by JP Pelzman
So maybe all is not lost for Seton Hall. But the Pirates still need at least one win in the final week of the regular season, and then probably at least one at MSG.
The crushing double-overtime loss at Georgetown on Saturday certainly made Seton Hall’s path to the NCAA tournament more difficult, but consider that CBSSports.com bracketologist Jerry Palm had Seton Hall in a play-in game in his Monday update, the same as he had the Pirates before the game against the Hoyas. With a lot of other teams around the country struggling down the stretch, and with two monster wins (Kentucky, Maryland) in their pocket, The Hall still can avoid playing an NIT game at Walsh Gym in a couple of weeks.
Here’s a look at what needs to happen Wednesday night versus visiting Marquette:
Myles Powell needs help. Yeah, it sounds obvious, but it happened only sporadically at Georgetown. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime and was the only other Pirate in double figures against the Hoyas. Still, he was a problematic 0-for-5 from long distance, part of a woeful 5-for-29 shooting display from beyond the arc. Mamukelashvili probably won’t be able to regain his three-point stroke so late in the season, so he needs to go to the basket more often and use his size and his quick first step to his advantage.
Speaking of which, where is Myles Cale? After averaging 14.3 points during an eight-game stretch, Cale scored eight in the loss at St. John’s and a mere two points in 24:20 against the Hoyas. Cale’s defense has been shaky of late, but it had not affected his offense until now. He needs to regain his offensive form because he and Mamukelashvili are the two likeliest candidates to be secondary scorers behind Powell.
Quincy McKnight needs to regain his confidence. Perhaps McKnight was trying to pump himself up when he smacked the court with both hands while guarding Georgetown’s James Akinjo late in the second half Saturday night. But the gesture appeared hollow soon afterward, when Akinjo twice stole the ball from him, resulting in four huge points for the Hoyas in an eventual double-overtime contest. McKnight has 14 turnovers in the last three games and coming off the bench didn’t seem to work for him Saturday. Coach Kevin Willard should reinstate him to the starting lineup Wednesday because freshman Anthony Nelson simply isn’t ready and Shavar Reynolds is limited offensively. Oh, and they need somebody to guard likely Big East player of the year Markus Howard.
What is Marquette’s mindset? The Golden Eagles’ surprising loss to visiting Creighton on Sunday left them a half-game behind Villanova entering the final week. (And yes, the Wildcats have a bye before visiting Seton Hall on Saturday for the regular-season finale, a noon tip-off.) Granted, Marquette only is playing for a better NCAA seed at this point, but still, a Big East regular-season title would be meaningful considering Marquette has never won it outright, sharing it with Georgetown and Louisville in 2012-13. No, the Golden Eagles don’t have the weight of the world on the shoulders the way desperate Seton Hall does, but they are facing pressure. They conclude the season at home against Georgetown on Saturday.
Powell can’t stop now. Powell’s performance Saturday was nearly incredible. It seemed every time the Hoyas were about to take control, he would hit a shot or make a play to stop their momentum. His 14-for-27 shooting included a 10-for-15 performance from inside the arc, making it all the more inexplicable that he wasn’t on the court when Georgetown turned the ball over while ahead by one late in the first overtime. As much as Willard likes to sneak some rest for Powell in and around the media timeouts as he has done previously with other players (Isaiah Whitehead and Jordan Theodore come to mind), the fact is Powell may have to play all 40 minutes, and maybe more, against Marquette.
COMMENTS?
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
So maybe all is not lost for Seton Hall. But the Pirates still need at least one win in the final week of the regular season, and then probably at least one at MSG.
The crushing double-overtime loss at Georgetown on Saturday certainly made Seton Hall’s path to the NCAA tournament more difficult, but consider that CBSSports.com bracketologist Jerry Palm had Seton Hall in a play-in game in his Monday update, the same as he had the Pirates before the game against the Hoyas. With a lot of other teams around the country struggling down the stretch, and with two monster wins (Kentucky, Maryland) in their pocket, The Hall still can avoid playing an NIT game at Walsh Gym in a couple of weeks.
Here’s a look at what needs to happen Wednesday night versus visiting Marquette:
Myles Powell needs help. Yeah, it sounds obvious, but it happened only sporadically at Georgetown. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime and was the only other Pirate in double figures against the Hoyas. Still, he was a problematic 0-for-5 from long distance, part of a woeful 5-for-29 shooting display from beyond the arc. Mamukelashvili probably won’t be able to regain his three-point stroke so late in the season, so he needs to go to the basket more often and use his size and his quick first step to his advantage.
Speaking of which, where is Myles Cale? After averaging 14.3 points during an eight-game stretch, Cale scored eight in the loss at St. John’s and a mere two points in 24:20 against the Hoyas. Cale’s defense has been shaky of late, but it had not affected his offense until now. He needs to regain his offensive form because he and Mamukelashvili are the two likeliest candidates to be secondary scorers behind Powell.
Quincy McKnight needs to regain his confidence. Perhaps McKnight was trying to pump himself up when he smacked the court with both hands while guarding Georgetown’s James Akinjo late in the second half Saturday night. But the gesture appeared hollow soon afterward, when Akinjo twice stole the ball from him, resulting in four huge points for the Hoyas in an eventual double-overtime contest. McKnight has 14 turnovers in the last three games and coming off the bench didn’t seem to work for him Saturday. Coach Kevin Willard should reinstate him to the starting lineup Wednesday because freshman Anthony Nelson simply isn’t ready and Shavar Reynolds is limited offensively. Oh, and they need somebody to guard likely Big East player of the year Markus Howard.
What is Marquette’s mindset? The Golden Eagles’ surprising loss to visiting Creighton on Sunday left them a half-game behind Villanova entering the final week. (And yes, the Wildcats have a bye before visiting Seton Hall on Saturday for the regular-season finale, a noon tip-off.) Granted, Marquette only is playing for a better NCAA seed at this point, but still, a Big East regular-season title would be meaningful considering Marquette has never won it outright, sharing it with Georgetown and Louisville in 2012-13. No, the Golden Eagles don’t have the weight of the world on the shoulders the way desperate Seton Hall does, but they are facing pressure. They conclude the season at home against Georgetown on Saturday.
Powell can’t stop now. Powell’s performance Saturday was nearly incredible. It seemed every time the Hoyas were about to take control, he would hit a shot or make a play to stop their momentum. His 14-for-27 shooting included a 10-for-15 performance from inside the arc, making it all the more inexplicable that he wasn’t on the court when Georgetown turned the ball over while ahead by one late in the first overtime. As much as Willard likes to sneak some rest for Powell in and around the media timeouts as he has done previously with other players (Isaiah Whitehead and Jordan Theodore come to mind), the fact is Powell may have to play all 40 minutes, and maybe more, against Marquette.
COMMENTS?
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
