8th-seeded SHU, 9th-seeded Marquette kick off 2015 BIG EAST Tournament Wed. on FOX Sports 1 (7 PM)
Sterling Gibbs and the Pirates head to Madison Square Garden looking to step into the national spotlight for the second year in-a-row
March 10, 2015
Live Audio[/B]
It's that time again.
The Seton Hall men's basketball team will open competition at the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament presented by New York Life by taking on ninth-seeded Marquette in the opening game of the event Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Seeded eighth after finishing the regular season 16-14 overall and 6-12 against league foes, the Pirates will be looking to replicate some of the magic that saw them crash the Garden Party last year when they advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2001 after entering as the #8 seed as well.
The path to a potential conference crown is eerily similar, but the quest starts tomorrow night against a Golden Eagles (12-18, 4-14 BIG EAST) squad that earned the right to play The Hall by handing seventh-seeded DePaul its seventh consecutive loss on the final day of the regular season.
SHU and Marquette split the season series with the Pirates earning their first-ever win in Milwaukee while the Golden Eagles prevailed in a tightly-contested battle at the Prudential Center.
The two contests featured divergent styles of play as in their visit to the BMO Harris Bradley Center; Seton Hall sank 13 3-pointers and assisted on 23 of its 29 field goals in an 80-70 shootout win. In the return game, head coach Steve Wojciechowski's squad was able to grind out a three-point victory (57-54) that came down to the final buzzer.
Since Marquette joined the league in 2005-06, the two programs have only met once at the BIG EAST Tournament with the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles coming away with a 67-54 first round win in 2008.
Each team will bring multiple All-League performers into their second-ever matchup at the conference tournament with Seton Hall's trio of honorees leading the way.
Junior Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) was named a Second Team All-BIG EAST performer following a regular season in which he was the only player in the conference to finish among the top-five in scoring (16.7 ppg, third) and assists (3.8 apg, fifth). Gibbs also led the league in 3-point shooting (.448) - an increase of over 10 percent from his first season in South Orange - and his 2.6 treys/game were second only to Marquette sharpshooter Matt Carlino (2.8/game), a BYU transfer who also took home Second Team accolades in his lone season in the BIG EAST.
A frontrunner for BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, Seton Hall's Angel Delgado (Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic) was one of two Pirates to land on the All-Rookie squad after becoming just the second freshman ever to finish as the leading rebounder in the BIG EAST, joining Notre Dame's Troy Murphy who did so in 1998-99. Preseason Rookie of the Year Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also garnered All-Rookie recognition following a debut campaign in which he was the first Seton Hall player to average at least 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game since SHU Athletics Hall of Famer Andre Barrett in 2003-04.
Delgado and Whitehead are the first pair of Pirates to attain All-Rookie status in the same season since Darius Lane and Samuel Dalembert in 1999-00. Joining them on the six-man squad was Golden Eagles newcomer Duane Wilson who finished second among BIG EAST freshmen with 12.1 ppg.
The Pirates succeeded in limiting Wilson's effectiveness during the season series however, holding Marquette's second-leading scorer to 5-of-21 (.238) from the floor and 2-of-11 (.182) from downtown over two meetings.
Despite advancing past the first round in each of the last three years, Seton Hall has struggled to find a rhythm offensively in its opening game of the tournament during the stretch, averaging 58.7 points per game. Speeding Marquette up could prove essential in the search for a fourth consecutive opening round victory as the Golden Eagles posted a 1-10 record in the 11 BIG EAST games which they allowed 65 points or more.
To find a matchup to watch, you don't have to look much further than the men with the ball in their hands as Gibbs and Marquette senior Derrick Wilson play distinctly different yet equally vital roles for their respective teams.
Gibbs powered the victory at Marquette with a 24-point, 10-assist effort that served as his first career-double-double. The junior averaged 22.6 points and 6.8 assists during the five conference wins in which he saw action and has scored in double-figures in 25 of 28 appearances this season.
Gibbs is one of only four players who have seen the floor at the BIG EAST Tournament for a Seton Hall squad that has featured underclassmen in central roles all season long. One of those standout newcomers is freshmanKhadeen Carrington (Brooklyn, N.Y.)who owns a 20-point, five-assist game against Marquette and will provide support in the backcourt as well.
