#11 SETON HALL (17-14, 7-11) vs.
#6 MARQUETTE (22-8, 11-7)
2008 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - Presented by Aeropostale
Madison Square Garden - New York, N.Y.
9:00 p.m. ET
THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall closed out the 2007-08 regular season with a 64-61 loss to Rutgers at Prudential Center on Sunday. It was the third straight loss for the Pirates, who earned the #11 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. Marquette has lost two of their last three, including an 87-72 setback at Syracuse on Saturday. This will be the third time that Seton Hall and Marquette have faced each other this year.
TV: The game will be shown on ESPN, with Dan Shulman on play-by-play and Len Elmore providing the color analysis.
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 MARQUETTE
Marquette has lost two of their last three games including an 87-72 setback at Syracuse on Saturday. In their last meeting with Seton Hall, sophomore Lazar Hayward scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds. For the season, four Golden Eagles are averaging in double-figures in scoring. They are led by junior Jerel McNeal who is averaging a team-best 13.6 points per game. A high-scoring team, Marquette is averaging 76.2 points per game and allowing only 64.0 points per game. They are 2-1 on at a neutral site this season.
SETON HALL - MARQUETTE SERIES
Seton Hall and Marquette will face off for the third time this season. Marquette won both prior meetings, including an 89-64 victory over the Pirates at Prudential Center on Feb. 12. The teams have faced each other only five times in history. Seton Hall won the first meeting, but the Golden Eagles have taken the last four. Seton Hall hasn’t lost to the same opponent three times in the same season since they dropped three to Connecticut during the 1999-2000 campaign.
RUTGERS EDGES PIRATES ON BUZZER-BEATER
J.R. Inman hit a desperation three-pointer as time expired to lift Rutgers to a 64-61 victory over Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights trailed by as many as 11 points at halftime, but fought back to even the season series between the schools. Senior Brian Laing recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jeremy Hazell led all scorerers with 19 points. The Pirates end the regular season with an overall record of 17-14 and 7-11 in conference play, as they head into the BIG EAST Championship as the 11th seed.
LAING, HAZELL EARN BIG EAST HONORS
Senior Brian Laing was named to the BIG EAST All-Conference First Team and freshman Jeremy Hazell earned All-Rookie Team honors; it was announced by the conference office on Monday, March 10. Laing, a Second Team selection last season, becomes the first Pirate since Andre Barrett in 2004 to be named to the First Team. Hazell’s honoring marks the second straight year that Seton Hall has landed a player on the All-Rookie Team (Harvey).
PIRATES CLINCH
The Pirates clinched a berth in the BIG EAST Championship following St. John’s loss at Notre Dame last week. Seton Hall will be the #11 seed and will face #6 Marquette in the opening round on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
When Seton Hall faces Marquette in the opening round of the BIG EAST Championship, it will the third time that the teams have squared off this season. The Golden Eagles won the first two meetings. The last time Seton Hall was swept in three games by the same team in one season was when Connecticut swept the Pirates during the 1999-2000 season. The last time Seton Hall lost their first two games to an opponent, but beat them in the third, was in the 2000-01 season against Georgetown.
LAING CLIMBING SCORING CHART
With 16 points against Rutgers, senior Brian Laing passed Rimas Kaukenas for 22nd place on Seton Hall’s all-time scoring list. With 1,307 career points, Laing is the 22nd player to join the 1,300-Point Club at Seton Hall. He is 70 points away from passing Darius Lane and moving into 21st place all-time.
RECORD IN THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Seton Hall is 17-27 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship. They are 7-12 all-time in first round games, but have lost in the first round in their last three tournaments. Their last victory came in the first round of the 2003 Championship, a 67-52 victory over Miami. The Pirates have won the post-season tournament twice (1991 and 1993).
AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Seton Hall enters the 2008 BIG EAST Championship with an all-time record of 71-90 at Madison Square Garden (MSG). They’ve lost their last four games at MSG and last won during the 2004-05 season, a 62-55 regular season victory over St. John’s.
LAING NAMED ALL-DISTRICT
Seton Hall senior Brian Laing was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I, District 3 First Team. Joining Laing on the District 3 First Team are St. Joseph’s Pat Calathes, Rider’s Jason Thompson, Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds and Pittsburgh’s Sam Young.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Seton Hall had one of their best three-point shooting games against DePaul. Collectively, they were 11-for-21 for 52.4% from behind the arc. Seniors Brian Laing and Jamar Nutter both hit five three-pointers each. For Laing, it tied a career-high. Freshman Jeremy Hazell hit one. For the year, Seton Hall is shooting 34.2% from three-point range.
