HAZELL POURS IN 35, SETON HALL BEATS RUTGERS

January 30, 2009


In the first have, Seton Hall scored 26 points and found themselves trailing Rutgers 27-26 at the Prudential Center.

In the second half, however, Jeremy Hazell exploded for 28 points himself and the Pirates held off a late Scarlet Knight rally as Seton Hall Knocks off Rutgers, 70-67, Behind Hazell's 35 Points (Star-Ledger).

Hazell finished with his first career double-double as he also added 10 rebounds in the contest. He was effecient offensively, scoring 35 points on 17 field goal attempts (10-17), connecting on three of four from beyond the arc and made 12 of 13 free throws.

It was SHU's second consecutive win after beginning conference play 0-6. Robert Mitchell added 11 points and Eugene Harvey fought off strept throat to add nine points and nine assists in the win.

The Struggle Continues for Rutgers, Now 0-8 in Big East, After Loss to SHU (Star Ledger) and are now 5-37 in the Big East under Fred Hill Jr.

The hope of the RU program is that freshmen Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique lead them to better days. Rosario scored 25 points last night and Echenique added 13 points (all in the second half) and 8 rebounds, but they can not do it themselves. Their teammates shot just 12-35 from the floor, good for just 34%

With No Love Lost Between the Jersey Coaches (SNY.tv), the game was full of subplots, but in the end, it was settled on the court in a game that tightened up in the last 30 seconds with Rutgers failing to get off a potential game-tying three before the buzzer sounded after a SHU turnover.

With two wins in a row, SHU now has a stretch of winnable games, starting February 5th when they host St. John's and then hit the road for the rematch with Rutgers and a date with DePaul, who is winless in the Big East.

Rutgers will match-up with winless DePaul on Saturday, but their schedule is looking much tougher here on out.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RU-SHU GARDEN STATE RIVALRY RENEWED

January 29, 2009


The battle of New Jersey in the Big East will commence tonight in Newark at the Prudential Center, aka 'the Rock', as Seton Hall will welcome in Rutgers.

This is as true of a rivalry game as there is. In many cases, it is the fans that get worked up for a rivalry game, but this is one that the players, coaches and everyone else associated with each school and program has a deep desire to win.

Last season the two teams split their two meetings, each winning on the other's home court in thrilling fashion. The second meeting, the RU win at Seton Hall, set off quite an interesting post-game with Bobby Ganzalez's tantrum toward the officials that led to his one-game suspension that was served in their conference-opening loss to Syracuse last month. From the handshake between the coaches after the game to the postgame comments, this was a rivalry game that meant something.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet this morning on the game:

Rutgers' Farmer is Approaching 1,000 Points, but all he Wants are Wins (Press of Atlantic City)
Rutgers, Seton Hall Reunite at the Rock (Asbury Park Press)
Rutgers, Seton Hall Excited to Renew Rivalry (Star-Ledger)
Scouting Report for Rutgers-Seton Hall (Asbury Park Press)
SHU Not Taking Rutgers Lightly as RU Looks for First Big East Win
Rutgers Freshman Rosario Makes Most of Transition (NY Times)

Never mind the fact that Rutgers and Seton Hall have a combined Big East W/L record of 1-13. Records will mean very little for the two+ hours that the Scarlet Knights and Pirates will battle tonight in Newark. One could be undefeated and the other winless and this game would still be a battle that will have fans from both schools at the edge of their seats.

There is no question that Rutgers has been a disappointment. While most reasonable prognosticators felt Rutgers would win six, maybe seven in the Big East this season, they are looking like a team that will struggle to exceed last year's total of three conference wins, even matching that will be difficult if they do not find a way to pull out a win very soon.

With star Jersey recruits in Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique making the highly publicized decisions to stay in the Garden State for their college careers, Fred Hill's program was one many thought would begin to rise from the ashes of the Big East cellar. The duo was to join sophomores Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn, junior Hamady N'Diaye and seniors JR Inman and Anthony Farmer to form a line-up capable of playing with the top teams, winning their share against the middle of the pack and pulling themselves out of the bottom. So far, none of that has happened.

