2019 record
Regular season 18-12
Big East Tournament 2-1
NCAA Tournament 0-1
Total 20-14
Frankly it was a strange season. Full of highs but balanced by many lows as well.
As expected the Hall got out of the starting gate strong with an easy and expected trashing of Wagner to the tune of 80-49, but then just a week later traveled to Nebraska, a Big 10 team thought to be a major player in the 2018/19 season and was routed. That poor showing was duplicated three days later in a home loss to a mediocre St Louis squad. Clearly the dire predictions of so many were taking shape just 3 games in. Or were they?
It was no secret that the Pirates had lost 4 starters the previous year. Honorable mention All-American Angel Delgado, and three year starters Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriquez and Ishmael Sanogo. Leaving only rising junior Myles Powell in that wake.
Rebuilding? Few expected anything different. So the 1-2 start was not surprising. Probably anticipated was the better word. But as Pirate fans have come to know when little is expected that's when Seton Hall's head coach Kevin Willard does his best work, and that was proven in the next eleven games with the Hall coming out on top in 10 of those contests, losing only to Louisville at the Rock in a game they dominated until the final minutes.
Within that span of games were two that stood out. Games that the Pirates were able to hang their hats on throughout the season and in truth may have ultimately been the reason for their NCAA invite.
The first of the two games was at Madison Square Garden in early December. There they would face the formidable Kentucky Wildcats guided by John Calipari. The Hall came in as a strong underdog which played right into the wheelhouse of SHU's Willard. Especially when competing in what is starting to look like Seton Hall's home away from home. And despite the heavy pro Kentucky crowd in the stands, and despite a near halfcourt heave by the Wildcats' Keldon Johnson to tie the game at the regulation buzzer, Kevin Willard and his Seton Hall Pirates survived in OT on a Myles Cale jumper from the arc late in a one point nail biter.
That unexpected and thrilling victory was probably the highlight of the season, but it wasn't the only one as just 2 short weeks later the Hall traveled to powerhouse Maryland to battle the Terrapins. And just as they did at the Garden the Hall duplicated that feat by upsetting their Big 10 foe.
Rebuilding? What were the supposed experts thinking? The Hall was looking at the top 25 and deservedly so with a record 11-3.
But prosperity is not a word that Kevin Willard's squads handle well and with the Ides of January (apologies to March) upon the team the seemingly annual swoon reared its ugly head.
Sure it started well with victory at Xavier which followed on the heels of the Hall's Late December comeback win over St John's at the Rock on a long jumper near the buzzer by Shavar Reynolds, assisted on by Sandro Mamukalasvili (and Michael Stephens). But that start was just fool's gold as the Hall and Kevin Willard preceded to lose 5 of their next 6 games before temporarily righting the ship at home against the Providence Friars to end the always dreaded first month of the year.
Then came February, a month that has been kind recently to the Pirates. But this season not as much as it was the last couple of years. It wasn't January bad but it wasn't great either with the Hall as they did most of the conference season having their ups and downs. Winning 3 in a row and then losing 3 in a row, culminating in possible season deflating double overtime defeat to the Georgetown Hoyas. The team was now 7-9 in conference play and facing a crossroads.
Simply put the Pirates performed admirably. As anticipated those that predicted a rebuilding year seemed to have been on target. A young Seton Hall team with Myles Powell as their leader won a few unexpected games but as the season wore down they had reached the level that their talent dictated. A good team but not one worthy of NCAA consideration.
But it was at that point when all seemed lost that Kevin Willard made a statement to the media,. One that seemed like a man whistling in the dark. He told reporters that he was happy with his team. Happy with how they were competing and happy with how his closed door practices were taking shape.
Did anyone believe him? Doubtful. But those doubts were extinguished in the next two weeks as the Pirates closed out the regular season and conference tourney with 4 straight wins beating top 25 Marquette and POY Marcus Howard twice and eventual regular season and tournament Big East champion Villanova once at the Rock before losing to the Wildcats in a thrilling finale at the Garden
The season was complete and the Hall through an incredible amount of highs and lows had fooled the experts, finished with a fourth straight 20 win campaign, an NCAA invite and Seton Hall's Kevin Willard falling one vote short of winning his second Big East COY award to Villanova's Jay Wright.
There was one last match-up, a loss in the Dance to top 20 Wofford in a hard fought battle that ended in the deceiving score of 84-68 in a game that was much closer than the final tally. But few fans of the Pirate could complain. The team outperformed most expectation by a seeming wide margin. And despite an incredible individual year by Myles Powell, a year that finished in his being voted honorable mention All-American, much of the credit belonged to the man on the bench, Kevin Willard. Sure he rode the coattails of his star player, but in basketball one man, even one as talented as the 6-2 junior from Trenton is not enough. Especially without the anticipated help from 4 star transfer 6-10 Taurean Thompson. A player whom much was expected but little was gotten.
I went back and forth with my grade for Willard between a B+ and an A-. The Big East was weak this season and that has to be taken into consideration. But so too does victories over Kentucky, at Maryland, twice vs Marquette and Villanova. All done with virtually no help from Thompson. It is that last fact that convinced me to grade Kevin Willard with the higher mark of an A-.
