Seton Hall begins four-game homestand vs. Troy Thursday

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Troy (4-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Seton Hall (6-2, 0-0 BIG EAST)

Dec. 10 · Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) · 8 p.m.

TV: FS1 with Justin Kutcher & Tarik Turner

Radio: AM970 The Answer with Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin

What to Know About The Hall:

• Seton Hall rolled to its second-straight Garden State Hardwood Classic title on Saturday, racing past in-state rival Rutgers in an 84-55 road victory. Angel Delgado was named the Joe Calabrese MVP of the game after recording the 12th double-double of his career with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Seton Hall trailed 20-11, early in the first half but held RU to 12-of-50 (.240) shooting over the final 33 minutes to record the most decisive victory in the history of the series which dates back to 1916. It was also SHU’s largest win away from home since an 89-58 win at LIU-Brooklyn on December 22, 2012 and The Hall now has at least one road victory by a 20+-point margin in five of its six seasons under Kevin Willard; totaling six such victories on the road during his tenure.
• Freshman Michael Nzei also had a tremendous impact in what was his first career start, collecting his first career double-double as well behind a 13-point, 12-rebound effort. Nzei knocked down 10-of-12 FG attempts in two road games last week and has totaled 5+ rebounds in four games despite coming off the bench in the first seven. The efforts of Delgado and Nzei marked the fifth time in the last three seasons that two Pirates have recorded a double-double in the same game and the third that Delgado has been a part of a duo that has accomplished the feat.
• Sophomore guard Khadeen Carrington made his own case to take home MVP honors, leading the team in scoring for the second-straight game and finishing 2 points shy of his third-straight 20-point performance after posting 18 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Carrington has now scored in double-digits in 20 of his 39 career appearances and the Pirates have amassed a 14-6 record in those games.
• Standout Isaiah Whitehead continued to shine as the team’s primary point guard, delivering 13 points and a team-high four assists after earning Joe Calabrese MVP honors in the inaugural Garden State Hardwood Classic as a freshman. Whitehead has now recorded at least 10 points and four dimes in the same game in four of eight games this season after totaling seven such efforts in 19 appearances as a freshman.
• As one of the top backcourt tandems in the BIG EAST, Whitehead (15.4 ppg) and Carrington (15.0 ppg) join Providence’s Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson and Luke Fischer as one of three pairs of teammates in the conference averaging over 15.0 ppg. To date, Whitehead and Carrington have particularly shouldered the load down the stretch of games this season; accounting for 119 of the team’s 258 points in the final frame (.441) including 41 of the team’s 72 points inside the final five minutes of regulation (.569).
• A potent interior presence and dynamic backcourt play helped SHU put away Rutgers for its third-straight win in the series but the decisive difference once again came from down low where the Pirates out-scored Rutgers, 44-to-20, in the paint. The Hall has finished with a double-digit advantage in points in the paint in six of eight games this season including each of the last four contests. Seton Hall is averaging 37.0 points in the paint per game this season as 63.9 percent of the team’s points from the field have come from in close (296/463).
• Defensively, The Hall held Rutgers to just 55 points as the Scarlet Knights closed by shooting 7-of-31 (.226) in the second half. The Pirates improved to 6-0 this season when surrendering under 70 points and are now 19-5 (.792) when allowing 69 points or less over the last two years. Entering the contest with Troy, a team that has scored 70+ in five of eight games in 2015- 16, Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST with 64.6 points allowed per game.
• Following two consecutive road games last week and a stretch in which five of six games were played away from home (4-2), the Pirates return to the Prudential Center Thursday to open a four-game homestand to close non-conference play. Seton Hall is 3-0 at home this season and unbeaten in its last 11 non-conference home games dating back to the 2013-14 campaign. Overall in six years under Kevin Willard, SHU has posted a 31-4 (.886) record at home against non-conference foes.

Tweetables:

• .@SetonHallMBB’s Whitehead (15.4 ppg) and Carrington (15.0 ppg) are one of three @BIGEAST duos averaging 30+ points per game #HALLin
• Rock Solid: @SetonHallMBB is unbeaten in last 11 non-conf. home games and 31-4 (.886) at home against non-@BIGEAST foes under @KevinWillard
• .@SetonHallMBB’s Angel Delgado, last year’s @BIGEAST rebounding champ, has 10+ boards in 4-straight games; the longest streak of his career

 

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Here's the story on the SHU site.....

