PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
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By JP Pelzman
It was three days after Thanksgiving, but much like someone trying out a new way to cook the traditional turkey, or a new variation on a side dish, Kevin Willard was still tinkering with his recipe.
The difference, of course, is this “chef” uses the Prudential Center as his home kitchen, and early-season games against overmatched non-conference opponents such as Bethune-Cookman as the taste tests.
But at halftime Sunday, this meal wasn’t going down too easily. Bethune-Cookman was, well, far from cooked.
No. 21 Seton Hall (5-1) trailed by only a point after 20 minutes, unlike dominant first halves in earlier home blowouts of FDU and Yale. But the Pirates quickly restored order in the second half and pulled away for an 84-70 victory over the Wildcats (1-6).
“We didn’t come out with the level of energy and intensity we wanted to, obviously,” said grad transfer Jamir Harris, who had 11 points and was 3-for-7 from three-point range. “Give them credit, they came out ready to play.”
But both Harris and Willard said there was no paint-peeling session at halftime. The corrections were made and the Pirates came out with more energy and intensity, some of it initiated by Harris himself.
“When I feel like we’re lacking intensity,” he said, “I try to pick it up on the defensive end by pressuring the ball. I felt like we needed it.”
A Damani McEntire basket 49 seconds after halftime briefly gave the Wildcats a 36-35 lead and Bethune-Cookman hung around for awhile, still trailing only 48-45 at one point.
But Alexis Yetna scored eight of his 14 points in a 12-4 run that included a nifty finger roll by Jared Rhoden (18 points) and the Pirates finally were cruising.
Sophomore guard Jahari Long started his second straight game alongside Bryce Aiken, also making his second start of the season, as Willard continued altering his ingredients.
“I'm still trying to figure out my rotation,” Willard explained. “I really am, who I can play together, who complements (each other) well. What I can run with each group out there, who to get the ball when. (It's) still literally a work in progress because we’re playing nine to 10 guys.
“More than anything,” he added, “I'm trying to figure out plays with lineups, certain defenses with lineups. So, we’re a long way from being a smooth cohesive group, that’s for sure.”
Long had three points and three assists. Richmond had six points and six assists off the bench. It marked the first game he didn’t start since transferring from Syracuse.
“I'm still getting used to the new guys,” Willard said, referring to Harris, Yetna and Richmond, “and what they’re doing and what they can do, and one of the things I've got to do with Lex (Yetna) is get him inside more and get him in that space and give him opportunities to be aggressive get some of his junkyard dog points that he’s always gotten. So, I think some of his stats and rebounding issues have been more the way I've used him than his confidence but it was good to see him be out there and be aggressive.”
As for Richmond, Willard said, “I'm trying to get Kadary to be a little bit more comfortable as the game goes. I think the last few games he’s started to get a little bit more comfortable and a little bit more rhythm on the offensive end.”
Yetna said, “I feel more comfortable every day. The coaches have put me in great position always pushing me to be more aggressive.”
Harris said of Yetna, “The sky’s the limit for Lex. He's one of the hardest-working guys on this team. He only cares about winning. He's not worried about his stats.”
