by JP Pelzman
In the span of six days, the landscape has changed for Seton Hall. And it has gone from fruited plains to seemingly barren land.
Injuries to superstar Myles Powell (concussion) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (fractured wrist) have altered the situation and the expectations for the Pirates (6-4), who suddenly find themselves needing to beat Maryland at home on Thursday to get a big-time win out of their brutal non-conference slate. (Sorry, but a split with unranked Iowa State won’t impress anyone.)
1--Know this
Seton Hall will do what is best for Myles Powell. The gritty Powell tried to power through things Saturday, which, in my opinion, is why it took so long for him to be removed from the game. Going forward, Seton Hall will be as careful with him as possible. This now is about Myles Powell the human being, not Myles Powell the All-American candidate. Coach Kevin Willard is extremely close with Powell, and that bond is one reason why Myles simply could not leave after his junior year. Willard would not put him at risk nor would longtime trainer Tony Testa, a true pro.
I have seen NFL players return from concussions after missing one game, and others take much longer. It depends upon the person and the severity of the concussion. Also remember how New York Mets outfielder Ryan Church suffered post-concussion syndrome in 2008 after being cleared for a road trip and then flying on a plane, and his career never was the same. Seton Hall visits DePaul on Dec. 30 and then hosts Georgetown on Jan. 3. The latter could be a potential return date for Powell.
2--Let’s get small (lineup).
Without Powell against the Terps, Seton Hall will need to start somebody else at the 2 position for the first time in a while. Defensive whiz Shavar Reynolds figures to get the first try, and if he shoots the way he did before Rutgers (21-for-38, 55.2 percent, 8-for-14 from downtown) The Hall could be OK. He cannot go 1-for-8, 1-for-4 the way he did at the RAC.
At times, Willard could try Anthony Nelson at the point and move Quincy McKnight to his more natural off-guard position. It also would help if swingman Myles Cale could emerge from a funk that saw him go 2-for-10, 1-for-5 at RU. His bricked 3 set up the run-out that led to the ill-fated charge taken by Powell.
3-- Four goodness sake.
Willard admitted after the Rutgers loss that he must settle on a solution at the power forward position after the loss of Mamu for six to eight weeks.
After the game Saturday, Willard said, “I just have to figure out the 4 spot, because more than anything, that’s just really hurting us right now. It hurt us against Iowa State, and again, it’s not like Jared (Rhoden) and Tyrese (Samuel) can’t do a good job--but to expect them to fill the role that we had put Sandro in, in a matter of a week is just unrealistic expectations.
“They’re going to get it and when they get it, it’s going to be really good, but I just have to be really patient. And I’m going to be patient and I’m going to figure it out, because they’re both capable. But to ask them to do what I asked Sandro to do is just impossible right now, and I’ve got to figure it out.”
Rhoden is shooting a woeful 6-for-35 from long distance.
4-- In case of emergency, break glass.
There is no question that the loss of a team’s top two scorers is an emergency. So perhaps it is time for Willard to at least consider doing something he probably would not otherwise consider, and that is taking Syracuse transfer Taurean Thompson out of mothballs. Yes, the power forward is a defensive liability, and his offensive skills seem to have atrophied since he averaged 9.2 points as a freshman at Syracuse in 2016-17. But this is a crisis. And Seton Hall desperately needs scoring punch. And once upon a time, Thompson had a knack for depositing the rubber spheroid 30 inches in circumference in the hoop on a not-so-infrequent basis. Again, desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s worth at least thinking about it.
5--Morale victory.
Perhaps the biggest challenge Willard and team leaders such as the gritty and determined McKnight face is keeping everyone focused and upbeat, given the harsh current reality. The season is far from over and there are 20 conference contests remaining past the Maryland game to rebuild an NCAA resume, and the committee will take into account games missed by Powell and Mamukelashvili if Seton Hall can tread water now and put it all together once its lineup is whole once again. Believing by itself won’t make up for the personnel losses, but belief is vital to have any chance of overcoming the adversity of being dealt a horrific hand in the first six week of the season.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
In the span of six days, the landscape has changed for Seton Hall. And it has gone from fruited plains to seemingly barren land.
