PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
The definitive source for all PirateCrew news.
In no particular order
1. The word for the day
Humbled.
On the court and off of it. As usual the media had to wait an extraordinarily long time for the post game to begin. But when it did a barely audible Shaheen Holloway mumbled his way to a mea culpa litany of blame. I have never seen the coach, who is as fiery as anyone in sports, be so down.
2. The honeymoon is over in a few weeks
Blame must be placed and deservedly so on former coach Kevin Willard for his terrible recruiting efforts his last few years at the Hall. He left the roster barren and now the Seton Hall fans are paying the price. That said in this day and age of college basketball you can restock a team quickly. So Holloway gets a pass his first season. But his words of "I can't fail" said in his welcome home press conference, better ring true and that has to happen in season 2, because it certainly didn't happen in his rookie campaign.
3. 3 shots
How the hell, especially without your best player, do you get 3 shots (2 made) from Tyrese Samuel? I have no clue how Holloway is handling his big man. But once again as soon as he took him out of the game early in the first half it was game, set and match.
4. 39 minutes
Bush league move by Miller leaving his starting guard Souley Boum in the game for almost it's entirety.
5. Speaking of starting guards
Harris and Dawes went 2-16 from the field and 1-10 from the arc. Nuff said.
6. Apologizes
I noted yesterday that I would post info on Richmond before the game. Upon entry to the press room 2 hours prior to the game I sat down and spoke to Dave Popkin. He told me that the school ruled Richmond out but further noted to not post that info until it was officially announced. Hearing that I knew the game was over before it began.
7. Practice most certainly doesn't make perfect
Holloway noted in the post game that the team had just come off a couple of days of really good practices.
You could have fooled me!
8. Home sweet home
Not for these guys as clearly they don't handle the pressure of playing before their friends and family well.
Iowa 83-67
Marquette 74-53
Creighton 75-62
Xavier 82-60
9. Where's the players?
Jerry C asked for Sanders and Dre Davis for the post game. No one showed and that has never happened before win or lose. Holloway told the media after a 25 minute wait that he didn't feel that any player deserved to be interviewed after such a dismal effort.
10. Best player on the court.
Clearly for Seton Hall it was Elijah Muhammad who was the only plus player for the Hall at +4.
11. The good news
Earlier in the day my brand new 65" TV died. Meaning I don't have to watch the pathetic effort that took place last evening a second time.
12. Air ball
Hard to believe that Dawes' uncontested top of the key jumper could have cut Xavier's lead to 5 early in the second half. Instead the air ball led to a 16-1 Xavier spurt as clearly to the naked eye the team mentally packed it in. A kind word for quit.
13. Not just my word
Multiple media members addressed the quit word in the post game and surprisingly Holloway didn't take them to task.
14. There's no D in Jackson
The 6-9 transfer is back to his usual poor defensive effort. If he showed the aggression on D and on the boards like he does with the ball on offense we could be talking about a premier Big East talent.
15. Speaking of D.
Sha when asked about Sanders' breakout game correctly pointed out that scoring 11 point on offense and then giving them right back on defense is an issue. That said when the alternative is Jamir Harris then maybe you give more time to the freshmen.
16. Taken to task
One reporter asked Holloway if it was time to play the freshmen more. It was maybe the only time that the vintage Holloway made an appearance as clearly he was not happy with the question. Hinting that in the immortal words of Herm Edwards, 'you play to win the game'. Meaning minutes for the rest of the season have to be earned and not rewarded based on future considerations.
17. Surrounded by friends and youngsters
I went into the media room about 30 seconds before the end of the first half and snagged 8 bags of chocolate chip cookies. Still haven eaten a single one but at least those around me love me. LOL
18. It's sad...
when you don't have to pay for your ticket and you still don't feel you got your monies worth.
19. Game time decision
Well almost. It was decided earlier in the day that Richmond would not play.
20. Who was that guy on the bench
Sure looked like Jaquan Harris who has been in the witness protection program since December.
