The Nova Hex

[Piratz]

Can we finally break it? 0-8 since 2020, and we all know they have beaten us in so many HUGE games over the years, usually in heartbreaking fashion.

Can we finally beat them? Their team is all about the 3PT shot. That’s why they were bad early and good now in the BE. Plus they’re a good defensive team. Those areas usually don’t bode well for Seton Hall. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Fishjam]

Nova is peaking right now and playing great basketball. They play excellent team defense, move the ball well and are getting big contributions from a now healthy Justin Moore and a strong bench.

Nova lives and dies by the 3-ball on both sides of the ball making them a difficult match-up for our style. They take a lot of 3s and allow a lot of 3s. They are a tough D to penetrate on. I would change up the constant hedging as it puts us in scramble mode which leads to open players.

Our team looks drained - mentally and physically. Getting nothing from the bench all season is not a recipe for success this time of the year. Not only does our bench not produce they can't even provide minutes to rest starters. We are 354th in the Country in Bench Minutes.

Sha has been able to rally the team and get them to show up strong for most big home games in the Big East. That combined with the home crowd hopefully can provide a spark. We need an "A" performance from Kadary and Al. JB and Wusu have to do their jobs.

This game is for our season. Hopefully the players want to play in the NCAAs as bad as Sha does. Won't be easy but it's time to end this streak against Villanova and make all the hard work this year pay off.

 

[Bud Boomer]

Holloway seems to be really good at getting his teams to respond when their backs are against the wall. This game feels like the whole season.

 

[Piratz]

Nova is peaking right now and playing great basketball. They play excellent team defense, move the ball well and are getting big contributions from a now healthy Justin Moore and a strong bench.

Nova lives and dies by the 3-ball on both sides of the ball making them a difficult match-up for our style. They take a lot of 3s and allow a lot of 3s. They are a tough D to penetrate on. I would change up the constant hedging as it puts us in scramble mode which leads to open players.

Our team looks drained - mentally and physically. Getting nothing from the bench all season is not a recipe for success this time of the year. Not only does our bench not produce they can't even provide minutes to rest starters. We are 354th in the Country in Bench Minutes.

Sha has been able to rally the team and get them to show up strong for most big home games in the Big East. That combined with the home crowd hopefully can provide a spark. We need an "A" performance from Kadary and Al. JB and Wusu have to do their jobs.

This game is for our season. Hopefully the players want to play in the NCAAs as bad as Sha does. Won't be easy but it's time to end this streak against Villanova and make all the hard work this year pay off.

This all seems to hit us on the road too. We can’t even play with a good team on the road. There are 5 BE teams with winning conference records and our closest loss to the other 4 on the road was 18. Yet we beat 2/3 at home and the 3rd was a 3OT loss.

Even in December…. Beat Connecticut at home by 15, get hammered by Xavier by 20 out there in the next game.

What in the world.

 

[newshu1]

Wusu is going to be a PROBLEM for this game. He has to give us something. Bediako also very tough matchup for Dixon who can step out and shoot 3s. EHE big game maybe?

 

[Hall Is Life]

This game could also be Nova’s season as they are neck and neck with us for a bid. They finish up their season at home against Creighton so they’re looking at this game as a must win. I’m hoping the crowd isn’t too split. When else do we see a 6:30 Wednesday tip as a near sellout? My best guess is it isn’t all Hall fans buying up the tickets. This game should be a rock fight. Sha has to get them mentally prepared to bring it. I think we get it done. No excuses.

 

[Gohall129]

Wusu is going to be a PROBLEM for this game. He has to give us something. Bediako also very tough matchup for Dixon who can step out and shoot 3s. EHE big game maybe?

Better off with Tubek on Dixon than EHE- not that this is an answer we’re looking for

 

[Bud Boomer]

We need to attack the basket in this game. Nova has no rim protection. We shot 30 threes at Nova, which is probably exactly what Nova wanted to happen.

 

[Hall Is Life]

Better off with Tubek on Dixon than EHE

Dixon also has a great post game. He’d eat Tubek alive, forcing a double, leading to a wide open shooter. Hell, he ate Bediako alive in the post last game.

EHE has proven that he can’t guard anybody. Sha has to get rid of the hedge when he’s on the floor. Dixon was a problem in Philly and will be a problem in Newark if we don’t adjust to his style.

 

[Hall Is Life]

We need to attack the basket in this game. Nova has no rim protection. We shot 30 threes at Nova, which is probably exactly what Nova wanted to happen.

Ironically we choose to attack the basket against elite rim protectors (Clingan and Kalk) in hopes of getting them in foul trouble (didn’t work) and settle for threes against Villanova (didn’t work).

Reminds me of how Ewing used to insist on attacking Gill and Ike when we couldn’t stop a nosebleed from the perimeter. Why Sha falls into the same old school trap is beyond me.

