-art exterior LED screen and a gourmet restaurant overlooking the event floor as well as an array of fan amenities and conveniences, including the richly appointed Fire and Ice Lounges.
WHAT AN ATMOSPHERE!
The doors to the Prudential Center were opened at 11:30 on Sunday, Nov. 11 to a carnival-like atmosphere for the opener. Two bands played, one indoors and one outdoors, while fans arrive. Seton Hall featured an array of face-painters, balloon animal-makers and Pirate stilt-walkers. Also in attendance on the concourse were several Seton Hall basketball alumni ready to sign autographs and take photos. The Newark Museum, NJPAC and City of Newark had a presence on the concourse. White Castle, a sponsor of the Pirates, celebrated the first game at Prudential Center in a big way. White Castle cooked up 1,500 burgers to be delivered to the 15 bus loads of students that attended the first game. This is the third season that White Castle will be a sponsor of Seton Hall basketball. Seton Hall is once again teaming up with White Castle for a great family package. For selected games, White Castle is offer the Pirate Party Pack which features four tickets, four White Castle meals and a Pirate basketball with packages starting at just $65.00.
NUTTER, LAING CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS
Seniors Jamar Nutter and Brian Laing should become the 34th and 35th members of the exclusive 1,000-Point Club at Seton Hall. Nutter currently is 44th all-time with 867 points, while Laing is tied for 45th with 858 points. Eugene Harvey is 79th place with 596 career points.
SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE
Seton Hall features a team with six returning players and six talented newcomers. Freshmen Mike Davis, Michael Glover, Jeremy Hazell and Brandon Walters join junior Augustine Okosun and sophomore transfer Robert Mitchell to form Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez’ second straight impact recruiting class.
FRONTCOURT ADDRESSED
One of the Pirates weaknesses in the 2006-07 season was a lack of height in the frontcourt. The additions of 6-11 Mike Davis, 6-11 Augustine Okosun, 6-9 Brandon Walters and 6-6 Michael Glover immediately fortify the interior. The Pirates are also looking forward to a full season of a health for 6-9 John Garcia. What was a weakness for Seton Hall last season may become a strength this year.
THE ELUSIVE TRIPLE-DOUBLE
The Pirates continue to come close to notching their second triple-double in school history. In the 2007-08 season opener, Brian Laing had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. Last season against Princeton, Larry Davis scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out eight assists in only 28 minutes. Eugene Harvey had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists vs. St. John’s last year. Only one player in Seton Hall history has recorded a triple-double. Eddie Griffin logged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in a victory over Norfolk State on Dec. 4, 2000.
LOOKING AHEAD
ST. PETER’S at SETON HALL
Tuesday, December 4 • 7:30 p.m.
Prudential Center • Newark, N.J.
TV: None
Radio: WABC 770 AM / WSOU 89.5 FM
Seton Hall vs. St. Peter’s: Seton Hall 55-23
NOTEBOOK: The Pirates will return home to continue one of their longest running rivalries and host St. Peter’s. Seton Hall has won their last 11 meetings with the Peacocks, including an 80-60 victory last season at Continental Airlines Arena. In addition to the current streak, the Pirates have won 20-of-21 against their opponents from Jersey City, N.J.
Former Seton Hall assistant coach and current St. Peter’s head coach John Dunne will face the Pirates for the second time. The Peacocks are led by seniors Raul Orta and Todd Sowell who are each averaging well over 12.0 points per game. St. Peter’s defeated Rutgers, 65-58, on November 25.
Courtesy: Seton Hall Athletic Communications