While the schedule has not been much of a help, RU has not helped themselves by losing by double-digits on the roas to St. John's and Cincinnati. When looking at RU, you can't really pinpoint their biggest weakness other than they do not have 'it.' What exactly 'it' is can vary from one explanation to the next, but this team seems to have some form of a dis-connect somewhere, which leads to the poor results. Progress was needed in the third year of Fred Hill's tenure, not an 0-7 start with a season looking to be going down the drain quickly like his previous two, and with it is likely any recruiting momentum built with the signings of Echenique and Rosario.

Seton Hall picked up their first conference win on Saturday with a 65-60 win over slumping and floundering Georgetown. The Pirates have also not had much luck with a tough early conference schedule, but they also had lost two of their last three out of the conference to the likes of IUPUI (home) and James Madison (away). The schedule eases significantly now with Rutgers twice in 11 days and St. John's at home in the middle and DePaul following the second meeting with RU. That is as winnable of a four game stretch any team will face in the Big East this season and the Georgetown win has given Bobby Gonzalez's team a new thrust of energy.

The Pirates are led by long-range bomber Jeremy Hazell and forward Robert 'Stix' Mitchell going inside and out. Point guard Eugene Harvey runs the show with defensive dynamo Paul Gause, the lone SHU senior, teamming in the backcourt with him.

Where the Pirates are really thin is the frontcourt where oft-injured John Garcia, the under-performing Mike Davis (fouled out in two minutes against Georgetown) and the still-developing Brandon Walters make up the ranks. Walk-on Matt Cajuste has been getting playing time lately to help counter the lack of depth.

Will Rutgers take advantage of their size advantage with JR Inman, Echenique and N'Diaye inside? They have been too content much of the season to let Rosario shoot them into, or just as easily, out of games. Rosario will likly bethe target of the SHU defense and the fans. If RU can find some sort of balance offensively, they would be helping themselves out tremendously.

In the end, SHU seems to have the confidence in themselves and each other, despite the losses. I do not see that with Rutgers. If RU is off to a slow start, it could be lights out for the game...and their season...

Seton Hall is a 7 1/2-point favorite in this game tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Seton Hall 74
Rutgers 65

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SETON HALL REMEBERS '89 TEAM, STUNS HOYAS

January 26, 2009

Jeremy Hazell shoots 5-21 and 0-10 from three-point range. In fact, Seton Hall shoots 0-13 as a team from three, Mike Davis fouls out in two minutes of game action and combines with fellow big men John Garcia and Brandon Walters to commit 13 fouls in 37 minutes. The Pirates were also out-rebounded, 40-30, yet…they stun Georgetown, 65-60, in Big East action on Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center. So, on the day that the Pirate community honored their 1989 national championship runner-up squad, there proved to be Still Some Magic Left as SHU Beats No. 12 (Star-Ledger).

Hazell did connect on 13 of 17 from the foul line and the Big East’s second leading scorer finished with 23 points as the usually defense-deficient Pirates stifle the Hoya offense, limiting them to 32.7% (17-52) from the field and 3-22 from the three-point arc as it appeared there was a Jersey Barrier (Washington Post) on the basket.

After being roughed up by WVU on their home floor on Thursday, once again, the Failure to Follow Plan (Washington Times) costs the Hoyas dearly as they fell to 3-4 in Big East play.

Besides Hazell's 23 points, Robert Mitchell added an effecient 20 points and 7 rebounds for the Pirates. Freshman Greg Monroe was the lone bright spot for the Hoyas, scoring 17 points, but he only attempted 7 shots (making 6 from the field. Outside of Monroe, the rest of the Hoyas were a combined 11-45 from the field...oh my.

It was an emotional day at the 'Rock' in Newark as the Reunion of Seton Hall's 1989 Team Brings P.J. Carlesimo to Tears (Star-Ledger) during the video tribute shown at halftime.

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SETON HALL CHECKS IN ON SHERROD WRIGHT

Mount Vernon unsigned senior G/F has a variety of schools looking


January 25, 2009


Sherrod Wright cemented his place as the NYC-area's top unsigned 2009 college prospect by scoring 60 points over the two games in leading Mount Vernon to the SNY Invitational title this past weekend at NYU.

Wright, the events MVP, took time-out after his 32-point performance in the opening night win Friday to update NBE on his current recruiting situation.