One of the league's top distributors, Derrick Wilson's ability to create while taking care of the ball helped him finish among the top-10 nationally with a 3.18 assist/turnover ratio. In two games against The Hall, the senior posted 6.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest - both of which exceeded his scoring average of 5.5 against SHU.
On the wing, Carlino is coming off a 20-point performance in the win over the Blue Demons and registered a team-high 16 in a losing effort in his lone appearance against the Pirates. Reserve forward Steve Taylor Jr. has been crashing the glass of late, posting 29 rebounds over the final two outings of the regular season, and Taylor Jr. has provided a bit of a matchup problem for The Hall this season.
The junior shot a combined 11-of-15 from the field in the two meetings, including a 7-of-9 showing in the Marquette victory. Overall, Taylor Jr. totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Pirates but even with heralded transfer Luke Fischer coming on of late as well, the Pirates will not be at a disadvantage on the interior.
Both Delgado and senior Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) averaged at least nine points and seven rebounds against Wednesday's opposition during the season series; combining for 16 offensive rebounds in the two contests as opposed to 19 for Marquette as a team.
Asserting control of the paint will be an area of focus for Kevin Willard's side as 21 of Marquette's 22 field goals in the most recent meeting came from in close and if they can challenge Marquette to connect from the perimeter where they amassed just a 10-of-39 (.256) mark over two games; the Pirates could be on their way to consecutive quarterfinal appearances for the first time since making three-straight from 1999-01.
In nine previous trips to Madison Square Garden, the Golden Eagles have appeared in the quarterfinal round each time, but the Pirates are unbeaten all-time against the #9 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament and will be intent on continuing that streak in order to earn a rematch with top-seeded Villanova on Thursday afternoon.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern and FOX Sports 1 will be the television home for BIG EAST Tournament action throughout the week. The game can also be streamed through the FOX Sports Go app. On the radio, Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will be behind the mic for AM970 (WNYM) and the Pirate Sports Network on SHUPirates.com.
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031015aaa.html
Sterling Gibbs and the Pirates head to Madison Square Garden looking to step into the national spotlight for the second year in-a-row
March 10, 2015
Live Audio[/B]
It's that time again.
The Seton Hall men's basketball team will open competition at the 2015 BIG EAST Tournament presented by New York Life by taking on ninth-seeded Marquette in the opening game of the event Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Seeded eighth after finishing the regular season 16-14 overall and 6-12 against league foes, the Pirates will be looking to replicate some of the magic that saw them crash the Garden Party last year when they advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2001 after entering as the #8 seed as well.
The path to a potential conference crown is eerily similar, but the quest starts tomorrow night against a Golden Eagles (12-18, 4-14 BIG EAST) squad that earned the right to play The Hall by handing seventh-seeded DePaul its seventh consecutive loss on the final day of the regular season.
SHU and Marquette split the season series with the Pirates earning their first-ever win in Milwaukee while the Golden Eagles prevailed in a tightly-contested battle at the Prudential Center.
The two contests featured divergent styles of play as in their visit to the BMO Harris Bradley Center; Seton Hall sank 13 3-pointers and assisted on 23 of its 29 field goals in an 80-70 shootout win. In the return game, head coach Steve Wojciechowski's squad was able to grind out a three-point victory (57-54) that came down to the final buzzer.
Since Marquette joined the league in 2005-06, the two programs have only met once at the BIG EAST Tournament with the sixth-seeded Golden Eagles coming away with a 67-54 first round win in 2008.
Each team will bring multiple All-League performers into their second-ever matchup at the conference tournament with Seton Hall's trio of honorees leading the way.
Junior Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) was named a Second Team All-BIG EAST performer following a regular season in which he was the only player in the conference to finish among the top-five in scoring (16.7 ppg, third) and assists (3.8 apg, fifth). Gibbs also led the league in 3-point shooting (.448) - an increase of over 10 percent from his first season in South Orange - and his 2.6 treys/game were second only to Marquette sharpshooter Matt Carlino (2.8/game), a BYU transfer who also took home Second Team accolades in his lone season in the BIG EAST.