Comments
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
Regular season 18-12
Big East Tournament 2-1
NCAA Tournament 0-1
Total 20-14
Frankly it was a strange season. Full of highs but balanced by many lows as well.
As expected the Hall got out of the starting gate strong with an easy and expected trashing of Wagner to the tune of 80-49, but then just a week later traveled to Nebraska, a Big 10 team thought to be a major player in the 2018/19 season and was routed. That poor showing was duplicated three days later in a home loss to a mediocre St Louis squad. Clearly the dire predictions of so many were taking shape just 3 games in. Or were they?
It was no secret that the Pirates had lost 4 starters the previous year. Honorable mention All-American Angel Delgado, and three year starters Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriquez and Ishmael Sanogo. Leaving only rising junior Myles Powell in that wake.
Rebuilding? Few expected anything different. So the 1-2 start was not surprising. Probably anticipated was the better word. But as Pirate fans have come to know when little is expected that's when Seton Hall's head coach Kevin Willard does his best work, and that was proven in the next eleven games with the Hall coming out on top in 10 of those contests, losing only to Louisville at the Rock in a game they dominated until the final minutes.
Within that span of games were two that stood out. Games that the Pirates were able to hang their hats on throughout the season and in truth may have ultimately been the reason for their NCAA invite.
The first of the two games was at Madison Square Garden in early December. There they would face the formidable Kentucky Wildcats guided by John Calipari. The Hall came in as a strong underdog which played right into the wheelhouse of SHU's Willard. Especially when competing in what is starting to look like Seton Hall's home away from home. And despite the heavy pro Kentucky crowd in the stands, and despite a near halfcourt heave by the Wildcats' Keldon Johnson to tie the game at the regulation buzzer, Kevin Willard and his Seton Hall Pirates survived in OT on a Myles Cale jumper from the arc late in a one point nail biter.
That unexpected and thrilling victory was probably the highlight of the season, but it wasn't the only one as just 2 short weeks later the Hall traveled to powerhouse Maryland to battle the Terrapins. And just as they did at the Garden the Hall duplicated that feat by upsetting their Big 10 foe.
Rebuilding? What were the supposed experts thinking? The Hall was looking at the top 25 and deservedly so with a record 11-3.
But prosperity is not a word that Kevin Willard's squads handle well and with the Ides of January (apologies to March) upon the team the seemingly annual swoon reared its ugly head.
Sure it started well with victory at Xavier which followed on the heels of the Hall's Late December comeback win over St John's at the Rock on a long jumper near the buzzer by Shavar Reynolds, assisted on by Sandro Mamukalasvili (and Michael Stephens). But that start was just fool's gold as the Hall and Kevin Willard preceded to lose 5 of their next 6 games before temporarily righting the ship at home against the Providence Friars to end the always dreaded first month of the year.
Then came February, a month that has been kind recently to the Pirates. But this season not as much as it was the last couple of years. It wasn't January bad but it wasn't great either with the Hall as they did most of the conference season having their ups and downs. Winning 3 in a row and then losing 3 in a row, culminating in possible season deflating double overtime defeat to the Georgetown Hoyas. The team was now 7-9 in conference play and facing a crossroads.
Simply put the Pirates performed admirably. As anticipated those that predicted a rebuilding year seemed to have been on target. A young Seton Hall team with Myles Powell as their leader won a few unexpected games but as the season wore down they had reached the level that their talent dictated. A good team but not one worthy of NCAA consideration.
But it was at that point when all seemed lost that Kevin Willard made a statement to the media,. One that seemed like a man whistling in the dark. He told reporters that he was happy with his team. Happy with how they were competing and happy with how his closed door practices were taking shape.
Did anyone believe him? Doubtful. But those doubts were extinguished in the next two weeks as the Pirates closed out the regular season and conference tourney with 4 straight wins beating top 25 Marquette and POY Marcus Howard twice and eventual regular season and tournament Big East champion Villanova once at the Rock before losing to the Wildcats in a thrilling finale at the Garden
The season was complete and the Hall through an incredible amount of highs and lows had fooled the experts, finished with a fourth straight 20 win campaign, an NCAA invite and Seton Hall's Kevin Willard falling one vote short of winning his second Big East COY award to Villanova's Jay Wright.
There was one last match-up, a loss in the Dance to top 20 Wofford in a hard fought battle that ended in the deceiving score of 84-68 in a game that was much closer than the final tally. But few fans of the Pirate could complain. The team outperformed most expectation by a seeming wide margin. And despite an incredible individual year by Myles Powell, a year that finished in his being voted honorable mention All-American, much of the credit belonged to the man on the bench, Kevin Willard. Sure he rode the coattails of his star player, but in basketball one man, even one as talented as the 6-2 junior from Trenton is not enough. Especially without the anticipated help from 4 star transfer 6-10 Taurean Thompson. A player whom much was expected but little was gotten.
I went back and forth with my grade for Willard between a B+ and an A-. The Big East was weak this season and that has to be taken into consideration. But so too does victories over Kentucky, at Maryland, twice vs Marquette and Villanova. All done with virtually no help from Thompson. It is that last fact that convinced me to grade Kevin Willard with the higher mark of an A-.
Comments
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