“Everything is coming along, I’m getting a couple new schools here and there,” he explained to NBE on Friday. “I don’t have a top four or anything, there’s new colleges coming in I can’t even cut down. Big East, ACC, Big Ten.”

Wright listed Providence as a school that’s been in active pursuit of him and his high school coach, Bob Cimmino told ZagsBlog that Oklahoma State and South Carolina are highly involved.

“Those are the two leaders right now,” Cimmino told Zags.

However, it looks like more schools will take a look between now and the April signing period. One Big East school stopped in earlier last week.

“Seton Hall just came down to the gym the other night actually," Wright informed NBE. "St. John’s is here and there. I’m not even sure yet, I’m just trying to see what’s going to be the best fit for me.”

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ SETON HALL

January 25, 2009

At 2 PM in Newark (NJ), two Big East teams will tangle and both are looking to gain some footing in the conference. Seton Hall will host Georgetown and the Pirates look to avoid their 7th straight conference loss to start Big East play. On the other-hand, the Hoyas look to keep their head above water and avoid falling below .500 in Big East play.

After Pulling Off UConn Upset, Hoyas Fading Quickly (FoxSports.com)
’Blip’ Exposes Hoyas Lack of Leadership. Experience (Washington Times)

We have seen a pattern with Georgetown. Hit the boards hard and play physical defense with an athletic line-up, you will have success against them. Add in depth, and you could rough them up, even on their home court. See examples of Pittsburgh, West Virginia.

Luckily for the Hoyas, none of that is the strength of the thin and defense-challenged Seton Hall Pirates. The Pirates will score, but even with their lack of depth, they look to play fast-paced and frantic from tip to horn.

When an opposing team re-focuses and gets away from the pick-up game style to play some defense and set-up a halfcourt game, they get just about what they want. Look for Georgetown to do that often against SHU today. They Hoyas are 8 ½-point road favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 78
Seton Hall 68

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ROCK NOTES: PC OUTLASTS, OUTWITS PIRATES

January 23, 2009


By Ray Floriani

NEWARK, NJ – A day after NJIT ended their streak in this city, another one, though not as severe, goes on. Seton Hall is still searching for their first Big East win of the season following last night’s 98-93 OT loss to Providence at the ‘Rock’. A few notes or points of emphasis…

• Attacking the basket. Providence got into the three point game the first half. Actually both teams (PC 9-12 and Hall 6-12) shot the ball very well from beyond the arc. The second half Seton Hall defended the perimeter players better and PC coach Keno Davis made it a point to attack the basket. Davis was especially pleased with his club’s second half game plan execution. “A month or so ago if teams defended us outside better we still would have shot the three,” Davis said. “We would have moved back and still shot the three. Tonight we adjusted in the second half and went inside.”

• Jeremy Hazell. The Hall sharpshooter had a game high 30 points including 7 of 12 from three. Later in the first half PC led by 14.Midway in the second, the Friars had an eight point lead. Both times Hazell sparked a Pirate rally by burying a few treys. In overtime though, he was defended very well by the Friars. Hazell got a few looks but not uncontested in that extra session. To no surprise the Pirates look to Hazell as a primary option. But they have Paul Gause, Robert Mitchell and Eugene Harvey willing to take perimeter shots so you cannot spend all your defensive focus on one player. That gives Hazell more room to roam and get open.

• Attrition. Seton Hall does not have the bodies. As noted Davis made a concerted effort to attack the basket the second half. It worked as John Garcia, the Hall’s lone starting big man’ fouled out(as did Robert Mitchell and Paul Gause). PC shot 42 free throws to the Hall’s 22. In post game interviews Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez didn’t criticize the officials but wondered how Providence shot 20 more free throws than his club. At the half the Hall attempted 6 to PC’s 5 so it is quite obvious that the Friar change in offensive philosophy was a major factor in the free throw disparity as well as in wearing their hosts down inside.

• Friars had five players in double figures led by Jeff Xavier’s 20 points.

• Tempo Free…..

................POSS...................EFF
Providence........80...................123
Seton Hall........81...................115

Very high offensive numbers, largely due to the three point shooting of both teams.