 

[Gohall129]

Dixon also has a great post game. He’d eat Tubek alive, forcing a double, leading to a wide open shooter. Hell, he ate Bediako alive in the post last game.

EHE has proven that he can’t guard anybody. Sha has to get rid of the hedge when he’s on the floor. Dixon was a problem in Philly and will be a problem in Newark if we don’t adjust to his style.

The EHE can’t guard anybody was the point I was going for

 

[catholicman]

We need to attack the basket in this game. Nova has no rim protection. We shot 30 threes at Nova, which is probably exactly what Nova wanted to happen.

It was hard to penetrate to the rim because they packed the lane. Dribble penetration into traffic leads to turnovers.

 

[Piratz]

It was hard to penetrate to the rim because they packed the lane. Dribble penetration into traffic leads to turnovers.

We don’t drive and dish enough. We don’t reverse the ball. We just give up and launch 3’s.

 

[newshu1]

Not sure what the answer is against Dixon but when we played them last month we were in constant scramble mode, leaving wide open 3s.

 

[Piratz]

We need to attack the basket in this game. Nova has no rim protection. We shot 30 threes at Nova, which is probably exactly what Nova wanted to happen.

Terrible. We checked out, just chucked 3’s.

You have to move the defense, set the right screens, create gaps. Be patient and physical.

 

[Piratz]

Wusu is going to be a PROBLEM for this game. He has to give us something. Bediako also very tough matchup for Dixon who can step out and shoot 3s. EHE big game maybe?

Idk what more there is to say about Addae-Wusu. The % speak for themselves. It’s awful. You can deal with his typical few boneheaded overhyper plays game to game if he his FG%’s were their career norm.

He has a BE o-rating of 85. It makes Odukale look like an offensive juggernaut. It’s Takal Molson territory. And he plays way more minutes.

 

[Hall Is Life]

Idk what more there is to say about Addae-Wusu. The % speak for themselves. It’s awful. You can deal with his typical few boneheaded overhyper plays game to game if he his FG%’s were their career norm.

He has a BE o-rating of 85. It makes Odukale look like an offensive juggernaut. It’s Takal Molson territory. And he plays way more minutes.

And he isn’t even doing the other things well that made you ok with him starting and playing major minutes. At least he saw one go down yesterday. Hopefully he turns it around on Wednesday.

There is only one player who could possibly play over him and I’m not sure that Coleman is an option right now. Sha’s hands are pretty much tied.

 

[MBF72]

Better off with Tubek on Dixon than EHE- not that this is an answer we’re looking for

Dixon's skill and experience can take both these guys to the cleaners.

 

[Piratz]

And he isn’t even doing the other things well that made you ok with him starting and playing major minutes. At least he saw one go down yesterday. Hopefully he turns it around on Wednesday.

There is only one player who could possibly play over him and I’m not sure that Coleman is an option right now. Sha’s hands are pretty much tied.

Yeah, this is the team. You’re not going to do anything radical on March 4th when you’re 18-11, 11-7 nor should you. But no-showing two games on the road against the league’s elite and teams you played so well at home is alarming. Something’s up.

Judging from Sha’s postgame with Cohen/Popkin, I think he just needs to find a way to reset. Switch something up today. Then the prep must be to work on things that we did not do in Philly against Nova. Simple. It’s basketball, not astrophysics. Use pass fakes, reverse the ball, screen on the help defenders, be patient to create lanes against a defense that will pack in. Villanova is not great defensively on the interior. We must get in there. We need the same calmness on defense so we’re not chasing and jumping after their shooters off screens.

Wednesday night is an NCAA Tournament game. Literally every possession needs to be locked in on both ends. We all see how those Tournament games go, that’s the effort needed and what we haven’t seen this week. Sha needs to get them to that headspace. If the talent isn’t good enough, so be it.

 

[Pirates13]

Two things we should try against Nova:

1. Have Wusu bring the ball up and use Kadary to post up their guards. Hopefully that opens things up for Dawes and forces Wusu to think pass rather than shoot.

2. Do not double the post and let Bediako try to hold his own vs. Dixon. I’d rather consistently give us two points, than consistently give up three.

 

[Piratz]

Two things we should try against Nova:

1. Have Wusu bring the ball up and use Kadary to post up their guards. Hopefully that opens things up for Dawes and forces Wusu to think pass rather than shoot.

2. Do not double the post and let Bediako try to hold his own vs. Dixon. I’d rather consistently give us two points, than consistently give up three.

I was wondering if #2 was the game plan yesterday. But then we let them hit 66% from 2. 🤯🤯🤯

 

[shu09]

I was wondering if #2 was the game plan yesterday. But then we let them hit 66% from 2. 🤯🤯🤯

It was maddening watching them try to double Clingan, opening up all kinds of lanes for other UConn players to cut to the basket (or kick out to Newton for 3).

