Seton Hall (12-2, 2-0 BIG EAST) at No. 11 Villanova (12-2, 2-0 BIG EAST)
Jan. 6 · The Pavilion (Villanova, Pa.) · 7 p.m.
TV: FS1 with Tim Brando & Tarik Turner
Radio: AM970 The Answer with Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin
What to Know About The Hall:
Jan. 6 · The Pavilion (Villanova, Pa.) · 7 p.m.
TV: FS1 with Tim Brando & Tarik Turner
Radio: AM970 The Answer with Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin
What to Know About The Hall:
- The Hall held off DePaul for a 78-74 victory last time out to extend its winning streak to seven; improving to 12-2 overall with a 2-0 mark in BIG EAST play. After starting last season’s conference slate with a pair of victories, including a 66-61 overtime win over Villanova, SHU has now started 2-0 in league play during consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1998-99 and 1999-00 campaigns. The ’98-’99 season also represents the last time the Pirates opened 3-0 against BIG EAST foes - something the program has done only twice as a founding member of the conference (started 4-0 in 1992-93 en route to second BIG EAST Tournament title).
- Isaiah Whitehead paced the victory, scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half and finishing with nine assists. In all, Whitehead scored or assisted on 10 of the team’s 14 field goals in the second half and has now recorded team-highs in both points and assists five times this season. A recent surge that has seen the standout sophomore average 17.0 ppg and 8.0 apg in the first two conference games earned him a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll Monday marking the second time this season he has been recognized by the league.
- One of three freshmen to finish with averages of 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.5 apg last season along with Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell and Xavier Rathan-Mayes of Florida State, Whitehead is back at it again in his sophomore campaign. The former McDonald’s All-American has risen his assist average by 1.1 apg by handing out 26 dimes in the last three contests and is now one of 17 high-major players currently averaging 15+ ppg and 4.5+ apg. Among the elite group are only four underclassmen including Whitehead, LSU’s Ben Simmons (freshman), Melo Trimble of Maryland (sophomore) and sophomore Bryant McIntosh of Northwestern.
- Now sitting at 12-2 overall, The Hall is 35th in the latest RPI rankings. The Pirates also received votes (4) in the AP Top-25 poll for the first time this season on Monday and looks to return to the rankings where they held a spot for three consecutive weeks (1/9-1/30) last January after getting past No. 15 St. John’s and No. 6 Villanova to start conference play. Seton Hall is also among the top-45 strongest teams in the nation according to KenPom.com (42) and the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI, 41) and will get a chance to move up with its first crack at a ranked team this season. In five previous years under Kevin Willard, Seton Hall has totaled seven wins over AP Top-25 opponents and twice bested a Villanova squad ranked inside the top-six.
- ‘Nova checked in at No. 11 in the latest AP poll after impressive victories over then-No. 6 Xavier and Creighton. SHU is 3-9 all-time against the 11th-ranked team in the AP poll and will be meeting No. 11 for the third-straight season. The Hall dropped a 73-72 decision at No. 11 Creighton on February 23, 2014 before being edged at No. 11 Wichita State, 77-68, during non-conference play last season (12/9). Overall, the Pirates have lost three-straight meetings with the 11th-ranked team in the nation, last winning on at home on February 14, 2006 against former BIG EAST member West Virginia (71-64).
- Seton Hall sophomore Angel Delgado is in the midst of a stretch in which he has posted seven-straight double-doubles to coincide with the team’s current winning streak. The big man now ranks 30th among active Division I players with 18 career double-doubles, nine of which have come against BIG EAST opposition.
- The Seton Hall defense also continues to be a huge factor in the team’s current winning ways as despite DePaul’s 74 total points, The Hall forced the Blue Demons into 19 turnovers and turned them into 18 points, finishing with an 18-to-4 advantage in points off turnovers. During the winning streak, SHU is out-scoring its opponents by an average of 15.6 points per game (77.3-61.7) and forcing 16 giveaways per contest. For the season, The Hall ranks first in the league with 15.8 takeaways per game and second behind only Villanova (60.3) with 63.9 points allowed/contest.
- The squad’s offensive effectiveness has been keyed by the opportunistic play of an athletic and versatile young core as Khadeen Carrington (1.7 spg, t-2nd), Desi Rodriguez (1.6 spg, 4th) and Ismael Sanogo (1.5 spg, 8th) all rank among the top-10 individually in the BIG EAST in steals. Seton Hall is the only team in the conference with as many as two players among the top-10 performers in the conference in takeaways.
- Stout defense has been instrumental in the Pirates’ success this season as The Hall has posted a perfect 10-0 record when allowing 69 points or less and now boasts a 23-5 mark over the last two seasons when keeping its opponent under 70 points. SHU has also held Villanova under 70 points in its last eight wins in the series and last beat the Wildcats when allowing them to score 70+ during the 1995-96 season, a 78-73 victory on January 17.
- To this point in the season, Seton Hall has also excelled at pounding the offensive glass, ranking second in the league with 13.6 offensive boards/game and grabbing at least 10 in all but one game (9, vs. Wagner - 11/15). Villanova stands ninth in the conference with 9.7 off. reb. per game and has totaled just five in its first two conference games after being blanked on the offensive glass last time out at Creighton.
- .@SetonHallMBB’s Whitehead is 1 of 4 underclassmen posting 15+ ppg/4.5+ apg in a high major conf. (Simmons, LSU/Trimble, MARY/McIntosh, NW)
- .@SetonHallMBB will meet @NovaMBB for the 108th time on Wednesday - the program’s highest total of games against a single opponent all-time
- HC @KevinWillard has led @SetonHallMBB to 3 W’s vs. ‘NOVA in the last 3 yrs + SHU is the only @BIGEAST team to top VU in each of the last 2
