By Colin Rajala
Trove: Jerry, thanks for taking some time out to speak with the Trove. It would be great to talk about Seton Hall’s NIT Championship. You were in Indianapolis for the championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse and witnessed the Pirates comeback victory after surrendering the late lead – what was the experience like for those not in attendance?
What value, if any, did the Pirates get for playing in and ultimately winning that tournament?
Carino: First of all, the games in Walsh were absolutely electric. I feel like the atmosphere really lifted the team off the ground after the devastating Selection Sunday. I would include Shaheen Holloway in that as well. Sha was devastated by what happened, and the way the fans responded sent a message to him: we've got your back. I think he hadn't felt that message till that moment.
He came out of the NIT, especially those home games, with renewed appreciation for that. That's big, because you want to keep him here for a long time. In a way, a bond built there between the fans and Holloway through those games at Walsh. Just a unique, amazing experience.
With the final, we all would have liked the championship to be Madison Square Garden, but I have to say that Hinkle was just a fantastic substitute. It was the first time I had ever been there. The storied place is the perfect size and it was absolutely filled with Indiana States fans. Part of the reason why the NIT final was so good and got so much attention -- and you don't have to take my word for it – look at the viewership numbers, they were off the charts, right? More people watched that game than any other Seton Hall game all year. More people watched that game than several first-round NCAA Tournament games, including the first four round games.
My game story had the highest online readership for any I’ve ever written in 21 years. The thing was a smashing success because you had the two teams who were snubbed in the NCAA Tournament, two teams with compelling players between Kadary Richmond and Robby Aviles. You had the angry Big East versus the darling mid-major. And Seton Hall had to deal with that road environment. That made it that much more special than if they won it somewhere stupid like Vegas, where it will be next year. Instead of some antiseptic half-filled arena where nobody's really engaged, this was really a championship game environment and a lot of credit goes to the Indiana State fans.
It was one of the more memorable things I've covered in 21 years on the beat. I know we can argue this till the cows come home, but I'm convinced that this was preferable to the one and done NCAA tournament losses. I’ve covered Seton Hall getting its rear end kicked by Gonzaga, TCU, Wichita State. Those felt like you weren't even in the tournament. Look how embarrassed Virginia was by their
performance in the first four. They came away disgraced.
This NIT was great for the hardcore Seton Hall fan to feel good about this season and especially with Shaheen Holloway is capable of. I really do think it was important for Sha because he would have had a very bitter taste had they ended the season with a bad loss or turning down a bid like St. John’s did. In terms of his stewardship of the program, it reinforced he can win here and he belongs here.
