No. 19 Pirates Hit the Road for Wednesday Night Affair at Creighton

[Halldan1]

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No. 19 Seton Hall (15-3, 4-1 BIG EAST, KenPom 28, RPI 12) at Creighton (14-4, 4-2 BIG EAST, KenPom 23, RPI 31)

Wednesday, Jan. 17 • CenturyLink Center Omaha • 8:30 p.m., Eastern

TV: FS1 / FOX Sports GO with Justin Kutcher & Nick Bahe

Radio: AM970 The Answer / SHUPirates.com / Sirius 135 / XM202 / SHU Pirates Mobile App with Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin

SETON HALL MEDIA CENTER

• No. 19 Seton Hall hits the road and takes on Creighton on Wednesday night in Omaha. The Pirates are off to their best BIG EAST start since the 2011-12 season when the team also started 4-1. The only teams in program history that started 5-1 in the BIG EAST were the 1999-00 squad that ultimately reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and the 1992-93 team that reached the NCAA Second Round.
• On Saturday, Seton Hall celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its 1992-93 BIG EAST Championship team, and used a 23-5 run to end the first half in a 74-61 victory over Georgetown at Prudential Center.
• The Pirates received a game-high 19 points from both Desi Rodriguez and Myles Powell, while Angel Delgado notched his NCAA-leading 64th career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds to go along with five assists.
• Seton Hall has won 11 of its last 13 games - seven against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (96), Texas Tech (5), Louisville (35), Creighton (24), St. John’s (78), Butler (43) and Georgetown (99).
• Delgado was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after averaging 11.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 blocked shots last week. He has recorded 17 consecutive double-doubles in BIG EAST games and is the nation’s leader in career rebounds. He has recorded five or more assists in five of the last seven games.
• Saturday marks the 18th all-time meeting between Seton Hall and Creighton. The Pirates lead the all-time series, 12-5, and have won four of the last five meetings.
  • 01/30/16 - W, 75-65 (A)
  • 03/10/16 - W, 81-73 (N)
  • 12/28/16 - L, 75-89 (A)
  • 02/15/17 - W, 87-81 (H)
  • 12/18/17 - W, 90-84 (H)
• Earlier this season on Dec. 28, Seton Hall held Creighton scoreless over the final 3:32 of the game to complete a 90-84, come-from-behind victory in the BIG EAST opener at Prudential Center. Khadeen Carrington, Rodriguez and Delgado combined for 59 points, while Mike Nzei pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to overcome a 13-point second-half deficit.
• Khadeen Carrington and Rodriguez are eighth and 13th, respectively, in the BIG EAST in scoring with 19.0 and 17.2 points per game during conference play. Rodriguez has scored 19 or more in four of five league games, while Carrington is averaging 4.8 assists and shooting 88.0 percent (22-of-25) from the free-throw line.
• The team is 10-0 when Rodriguez is the leading scorer, and he has poured in 15 or more in 10 of the last 13 games. The Pirates are 33-9 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
• Head coach Kevin Willard is 7-4 all-time against Creighton, and this year’s senior class has a career 6-2 record against the Bluejays.

#PiratePursuit

Seton Hall has flourished in the program’s previous two seasons to the likes of which the program has not seen in over 20 years, and they are in pursuit of a truly special 2017-18 campaign.

The Pirates concluded non-conference play with a handful of resume-boosting victories including four over teams currently in the KenPom Top-100.

Seton Hall has won 11 of its last 13 games, and is a perfect 3-0 against ranked opponents this season.

The 4-1 start to BIG EAST play is the first since the 2011-12 season when the Pirates also started 4-1. The program has not had a 5-1 start since the 1999-00 campaign when Seton Hall ultimately reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.


In the Polls

The Pirates head into Wednesday as the No.19 ranked team in the AP Poll.

Last week, Seton Hall was up to No. 13 in the rankings, the highest since Jan. 2, 2001.

Seton Hall has been in the weekly national rankings 111 times in program history, and now 11 times this season.

Of the 111 all-time rankings, this is the fifth time Seton Hall has been ranked No. 19. The Pirates have gone 6-2 all-time as the No. 19 team, including 1-0 this season.

Seton Hall’s all-time record as an AP nationally ranked team is 155-51 (.752).


