SETON HALL GAME NOTES
MARQUETTE GAME NOTES
MARQUETTE (18-9, 9-6) at
SETON HALL (16-10, 7-8)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Prudential Center - Newark, N.J.
Noon
TV: SNY
Radio: WABC 770 AM, WSOU 89.5 FM
Internet: Hall Pass - Live Audio Stream - www.SHUpirates.com
SETON HALL STATUS
Seton Hall has won four of their last five games including a 76-70 victory over in-state rival Rutgers on Tuesday. The Pirates picked up their seventh BIG EAST win of the season, which matches their season-high under Bobby Gonzalez. For the season, Hazell leads the Pirates and ranks third in the conference with 21.5 points per game. Pope leads the BIG EAST with 11.0 rebounds per game in his first season in a Pirates uniform. Sunday's game with Marquette is the final regular season home game for Seton Hall. Seniors John Garcia and Eugene Harvey will be honored in pre-game ceremonies.
MARQUETTE'S STATUS
Marquette has been red hot as of late with wins in seven of their last eight games. Since a loss to #19 Pittsburgh on Feb. 18, the Golden Eagles have registered a pair of overtime victories over Cincinnati, and most recently, St. John's on Wednesday. Junior Jimmy Butler hit a fall-away jumper at the buzzer to register the Marquette win at Carnesecca Arena. Senior Lazar Hayward leads the Golden Eagles with 18.2 points per game.
SETON HALL - MARQUETTE SERIES
Seton Hall and Marquette will hook up on Sunday for only the eighth time in history. The Pirates are just 1-6 all-time against the Golden Eagles and have lost six straight. Last season, Marquette defeated Seton Hall 79-67 in Milwaukee. This year breaks a string of three consecutive years that the Pirates have played at the Bradley Center. Only two games of this series have been decided by less than 12 points. Marquette's average margin of victory over their last six wins is also 12 points.
LAST SEVEN GAMES (MU, 6-1)
Date - Score - Location
Feb. 17, 2009 - Marquette 79, SETON HALL 67 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
March 12, 2008 - Marquette 67, SETON HALL 54 - New York, N.Y.
Feb. 12, 2008 - Marquette 89, SETON HALL 64 - Newark, N.J.
Jan. 8, 2008 - Marquette 61, SETON HALL 56 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
Jan. 24, 2007 - Marquette 89, SETON HALL 76 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
Jan. 11, 2006 - Marquette 67, SETON HALL 63 - Newark, N.J.
March 17, 1956 - SETON HALL 96, Marquette 78 - New York, N.Y.
PIRATES TAKE DOWN RIVAL RUTGERS, 76-60
Seton Hall stormed out to an 18-point halftime lead and held on to defeat Rutgers, 76-70, for their fourth victory in five games. Junior Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 25 points and was named the Joe Calabrese MVP. Seton Hall out-shot the Scarlet Knights, 43.1%-to-38.2% and four players scored in double-figures.
#21 IS #9
With his 25-point performance in a victory over Rutgers, junior Jeremy Hazell moved past former Pirates great Ken House into ninth place on Seton Hall's all-time scoring list. Next up on the list is Walter Dukes with 1,789 career points. Currently, Hazell has 1,694 points.
SEVEN WINS
Seton Hall's victory vs. Rutgers on Feb. 23 was their seventh of the season in BIG EAST play. The total matches their season-high under Bobby Gonzalez. Seton Hall had identical 7-11 records in each of the last two seasons. The Pirates can break the record and add to it with three regular season games still to play.
SENIOR DAY
During a pre-game ceremony on Sunday, Seton Hall will honor four graduating seniors, managers Robert Mayers and Richard York, and players John Garcia and Eugene Harvey. Garcia, a fifth-year senior, is one of only 34th players all-time to log 500 career points and 500 career rebounds. Harvey ranks third all-time in assists and is one of only three players with over 1,500 points and 500 assists (Shaheen Holloway & Andre Barrett).
BATTLE OF LIKE TEAMS
Seton Hall and Marquette play a very similar game. They both take very good care of the ball and force many turnovers on defense. In fact, Marquette leads the BIG EAST in turnover margin (+4.37). Seton Hall is right behind them, ranking second with a margin of +3.73.