PRIME FROM THE LINE
Senior Brian Laing has shot well from everywhere on the court this year, especially the free throw line. Prior to missing from the line with 3:19 remaining in the game against Marquette, Laing had made 20 consecutive shots from the line - a streak that started five games ago. For the season, Laing is shooting 81.3% from the line, which ranks him fourth in the league.
COUNT HIM FOR 20
Against Syracuse, senior Brian Laing scored 20 points. It was the 16th time this season that he has scored at least 20 points and 24th of his career.
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
For the second straight season Seton Hall exceed their preseason expectations. Last season, the Pirates were predicted to finish 15th in the 16-team BIG EAST Conference and ended up finishing 13th overall. This season, Seton Hall was predicted to finish 13th, and the Pirates again finished two places higher for 11th place.
THE RE-EMERGENCE
Seton Hall has enjoyed the recent re-emergence of sophomore John Garcia. Most recently, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots in 29 minutes vs. Syracuse. Over his last five games, Garcia has averaged 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.
EXTRA BASKETBALL
Seton Hall’s overtime victory at Rutgers marked their fifth overtime game this season. Never, in the 104 years of Seton Hall basketball, has a team played five overtime games in one season. The Pirates have had four seasons in which they’ve played in four overtime games.
ALL-TIME 1,000-POINT MILESTONES
With Laing and Nutter reaching the 1,000-point plateau this season, it marks the eighth time that two players reached the milestone in the same season. Most recently, Donnell Williams and Levell Sanders reached it during the 1997-98 season. In 1988-89, three players reached the mark, John Morton, Ramon Ramos and Darryl Walker.
LAING NAMED TO FOURTH HONOR ROLL
Brian Laing’s performance in Seton Hall’s only game last week was enough to earn him his fourth appearance on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season. Laing scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down six rebounds. He also hit the game-winning shot with the the score tied at 71 and only 16 second remaining.
OVERTIME
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 straight overtime games.
TO THE POINT
History has indicated that when point guard Eugene Harvey scores 20 points, the Pirates do well. In Harvey’s young career, Seton Hall has a record of 10-5 when the sophomore scores 20 or more in a game. He had a team-high 26 points most recently in Seton Hall’s win over Rutgers.
A PACKED ROCK
Seton Hall has enjoyed five sellouts this season. The Prudential Center has sold out against N.C. State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Rutgers. With the curtains drawn, the home crowd packed in 9,800 fans.
PROUD PAPA
Seton Hall’s 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 Wed., Nov. 28.
27 FOR HARVEY... AGAIN
Super Sophomore Eugene Harvey has scored a career-best 27 points in a game four times. Most recently, he led all scorers with 27 in an overtime victory over James Madison. He also scored 27 points in the Pirates’ overtime victories against Monmouth and Robert Morris this season. On Jan. 30, Seton Hall won again in overtime, but shockingly, Harvey did not score 27 points. He could only muster 26.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Pirates trailed by as many as 23 points (66-43) to Robert Morris with only 17:37 remaining in the second half before mounting their comeback and pulling off an improbable 111-107 overtime victory. Seton Hall trailed by 19 to James Madison before coming back to defeat the Dukes, 112-110, also in overtime. Against BIG EAST powerhouse Louisville, the Pirates trailed by 14 in the second half before rallying for a 92-82 victory. At Providence, they trailed by 15 in the first half before defeating the Friars, 88-75.
GAUSE LOST FOR YEAR
Junior Paul Gause will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season due to an injury he sustained in action vs. Notre Dame on Wednesday. The 5-foot-11 team tri-captain tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee mid-way through the first half. Gause averaged 7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and a league-best 2.8 steals per game this season.
1,000 FOR NUTTER
By halftime of the Providence game, senior Jamar Nutter had surpassed the 1,000 career point milestone. He finished the game with 19 points and only needed 10. Nutter is the 35th member of the exclusive Seton Hall club to reach the mark. Teammate Brian Laing reached it four games earlier making them the first pair of teammates to do so in the same season since the 1997-98 season.
HIGH SCORING
The Pirates are averaging 77.4 points per game so far this season, which ranks fourth in the BIG EAST Conference. They’ve topped the 80-point mark 11 times in 31 games this season. Seton Hall’s scoring has been relatively balanced as well. In 25-of-31 games, at least three players have scored in double-figures and in 12 games at least four players have. Currently, senior Brian Laing ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.0 points per game, sophomore Eugene Harvey is tied for 20th with 13.3 points per game and freshman Jeremy Hazell is tied for 22nd with 12.9 points per game.