..................eField Goal Pct
Providence............60%(11/20 from 3)
Seton Hall............58%(13/27 from 3)

Quotes: “We have an incredibly trying part of our (Big East) schedule coming up. What helps us is we have off until our next game Wednesday against Syracuse. That will give us a chance to ‘get our legs’ and work on a few things…We are 6-2 in conference and that puts us in a good position.” – Providence coach Keno Davis

“We have to keep fighting. We have been playing some good basketball but we just have to find a way to win. Nothing in this league is automatic.” – Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SHU HOSTS PC FRIARS

January 22, 2009


The Prudential Center in Newark (NJ) is the site to an interesting Big East contest tipping off at 7 PM. The Providence Friars, who were victorious on their home court over Cincinnati on Monday, return to action to meet the Seton Hall Pirates, who are getting desperate for a win.

The Friars completed a two-game sweep of Cincinnati this season as the rebounded from a disappointing loss at home Saturday night against Marquette, where they squandered a 13-point lead.

The Friars bounced back on an extremely short turn-around to get a win over Cincinnati to keep their conference record above .500. A road win tonight would give PC a little cushion ahead of a demanding three game stretch with games against Syracuse, Connecticut and their first of two with Villanova.

For the Pirates, they have lost seven of eight games after a surprising 8-1 start to their season. The losses were not limited to the Big East either as IUPUI came into the Prudential Center and won and they dropped a road game to James Madison. With a winnable stretch of games ahead, finding confidence in being able to win in the Big East will be a must.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight’s game:

Xavier’s Toughness no Lost on SHU’s Gonzalez (Providence Journal)
PC at Seton Hall Preview (Providence Journal)


Here are two teams that are probably a little bit glad to see each other. Neither team tends to match-up very well with the brute force of many of the Big East’s top teams and both would rather get out and push the pedal to the medal a bit offensively and score some points.

With that, defense and rebounding will likely decide the winner and which team accepts the call to dictate the game in those areas will likely come out on top.

I actually believe that Providence does put their effort in on the defensive side of the ball. It will be challenged as Seton Hall will look to outscore them, but players like Geoff McDermott, Weyinmi Efejuku and Sharaud Curry have the potential to make life tough for Robert Mitchell, Jeremy Hazell and Eugene Harvey to get their points. No doubt they will get their points, but making them work a little harder for it will make Providence find it easier to get their own points.

PC will also find a little more consistency with their inside game as Randall Hanke and Jonathan Kale, while nothing exciting or special, will play consistent roles in this game. Mike Davis, John Garcia and Brandon Walters certainly could produce and play key roles, but nobody has an idea from game to game what the SHU plan is with the trio.

The linesmakers have the Friars as a slight 1 ½ point favorite. They have more depth and have shown the ability to rise defensively and on the boards to win this year in Big East play. Seton Hall, although they have played tougher teams, have yet to do so. So, until they show it…we will go with the Friars.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Providence 80
Seton Hall 74

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL VISITS UCONN

January 18, 2009


“Right now we’re 0-4…We gotta win. We gotta find a way to win,” said Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez during this week’s Big East coach’s conference call.

That might be easier said then done. SHU, who have lost six of their last seven overall, must now travel to Hartford to take on Connecticut in a Big East conference match-up.

Since dropping their conference opener, UConn has reeled off four straight league wins, including three straight on the road. The Huskies have a schedule that builds to a crescendo down the stretch, so they hope to avoid any pitfalls along the way.

The difference between these two teams is greatest in the frontcourt. Bobby Gonzalez is well aware of the challenge his undermanned and undersized front line will face.

“They’ve got kind of an NBA front line with [Hasheem] Thabeet and Jeff Adrien,” Gonzalez said this week. “Thabeet can change a game by himself. Jeff Adrien is a warrior.”

UConn can also add 6’9 Stanley Robinson to the floor as well and you have an NBA sized trio. On the other hand, Seton Hall uses a 6’5 forward and a 6’9 center with gimpy knees and three guards…ouch.

Seton Hall will also look to run and gun, playing right into the hands of UConn’s preferred style of play as Jim Calhoun will look for freshman guard Kemba Walker to push the pace as everyone on the UConn team can get out and run. If AJ Price can find his niche with the ball in Walker’s hands more, look out…this is a team that has yet to hit their stride and are 18 ½ point favorites today.