SIX STRAIGHT AT HOME
Seton Hall has done an excellent job protecting their home court this season. In addition to being 13-3 at Prudential Center this year, the Pirates have won six straight BIG EAST home games, a feat unmatched since the program won seven straight during the 2002-03 season. Seton Hall's 13 home wins overall are the most since the 2005-06 season. The Pirates had 14 home wins in 2003-04. Seton Hall has one regular season home game remaining... Marquette on Sunday (Feb. 28).
HARVEY AMASSES 1,500 POINTS
With his 10-point performance vs. Rutgers on Feb. 23, senior Eugene Harvey became only the 16th player in Seton Hall history to record 1,500 career points. Among 14 others, he joined teammate Jeremy Hazell who reached the same mark earlier this season.
1,500-POINT DUO
For the first time in Seton Hall history, the Pirates have two active players with at least 1,500 career points, Jeremy Hazell and Eugene Harvey.
HARVEY PASSES GREENE
With his seven-assist performance at Villanova, senior Eugene Harvey moved past Gerald Green on Seton Hall's all-time career assist list into third place. In the 106 years of Seton Hall basketball only Shaheen Holloway (681) and Andre Barrett (662) have recorded more assists. Harvey currently has 549.
2009-10 CAPTAINS
Four players have been named captains for the 2009-10 season. Seniors John Garcia and Eugene Harvey have been named a captain for a second straight season. Junior Jeremy Hazell and senior Robert Mitchell are first time honorees.
GONZALEZ RECEIVES EXTENSION
Bobby Gonzalez has received a contract extension to remain the Pirates' men's basketball head coach through the 2014-15 season. "This extension serves as a strong indicator of the University's commitment and support for Bobby Gonzalez as head coach of our men's basketball program," Quinlan said. "We expect to be successful and believe that Coach Gonzalez has taken the necessary steps to position our program for future success. He has made progress with the program in only three years and we are very pleased to have him as our head coach." Gonzalez is in his fourth season at Seton Hall.
SWISHIN' AND DISHIN'
With 10 points and six assists vs. West Virginia on Dec. 26, senior Eugene Harvey became only the 19th player in Seton Hall history to record 1,400 career points. He also became only the fourth player with 500 career assists. Furthermore, he's only the third player with at least 1,500 career points and 500 career assists. Andre Barrett had 1,861 points and 662 assists, while Shaheen Holloway had 1,588 points and a career-record 681 assists.
500/500 FOR GARCIA
With his 11-rebound performance vs. LIU, fifth-year senior John Garcia became the 34th player in Seton Hall history to record 500 career points and 500 career rebounds. Prior to Garcia, the last Pirate to join the exclusive club was Brian Laing, who finished his career with 1,313 points and 554 rebounds. The last frontcourt player was Kelly Whitney who finished with 1,448 points and 763 rebounds.
ON THE MEND
Senior Eugene Harvey missed two games due to a bruised right wrist, but returned on Feb. 23 vs. Rutgers and had one of his most efficient games of the season with 10 points, four assists three rebounds and two steals in 28 minutes. Junior Jeremy Hazell, who gashed his right hand (shooting) in the victory at St. John's played in his second game since the injury and broke out with a game-high 25 points vs. Rutgers.
COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AT WEST VIRGINIA
Seton Hall trailed by as many as 19 points, but rallied to cut the deficit to just three at 63-60, before eventually succumbing to the Mountaineers and falling, 75-63, on Feb. 20. The Pirates were without the services of point guard Eugene Harvey for a second consecutive game and leading scorer Jeremy Hazell was limited due to a lacerated right hand. Seton Hall out-shot West Virginia, 75-to-63.
SECOND SCORING OPTION
In recent games, junior Jeff Robinson has shown he can be a reliable second scoring option behind Jeremy Hazell. At West Virginia, the 6-foot-6 forward registered his third straight game with 16 points. He is up to 10.8 points per game for the season.
SMOTHERING DEFENSE
It was Seton Hall's staunch defense that allowed them to get back into the game at West Virginia on Feb. 20. The Pirates held the Mountaineers without a field goal over the final 9:05 of the game.
PIRATES EARN FIRST BIG EAST ROAD WIN
Despite injuries to Eugene Harvey and Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall was able to cruise to their first BIG EAST road win of the season, a 59-50 victory at St. John's on Feb. 17. The win is also the third straight for the "bubble-bound" Pirates. Junior Jeff Robinson led all scorers with 16 points and had nine rebounds.
