PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
The definitive source for all PirateCrew news.
By JP Pelzman
Looking back at No. 24 Seton Hall’s 90-87 overtime victory against visiting Connecticut on Saturday and ahead to its re-scheduled game at 5 p.m. at DePaul on Thursday:
Still not whole.
It appeared the Pirates finally would have a full crew, but those plans were scuttled. Yes, Tyrese Samuel was back from COVID and back from Canada, but Alexis Yetna sat out, although he warmed up. Coach Kevin Willard told broadcaster Dave Popkin in the pregame on WMCA AM 570 that Yetna took an errant pass off the head on Friday and was being held out for precautionary reasons.
Samuel had seven points and seven rebounds and played nearly 18 minutes after missing the last three games.
“Tyrese was phenomenal,” Willard said. “I couldn’t believe he played 17 minutes. I mean, he’s been stuck in Canada in an apartment for 10 days.”
Willard noted that, unlike Ike Obiagu, Samuel wasn’t able to get in as much conditioning during his COVID pause.
Obiagu was a force on defense Saturday with six blocked shots.
Cale's “Mylestone”.
Myles Cale played in his 136th game as a Seton Hall Pirate on Saturday, a school record.
He had seven points in 28 minutes and fouled out with 1:16 left in OT.
The super senior said, “It's an honor. I'm blessed to even be in the position I’m in now.”
He admitted the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to those who wanted it because of the COVID pandemic “worked in my favor,” adding, “I just did it through hard work throughout my whole five years here. … It's special to me. It's something I'll look back on and always remember.”
Coincidentally, the previous program record of 135 was held by Mike Nzei, who was the radio analyst courtside Saturday. Dave Popkin, who can do both analysis and play-by-play equally well, moved one seat over with the legendary Gary Cohen sidelined by COVID protocols.
“I’ve talked about Myles Cale a thousand times," Willard said. "He’s one of the most consistent, one of the best players that I’ve ever coached. I know what I’m getting every night, I never worry about Myles Cale. He’s a superior young man, he’s a great teammate (and) he’s a phenomenal defender."
Culture matters.
Senior star Jared Rhoden made what defensive stopper Cale called “the play of the game” in the final seconds when he stole the ball from UConn’s Tyrese Martin.
But midway through the second half, Rhoden had an uncharacteristic mental lapse when he curiously did not come out to challenge a stepback three by Andre Jackson. Willard removed Rhoden at the next stoppage in play and he sat on the bench for 2:19 before re-entering the game.
Willard didn’t embarrass him or bench him for the rest of the game, but he obviously got his point across. And Rhoden came through when it mattered most. That's what happens when you establish a sound culture, as Willard has during his tenure at The Hall.
When asked about the game-saving play, Willard said Rhoden is “one of the best players in the league, so whenever he’s out there, he’s doing something good.”
Jackson shines in first half.
Tray Jackson was scoreless in the second half for the Pirates, but his 10 first-half points helped them stay afloat. They trailed 41-37 at intermission, but it could’ve been a lot worse without his contribution.
Willard said, "Tray Jackson hit two big threes to start the game."
To miss or not to miss.
Bryce Aiken, now an 82% foul shooter this season after going 8-for-9 from the stripe Saturday, drained both foul shots with 1.7 seconds to go in overtime to put The Hall ahead 90-87.
However, some eyewitnesses say the Seton Hall bench was directing him to miss the second off the rim, so that the Huskies would have to waste time collecting the rebound before sending the ball up court, and Aiken disregarded that instruction.
I can see both sides. Making the second foul shot, of course, enables the trailing team to inbound the ball with the clock stopped. But, for a good foul shooter such as Aiken, trying to miss on purpose when you aren't used to doing so might result in the worst-case scenario--a miss that doesn’t catch the rim, resulting in a dead ball, an inbounds pass with the clock stopped but only a two-point lead.
As it turned out, there wasn’t enough time for UConn. Adama Sanogo, not the man you’d want shooting a desperation three anyway--he came in 0-for-1 from long distance--caught the inbounds pass inside the arc, dribbled outside it, but got his shot off after time expired. He back-rimmed it anyway.
Scouting DePaul.
The Pirates will visit the Blue Demons at 5 p.m. on Thursday to begin an NBA-esque stretch of three games in six days, followed by a game at Marquette at noon Saturday. The Hall will then host Providence on Jan. 18 in its first rematch of the season.
The Blue Demons (9-5, 0-4) had a promising non-conference under new head coach Tony Stubblefield, but Big East play has been business as usual. Still, they are dangerous, and senior Javon Freeman-Liberty had a career-high 34 points in a 79-64 loss to Villanova on Saturday.
DePaul visits Marquette on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on FS1, so check that out if you want to see the next two opponents. It also is the network’s all-access game with miked-up coaches, a great idea which is always a treat for hoop fans.