Building a Resume

The Pirates have already notched several key wins that will loom large down the road, including victories over eight teams currently in the KenPom Top-100:

Indiana - 89 (W, 84-68)

Vanderbilt - 96 (W, 72-59)

Texas Tech - 5 (W, 89-79)

Louisville - 35 (W, 79-77)

Creighton - 24 (W, 90-84)

St. John’s - 78 (W, 75-70)

Butler - 43 (W, 90-87)

Georgetown - 99 (W, 74-61)


Seton Hall is one of only nine teams in the nation as of Jan. 15 with 8 or more KenPom Top-100 wins:

Seton Hall - 8

Oklahoma - 8

Duke - 8

North Carolina - 8

Kentucky - 8

Clemson - 8

Kansas - 8

Purdue - 9

Virginia - 9

 

[Halldan1]

Not Intimidated

Seton Hall’s senior class has had 11 true road wins with attendance over 8,500

01/10/15 at Creighton - 17,397

01/28/15 at Marquette - 14,917

12/30/15 at Marquette - 13,314

01/16/16 at Providence - 11,148

01/30/16 at Creighton - 17,924

02/21/16 at St. John’s - 13,204

11/17/16 at Iowa - 10,391

02/04/17 at Georgetown - 10,142

03/04/17 at Butler - 9,100

12/03/17 at Louisville - 19,244

01/06/18 at Butler - 8,855



Seniors Shine on the Road

It is no secret that the senior trio of Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Angel Delgado are tasked with carrying their weight - especially on the road during BIG EAST play. Through two BIG EAST road games, the three veterans have proven their worth.

Delgado - 20.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 4.0 apg

Carrington - 17.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 50% 3FG

Rodriguez - 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg

Combined - 24-of-28 (85.7 percent) FT



Delgado Can Swing It

Angel Delgado’s ability to distribute the ball and find the open man has been one of the most important aspects of his game, and has allowed the Pirates offense to click.

He is averaging 3.2 assists per game this season, the most among any non-guard in the BIG EAST and tied for 11th-best overall.

During league play he has already had four games with five or more assists.



#EliteDesi

Desi Rodriguez has been the most consistent offensive contributor, and an outright stud all season.

He is averaging a team-best 18.2 points per game, good for eighth in the BIG EAST. He is shooting 49.8 percent (123-for-247) from the field and 37.2 percent (32-for-86) from long range.

Rodriguez earned BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 4 by averaging 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 55.9 percent in two Seton Hall victories over ranked opponents.

At No. 17 Louisville, the Bronx native went off for a season-high and game-high 29 points. He connected on the game-winning layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to lead The Hall to a 79-77 victory over the Cardinals, the program’s first win at Louisville since Feb. 25, 1952.

The Pirates are 10-0 this season when Rodriguez is the team’s leading scorer, and 33-9 all-time when he scores at least 15 points. He has scored 15 or more points in 10 of the last 13 games.

Rodriguez is averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and is shooting 49.4 percent overall and 52.0 percent (13-for-25) from deep in eight career games against Creighton.



Thriving in the BIG EAST

Rodriguez and Carrington are scoring 19.0 and 17.2 points per game, respectively, through the first five BIG EAST games, the eighth and 13th most in the league.

Rodriguez has connected on a three-point bucket in 23 of 24 BIG EAST games dating back to 2015-16.



Finish Strong

The Pirates pride themselves on defense, and have proven the ability to hold off late pushes by the opposition.

In fact, Seton Hall is 57-4 in its last 61 games (dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season) when holding a lead of seven or more at any point in the contest.



Delgado Dominates Downlow

Angel Delgado is one of the best players in the country. His on-court dominance has garnered national attention, and his play has earned him preseason All-America honors from multiple outlets including the Associated Press.

Last week, he was named to the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list.

The Dominican native led the country with 13.1 rebounds per game last season, and was a unanimous First Team BIG EAST selection and AP All-America honorable mention.

Against Vanderbilt earlier this season, Delgado was held without an offensive rebound, snapping a streak of 71 games with one or more offensive boards.

He has grabbed one or more offensive rebounds in 113 of 116 career games.

Delgado’s 4.4 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for fourth in the country. Overall, Delgado’s 11.7 rebounds per game ranks second in the nation.

In eight career games against Creighton, Delgado is averaging 11.1 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor.



Legendary BIG EAST Rebounder

In 2016-17, Delgado recorded over 200 more rebounds than any other player in the BIG EAST, and set the conference’s single-season conference-games only rebounding record (253).

He also set the BIG EAST single season conference-games only rebounding average record last season with 14.1 rebounds per game.

Delgado is currently second on the BIG EAST’s all-time rebounding average (11.49) behind only Michael Smith (Providence, 1991-94, 11.66 rpg), and is second on the all-time BIG EAST rebounding list (678) after passing Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody (2006-10) last week. He is only 24 rebounds short of setting the all-time BIG EAST record.



Second-Half Heroics

On Dec. 28 the Pirates pulled off a 13-point second half comeback win over Creighton, and an 11-point second half comeback win at Butler on Jan. 6. They have been stellar in the second half all season.