Pirates Open Homestand vs. Troy Thursday (FS1, 8 PM)

Hall returns home for first of four-straight at The Rock after rolling to Garden State Hardwood Classic title

Dec. 8, 2015

Game 9 - Home Game 4
Seton Hall (6-2) vs. Troy (4-4)
Date Thursday, Dec. 10 | 8:00 p.m. ET
Location Prudential Center | Newark, N.J.
Tune in FS1 | FOX Sports GO
Links Live Stats | Seton Hall Radio (PSN) | @SetonHallMBB on Twitter
Notes Media Central | Seton Hall Notes

The Tip:Fresh off another decisive victory in the Garden State Hardwood Classic, the Seton Hall men's basketball team returns home to the Prudential Center on Thursday night where the Pirates will square off with the Troy Trojans for the first time in program history in the opening installment of a four-game homestand to close non-conference play.

The Hall (6-2) will settle in for four-straight at The Rock after playing five of its last six games away from home with a 69-62 victory over Georgia on November 28 serving as the team's lone appearance as the hosts over the last three weeks.

Saturday's 84-55 rout at Rutgers represented the most lopsided victory in the history of a rivalry dates back to 1916 as the Pirates kept the trophy in South Orange and increased their all-time advantage over the Scarlet Knights to 38-29 behind an MVP performance from sophomore Angel Delgado (Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic).

Delgado recorded with his second double-double of the season and the 12th of his career after finishing with season-highs for both points (14) and rebounds (13). Freshman Michael Nzei (Makurdi, Nigeria) also logged a double-double in his first career start, posting 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and adding 12 boards.

The dynamic backcourt tandem of Brooklyn natives Khadeen Carrington and Isaiah Whitehead continued to shine as well as the two combined for 31 points. Carrington led all Pirates with 18 points, coming up just two points shy of his third-straight 20-point effort while Whitehead tallied 13 to go with a team-high four assists.

The victory followed a narrow setback at George Washington (72-64, Dec. 2) and the Pirates continued a streak in which they have not lost consecutive non-conference games in any of the last five seasons dating back to the 2011-12 campaign (58 games). Now, SHU returns home where the squad is 3-0 this year and 31-4 (.886) against non-conference foes with head coach Kevin Willard at the helm.

Tune In:The Hall is back on FS1, the home of BIG EAST basketball, on Thursday as Justin Kutcher (play-by-play) and Tarik Turner (analyst) will be on hand to call the action with tip-off slated for 8:00 p.m.. The Seton Hall radio team of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the call for AM970 The Answer (WNYM) and can also be heard online at PirateSportsNet.tv

 

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Team Walker Toy DriveFans planning on attending can join the Seton Hall men's basketball program and Seton Hall Athletics in supporting the Team Walker Toy Drive by bringing an unwrapped toy with them to the game. All donations can be dropped off at a dedicated hub located next to the "Kids Zone" on the main concourse. Founded by Seton Hall men's basketball great Jerry Walker, Team Walker has been serving inner-city youth for nearly two decades by offering academic and athletic programs that serve as constructive outlets while promoting growth in all areas. To learn more about Team Walker and its mission, click HERE

Pirate Points- Seton Hall rolled to its second-straight Garden State Hardwood Classic title on Saturday, racing past in-state rival Rutgers in an 84-55 road victory. Angel Delgado was named the Joe Calabrese MVP of the game after recording the 12th double-double of his career with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Seton Hall trailed 20-11, early in the first half but held RU to 12-of-50 (.240) shooting over the final 33 minutes to record the most decisive victory in the history of the series which dates back to 1916. It was also SHU’s largest win away from home since an 89-58 win at LIU-Brooklyn on December 22, 2012 and The Hall now has at least one road victory by a 20+-point margin in five of its six seasons under Kevin Willard; totaling six such victories on the road during his tenure

- Delgado, who leads the squad with 24 consecutive starts, has been on a rebounding tear of late with 11.2 rebounds/game over the last four outings for The Hall. Last season’s BIG EAST rebounding champion and Rookie of the Year, the 6-foot-9 sophomore has pulled down at least seven boards in all but one of those 24 games with a five-rebound effort against Long Beach State at the Gildan Charleston Classic serving as the lone exception

- Freshman Michael Nzei also had a tremendous impact in what was his first career start, collecting his first career double-double as well behind a 13-point, 12-rebound effort. Nzei knocked down 10-of-12 FG attempts in two road games last week and has totaled 5+ rebounds in four games despite coming off the bench in the first seven. The efforts of Delgado and Nzei marked the fifth time in the last three seasons that two Pirates have recorded a double-double in the same game and the third that Delgado has been a part of a duo that has accomplished the feat

- Sophomore guard Khadeen Carrington made his own case to take home MVP honors, leading the team in scoring for the second-straight game and finishing 2 points shy of his third-straight 20-point performance after posting 18 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Carrington has now scored in double-digits in 20 of his 39 career appearances and the Pirates have amassed a 14-6 record in those games

