PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
The definitive source for all PirateCrew news.
By JP Pelzman
Looking back at Seton Hall’s 66-60 victory over Butler and ahead to its game at Xavier on Saturday:
Big night for Samuel.
Tyrese Samuel reached double figures in points against a Division 1 team for only the second time since scoring 15 against Wagner on Dec. 1. He shot 5-for-7.
Samuel was hurt by the COVID shutdown more than anyone, because he wound up marooned in Canada with no means to work out.
“He looks like he’s back to what he was in December,” coach Kevin Willard said. “It’s taken big guys a little longer to come back, but he looks like he’s got great balance. Defensively, he’s playing much more physical than he was (when he first returned).”
Willard added, “He’s hit the weight room hard, which has helped because technically, three weeks without lifting does damage to a big guy’s body. But he looks much, much better than he did two weeks ago.”
Samuel said, “Today was one of those days that I felt like I was back to where I was pre-COVID. I'm just going to take it one game at a time and see how I progress forward from here.”
Richmond update.
The still-ailing Kadary Richmond started, but played merely 16 minutes, and only four in the second half. He had three points, three assists, two turnovers, two steals and two blocked shots.
“He was feeling better (Wednesday), which is great,” Willard said. “The problem is he had spent the last four days in bed, so he felt better, which is great news, but the problem is he’s been in bed for four days. Although he felt better, he hasn’t done anything for four days. His energy level was obviously zapped.”
Tt remains to be seen what Richmond’s prognosis is going forward.
Silver lining?
One byproduct of Jamir Harris having to handle the ball so much is that it limits his catch-and-shoot opportunities. However, both of his long-distance makes against Butler came off the bounce, something he was adept at while with American, but a skill that had not translated here. So there is that.
Laser focus.
Willard said afterward, “This time of year, you’re not worried about anything else besides your next game.
“There’s one focus, and one focus only, and that’s Saturday.”
“Finishing out strong in the conference is real important to us,” Jared Rhoden said, noting how last season’s rough finish “resonated” with the players who returned.
Scouting Xavier.
Saturday's opponent will be Xavier (17-10, 7-9) at 3:30 p.m. in Cincinnati. The Musketeers endured an all-time gut punch with a 99-92 loss at Providence in a game that began 90 minutes before Butler-Seton Hall yet barely finished before it.
Seton Hall allowed 25 points to Butler’s Bo Hodges, who went 3-for-5 from three-point range. In the absence of Nate Johnson (knee), who has missed the past three games, the Musketeers rely on Adam Kunkel for their outside shooting. He was 4-for-10 from deep and totaled 20 points at Providence.
Nobody played all 55 minutes for Xavier, but Colby Jones played 50, Zach Freemantle and Paul Scruggs each logged 49 and Jack Nunge played 44 before fouling out on a controversial intentional foul near the end of the second OT.
Déjà vu.
The Xavier-Providence game brought back memories of Seton Hall’s 89-77 triumph over the Friars in 2018 when the game was suspended because of water condensation on the court. It was deemed unsafe after Desi Rodriguez slipped and severely sprained an ankle. The game was finished the next day.
This time, the game was delayed approximately 15 minutes with 2:43 to go in regulation after Providence’s Nate Watson lost his footing, although he was unhurt. The water was coming from the ceiling, although it was not raining at the time. But again, just as in 2018, it had been an unseasonably warm February day in Providence.
Hail Cesare?
Seldom-used Cesare Edwards had two points in four minutes Wednesday, but he was clutch in the 73-71 loss in Newark, scoring eight points in nine minutes down the stretch after Freemantle had fouled out early. That probably had something to do with the fact he was an unknown quantity to the Pirates. Will Xavier coach Travis Steele give him a run Saturday?