FORMER PIRATE, KEVIN WILKINS DIES
Former Seton Hall men's basketball player Kevin Wilkins died early on Feb. 18 of a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted and accidental, while on duty as an Atlantic City Police Officer. Wilkins was a member of the men's basketball team for two seasons, including the Pirates' run to the NCAA Sweet-16 in 2000. A 2001 graduate of Seton Hall where he was a communications major and criminal justice minor, he had served two years with the A.C. Police Force before his death.
PIRATES DEFEAT DEPAUL, 79-71
Seton Hall built a 15-point halftime lead and led by as many as 17 points as the Pirates cruised to a 79-71 victory over DePaul on Valentine's Day. Jeremy Hazell had 18 points and Jeff Robinson added 16 points to lead Seton Hall. The Pirates out-shot (49.2%-fo-43.9%), out-rebounded (38-to-36) and forced more turnovers (13-to-10) than the Blue Demons.
FOURTH HONOR ROLL FOR HAZELL
Junior sharp-shooter Jeremy Hazell was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 15 for the fourth time this year. In a 2-0 week for Seton Hall, Hazell averaged 26.5 points per game including a 35-point performance in a victory over Notre Dame. In that game, he was an impressive 8-for-11 from three-point range.
GAINING NATIONAL ATTENTION
Three weeks this year, Seton Hall has received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. They received as many as 24 AP votes and nine in the Coaches Poll. Seton Hall has not cracked the Top-25 since the 2000-01 season.
134 SETS TEAM RECORD
Seton Hall set a team record with 134 points vs. VMI. The prior record was 120 points scored vs. Scranton on Jan. 26, 1962. Seton Hall entered the game ranked ninth in the nation in scoring and left the game ranked second in the nation in scoring averaging 90.8 points per game (as of the last national rankings - Dec. 14). Seton Hall's 134 points is also the highest point total on the Division I level of any game so far this year.
STRONG EFFORT FALLS SHORT, 90-84 in OT
Despite a valiant Seton Hall effort against the sixth-ranked team in the country, the Pirates fell in overtime to West Virginia, 90-84, on Dec. 26. Seton Hall found themselves down 10 with only 56 seconds remaining, but rallied to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Junior Jeremy Hazell scored a career-high 41 points, while Herb Pope notched his eighth double-double of the season. Seton Hall grabbed 19 offensive rebounds to only 10 for West Virginia.
RALLY FOR THE AGES
Many fans headed for the exits as the Pirates found themselves down 10 with only 56 seconds remaining against #6 West Virginia on Dec. 26, but Seton Hall wasn't done. A pair of free throws from Eugene Harvey cut the lead to eight with 48 seconds remaining. Jordan Theodore fouled WVU's Da'Sean Butler with 38 seconds remaining, but Butler missed the front end of a one-and-one. Harvey raced the length of the floor for a layup which cut the lead to six with 32 second remaining. Harvey fouled Devin Ebanks, who also missed the front end of a one-and-one. Ferrakohn Hall's dunk pulled the Pirates to within four, 75-71, with 26 seconds left. West Virginia's Wellington Smith turned the ball over which resulted in a made three-pointer by Jeremy Hazell pulling the Pirates to within one with only 17 seconds remaining. Theodore fouled and Butler made both free throws to give the Mountaineers a three-point lead with 13 seconds remaining. Then, with only eight seconds left, Hazell hit a 30-foot three-pointer to tie the game at 77 and complete the outrageous comeback.
CAREER-HIGH FOR HAZELL
Junior Jeremy Hazell scored a career-high 41 points against #6 West Virginia on Dec. 26. The point total is the highest since Terry Dehere dropped 41 on St. John's on Feb. 17, 1993. It is the second 40-point game of the season for the Pirates as teammate Jamel Jackson scored 40 vs. VMI on Dec. 12. It is only the second time in Seton Hall history that two 40-point games have been recorded in the same season. Nick Galis scored 48 vs. Santa Clara and Dawan Scott had 47 vs. Cal-Bakersfield during the 1978-79 season.
