Seton Hall 77 Butler 70
It's been nearly four years and counting and now as it's getting near the end I can think of no better send off for the players that Hall fans will remember as long as they live. The game within the game almost trumped the crucial victory for the Pirates as there were many tears both on the court and in the stands as for the very last time Ish Sanogo, Desi Rodriquez, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado soaked in the cheers of the crowd 15 minutes prior to the opening tip off.
In short, as exciting and emotional as any Senior Day sendoff I have ever seen or expect to see again.
Last night began with the students, proud and loud with bellies filled compliments of SHU coach Kevin Willard and ended there as well as the players after the hard fought victory joined their classmates in hugs and cheers befitting returning conquering heroes.
Oh yeah the game. One that started out as just about every other one did this year with landlocked Angel Delgado easily winning the tip. The young man has amazing timing.
Thought Willard had a tough first stanza, punctuated by not having his team foul late in the half with one to give allowing an open 3 that missed. The foul then occurred as Gordon pulled down his defensive assignment under the boards, but it didn't matter as by then the clock was at .4 seconds.
Second half different story, this time highlighted by a move that probably caught some by surprise but IMO was brilliant and a long time in coming.
Myles Powell, who had another tough shooting night from range, 1-6, continued to take poor quality long range jumpers which were hurting the team, and although the bench was thin Willard made the decision not so much to bring in Eron Gordon but to sit down Powell. It worked like a charm.
Gordon didn't do a lot in his time on the court but as usually is the case he played within himself.
More importantly though the time on the bench and the message sent while he sat there was delivered and when Powell checked back into the game down the stretch he played flawlessly.
Welcome back.
Deeno the two is here to stay and Deeno the one is no longer dressing. It's no secret that this reporter has railed against using Carrington at the point since last season. That said I understood through circumstances that this year Carrington had to play that position to allow Powell to get the minutes he warranted. But what I did not like and never will is the decision to play Carrington as a point instead of letting him be himself on the court and in effect have two 2Gs in the starting lineup.
I asked Deeno after the game if Desi being out changed his mindset on the court. I knew the answer but was surprised when he said 100%. I had to play like I have in prior seasons because we needed the offense.
The next question was the obvious one, will that change when Desi comes back? The short and sweet answer was no, I will play now like I played when he was out.
Deeno 2.0 is dead, long live Deeno 1.0
Spoke to Desi and he said he wanted to play but told coach he could only play maybe 10 minutes at most. Hearing that, echoed earlier by Willard, and it was clear that the right choice was made.
BTW, in the post game the discussion among the writers was why didn't Desi get in as the clock ran down. I noted that it had to be about stats and although that was the case I would have left it up to the player.
Willard eventually confirmed that when he took the podium and when I asked Desi about it he didn't seem to care either way. He was so emotional at that time and he said the crowd calling his name really got to him so in was as it should have been a non issue. Desi got the cheers he deserved and his per game stats were unaffected.
Jordan, what were you thinking? LaVall not Walker.
To me the game turned when Butler's 260 pound defensive force Tyler Wideman went to the bench and was replaced by Nate Fowler, the tall slender back up center. Without the wide body guarding him Delgado dominated during the stretch that broke open a back and forth game.
Comeback!
Not the Pirates but the holiday socks. Given one final chance the Pirate socks came through and they along with Carrington and Delgado earned game balls.
Before the game I saw Desi on the court shooting jumpers like he never missed a beat and I was heartened believing he was back. But then I noticed in the layup line he only took pull up jumpers never lifting off his feet and that turned out to be the reason he never saw the floor.
Staying on the injury front. Willard said that he wasn't sure if Ish would play next Thursday. When I posed that question to Sanogo he laughed and said there is no way I miss Thursday's game. Not even an issue.
Nzei playing back up minutes doesn't do a lot for the Hall. Nzei knowing his minutes are secure and that he's starting is a force down low. It's all in the confidence and not worrying about looking over your shoulder.