TWO NEW TO 500 POINTS
During the Monmouth game, Eugene Harvey became the 101st player in Seton Hall history to record at least 500 career points. Currently, Harvey is 44th all-time with 891 points. During the James Madison game, Paul Gause became the 102nd player to reach the mark. He currently tied for 90th all-time with 546 career points.
OPPONENTS “LAING”UISHING
Senior Brian Laing has picked up where last year’s breakthrough season left off. After averaging 16.5 points per game last season, he has averaged 19.0 points per game through 30 games in 2007-08. Laing is rebounding better this year too. Last season, he averaged 6.7 rebounds per game, while this season, he is averaging 7.0. He has scored in double-figures 28 times this year, topped the 20-point mark 16 times and had his career-high, a 32-point performance, against RMU.
GAUSE TIES GAUSE, GAUSE AND SANDERS
The reigning BIG EAST steals champion has twice tied the single-game steals record this season with eight against Monmouth and James Madison. Last season, junior Paul Gause recorded eight steals against Saint Mary’s to tie Levell Sanders for the record. He currently has 171 career steals, which ties him for seventh among the SHU career leaders.
AGAINST THE RANKED
The Pirates are 1-4 in games against ranked opponents. They defeated #23 Virginia, 74-60, on Nov. 24 and lost to #15 Marquette, 61-56, on Jan. 8, #20 Pittsburgh, 84-70, on Jan. 12, #6 Georgetown, 73-61, on Feb. 2 and #22 Notre Dame, 95-69, on Feb. 6.
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.
2007-08 TV SCHEDULE
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 Nov. 11 will be carried by SNY.
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.
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Senior Jamar Nutter continues his assault on the record books in terms of three-point shooting. He ranks in the Top-10 all-time in career shots attempted and made. This season, freshman Jeremy Hazell has joined Nutter as the primary long-range gunners. Below is a breakdown of some of the Top-10 lists.
SETTING POINTS RECORDS
It was 32 seasons in between games that Seton Hall and their opponent both scored 100 points in a game when the Pirates defeated Robert Morris, 111-107, on Nov. 18. But only eight games later, Seton Hall did it again with a 112-110 win over James Madison on Dec. 22. That victory marked the first time in school history that two teams scored over 110 points in the same game.
LAING TIES 33-YEAR RECORD
Brian Laing added another accolade to his remarkable senior season. In Seton Hall’s victory over Delaware State, Laing made his first 12 shots from the field. The feat ties John Ramsay’s all-time single-game mark of 12 consecutive field goals set against St. Michael’s on Dec. 3, 1974. Laing missed his 13th shot. He finished the game with 27 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field.
BIG EAST NAMES GAUSE
For is exploits in the James Madison game, junior Paul Gause was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 23. It is the first time that Gause has received the honor in his career. Senior Brian Laing earned the same honor on Nov. 19 and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Nov. 26.
THEY’VE GOT DOUBLE VISION
Senior Brian Laing has six double-doubles and sophomore John Garcia has five double-doubles on the season. Laing has been heavy on the points side as he ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.0 points per game, while Garcia has been heavy on the rebounding side, ranking 15th in the conference with 7.1 boards per game. Laing now has 12 career double-doubles, while Garcia has picked up all five of his this season.
LOTS O’ 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 were the most since a 113-91 victory over Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 29, 1996.
MILESTONE VICTORY
With the Pirates’ 112-110 overtime victory over James Madison, head coach Bobby Gonzalez recorded his 150th career coaching victory. Currently in his ninth year, Gonzalez has an overall record of 159 wins and 107 losses. He is 30-30 in his tenure at Seton Hall.
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 ranked them 34th in the nation. They received two points in the ESPN/USA Today poll. It marked the first time since February 6, 2006 that Seton Hall received votes in either poll. Following the loss to Saint Mary’s, the Pirates still retained nine votes in the AP poll on Dec. 3.
GREAT START
This year, the Pirates began the season 6-0. It was 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.
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 Pitt on March 3, 2006.
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.
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. Currently, Laing ranks second in scoring at a 19.0 points per game clip.
THREE-HEADED CENTER MONSTER
The Pirates have employed a three-man platoon at center this season. Sophomore John Garcia has seen most of the time, making 18 starts. Augustine Okosun has made 11 starts and continues to improve. Freshman Mike Davis is beginning to show his formidable defensive presence. All three have made at least one start this season.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
In the Pirates’ victory over Virginia, they set a season-low with only six turnovers. They forced 16. For the season, Seton Hall is only committing 12.2 turnovers per game, while forcing 15.7. That is a turnover margin of +3.55, which ranks them third in the BIG EAST conference.
THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER
Junior captain Paul Gause once again imposed his relentless energy and will in Seton Hall’s overtime victory against James Madison. After failing to score in the first half, he erupted for 20 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the second half. Spearheading the Pirates’ defensive effort, Gause tallied eight steals including three crucial thefts in the final two minutes of regulation. His steal with 11 seconds remaining allowed Jamar Nutter to tie the game and send it into overtime. Gause had two more steals in the overtime period.
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!
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.
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 for the trifecta.
ALL THE RIGHT PARTS
Seton Hall features a team with six returning players and five talented newcomers. Freshmen Mike Davis, 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 and 6-9 Brandon Walters 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.
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.
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. 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.
TOP ROOKIE
For helping guide the Pirates to their first two BIG EAST victories of the season, freshman Jeremy Hazell was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on January 21. For the week, he averaged 25.5 points per game to lead all BIG EAST players. Sophomore Eugene Harvey earned the distinction three times last season.
SUPER SOPHOMORE
At Rutgers, Eugene Harvey may have turned in his greatest performance in a Seton Hall uniform. The 6-foot guard poured in a game-high 26 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out seven assists and recorded three steals while playing all 45 minutes of the overtime affair. Harvey made all three of his three-point attempts and was 9-for-11 from the free throw line. Overtime appears to bring out the best in Harvey as he has scored at least 26 points in all four of Seton Hall’s overtime victories this season.
STEALING VICTORIES?
Junior Paul Gause is quickly moving up the career steals list and his defensive prowess is showing up in the win column for the Pirates. Seton Hall is 8-4 when Gause make five steals or more in a game.
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.
GREAT SHOOTING NIGHT
At Providence, Seton Hall shot 50.0% from the field. It was the fifth time this season they’ve shot 50% or better and all five games resulted in wins. Against the Friars, however, the Pirates set season-highs shooting 50.0% from three-point range (8-for-16) and 88.9% from the free-throw line (24-for-27).
THE ELUSIVE TRIPLE-DOUBLE
The Pirates continue to come close to notching their second triple-double in school history. Against James Madison, Paul Gause had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight steals. Last season against Princeton, Larry Davis scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out eight assists in only 28 minutes. 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.
CAREER-HIGH ANYONE?
Against Robert Morris, five Seton Hall players either recorded or tied their career-highs in points. Senior Brian Laing picked up a career-high 32 points, sophomore Eugene Harvey tied his career-high for the second straight game with 27 points. Sophomore John Garcia had a career-high 14 points. Newcomers Jeremy Hazell and Augustine Okosun had career-highs of 16 and two points respectively.
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.
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 Monmouth 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.
HARVEY CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS
Seniors Brian Laing and Jamar Nutter became the 34th and 35th members of the exclusive 1,000-Point Club at Seton Hall. The next Pirate approaching the milestone is sophomore Eugene Harvey. Currently, he is currently 44th with 891 career points.
EUGENE LOOKING TO JOIN SMALL GROUP
If sophomore Eugene Harvey scores his 1,000th career point this season, he will be only the fifth player in Seton Hall history to record 1,000 career points over their first two seasons. Only Terry Dehere, Nick Werkman, Ken House and Darius Lane stake claim to that exclusive group.
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 Philadelphia, 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.
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.
BIG GAME FOR BIG MEN
Seton Hall received a steller game from two of their frontcourt members at Villanova. Sophomore John Garcia scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out. Freshman Mike Davis scored six points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots in 16 minutes.
BIG NUMBERS FOR FROSH
A shining light in Seton Hall’s loss at West Virginia was the play of freshman Jeremy Hazell. The six-foot-five guard scored a career-high 30 points on the strength of 6-for-12 shooting from three-point range. He also grabbed four rebounds and played 35 minutes. Hazell’s 30 points are the most scored by a Seton Hall freshman since John Allen scored 30 vs. St. Peter’s on February 9, 2003. He is currently averaging 12.9 points per game on the season.
TALES FROM THE BUS RIDE
A little known note was discovered on the long bus ride home following Seton Hall’s victory at Providence. Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez is a perfect 3-0 in his career on bobblehead nights. Providence dared to have Marvin Barnes bobblehead night on Thursday, which worked perfectly to the Pirates’ advantage. Other “bobblehead wins” during his Manhattan tenure include Frank Layden Night and Calvin Murphy Night.
NEWCOMER DEVELOPING
Junior Augustine Okosun continues to develop as a reliable frontcourt option for the Pirates. Against Virginia, he played a career-high 19 minutes and grabbed a career-best six rebounds. Against JMU, Okosun scored a career-high five points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.
Courtesy: Seton Hall Athletic Communications