Here are some links to pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Hazell is a Scoring Machine for Seton Hall (Connecticut Post)
UConn Taking Hall or Nothing Approach (Journal Inquirer)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 94
Seton Hall 74

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ NOTRE DAME

January 10, 2009


Notre Dame extended their home court winning streak to 44 games on Monday with a win over Georgetown. They will look for win #45 in a row at the Joyce Center when Seton Hall comes to town on Saturday afternoon.

The Irish rebounded from a surprising loss to St. John’s last weekend and are now 2-1 in Big East play. The short-handed Pirates are 0-3 in the conference. They did show some life after blowout losses to SU and WVU to begin conference play by taking Villanova to overtime this week. We will see if they can get their first win in conference play on the Irish home court.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web this morning:

Notre Dame Works on Maintaining Intensity (Chicago Tribune)
ND At its Best on Edge (South Bend Tribune)
Irish Try to Avoid Pirate Overthrow (Journal Gazette)

Last year, Notre Dame blitzed Seton Hall on the road, this year they will look to do the same in South Bend. Luke Harangody should have an absolute field day in the paint and the Seton Hall tendency to give wide open shots from the perimeter bodes very well for Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers.

Seton Hall will score points, and the Irish defense is certainly susceptible to yielding points, but Tory Jackson matches up very well with Eugene Harvey and SHU’s penchant for pushing the pace falls into the hands of the preferred style of the Irish. Even with the college basketball lines pointing to the Irish as 14 ½-point favorites, it seems to be a number they will sail past.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Notre Dame 87
Seton Hall 71

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PIRATES TAKE VILLANOVA TO LIMIT, FALL SHORT

January 7, 2009


by Ray Floriani



NEWARK, NJ – This is going to be the norm in the Big East this winter. Seton Hall, 0-2 after being handled convincingly by Syracuse and West Virginia, takes eighteenth ranked Villanova to the wire before losing in overtime. The visiting Wildcats, who lost at Marquette on NewYear’sDay, earned their first conference win of the season with an 89-85 overtime victory at the Prudential Center.

Three keys to the victory….
• In a shootout between Scottie Reynolds of Villanova and the Hall’s Jeremy Hazell, the former got the edge. Reynolds tied his career high with a 40 point effort. He was effective getting in the lane and on the perimeter(5 of 8 from three)and especially in the stretch as he hit a succession of free throws to seal the verdict. Hazell led the Hall with 26 points but took 24 (9 of 24) shots in the process.

• Defense. Outside of banking in a trey to tie the game with eight seconds to play in regulation, Hazell did most of his damage the first half. He finished with 19 of Seton Hall’s 37 points at the break and was 5 of 10 from three. The second half, Reggie Redding was assigned to Hazell defensively and did a nice of of limiting him and not letting him get into a groove.

• Nova led by eight with four minutes to go and proceeded to score one field goal, Antonio Pena in the lane, the remainder of regulation. Again , overcoming a situation like that on the roads and pulling out the win is very significant.

Finally…
• Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez was encouraged by John Garcia’s 12 board night, but ‘Nova’s Dante Cunningham had another sterling performance with 21 points 13 rebounds, and a number of them coming in crucial junctures. Another sign of encouragement for the Hall was freshman guard Jordan Theodore’s 9 points in eighteen minutes. “Tonight Theodore came of age,” said Gonzalez.

• Matchups. “They are guard oriented,” Gonzalez said of Villanova. “They are a good matchup for us in terms of size. They don’t have that size of a Pitt or Georgetown.”

• Quotes : “Everyone here who follows the Big East is not surprised. People around the country were but with nine ranked teams they follow the conference closer and are beginning to understand St.John’s beating a Notre Dame, these things happen all the time in this league. Hey, it’s fun and you never have to worry about getting up for a game.” – Villanova coach Jay Wright

• “In the Big East matchups and scheduling are important. Georgetown wins at UCONN and now they are 1-2. I’m not happy we are 0-3but a lot of it has to do with matchups and scheduling. Everyone in this conference will lose games.” – Bobby Gonzalez

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ SETON HALL

January 6, 2009


Seton Hall returns to action on their home curt, just three days after being blasted by West Virginia, 92-66, at the Prudential Center. In two Big East games, the defenseless Pirates have yielded an average of 96 points a game while being outscored by a combined 50 points in losses to WVU and Syracuse.

