The Seton Hall Pirates were trying to “save our season” Wednesday night, as guard Myles Powell put it, when they took on Providence. So, mission accomplished, at least for the time being. Now they travel to Butler for a noon game Saturday at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, where The Hall has won two straight years. Can they keep that small streak going? Some thoughts:
About that players-only meeting. Coach Kevin Willard and players who were there said the main purpose of the meeting Sunday night was to watch tape of the Villanova disaster while it still was fresh in their minds, and to learn from it. Willard indicated he liked very much the attitude players brought to practice Monday and that he felt, win or lose, they would give great effort against Providence. They did that and now there is a stretch of very winnable games ahead until the Pirates close the season with the Big East’s best two teams, Marquette and Villanova, at home. There could be a lot at stake in those games.
Even Superman needed the Justice League to help him out sometimes. Providence coach Ed Cooley summed up Myles Powell’s outstanding all-around performance Wednesday by saying, “It’s a credit to him, he put on a cape and did a good job.” Powell did just that, but playing too many minutes and doing too many things could turn out to be like kryptonite going forward. Powell played all 20 minutes in the second half and 38:19 in total, and could’ve had to play at least five more had the Friars tied it in the final seconds of regulation. Other players must step up to help out, such as Myles Cale, who attempted only two shots in 26 minutes of action, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, who went 0-for-3 in 27 minutes. Willard and Powell’s teammates cannot forget about those guys.
In that vein, give Quincy McKnight credit for helping push the Pirates over the top in the second half. His steal and subsequent three-point play put The Hall ahead to stay, and it was impressive he was able to stay sharp after a long sojourn on the bench in the second half.
Mixed bag for Thompson and Nelson.
The often-mercurial Taurean Thompson had a nice run Wednesday with eight points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in 20:19. He finished with a team-high plus-10. “Taurean was terrific,” Willard said. “He went in and got dirty and came up with some big rebounds.”
Freshman point guard Anthony Nelson saw more playing time, as Willard promised, and contributed three assists and two rebounds in 16:49. But he had two turnovers and was 0-for-2 from the floor, including missing badly on a wide-open 10-footer. He also struggled inbounding the ball late in the game, first having to take a timeout and then barely beating a five-second call before finally getting it in to Cale. Nelson’s development must include him improving as a jump shooter, because right now, he’s an easy scout for opponents. He’s passing or taking it to the rim.
Butler is in desperation mode. Second-year head coach LaVall Jordan made no players available after a blowout loss at home to Marquette on Wednesday night. According to the Indianapolis Star, that was the first time he had done that during his tenure. Even Jordan, a former player and assistant for the Bulldogs, admitted they aren’t playing the Butler way. When they played Seton Hall in Newark earlier this year, I saw a lot of one-on-one hero basketball, especially from star Kamar Baldwin, as opposed to the crisp teamwork Butler has been noted for, no matter who is coaching. Just like Providence against Seton Hall on Jan. 15, and Seton Hall against Providence on Wednesday, the Bulldogs (12-10, 3-6 Big East) figure to be desperate. Seton Hall must match that urgency.
Miked up at Butler. No, I don’t mean Francesa (“Terry Da Haiyah is a solid playuh, Who’s dis Cheese guy?” is probably what he would say if asked about The Hall). The game is being televised on FS1 and FOX Sports is presenting its second-annual “All-Access Game,” with both Willard and Jordan wired for sound. That access will include halftime, so if the Pirates are trailing and Willard wants to peel the paint off the locker-room walls, FOX will want to have a seven-second delay handy.
“You guys (reporters) think Coach (Willard) is going crazy on the sidelines,” McKnight said, “but you’d be surprised. We (players) do a lot of talking in the huddle. … Coach doesn’t really go too crazy unless we’re doing something wrong.”
Willard said he likely would have his children on the trip, “which will help. When they sit on the bench, they make me calm down just a little bit. But it’s going to be interesting.”
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
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About that players-only meeting. Coach Kevin Willard and players who were there said the main purpose of the meeting Sunday night was to watch tape of the Villanova disaster while it still was fresh in their minds, and to learn from it. Willard indicated he liked very much the attitude players brought to practice Monday and that he felt, win or lose, they would give great effort against Providence. They did that and now there is a stretch of very winnable games ahead until the Pirates close the season with the Big East’s best two teams, Marquette and Villanova, at home. There could be a lot at stake in those games.
Even Superman needed the Justice League to help him out sometimes. Providence coach Ed Cooley summed up Myles Powell’s outstanding all-around performance Wednesday by saying, “It’s a credit to him, he put on a cape and did a good job.” Powell did just that, but playing too many minutes and doing too many things could turn out to be like kryptonite going forward. Powell played all 20 minutes in the second half and 38:19 in total, and could’ve had to play at least five more had the Friars tied it in the final seconds of regulation. Other players must step up to help out, such as Myles Cale, who attempted only two shots in 26 minutes of action, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, who went 0-for-3 in 27 minutes. Willard and Powell’s teammates cannot forget about those guys.
In that vein, give Quincy McKnight credit for helping push the Pirates over the top in the second half. His steal and subsequent three-point play put The Hall ahead to stay, and it was impressive he was able to stay sharp after a long sojourn on the bench in the second half.
Mixed bag for Thompson and Nelson.
The often-mercurial Taurean Thompson had a nice run Wednesday with eight points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in 20:19. He finished with a team-high plus-10. “Taurean was terrific,” Willard said. “He went in and got dirty and came up with some big rebounds.”
Freshman point guard Anthony Nelson saw more playing time, as Willard promised, and contributed three assists and two rebounds in 16:49. But he had two turnovers and was 0-for-2 from the floor, including missing badly on a wide-open 10-footer. He also struggled inbounding the ball late in the game, first having to take a timeout and then barely beating a five-second call before finally getting it in to Cale. Nelson’s development must include him improving as a jump shooter, because right now, he’s an easy scout for opponents. He’s passing or taking it to the rim.
Butler is in desperation mode. Second-year head coach LaVall Jordan made no players available after a blowout loss at home to Marquette on Wednesday night. According to the Indianapolis Star, that was the first time he had done that during his tenure. Even Jordan, a former player and assistant for the Bulldogs, admitted they aren’t playing the Butler way. When they played Seton Hall in Newark earlier this year, I saw a lot of one-on-one hero basketball, especially from star Kamar Baldwin, as opposed to the crisp teamwork Butler has been noted for, no matter who is coaching. Just like Providence against Seton Hall on Jan. 15, and Seton Hall against Providence on Wednesday, the Bulldogs (12-10, 3-6 Big East) figure to be desperate. Seton Hall must match that urgency.
Miked up at Butler. No, I don’t mean Francesa (“Terry Da Haiyah is a solid playuh, Who’s dis Cheese guy?” is probably what he would say if asked about The Hall). The game is being televised on FS1 and FOX Sports is presenting its second-annual “All-Access Game,” with both Willard and Jordan wired for sound. That access will include halftime, so if the Pirates are trailing and Willard wants to peel the paint off the locker-room walls, FOX will want to have a seven-second delay handy.
“You guys (reporters) think Coach (Willard) is going crazy on the sidelines,” McKnight said, “but you’d be surprised. We (players) do a lot of talking in the huddle. … Coach doesn’t really go too crazy unless we’re doing something wrong.”
Willard said he likely would have his children on the trip, “which will help. When they sit on the bench, they make me calm down just a little bit. But it’s going to be interesting.”
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS?