A frontrunner for BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, Seton Hall's Angel Delgado (Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic) was one of two Pirates to land on the All-Rookie squad after becoming just the second freshman ever to finish as the leading rebounder in the BIG EAST, joining Notre Dame's Troy Murphy who did so in 1998-99. Preseason Rookie of the Year Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also garnered All-Rookie recognition following a debut campaign in which he was the first Seton Hall player to average at least 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game since SHU Athletics Hall of Famer Andre Barrett in 2003-04.
Delgado and Whitehead are the first pair of Pirates to attain All-Rookie status in the same season since Darius Lane and Samuel Dalembert in 1999-00. Joining them on the six-man squad was Golden Eagles newcomer Duane Wilson who finished second among BIG EAST freshmen with 12.1 ppg.
The Pirates succeeded in limiting Wilson's effectiveness during the season series however, holding Marquette's second-leading scorer to 5-of-21 (.238) from the floor and 2-of-11 (.182) from downtown over two meetings.
Despite advancing past the first round in each of the last three years, Seton Hall has struggled to find a rhythm offensively in its opening game of the tournament during the stretch, averaging 58.7 points per game. Speeding Marquette up could prove essential in the search for a fourth consecutive opening round victory as the Golden Eagles posted a 1-10 record in the 11 BIG EAST games which they allowed 65 points or more.
To find a matchup to watch, you don't have to look much further than the men with the ball in their hands as Gibbs and Marquette senior Derrick Wilson play distinctly different yet equally vital roles for their respective teams.
Gibbs powered the victory at Marquette with a 24-point, 10-assist effort that served as his first career-double-double. The junior averaged 22.6 points and 6.8 assists during the five conference wins in which he saw action and has scored in double-figures in 25 of 28 appearances this season.
Gibbs is one of only four players who have seen the floor at the BIG EAST Tournament for a Seton Hall squad that has featured underclassmen in central roles all season long. One of those standout newcomers is freshmanKhadeen Carrington (Brooklyn, N.Y.)who owns a 20-point, five-assist game against Marquette and will provide support in the backcourt as well.
One of the league's top distributors, Derrick Wilson's ability to create while taking care of the ball helped him finish among the top-10 nationally with a 3.18 assist/turnover ratio. In two games against The Hall, the senior posted 6.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest - both of which exceeded his scoring average of 5.5 against SHU.
On the wing, Carlino is coming off a 20-point performance in the win over the Blue Demons and registered a team-high 16 in a losing effort in his lone appearance against the Pirates. Reserve forward Steve Taylor Jr. has been crashing the glass of late, posting 29 rebounds over the final two outings of the regular season, and Taylor Jr. has provided a bit of a matchup problem for The Hall this season.
The junior shot a combined 11-of-15 from the field in the two meetings, including a 7-of-9 showing in the Marquette victory. Overall, Taylor Jr. totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Pirates but even with heralded transfer Luke Fischer coming on of late as well, the Pirates will not be at a disadvantage on the interior.
Both Delgado and senior Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) averaged at least nine points and seven rebounds against Wednesday's opposition during the season series; combining for 16 offensive rebounds in the two contests as opposed to 19 for Marquette as a team.
Asserting control of the paint will be an area of focus for Kevin Willard's side as 21 of Marquette's 22 field goals in the most recent meeting came from in close and if they can challenge Marquette to connect from the perimeter where they amassed just a 10-of-39 (.256) mark over two games; the Pirates could be on their way to consecutive quarterfinal appearances for the first time since making three-straight from 1999-01.
In nine previous trips to Madison Square Garden, the Golden Eagles have appeared in the quarterfinal round each time, but the Pirates are unbeaten all-time against the #9 seed at the BIG EAST Tournament and will be intent on continuing that streak in order to earn a rematch with top-seeded Villanova on Thursday afternoon.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern and FOX Sports 1 will be the television home for BIG EAST Tournament action throughout the week. The game can also be streamed through the FOX Sports Go app. On the radio, Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will be behind the mic for AM970 (WNYM) and the Pirate Sports Network on SHUPirates.com.
http://www.shupirates.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031015aaa.html
