#4 SETON HALL (19-12) vs.
#5 TEXAS TECH (17-15)
NIT FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Prudential Center - Newark, N.J.
9:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WABC 770 AM, WSOU 89.5 FM
Internet: Hall Pass - Live Audio Stream - www.SHUpirates.com
SETON HALL STATUS
Seton Hall went 1-1 in the 2010 BIG EAST Championship. They defeated Providence 109-106 in the first round, setting a school record for points in a BIG EAST Game, and lost to Notre Dame, 68-56, in the second round. Junior Jeremy Hazell leads the Pirates with 20.9 points per game. Sophomore Herb Pope led the BIG EAST Conference and currently is averaging 11.1 rebounds per game. Seton Hall is making their 16th NIT appearance all-time and owns a 7-16 record in the tournament.
TEXAS TECH'S STATUS
After an impressive start to the season, Texas Tech stumbled down the stretch and has currently lost eight of its last nine games. Most recently, the Red Raiders fell to #1 Kansas, 80-68, in the second round of the Big 12 Championship. They defeated Colorado the night before. Juniors Mike Singletary and John Roberson lead the team in scoring with 14.7 and 14.6 points per game respectively.
The winner will face the winner of the game between #1 Arizona State and #8 Jacksonville in the second round.
NIT-PICKING
Seton Hall earned their first post-season bid since the 2005-06 season with the announcement of their participation in the 2010 National Invitation Tournament. The Pirates earned the #4 seed and will host #5 Texas Tech on March 16. The winner of that game will face the winner of the game between #1 Arizona State and #8 Jacksonville. This is the first-ever meeting between Seton Hall and Texas Tech.
NIT HISTORY
This is Seton Hall's 16th appearance all-time in the National Invitation Tournament and first since the 2002-03 season. The Pirates are just 7-16 all-time in the tournament and have lost nine straight games. Seton Hall's last win came over Marquette on March 17, 1956.
NIT CHAMPIONS
Seton Hall has an NIT Championship to their credit. The 1952-53 team that was led by SHU Athletics Hall of Famers Walter Dukes and Richie Regan went 31-2 and defeated St. John's in the NIT Championship game.
MITCHELL REMOVED FROM TEAM
Junior Robert Mitchell was officially removed from the men's basketball team on March 14. The mutual parting of ways comes 60 games into his Seton Hall career. Mitchell was averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
PIRATES FALL TO NOTRE DAME; END TOURNY RUN
Seton Hall ended their 2010 BIG EAST Championship run with a 68-56 loss to Notre Dame on March 10. The Pirates, playing in their four game in seven days, shot just 34.5% from the floor. Three players scored in double-figures for Seton Hall including sophomore Herb Pope who had 14 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. The Pirates shot a season-best 87.5% (14-for-16) from the free throw line.
SHOOTING MORE FREE THROWS
Against Notre Dame in the BIG EAST Championship, Seton Hall had more free throw attempts than the Fighting Irish (16-to-14). It marked the first time this season that the Pirates shot more free throws than their opponent and lost. They're now 12-1 when shooting more free throws.
PIRATES SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
Seton Hall opened the 2010 BIG EAST Championship with a 109-106 first round victory over #15 Providence. The Pirates built a 29-point lead, but had to hold on in the final minutes. Five players scored in double-figures for Seton Hall. The Pirates shot 53.7% from the floor in this historic offensive effort.
109 POINTS
The 109 points Seton Hall scored in their first round game of the BIG EAST Championship set a school record for most points in the tournament and most points in any BIG EAST game.
POPE'S BIG EFFORT
Sophomore Herb Pope scored a career-high 27 points in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship vs. Providence. Additionally, he grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season. He also dished out five assists and blocked two shots.
HAZELL'S HONORS
On March 9, junior Jeremy Hazell racked up two additional honors. The 6-foot-5 guard was named to the USBWA All-District II Team for a second straight year and the Sporting News named him to their BIG EAST All-Second Team.
PIRATES DOWN FRIARS IN FINALE, 92-80
Seton Hall won their second consecutive road game to close out the 2009-10 regular season with a 92-80 victory at Providence. The win was the second straight at the Dunkin' Donuts Center for Seton Hall. Jordan Theodore led six Pirates in double-figures in scoring with 21 points. Sophomore Herb Pope notched his 12th double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
.500 IN CONFERENCE
For the first time in the Bobby Gonzalez era, Seton Hall finished at .500 (9-9) in the BIG EAST Conference schedule. Their nine wins mark a new high following two straight campaigns of 7-11 records.
19 WINS
Seton Hall's 19 overall wins also mark a new high in the Bobby Gonzalez era. Each of the last two seasons, the Pirates amassed 17 total victories. The Pirates will look to add to the total at the 2010 National Invitational Tournament.
THEODORE CAREER-HIGHS
Sophomore Jordan Theodore had a career game at Providence on March 6. The point guard scored a career-high 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting and dished out a career-high eight assists against only one turnover.
SECOND TEAM FOR HAZELL
Junior Jeremy Hazell was named to the BIG EAST All-Second Team on March 8. The 6-foot-5 guard earned Third Team status last season. Hazell led the BIG EAST in three-pointers made per game (3.34) and finished third in the conference in scoring (21.2 ppg).