- Standout Isaiah Whitehead continued to shine as the team’s primary point guard, delivering 13 points and a team-high four assists after earning Joe Calabrese MVP honors in the inaugural Garden State Hardwood Classic as a freshman. Whitehead has now recorded at least 10 points and four dimes in the same game in four of eight games this season after totaling seven such efforts in 19 appearances as a freshman

- As one of the top backcourt tandems in the BIG EAST, Whitehead (15.4 ppg) and Carrington (15.0 ppg) join Providence’s Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson and Luke Fischer as one of three pairs of teammates in the conference averaging over 15.0 ppg. To date, Whitehead and Carrington have particularly shouldered the load down the stretch of games this season; accounting for 119 of the team’s 258 points in the final frame (.441) including 41 of the team’s 72 points inside the final five minutes of regulation (.569)

- Senior Derrick Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) has added another vital presence in the backcourt and though he is coming off his second start of the season, the Plainfield native has thrived in his usual role as the first man off the bench for The Hall. A starter in all 100 of his collegiate appearances prior to this year, Gordon has ranked fourth on the team with 9.2 ppg in six games as a reserve - accounting for 58.5 percent of the team’s bench scoring in those games (55/94). In three home appearances for the Pirates, Gordon has come off the bench each time and boasts an average of 11.0 ppg on 57.1 percent shooting (12-of-21) from the floor.

- As a freshman for Western Kentucky in 2011-12, Gordon averaged 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games against Troy. The Hilltoppers dropped both of those games despite going on to win the Sun Belt conference tournament title and appear in the NCAA Tournament. WKU has since moved to Conference USA

- A potent interior presence and dynamic backcourt play helped SHU put away Rutgers for its third-straight win in the series but the decisive difference once again came from down low where the Pirates out-scored Rutgers, 44-to-20, in the paint. The Hall has finished with a double-digit advantage in points in the paint in six of eight games this season including each of the last four contests. Seton Hall is averaging 37.0 points in the paint per game this season as 63.9 percent of the team’s points from the field have come from in close (296/463)

- Defensively, The Hall held Rutgers to just 55 points as the Scarlet Knights closed by shooting 7-of-31 (.226) in the second half. The Pirates improved to 6-0 this season when surrendering under 70 points and are now 19-5 (.792) when allowing 69 points or less over the last two years. Entering the contest with Troy, a team that has scored 70+ in five of eight games in 2015-16, Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST with 64.6 points allowed per game

- Following two consecutive road games last week and a stretch in which five of six games were played away from home (4-2), the Pirates return to the Prudential Center Thursday to open a four-game homestand to close non-conference play. Seton Hall is 3-0 at home this season and unbeaten in its last 11 non-conference home games dating back to the 2013-14 campaign. Overall in six years under Kevin Willard, SHU has posted a 31-4 (.886) record at home against non-conference foes

- Seton Hall and Troy will meet for the first time Thursday and it will be the Pirates’ second game against a current member of the Sun Belt; having defeated Louisiana-Lafayette (then-SW Louisiana), 103-84, at home on January 2, 1976

Scouting Troy- Troy has dropped four of its last six after opening the season with two consecutive wins and most recently dropped an 80-71 decision to Austin Peay in which the Trojans were out-scored, 42-to-30, in the final 17 minutes

- The Trojans (76.2 ppg) boast the highest current scoring average of Seton Hall’s four remaining non- conference opponents behind the trio of Wesley Person (17.3), Jordon Varnado (17.0) and Jeremy Hollimon (12.6) and have topped the 80-point mark in each of their previous two road outings; besting USF (82-77, 11/13) and North Texas (86-74, 11/25)

- Person, Varnado and Hollimon have accounted for 61.4 percent of the team’s scoring through eight games but have attempted over 57 percent of its shots, including 137 of the 194 (.706) treys the Trojans have put up heading into the contest with the Pirates

- Troy is looking for a third-straight road win to open the season but has not won three consecutive true away games in the same season since 2008-09

- The Trojans’ last win over a high-major team on the road came at Auburn (81-77) on December 4, 2009 during a season in which the team won the Sun Belt regular season championship. Troy is 0-10 in such games since with eight losses to SEC programs during that span. Troy’s last win over a high major opponent was a 56-53 result over Mississippi State at home in the 2012-13 season opener

- At least one member of the trio has reached the 20-point mark in seven of eight games thus far this season with Hollimon knocking down 6-of-8 3-pointers to finish with 25 points last time out against Austin Peay. Varnado posted 17 points to lead the team in the lone game without a 20-point scorer - a 69-59 victory over Southern Miss (12/1)

- Head coach Phil Cunningham is in his third season at the helm for Troy and has led the Trojans to records of 10-19 last year and 11-20 in 2013-14, a season that included a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament

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