Injuries to superstar Myles Powell (concussion) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (fractured wrist) have altered the situation and the expectations for the Pirates (6-4), who suddenly find themselves needing to beat Maryland at home on Thursday to get a big-time win out of their brutal non-conference slate. (Sorry, but a split with unranked Iowa State won’t impress anyone.)
1--Know this
Seton Hall will do what is best for Myles Powell. The gritty Powell tried to power through things Saturday, which, in my opinion, is why it took so long for him to be removed from the game. Going forward, Seton Hall will be as careful with him as possible. This now is about Myles Powell the human being, not Myles Powell the All-American candidate. Coach Kevin Willard is extremely close with Powell, and that bond is one reason why Myles simply could not leave after his junior year. Willard would not put him at risk nor would longtime trainer Tony Testa, a true pro.
I have seen NFL players return from concussions after missing one game, and others take much longer. It depends upon the person and the severity of the concussion. Also remember how New York Mets outfielder Ryan Church suffered post-concussion syndrome in 2008 after being cleared for a road trip and then flying on a plane, and his career never was the same. Seton Hall visits DePaul on Dec. 30 and then hosts Georgetown on Jan. 3. The latter could be a potential return date for Powell.
2--Let’s get small (lineup).
Without Powell against the Terps, Seton Hall will need to start somebody else at the 2 position for the first time in a while. Defensive whiz Shavar Reynolds figures to get the first try, and if he shoots the way he did before Rutgers (21-for-38, 55.2 percent, 8-for-14 from downtown) The Hall could be OK. He cannot go 1-for-8, 1-for-4 the way he did at the RAC.
At times, Willard could try Anthony Nelson at the point and move Quincy McKnight to his more natural off-guard position. It also would help if swingman Myles Cale could emerge from a funk that saw him go 2-for-10, 1-for-5 at RU. His bricked 3 set up the run-out that led to the ill-fated charge taken by Powell.
3-- Four goodness sake.
Willard admitted after the Rutgers loss that he must settle on a solution at the power forward position after the loss of Mamu for six to eight weeks.
After the game Saturday, Willard said, “I just have to figure out the 4 spot, because more than anything, that’s just really hurting us right now. It hurt us against Iowa State, and again, it’s not like Jared (Rhoden) and Tyrese (Samuel) can’t do a good job--but to expect them to fill the role that we had put Sandro in, in a matter of a week is just unrealistic expectations.
“They’re going to get it and when they get it, it’s going to be really good, but I just have to be really patient. And I’m going to be patient and I’m going to figure it out, because they’re both capable. But to ask them to do what I asked Sandro to do is just impossible right now, and I’ve got to figure it out.”
Rhoden is shooting a woeful 6-for-35 from long distance.
4-- In case of emergency, break glass.
There is no question that the loss of a team’s top two scorers is an emergency. So perhaps it is time for Willard to at least consider doing something he probably would not otherwise consider, and that is taking Syracuse transfer Taurean Thompson out of mothballs. Yes, the power forward is a defensive liability, and his offensive skills seem to have atrophied since he averaged 9.2 points as a freshman at Syracuse in 2016-17. But this is a crisis. And Seton Hall desperately needs scoring punch. And once upon a time, Thompson had a knack for depositing the rubber spheroid 30 inches in circumference in the hoop on a not-so-infrequent basis. Again, desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s worth at least thinking about it.
5--Morale victory.
Perhaps the biggest challenge Willard and team leaders such as the gritty and determined McKnight face is keeping everyone focused and upbeat, given the harsh current reality. The season is far from over and there are 20 conference contests remaining past the Maryland game to rebuild an NCAA resume, and the committee will take into account games missed by Powell and Mamukelashvili if Seton Hall can tread water now and put it all together once its lineup is whole once again. Believing by itself won’t make up for the personnel losses, but belief is vital to have any chance of overcoming the adversity of being dealt a horrific hand in the first six week of the season.
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