Another day another opponent bank is open shot as Butler's Kamar Baldwin took a spinning short jumper in the paint that nestled into the net off the backboard. Did he call it? Doubtful.
Better, and better and better.
Again we go back to minutes and confidence. This time with freshman star Myles Cale. Average to below average players get exposed the more minutes they play. The exceptional ones use the extended PT to show what they can do. Mark the Hall rookie in the later category.
The future looks awfully bright for the young man from Delaware.
Now that's how you shoot foul shots. Under pressure in a close game.
Butler 16-18. Seton Hall 20-23. Of course it helps to have the right guys at the charity stripe.
The Butler Way.
What does that mean? Think a less talented old school Georgetown squad that reveled in the physicality of the game. Butler prides themselves in that style of play and nothing's changed with a new coach at the reins.
Their motto continues.
Focus, focus, focus.
The pre game dancing stopped in the DePaul game. The nonsense in the warm ups did as well. Both replaced by focus and determination. You play to win and put all your concentration on that goal. The fun comes in the wins and after the fact, not before.
Angel said as much in the post game after Seton Hall broke their 4 game losing streak noting that the team had to take the rest of their games more seriously and it was his idea to come out of the tunnel in the game that probably turned the season around with the attitude this team has not shown for quite some time.
The result? 4 wins in 5 games with the lone loss to #4 Villanova by a point in OT with Desi out, Walker out and Ish injured in the game.
Funny how a few made shots in one game can change the destiny of a team. SHU loses last night and their season would have hung on the brink. Hit near 70% in the second half and you
1. don't play next Wednesday.
2. don't meet Nova in the quarterfinals
3. escape the potential dreaded 8/9 seed in the Dance
4. can now talk about a positive post season run with conviction.
Bottom line, sometimes the journey made difficult becomes far more rewarding because of the bumps in the road. And heaven knows this preseason Big East powerhouse certainly had far more than the expected obstacles they had to overcome. Many of their own doing. But now the team most Pirate fans expected to see is the one they are seeing. Health permitting the almost lost season of Pirate basketball shines again with the bright light of a special post season back in focus.
It's been nearly four years and counting and now as it's getting near the end I can think of no better send off for the players that Hall fans will remember as long as they live. The game within the game almost trumped the crucial victory for the Pirates as there were many tears both on the court and in the stands as for the very last time Ish Sanogo, Desi Rodriquez, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado soaked in the cheers of the crowd 15 minutes prior to the opening tip off.
In short, as exciting and emotional as any Senior Day sendoff I have ever seen or expect to see again.
Last night began with the students, proud and loud with bellies filled compliments of SHU coach Kevin Willard and ended there as well as the players after the hard fought victory joined their classmates in hugs and cheers befitting returning conquering heroes.
Oh yeah the game. One that started out as just about every other one did this year with landlocked Angel Delgado easily winning the tip. The young man has amazing timing.
Thought Willard had a tough first stanza, punctuated by not having his team foul late in the half with one to give allowing an open 3 that missed. The foul then occurred as Gordon pulled down his defensive assignment under the boards, but it didn't matter as by then the clock was at .4 seconds.
Second half different story, this time highlighted by a move that probably caught some by surprise but IMO was brilliant and a long time in coming.
Myles Powell, who had another tough shooting night from range, 1-6, continued to take poor quality long range jumpers which were hurting the team, and although the bench was thin Willard made the decision not so much to bring in Eron Gordon but to sit down Powell. It worked like a charm.
Gordon didn't do a lot in his time on the court but as usually is the case he played within himself.
More importantly though the time on the bench and the message sent while he sat there was delivered and when Powell checked back into the game down the stretch he played flawlessly.
Welcome back.
Deeno the two is here to stay and Deeno the one is no longer dressing. It's no secret that this reporter has railed against using Carrington at the point since last season. That said I understood through circumstances that this year Carrington had to play that position to allow Powell to get the minutes he warranted. But what I did not like and never will is the decision to play Carrington as a point instead of letting him be himself on the court and in effect have two 2Gs in the starting lineup.
