The basketball version of a vegan (no meat or dairy) lifestyle didn’t suit Seton Hall very well in the early going Saturday night as top returning scorer Myles “Cheese” Powell didn’t attempt a shot until more than 11 minutes had elapsed in the game. Amazingly, the Pirates led 17-16 at the time, but Saint Louis soon went ahead to stay en route to a 66-64 upset victory in Newark. My five (well, five-plus takeaways in this case) begin with that problem, one The Hall must begin to solve as it plays three games in four days this weekend at the Wooden Legacy tournament in Fullerton, Calif.
1--Powell got a large taste Saturday of the kind of defenses he will see all season unless other Pirates step up as complementary scorers. Powell remarked afterward how the Saint Louis defenders on him weren’t even looking at the ball, and instead were completely focused on him.
So how can The Hall remedy this?
1a--Both Powell and guard Quincy McKnight said afterward, in separate interviews, that “Film fixes everything.” So it’s likely that was one of Willard’s mantras after the game. Willard, his coaching staff and the players need to take a long look at the video from this game, and Willard needs to start calling for more screens to free up Powell for some open looks. Former Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez wasn’t known for his Xs and Os, but even he had a pet inbounds play, Jeremy Hazell doing a curl off a screen, to get Hazell an open jumper. I wouldn’t mind seeing a variation on that play.
1b--Powell must create space for himself by driving to the basket even more often. “This is all new for him,” Willard said. “He didn’t get face-guarded last year, he didn’t get double-teamed off pick-and-rolls. This is all a big learning process of him being aggressive from the start. He’s just not used to doing that right now. The more he sees it, the more he’s going to get used to it and the more he’ll be able to recognize and understand what he’s got to do.”
1c--He needs help from his friends on both offense and defense. The Hall failed to finish makeable layups at least three times in the first half, allowing the Billikens to further extend their defense. And better defense by Seton Hall will result in transition opportunities for Powell, as McKnight noted, saying defensive stops will “get us out on the break more. that will create some space and Cheese can get some open shots in transition and get to the basket. He’s a great driver.”
2--The enigmatic start for Taurean Thompson continued. After going scoreless at Nebraska, he did have two points, but played only 6:15, all in the first half. Thompson shot 1-for-5 and gave up an uncontested drive on defense. When asked why the Syracuse transfer played so little, Willard replied, “I’m trying to match him up with someone who can help him defensively. He’s really worked hard at it. He’s gotten much better. (But) it’s just a matter of trying to put him on the floor with someone who can really help him defensively, whether it’s Mike (Nzei) or Sandro (Mamukelashvili). But it’s not just those two. I’ve got to get other guys around him who can help him defensively. He hasn’t grasped everything we’re doing yet. Eventually he will, but until he does that’s a work in progress.”
3--McKnight, Seton Hall’s other Division I transfer who sat out last year, followed up a poor game at Nebraska with a very good one. He had 14 points and was a team-high plus-9 for the game. He also made a perfect read and pass to Mamukelashvili for a wide-open, potential game-winning three that went off target.
“I think I’m starting to settle down a little more,” the former Sacred Heart star said. “I’m getting comfortable with the offense and just getting comfortable playing again, having sat out a year.”
“I really liked the way he was aggressive in the second half,” Willard said. “It’s him getting used to a different level of competition, a different level of intensity and I really liked the way he responded in the second half.”
4--Willard correctly noted that his team needs to share the ball more. In the losses to Nebraska and Saint Louis, the Pirates totaled seven assists and 23 turnovers. “We’re not making more than one or two passes on offense right now,” Willard said. “Guys are antsy to try to do something and it’s causing us some trouble.”
5--Grand Canyon, coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle was picked second in the WAC preseason poll is a beatable but dangerous opponent in the first round of the Wooden Legacy on Thanksgiving night. The Antelopes are 3-1 but have yet to play a high-major team. Their offense runs through senior guard Trey Drechsel, who leads the team in scoring (12.5) and assists (4.0), but they have five players averaging at least 9.8 points, so the Pirates will not be able to focus on one guy the way their opponents are doing with Powell.
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1--Powell got a large taste Saturday of the kind of defenses he will see all season unless other Pirates step up as complementary scorers. Powell remarked afterward how the Saint Louis defenders on him weren’t even looking at the ball, and instead were completely focused on him.
So how can The Hall remedy this?
1a--Both Powell and guard Quincy McKnight said afterward, in separate interviews, that “Film fixes everything.” So it’s likely that was one of Willard’s mantras after the game. Willard, his coaching staff and the players need to take a long look at the video from this game, and Willard needs to start calling for more screens to free up Powell for some open looks. Former Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez wasn’t known for his Xs and Os, but even he had a pet inbounds play, Jeremy Hazell doing a curl off a screen, to get Hazell an open jumper. I wouldn’t mind seeing a variation on that play.
1b--Powell must create space for himself by driving to the basket even more often. “This is all new for him,” Willard said. “He didn’t get face-guarded last year, he didn’t get double-teamed off pick-and-rolls. This is all a big learning process of him being aggressive from the start. He’s just not used to doing that right now. The more he sees it, the more he’s going to get used to it and the more he’ll be able to recognize and understand what he’s got to do.”
1c--He needs help from his friends on both offense and defense. The Hall failed to finish makeable layups at least three times in the first half, allowing the Billikens to further extend their defense. And better defense by Seton Hall will result in transition opportunities for Powell, as McKnight noted, saying defensive stops will “get us out on the break more. that will create some space and Cheese can get some open shots in transition and get to the basket. He’s a great driver.”
2--The enigmatic start for Taurean Thompson continued. After going scoreless at Nebraska, he did have two points, but played only 6:15, all in the first half. Thompson shot 1-for-5 and gave up an uncontested drive on defense. When asked why the Syracuse transfer played so little, Willard replied, “I’m trying to match him up with someone who can help him defensively. He’s really worked hard at it. He’s gotten much better. (But) it’s just a matter of trying to put him on the floor with someone who can really help him defensively, whether it’s Mike (Nzei) or Sandro (Mamukelashvili). But it’s not just those two. I’ve got to get other guys around him who can help him defensively. He hasn’t grasped everything we’re doing yet. Eventually he will, but until he does that’s a work in progress.”
3--McKnight, Seton Hall’s other Division I transfer who sat out last year, followed up a poor game at Nebraska with a very good one. He had 14 points and was a team-high plus-9 for the game. He also made a perfect read and pass to Mamukelashvili for a wide-open, potential game-winning three that went off target.
“I think I’m starting to settle down a little more,” the former Sacred Heart star said. “I’m getting comfortable with the offense and just getting comfortable playing again, having sat out a year.”
“I really liked the way he was aggressive in the second half,” Willard said. “It’s him getting used to a different level of competition, a different level of intensity and I really liked the way he responded in the second half.”
4--Willard correctly noted that his team needs to share the ball more. In the losses to Nebraska and Saint Louis, the Pirates totaled seven assists and 23 turnovers. “We’re not making more than one or two passes on offense right now,” Willard said. “Guys are antsy to try to do something and it’s causing us some trouble.”
5--Grand Canyon, coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle was picked second in the WAC preseason poll is a beatable but dangerous opponent in the first round of the Wooden Legacy on Thanksgiving night. The Antelopes are 3-1 but have yet to play a high-major team. Their offense runs through senior guard Trey Drechsel, who leads the team in scoring (12.5) and assists (4.0), but they have five players averaging at least 9.8 points, so the Pirates will not be able to focus on one guy the way their opponents are doing with Powell.
Comments?
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