RAINING FROM THREE
In only 2+ seasons, junior Jeremy Hazell is quickly moving up the career made three-pointers list. Currently, he is tied with Darius Lane for second all-time with 273. Hazell is also second on the all-time three-pointers attempted list with 772. Terry Dehere leads that list as well with 809 three-pointer attempts all-time.
GONZALEZ VS. METRO AREA
With the victory over NJIT, Seton Hall notched another win over a NY metropolitan area team. Against teams from New York City or the State of New Jersey, the Pirates are 24-5 in the Bobby Gonzalez era. At Seton Hall, Gonzalez's teams have only lost to FDU, Rutgers and St. John's. Furthermore, Gonzalez's teams are 69-26 against said teams when including his seven years at Manhattan.
POPE PULLING DOWN THE BOARDS
Last season, Robert Mitchell led the team in rebounds, totaling 239, which was the most in a single-season since Eddie Griffin grabbed 323 in the 2000-01 season. Against Rutgers, sophomore Herb Pope had 12 rebounds which gives him 286 this season with at least four games still to play.
PIRATES EDGE NOTRE DAME, 90-87
Seton Hall got 35 points from junior Jeremy Hazell and went on to defeat Notre Dame, 90-87, and snap a three-game losing streak. The victory is the Pirates' fourth straight at home at the Prudential Center. Seton Hall shot a blistering 55.0% from the floor for the game including a season-high 63.2% (12-for-16) from three-point range. The victory also snapped a six-game losing streak to Notre Dame.
TEAM SEASONS-HIGHS
The Pirates set several season-highs in BIG EAST Conference play in their victory over Notre Dame. Among those highs were most points (90), field goals made (33), three-pointers made (12) and assists (23). Seton Hall defeated Notre Dame, 90-87.
DEFENSIVE SPARK
Senior Eugene Harvey came off the bench to provide a necessary defensive spark in Seton Hall's upset victory over #9 Pitt. Harvey played 28 minutes and had six steals, while doing a fine job in the Pirates' transition game offensively.
HARVEY'S HIGH RATIO
Senior Eugene Harvey had one of his best games of the season vs. Notre Dame on Feb. 11. The point guard scored nine points, was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and dished out 10 assists with only one turnover. It marked the third time in his career that he's had 10 or more assists in a single-game.
AMID SNOWSTORM, PIRATES FALL AT PITT
A historic snowstorm buried Pittsburgh and created havoc with Seton Hall's travel throughout the city. Several Pirates played well, but could not defeat the Panthers for a second time in 13 days falling 83-58 on Feb. 6. Three Pirates scored in double-figures, Eugene Harvey, Robert Mitchell and Jamel Jackson. Jeremy Hazell, who entered the game averaging a league second-best 23.0 points per game, was held to just two points by the Panthers' defense.
PIRATES FALL SHORT IN UPSET BID
Junior Jeremy Hazell scored a game-high 32 points, but it was not enough as #2 Villanova defeated Seton Hall, 81-71, on Feb. 2. The Pirates shot well (43.3%) and took care of the ball, but were out-rebounded, 50-to-31, which contributed to the loss. Seton Hall played extremely well for 31 minutes as they were tied with the Wildcats, 62-62, with just over nine minutes remaining.
HAZELL'S BIG NIGHT
Junior Jeremy Hazell had a banner night against Notre Dame on Feb. 11. The 6-foot-5 guard scored a game-high 35 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the floor. He also tied his career-high with eight three-point field goals made in only 11 attempts. The eight made "threes" is tied for third-most in a single-game in Seton Hall history. The matchup with Notre Dame featured the top two scorers in the league, Hazell and the Irish's Luke Harangody. Harangody was held to only 13 points.
POPE EXCELS OVER FAMILIAR TEAM
Facing the team he originally committed to for the first time, sophomore Herb Pope had one of his strongest games of the season. The 6-foot-8 forward scored a team-high 19 points, on 8-for-12 shooting, and grabbed nine rebounds in a victory over #9 Pittsburgh.
PIRATES FALL TO USF IN OVERTIME
Despite 28 points from junior Jeremy Hazell, the Seton Hall fell in overtime to USF, 76-74 in Tampa on Jan. 28. The Pirates committed just eight turnovers and out-rebounded the Bulls, 43-to-35, but could not dismiss the hot shooting of USF's Dominique Jones who also went for 28 points.