A SETON HALL FIRST
Sophomore Herb Pope became the first Seton Hall player in history to finish the regular season as the BIG EAST leader in rebounds per game. The Aliquippa, Pa. native pulled down 11.1 rebounds per game, which was more than a full rebound ahead of the second place individual (Harangody, 10.0 rpg).
POPE'S THIRD HONOR ROLL
For averaging 17.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in a week resulting in a pair of Seton Hall wins, Herb Pope was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the third time this season.
2010 BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP
Seton Hall competed in their 30th BIG EAST Championship tournament. The Pirates are 21-28 all-time in the event and are 10-10 in first round games and 0-2 in second round games. Additionally, Seton Hall is 73-93 all-time at Madison Square Garden.
METROPOLITAN SWEEP
For the first time in the Bobby Gonzalez era, Seton Hall won all of its games with New York/New Jersey metropolitan area teams. The Pirates went 7-0 against such teams and were 3-0 against Rutgers and St. John's.
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 570.
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.
PIRATES SLAM RUTGERS IN PISCATAWAY, 85-74
For the second consecutive season, Seton Hall completed a season sweep of their arch in-state rival Rutgers. The Pirates grabbed a season-high 56 rebounds in the victory including 18 rebounds for Herb Pope and a career-high 14 boards for Jeff Robinson. The victory was Seton Hall's third straight at the RAC.
SEEING DOUBLE
In Seton Hall's victory at Rutgers, two players recorded double-doubles. Herb Pope tied a career high with 22 points and 18 rebounds, while Jeff Robinson notched 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. It marked the second time this season that two Pirates recorded a double-double in the same game. Pope and Jeremy Hazell accomplished the feat vs. VMI.
NO TURNOVERS IN 2ND HALF
At Rutgers, Seton Hall committed an uncharacteristically high nine turnovers in the first half, despite a four point lead. The Pirates committed none, however, in the second half.
MARQUETTE EDGES PIRATES IN OT, 84-83
Seton Hall shot 50.0% from the field and out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, but fell one point short in overtime, 84-83, to fall to 7-9 in the BIG EAST. Down five, junior Jeremy Hazell completed a miraculous four-point-play with only 25 seconds left to pull the Pirates to within one. Senior Eugene Harvey flirted again with a triple-double with 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
ROBINSON'S EFFORT
Junior Jeff Robinson led all scorers with a career-high 25 points off the bench for the Pirates in their overtime loss to Marquette on Feb. 28. Robinson was 11-for-15 from the field and pulled down four rebounds.
THEODORE FROM DOWNTOWN
In Seton Hall's loss to Marquette, sophomore Jordan Theodore scored 18 points and was a career-high 4-for-4 from three-point range. Theodore also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists in a career-high 42 minutes of action.
OVERTIME EXCELLENCE
Jeremy Hazell, slowed by pre-game back pain, scored 12 of his 19 points in the overtime period vs. Marquette. He hit three three-pointers in the extra session including one that was part of a rare four-point play. His shot at the overtime buzzer would have tied the game, but popped out.
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.
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.
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 ranks second all-time with 281. Hazell is first on the all-time three-pointers attempted list with 810.
GONZALEZ VS. METRO AREA
Against teams from New York City or the State of New Jersey, the Pirates are 25-5 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 70-26 against said teams when including his seven years at Manhattan.
#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. With only seven more points, he will pass the great Walter Dukes (1,789). Currently, Hazell has 1,783 points.
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.
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.
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 was 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 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.
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 Notre Dame, sophomore Herb Pope had nine rebounds which gives him 343 this season with at least one more game to play. His 343 already rank him ninth all-time in a single-season.
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 on Feb. 11. 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.
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.
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.
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 13-4 at Prudential Center and is 35-16 all-time in the building. Furthermore, Seton Hall is 14-13 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 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. SHU 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.
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.
SHOT AT #1?
Terry Dehere is Seton Hall's all-time leading scorer with 2,494 points. With at least one game remaining this season and about 30 games next season, junior Jeremy Hazell would need to average 22.9 points per game for the remainder of his career to pass the Pirates' great.
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.
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.
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.
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 Notre Dame in the BIG EAST Championship, Seton Hall committed only seven turnovers. It is the 11th time this season that the Pirates have committed 10 or less turnovers in a game.
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.
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.
POPE'S DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sophomore Herb Pope notched his team-leading 13th double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds vs. Providence in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship. 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.
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 68.0% on the year.
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.
HARVEY AT THE BUZZER
Against Saint Peter's, Eugene Harvey came off the bench for the first time after 93 consecutive starts to begin his career, but that didn't affect his production. Harvey scored a team-high 16 points including a game-winning buzzer-beater.
RETURN OF ELITE SCORING DUO
This season marks only the second time in school history that Seton Hall has begun a year with two 1,000-point scorers on their roster. Senior Eugene Harvey and junior Jeremy Hazell both eclipsed the milestone in 2008-09. The only other time Seton Hall has returned two 1,000-point scorers was in the 1987-88 season when Mark Bryant and James Major returned for their senior years after scoring their 1,000th points during the 1986-87 season. That year, Seton Hall made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
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.
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.