 

[Robot_Man]

Ironically we choose to attack the basket against elite rim protectors (Clingan and Kalk) in hopes of getting them in foul trouble (didn’t work) and settle for threes against Villanova (didn’t work).

I'm not sure if we really attacked Kalkbrenner and Clingan so much as we tried to drive on them. I saw Marquette's undermanned offense take it to Kalkbrenner on Saturday much harder than we ever have in four years. It drives me nuts.

Same thing with Clingan. Our players go up soft against these big guys. Kadary tried to maneuver and do a left-handed layup on Clingan in the first half and had it spiked into the crowd. We should definitely be attacking Clingan, who is prone to foul trouble.

Yes, a team like Marquette (even without Kolek) is going to have more room for drives because they have better shooters. Figure out a way to drive stronger to the basket, I'm sick of these guys going up soft against these shot-blockers, it plays right into their hands. And we're a team that thrives on drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line.

 

[MBF72]

I agree that Clingan is foul prone, but if we had driven on him more yesterday, in his 23 minutes on the court, he might have had ten blocks.

 

[donnie_baseball]

This is a hard-to-figure team. I'm pretty pessimistic about playing a surging Nova at this point, but we've played the big boys well at home this year, and terribly on the road, and the last two games were in the dens of a 1 and a 2 or 3 seed. Nova is not in that rarified air.

Wusu isn't himself, I don't know what else to say. Maybe give Coleman the start and see if one of them gets going.

 

[SHUSource]

This is a hard-to-figure team. I'm pretty pessimistic about playing a surging Nova at this point, but we've played the big boys well at home this year, and terribly on the road, and the last two games were in the dens of a 1 and a 2 or 3 seed. Nova is not in that rarified air.

Wusu isn't himself, I don't know what else to say. Maybe give Coleman the start and see if one of them gets going.

Hard to say if we'll win Wednesday -- I'm leaning toward "yes" -- but I think we'll come to play, regardless, and it'll be close.

As far as Addae-Wusu goes, I'm disappointed. And I say that as someone who was excited to bring him into the fold, and even did a little patting myself on my shoulder halfway through the season when he was playing like the glue guy I had imagined him to be, the one who impressed me as such at St. John's. His story isn't over yet, and maybe he's the kind of player who goes on wild swings. If so, he's due to swing back toward being that guy. The timing would be fortuitous.

 

[Hall91]

Can we finally break it? 0-8 since 2020, and we all know they have beaten us in so many HUGE games over the years, usually in heartbreaking fashion.

Can we finally beat them? Their team is all about the 3PT shot. That’s why they were bad early and good now in the BE. Plus they’re a good defensive team. Those areas usually don’t bode well for Seton Hall. 🤷‍♂️

For us to win Wednesday night is going to take a tremendous effort. We’ve played well at home against the top Teams in the League. No reason we can’t do it tonight unless someone else comes down with the sniffles or whatever else.

Make no mistake is a win to punch a ticket or lose to be likely NIT bound.

 

[Piratz]

For us to win Wednesday night is going to take a tremendous effort. We’ve played well at home against the top Teams in the League. No reason we can’t do it tonight unless someone else comes down with the sniffles or whatever else.

Make no mistake is a win to punch a ticket or lose to be likely NIT bound.

Idk, I think that’s definitely the case for Seton Hall. But Villanova has good metrics, marquee wins, and another shot on Saturday vs. Creighton.

 

[halltheway]

Coleman is playing like he is a freshman. He lets the game come to him.

We need him to look for his shot and not look to pass. We need him to score. He has the talent.

 

[mbraue]

Better off with Tubek on Dixon than EHE- not that this is an answer we’re looking for

I agree. Let Tubek bang with him for awhile. I'm sure the coaches have thought of that too. EHE seems to be on another planet lately.

 

[Burnsly]

Tubek wouldn't stand a chance. Coming into the season I thought he was a 4. He's more like a 2-3.

 

[SHUSA]

absolutely cannot play wusu for this game. theyre not going to play him. theyll just press richmond and dawes for 40 mins until the game is over.

the hope, as always, is that they simply don't hit their shots. if they hit their shots it's also over because their halfcourt defense kills us.

if he does play wusu i think my strategy woupd be to draw as many fouls as possible and turn it into a free throw fest. like our only tournament win vs nc stats. we can maybe win a ft contest

 

[Halldan1]

I agree that this game will come down to Nova hitting from the arc. If they do I can't see the Pirates winning. If they are cold from distance then that bodes well.

 

[SHUSource]

I agree that this game will come down to Nova hitting from the arc. If they do I can't see the Pirates winning. If they are cold from distance then that bodes well.

Those shooting woes are what plagued them this year when they struggled, even against the lesser opponents (Hello, Big 5!). They seem to be shooting more consistently, and at a time when Justin Moore — while not the player he once was — seems to have regained his confidence and is playing very well. This is going to be a tough one for us.

 

[Piratz]