BEAST OF THE BOARDS
Against VMI, sophomore Herb Pope pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds. It is the highest total for a Pirate since Eddie Griffin had 21 rebounds vs. Saint Peter's on 11/27/00.
SNOW WREAKS HAVOC
Pennsylvania declared a State of Emergency due to record snow falls in the Pittsburgh area, Feb. 5-6. The BIG EAST Network, scheduled to broadcast the Seton Hall-Pittsburgh game on Feb. 6, couldn't get their TV truck to the arena and therefore had to cancel. Only two of the three game officials made it to the game. Finally, amid several travel issues. The SHU bus got stuck on a highway off-ramp on the way back to the hotel from the team shoot-around. After numerous attempts at freeing the bus, the team was forced to walk six blocks back to the hotel.
SWEET-16 TENTH ANNIVERSARY
On Feb. 11, Seton Hall celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the 2000 men's basketball team that upset its way to the Sweet-16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates, who earned the #10 seed, defeated #7 Oregon in the first round on an end-to-end layup by Shaheen Holloway. Seton Hall then took out #2 Temple thanks to Ty Shine's offense coming off the bench. Holloway and several other members of the team were celebrated during the Seton Hall-Notre Dame game.
SHOT AT #1?
Terry Dehere is Seton Hall's all-time leading scorer with 2,494 points. With at least four games remaining this season and about 30 games next season, junior Jeremy Hazell would need to average 23.5 points per game for the remainder of his career to pass the Pirates' great.
BEATING TOP-10 PITTSBURGH
Seton Hall's victory over #9 Pittsburgh on Jan. 24 was just the 24th victory in 111 tries all-time against a team ranked in the AP Top-10. Coincidentally, each of the last three Pirates' victories over a Top-10 team have come against Pittsburgh. Seton Hall won at #8 Pittsburgh on March 3, 2006 and defeated #4 Pittsburgh in double-overtime on Feb. 9, 2004.
IMPROVING AT THE LINE
Seton Hall shot a season-high 87.5% (21-for-24) from the free-throw line in a victory over Cincinnati. It marked the third straight game that the Pirates have set or tied a season-high in team free-throw shooting. Herb Pope entered the game shooting only 38.2% from the line, but he was 4-for-5 from the line against Cincinnati. Historically under Bobby Gonzalez, the Pirates have been an excellent free-throw shooting team. For the season, the Seton Hall is up to 66.2% on the year.
PRESEASON BIG EAST PREDICTIONS
Seton Hall is predicted to finish 10th in the 16-team BIG EAST Conference. Villanova is the favorite to win the regular-season title in the 2009-10 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Notre Dame's Luke Harangody has been picked as Player of the Year. Cincinnati's Lance Stephenson was selected BIG EAST Rookies of the Year. The lone Seton Hall individual with preseason honors was junior Jeremy Hazell who was selected to the Second Team.
MSG / BIG EAST EXTEND AGREEMENT
Madison Square Garden and the Big East Conference extended the Garden's tenure as the host site for the conference's post-season basketball tournament through 2016, it was announced on Oct. 21. Since 1983, Madison Square Garden has played host to the premier men's college basketball post-season tournament.
HIGH PERCENTAGE
Against VMI, Seton Hall shot 57.8% from the field including 20 made three-pointers. That percentage is the highest since the Pirates shot 58.6% against Monmouth on Dec. 30, 2003.
NOVEMBER REIGN
Seton Hall's victory over NJIT completed another perfect month of November for Seton Hall. In fact, the Pirates are now 19-2 in the month of November under Bobby Gonzalez. During the 2007-08 season, Seton Hall was an impressive 6-0 during the month. The Pirates' only losses in November came to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2006-07 and #12 Memphis last season.
PIRATES WELCOME FUQUAN EDWIN
Highly touted 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward Fuquan Edwin (Paterson, N.J.) has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University and play basketball for the Pirates beginning in the 2010-11 season. As a junior, Edwin averaged 16 points and eight rebounds a game in helping Paterson Catholic to a second consecutive Passaic County Championship.
AT PRUDENTIAL CENTER
This season Seton Hall is 13-3 at Prudential Center and is 35-15 all-time in the building. Furthermore, Seton Hall is 14-12 all-time at Prudential Center against BIG EAST opponents.