Over the final 20 minutes, Seton Hall is shooting 46.2 percent while holding opponents to 40.9 percent shooting from the field.

One of the main reasons the Pirates have been able to create separation during the second half this season has been their three-point field goal defense. Opponents are shooting just 31.3 percent (57-for-82) from long range over the final 20 minutes.



Some Wine With That?

The man called “Cheese” - Myles Powell, has a smooth and savory stroke from long range, and is leading the Pirates in three-point buckets, shooting 45-for-109 (41.3 percent).

Against Georgetown on Saturday, Cheese filled the box score with a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, and a career-high six steals.

On Jan. 6 at Butler he drilled a massive three-pointer with just over two minutes to go and shot 4-of-4 at the free-throw line in the final seconds to secure the win.

Earlier this season against Texas Tech, he also took control when it mattered most. With 2:05 to go in the game, Cheese banged a three to push the lead to nine. He later made an acrobatic layup, then stole the ball on the ensuing possession and converted a layup while being fouled with 1:20 left. In all, he finished with eight of the team’s final 10 points.

When Cheese gets hot, the Pirates feed off his energy and seem to play better as a collective. In fact, they are 14-6 over the course of his career when he makes three or more treys. He has scored in double-figures in 15 of 18 games this year.



Owning the Glass

It helps to have the best rebounder in the country, but rebounding is truly a team effort, and the Pirates have proven the ability to dominate.

The Pirates have had a positive margin in 17 of the last 23 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates score an average of 37.8 points in the paint and allow just 28.3 per game.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been excellent in taking advantage. SHU averages 13.3 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging 10.2.



Sharing is Caring

Against St. John’s, the Pirates assisted on 19 of their 24 made field goals, the highest percentage of assists to field goals this season.

The Pirates have won 15 of 16 games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 20 of the last 22.

Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 14 of 18 games this year.

A total of four different Pirates have recorded five assists or more in a single game this season (Carrington, Delgado, Powell, Rodriguez).



One of the All-Timers

Khadeen Carrington has a natural scoring ability that ranks him among the all-time greats at The Hall.

Currently, Carrington is 15th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,571 career points. He furthermore is 16th on the all-time assists leaderboard with 313.

The Brooklyn native has scored 20 or more points 21 times in his career.

In eight career games against Creighton, Carrington has scored 19.9 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from long range.

 

[steelersrule125]

That stat about true road wins in crowds of 8500+ is super impressive to me. Shows the poise and toughness this group has had

 

[lloyde dobler]

Nick Bahe = Creighton homer

 

[Shuathelete]

top 8 kenpom wins is great until you see half is indiana, vandy, st johns, and gtown... which are all bad teams

 

[shu09]

Nick Bahe = Creighton homer

Have you listened to his broadcasts? He's very good and keeps his biases out of it. Called our game there a few years back when we were also #19 and Gibbs hit the game winner. Dick Stockton was awful, but Bahe was good. He just worked our game at Butler as well.

 

[shu09]

top 8 kenpom wins is great until you see half is indiana, vandy, st johns, and gtown... which are all bad teams

That's the job of every college athletic communications department. Spin, spin, spin. You will rarely, if ever, hear anything negative from the PR shop of a college. Many posters from this site could work for them! LOL

 

[lloyde dobler]

Yes I’ve listened... his problem is that he’s too Creighton-based in his knowledge, so it’s kind of a built-in bias.

 

[shu09]

Nick Bahe = Creighton homer

On another note, it seems to me that this year (more than ever) FS1/FOX is using "talent" from the local area to call games. Maybe they're cutting back on the travel budget.

Brian Custer has done so many of ours, for example. Brian Anderson works many Marquette and some DePaul games. Stephen Bardo does a lot of DePaul games. Bahe has done Creighton and Butler. Spanarkel has done some SH games. Of the analysts, it seems that Jim Jackson, Donny Marshall, Len Elmore and Bill Raftery get around the country on a regular basis.

 

[Save Continental]

Agree. Nick is pretty good. I think he had a cancer scare recently, hope he's doing better.

By the way, he's not terrible, but what do we have to do to get someone other than Brian Custer call our games. lol I'm at the games anyway, so it doesn't really matter, just don't remember getting the same announcer over and over.

 

[shu09]

Yes I’ve listened... his problem is that he’s too Creighton-based in his knowledge, so it’s kind of a built-in bias.

I don't have a problem with that. It actually adds to the broadcast. Remember, roughly half of the audience is Creighton fans as well. He does his homework on the other teams and knows his hoops. That's what you want.

 

[lloyde dobler]

I believe there was a SHU tweet that they are 12-0 all-time with Custer doing play by play.

 

[Halldan1]

 

[Halldan1]