I asked Deeno after the game if Desi being out changed his mindset on the court. I knew the answer but was surprised when he said 100%. I had to play like I have in prior seasons because we needed the offense.
The next question was the obvious one, will that change when Desi comes back? The short and sweet answer was no, I will play now like I played when he was out.
Deeno 2.0 is dead, long live Deeno 1.0
Spoke to Desi and he said he wanted to play but told coach he could only play maybe 10 minutes at most. Hearing that, echoed earlier by Willard, and it was clear that the right choice was made.
BTW, in the post game the discussion among the writers was why didn't Desi get in as the clock ran down. I noted that it had to be about stats and although that was the case I would have left it up to the player.
Willard eventually confirmed that when he took the podium and when I asked Desi about it he didn't seem to care either way. He was so emotional at that time and he said the crowd calling his name really got to him so in was as it should have been a non issue. Desi got the cheers he deserved and his per game stats were unaffected.
Jordan, what were you thinking? LaVall not Walker.
To me the game turned when Butler's 260 pound defensive force Tyler Wideman went to the bench and was replaced by Nate Fowler, the tall slender back up center. Without the wide body guarding him Delgado dominated during the stretch that broke open a back and forth game.
Comeback!
Not the Pirates but the holiday socks. Given one final chance the Pirate socks came through and they along with Carrington and Delgado earned game balls.
Before the game I saw Desi on the court shooting jumpers like he never missed a beat and I was heartened believing he was back. But then I noticed in the layup line he only took pull up jumpers never lifting off his feet and that turned out to be the reason he never saw the floor.
Staying on the injury front. Willard said that he wasn't sure if Ish would play next Thursday. When I posed that question to Sanogo he laughed and said there is no way I miss Thursday's game. Not even an issue.
Nzei playing back up minutes doesn't do a lot for the Hall. Nzei knowing his minutes are secure and that he's starting is a force down low. It's all in the confidence and not worrying about looking over your shoulder.
Another day another opponent bank is open shot as Butler's Kamar Baldwin took a spinning short jumper in the paint that nestled into the net off the backboard. Did he call it? Doubtful.
Better, and better and better.
Again we go back to minutes and confidence. This time with freshman star Myles Cale. Average to below average players get exposed the more minutes they play. The exceptional ones use the extended PT to show what they can do. Mark the Hall rookie in the later category.
The future looks awfully bright for the young man from Delaware.
Now that's how you shoot foul shots. Under pressure in a close game.
Butler 16-18. Seton Hall 20-23. Of course it helps to have the right guys at the charity stripe.
The Butler Way.
What does that mean? Think a less talented old school Georgetown squad that reveled in the physicality of the game. Butler prides themselves in that style of play and nothing's changed with a new coach at the reins.
Their motto continues.
Focus, focus, focus.
The pre game dancing stopped in the DePaul game. The nonsense in the warm ups did as well. Both replaced by focus and determination. You play to win and put all your concentration on that goal. The fun comes in the wins and after the fact, not before.
Angel said as much in the post game after Seton Hall broke their 4 game losing streak noting that the team had to take the rest of their games more seriously and it was his idea to come out of the tunnel in the game that probably turned the season around with the attitude this team has not shown for quite some time.
The result? 4 wins in 5 games with the lone loss to #4 Villanova by a point in OT with Desi out, Walker out and Ish injured in the game.
Funny how a few made shots in one game can change the destiny of a team. SHU loses last night and their season would have hung on the brink. Hit near 70% in the second half and you
1. don't play next Wednesday.
2. don't meet Nova in the quarterfinals
3. escape the potential dreaded 8/9 seed in the Dance
4. can now talk about a positive post season run with conviction.
Bottom line, sometimes the journey made difficult becomes far more rewarding because of the bumps in the road. And heaven knows this preseason Big East powerhouse certainly had far more than the expected obstacles they had to overcome. Many of their own doing. But now the team most Pirate fans expected to see is the one they are seeing. Health permitting the almost lost season of Pirate basketball shines again with the bright light of a special post season back in focus.