PIRATES HOST FOR 2011 NCAA REGIONAL
Seton Hall University has been named a host institution for the Regional Round of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. In conjunction with Seton Hall serving as host, the Prudential Center will be the competition venue for two games of the regional semifinals on March 25, 2011 and the regional final on March 27, 2011. It will mark the first time the City of Newark has hosted the event. It is the first time Seton Hall has hosted a round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship since 1999.
HAMPTON ADDED TO 2009-10 STAFF
Colin Hampton has been hired as Coordinator of Basketball Operations. In this role, Hampton will assist in ensuring the team's academic goals and will work closely with Seton Hall's office of academic support services for student-athletes. He will also be the Pirates' primary video operative and aid in game-to-game scouting. No stranger to Seton Hall basketball, Hampton is fresh off two years of managerial experience with the team. During this time, he served as assistant video coordinator in addition to his typical manager responsibilities.
HALL SIGNS JACKSON
After spending two years at a junior college, Jamel Jackson will bolster the Pirates' backcourt in 2009-10. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound shooting guard originally committed to Seton Hall last spring, but decided to return to Technical Career Institute (TCI) in Manhattan, N.Y. for his sophomore year in order to concentrate on academics. Jackson will have two years of playing eligibility remaining once he joins Seton Hall. A Third Team All-American and Region XV Player of the Year as a freshman at TCI, Jackson brings a reputation as an excellent shooter to South Orange. He averaged 24.5 points per game as a freshman and 21.5 points per game as a sophomore. The talented guard was also named to the 2008 All-Sportsmanship Team.
SETON SIGNS HALL
Ferrakohn Hall (Memphis, Tenn.) a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward and true freshman will join the Pirates in 2009-10. A First Team All-State selection as a senior at White Station High School in Memphis, Tenn., Hall averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per game while leading his team in blocks. An athletic forward, he earned All-District 15 honors and was a nominee for selection as a McDonald's All-American. In two seasons at White Station, Hall guided the Spartans to a 58-20 record and two appearances in the Class AAA Tennessee State Championship. He ranks as the #46 power forward recruit in the nation by rivals.com, and #38 among all small forwards by ESPNU.com.
PIRATES FALL AT #11 GEORGETOWN, 85-73
Despite a strong second half effort, Seton Hall could not overcome a 16-point halftime deficit and lost at #11 Georgetown, 85-73. The Pirates, a normally sure-handed team, committed 10 first half turnovers which contributed to their demise. The team only had two turnovers in the second half. Despite being out-shot, Seton Hall did out-rebound Georgetown and forced more turnovers. The Pirates also shot 80.0% from the free-throw line (16-for-20)... their fourth straight game of 75.0% or better.
UCONN OUTLASTS PIRATES, 71-63
Seton Hall played their third straight Top-13 BIG EAST opponent on Jan. 6 and again put forth a strong effort, but lost at Connecticut, 71-63. Three players scored in double-figures for Seton Hall including junior Jeff Robinson who led the team with 17 points. Sophomore Herb Pope notched his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
PIRATES UPSET #9 PITTSBURGH
Seton Hall used a staunch defensive effort to upset #9 Pittsburgh on Jan. 24, 64-61, for their third BIG EAST win in their last four games. The victory came despite leading scorer Jeremy Hazell being in foul trouble and only playing 16 minutes. It is the first victory over a Top-10 team in the Bobby Gonzalez era.
PIRATES CAGE CARDINALS, 80-77
Seton Hall picked up their second consecutive home BIG EAST win with an 80-77 victory over Louisville on Jan. 21. In what may have been the most complete game wire-to-wire for Seton Hall, the team out-shot, 52.7%-to-43.8%, and out-rebounded the Cardinals, 37-to-35. Five players scored in double-figures. Junior Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 25 points. Junior Jeff Robinson had a strong game with 12 points and eight rebounds.
JEREMY'S EFFICIENCY
Junior Jeremy Hazell has already had games of 41 points, 38 points and three of 33 points, but his best game of the season might have come against Louisville on Jan. 21. Hazell scored an efficient 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. He was 3-for-6 from behind the three-point arc and 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Heading into the Louisville game, Hazell had been averaging 18.5 shots per game.