Villanova opened their conference slate on the road on New Year's Day and fell to Marquette in the Bradley Center in a competitive and entertaining game. The Wildcats will look to even their conference record at 1-1 when they take on the Pirates tonight.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web today:

Villanova at Seton Hall (Sports Network)


Villanova makes the short trek from Philly to Newark (NJ) for a Big East conference match-up against the Seton Hall Pirates. Villanova lost at Marquette in Thursday's conference opener as they shot just 41% from the floor and hit ony six of 20 from three-point range in the 79-72 loss. If your offense is ailing, a game with SHU is likely to fix that.

In Big East play (2 games) opponents are shooting 55% from the field in a mix of dunks, lay-ups and open three-point shots (20-40) against SHU. sure, maybe they ran into a couple of hot-shooting teams, but the Pirates try to force tempo without numbers and the results have been a lot of easy baskets for the opposition.

Offensively, SHU is just four of 36 in two games from three-point range. Jeremy Hazell is averaging 26 points a game in the first two league games, but nobody else has been a consistent offensive threat.

A healthy John Garcia provides a big lift for the Pirates and the 'Nova post players do not have anyone with his bulk to match-up. However, the injured knee limits Garcia's effectiveness and the style of play the Pirates lean to also cancels out the effectiveness of Garcia in the paint. Quicker post players like Antonio Pena and Dante Cunningham could pose problems for Garcia and the thin SHU frontcourt.

The Villanova gaurds have not been shooting the ball very well, so it will be interesting if Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher are able to find the mark. The Pirates will try to keep Corey Stokes from getting any open looks, but if the game starts to open up, look for the sophomore shooting specialist to find his spots and dial in from long rage tonight.

The Pirates need to improve their offensive effeciency and not just work on volume in the Big East. Their shots are due to start to fall for others other than Hazell, but will they have enough inside to take advantage of Villanova's small line-up? Probably not...

With Villanova a 6 and a half point favorite according to the latest college basketball odds, the Wildcats are a good bet to even that conference record with a road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 78
Seton Hall 70

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ SETON HALL

January 3, 2009


West Virginia opens their Big East schedule with a trip to Newark (NJ) and a meeting with the Seton Hall Pirates. SHU opened Big East play on Tuesday and with head coach Bobby Gonzalez serving a one-game suspension, they were left defenseless against Syracuse in a 100-76 loss.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Butler Returns to Garden State (ZagsBlog.com)
Mountaineers Start Big East Play (wvmetronews.com)
WVU-SHU Preview (msnsportsnet.com)
West Virginia Begins Big East at SHU (Martinsburg Journal)
Butler, Others Excited to Be Home (Charleston Gazette)

Seton Hall was not only missing their head coach against the Orange, but their most productive big man as well as John Garcia was out with an injured left knee. The 6’8, 260 pound Garcia would bring a huge lift back to the Pirates in battling the athletic front line of the Mountaineers that love to gobble up second chance opportunities.

SHU has lost three of their last four, including a loss at James Madison and at home to IUPUI in addition to the SU debacle. Garcia has missed all four of the games. With Garcia out of the line-up, SHU is strictly a perimeter team with Jeremy Hazell, Robert Mitchell and co. teeing it up from distance often. Against SU, that was not working, but they kept trying, going two for 27 in three-point attempts. They will need many more of those shots to fall and Garcia’s presence to bring some balance to their attack.

West Virginia is coming off an impressive road win at Ohio State last weekend, 76-48, as they knocked the Buckeyes from the ranks of the unbeaten. Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler have taken turns being ‘the man’ offensively as WVU looks to replace the scoring of Joe Alexander from last year’s Sweet 16 club. Freshman Darryl Bryant has been a pleasant surprise playing point guard for the injures Joe Mazzulla and Devin Ebanks continues to bring a new element to the club each time out. Add in several 6’7+ forwards like Wellington Smith, Kevin Jones, John Flowers and Dee Proby, and you see why the Mountaineers are a tough match-up, especially for a thin team like SHU.

The current NCAA basketball odds list WVU as an 8 1/2-point road favorite. While SHU will play hard from start to finish, Bob Huggins’ team will have just too many pieces in the end to lose this game.

Prediction:

West Virginia 80
Seton Hall 71

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