PIRATES ENJOY YEAR THREE IN PRUDENTIAL CENTER
Seton Hall is in their third year at the Prudential Center with 10 sellouts under its belt. The Pirates had five sellouts in year one and three more last season. Seton Hall has sold out each of the first two BIG EAST Conference games so far this season. This year, Seton Hall has 17 home games including marquee match-ups against West Virginia, Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Marquette and in-state, arch-rival Rutgers.
TOUGH STRETCH
Seton Hall endured a tough start to the BIG EAST schedule. Four of the Pirates first five opponents were ranked among the top 13 teams in the country. West Virginia was ranked #5, Syracuse was ranked #6, UConn was ranked #13 and Georgetown was ranked #11.
SETON HALL WINS 134-107 SCORE-A-THON
Seton Hall scored a team record 134 points as they rolled to a 134-107 victory over VMI last Saturday. Five players scored in double-figures for the Pirates and were led by junior Jamel Jackson's 40 points off the bench. Seton Hall out-shot, 57.8%-to-42.1% and out-rebounded, 54-to-40, the Keydets to improve to a perfect 8-0 on the season.
PROTECTING THE BALL
Against Rutgers on Feb. 23, Seton Hall committed only six turnovers. It is the 10th time this season that the Pirates have committed 10 or less turnovers in a game. Currently, Seton Hall is second in the BIG EAST in turnover margin at +3.73.
JACKSON THRILLS WITH PERFORMANCE
Junior Jamel Jackson, who had accumulated 49 total points over the previous seven games, exploded for 40 points against VMI. He did so on 14-for-17 shooting from the field including a team-record 12 three-pointers. The prior record was nine three-pointers set by Shaheen Holloway vs. Boston College, Jan. 4, 1997. Jackson's 40 points were the most scored by a Pirate since Terry Dehere dropped 41 on St. John's, Feb. 17, 1993 until teammate Jeremy Hazell scored 41 vs. West Virginia on Dec. 26.
30-30
Against VMI, Jamel Jackson scored 40 points and Jeremy Hazell scored 33 points. It marked the first time since Feb. 9, 2003 that two Pirates scored at least 30 points in the same game. In 2003, Andre Barrett and John Allen both scored 30 points on the nose.
POPE'S DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Herb Pope notched his team-leading 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds at #13 UConn Despite this being his first year, he's already the career leader among active Pirates.
OUT-REBOUNDING THE HUSKIES
Connecticut boasts a roster that features six players that are 6-foot-9 or taller, but the inspired Pirates were able to out-rebound the Huskies, 42-to-36. It marked the first time Seton Hall has out-rebounded UConn since March 4, 1999. Overall, the Pirates have seen a dramatic improvement in rebounding this year and are currently fifth in the BIG EAST with 38.7 rebounds per game.
STREAK SNAPPERS
Seton Hall's 89-79 victory at Cornell snapped the Big Red's 21-game home win streak. It was the longest such streak in the nation at the time. Cornell scored the first eight points of the game, but the Pirates out-scored them 40-to-27 in the rest of the first half.
PIRATES RALLY, BUT FALL TO VT IN OT
Seton Hall rallied late to force overtime, but could not take advantage in the extra frame as they lost to Virginia Tech, 103-94, in the inaugural game of the Governor's Cup in Cancun, Mexico, Jan. 2. Foul trouble plagued the Pirates as Herb Pope, Jeremy Hazell and Robert Mitchell all fouled out.
241 SETS COMBINED POINTS RECORD
Seton Hall and VMI combined to score 241 points on Dec. 12. That sets the Seton Hall record for combined points in a single-game. The prior record was 222 achieved most recently only two seasons ago when the Pirates defeated James Madison, 112-110, on Dec. 22, 2007.
MITCHELL MILESTONE
With nine points vs. NJIT on Nov. 30, junior Robert Mitchell is became the 105th player in Seton Hall history to record 500 career points. Teammate John Garcia reached the same milestone late last season.
SHOOTERS SHOOT
Junior Jeremy Hazell broke another Seton Hall record vs. West Virginia on Dec. 26. The 6-foot-5 guard attempted 19 three-pointers, edging SHU's previous single-game record, an 18-attempt performance by Darius Lane in the Sweet-16 of the 2000 NCAA Tournament vs. Oklahoma St. Hazell has attempted at least 14 three-pointers 12 times in his career.
HONOR ROLL FOR POPE
For the third time in the first four weeks, Seton Hall had a member of the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. For a second straight week, that honoree was sophomore Herb Pope. The 6-foot-8 forward was named on Dec. 14 for averaging 18.5 points and 17.5 rebounds in a pair of Seton Hall victories last week. Pope has 10 double-doubles on the season and is currently averaging 11.0 points and a BIG EAST-leading 11.0 rebounds per game.
HARVEY SHARING THE LOVE
In Seton Hall's victory over Hartford, senior Eugene Harvey dished out a career-high 14 assists. The total ties for the third-most in a single-game in school history. It's also the most since Shaheen Holloway recorded 14 assists during the 1999-00 season. Paul Lape set the record when he dished out 17 assists vs. Saint Peter's on March 1, 1973.
BLOCK PARTY
Seton Hall came out swatting vs. NJIT on Nov. 30. The Pirates blocked 11 shots which is the highest total in the Bobby Gonzalez era. Sophomore Herb Pope recorded a season-high five blocks, while junior Robert Mitchell had three, senior John Garcia had two and the unlikeliest of them all, 5-foot-9 Darnell Gatling had one.
PIRATES REGISTER BIG WIN OVER BIG RED
Cornell had won 21 straight home games, the fifth longest streak in the nation, before Seton Hall's impressive 89-79 victory Friday night. The Pirates out-shot, 44.6%-to-44.4%, out-rebounded, 43-to-36, and forced more turnovers, 13-to-8, than Cornell. Despite falling in an 8-0 hole to start the game, Seton Hall led by as many as 18 points.
GARY & DAVE RETURN
The broadcast team of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will be back for their seventh season covering Seton Hall on the Pirates' radio flagship station, 77WABC. For the third straight year, all Seton Hall broadcasts will be heard on 77WABC. The 2009-10 season marks the 21st season for radio engineer Mike Infantino.
HALL PASS AT WWW.SHUPIRATES.COM
Go to www.SHUpirates.com to listen to all of Seton Hall's home and away games as a part of the Hall Pass. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will bring you all the action. New for the 2009-10 season, all of Seton Hall's non-televised games will be carried via live VIDEO stream as part of the Hall Pass package. Watch all of the action live while listening to Gary and Dave's radio broadcast. Get the HALL PASS Today!
TV EXPOSURE
Seton Hall's slate features 10 games on national television. All 18 of the Pirates' BIG EAST match-ups will be televised either nationally or regionally this season. Seton Hall will play in the first conference game of the year, Saturday, Dec. 26 vs. West Virginia, on CBS at 3:30 p.m. Following the CBS game, the Pirates will appear on national TV on Jan. 2 vs. Virginia Tech on ESPN2, Jan. 14 at Georgetown on ESPN or ESPN2, Jan. 21 vs. Louisville on ESPN or ESPN2, Jan. 28 at USF on ESPN or ESPN2, Feb. 2 at Villanova on ESPNU, Feb. 11 vs. Notre Dame on ESPNU, Feb. 20 at West Virginia on ESPN, Mar. 4 at Rutgers on ESPN or ESPN2 and Mar. 6 at Providence on ESPN360. The remaining nine conference games will be BIG EAST Network local telecasts with seven being broadcasted on SNY, one being shown on MSG and one being shown on MSG+. The Pirates' game vs. DePaul on Sunday, February 14 is the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week.
LOOKING AHEAD
RUTGERS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Louis Brown Athletic Center
Piscataway, N.J.
TV: ESPN or ESPN2
Live Audio Stream: www.SHUpirates.com
Radio: WABC 770 AM / WSOU 89.5 FM
NOTEBOOK: Seton Hall will return to the road for their second-to-last regular season game of the season. They'll face arch rival Rutgers for the second time in nine days on Thursday, March 4. This time the game is at the RAC where Seton Hall is only 13-14 all-time. The Pirates have won in their last two trips to Piscataway including a 65-60 victory at Rutgers last season. Two of the last three games in this series at the RAC have gone to overtime. Earlier this year, Seton Hall built an 18-point lead against Rutgers at Prudential Center, only to hold on for a 76-70 victory. Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 25 points. Mike Rosario led the Scarlet Knights with 17 points in the losing effort.
Courtesy: Seton Hall Athletic Communications
