Seton Hall University
Providence
Players Mentioned
Pirates are Home Wednesday night vs. Providence
2/7/2017 5:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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| 2017 BIG EAST Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (14-8, 4-6 BIG EAST) vs. Providence Friars (14-10, 4-7 BIG EAST) |
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| Date/Time/Location | Wednesday, Feb. 8 | 8:30 p.m. | Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) |
| Tickets | Ticketmaster.com  |  Prudential Center box office (starting at 11 a.m.) |
| Television Broadcast | FS1 | FOX Sports GO |
| Radio Broadcast | AM970 The Answer  |  Sirius 134  |  XM 201  |  Pirate Sports Network (FREE) |
| Game Notes | Seton Hall  |  Providence |
| Links | Live Stats |  Twitter |  Facebook |
| Promotions | Free Chicken Fingers & French Fries for students |
February and home games are a great thing. As the season hits the final third of the schedule, playing in the comforts of home will help Seton Hall as it looks to rev up its run to the NCAA Tournament. The first of five February home games is a rematch with Providence, which came away victorious in the first meeting of the season, 65-61, in a game that was tied in the final minute. The Pirates are looking to secure their sixth top-100 RPI win of the season with opportunities to potentially get as many as 11 before the regular season ends.
Brian Custer and Vin Parise will serve as the broadcast team for the nationally televised FS1 broadcast, simulcast on FOX Sports GO. The dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will have the radio call on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 134, XM 201 and the Pirate Sports Network (available at SHUPirates.com and the SHU Pirates Mobile App).
Pirate Points
>> Junior Angel Delgado continued his dominance this season by scoring a career-high 26 points and grabbing 17 rebounds and junior Desi Rodriguez scored what proved to be the game-winning basket with 1:06 remaining in overtime as the Seton Hall pulled out a 68-66 victory over Georgetown Saturday at Verizon Center. The crucial BIG EAST victory was The Hall's third in a row over the Hoyas and third in the last four meetings between the teams in the nation's capital.>> Junior Angel Delgado continued his dominance this season by scoring a career-high 26 points and grabbing 17 rebounds and junior Desi Rodriguez scored what proved to be the game-winning basket with 1:06 remaining in overtime as the Seton Hall pulled out a 68-66 victory over Georgetown Saturday at Verizon Center. The crucial BIG EAST victory was The Hall's third in a row over the Hoyas and third in the last four meetings between the teams in the nation's capital.
>> The Hall welcomes Providence to Newark Wednesday night seeking payback for a hard-fought 65-61 setback at Dunkin' Donuts Center on Jan. 14 in the 100th overall meeting between the teams. The Pirates clawed back from a 16-point deficit to draw even with the Friars late in the second half, but Kyron Cartwright's three-point play with 32 seconds remaining sealed the game for Providence. The Friars have a slight edge in the all-time series, 52-48, but the Pirates are 27-21 at home.
>> SHU is 8-1 at home this season and has been able to take advantage of conference opponents stepping into its gym in recent history. It is 9-4 in its last 13 BIG EAST home games and has won five of the last six, including victories over Marquette, DePaul and St. John's this season and a victory over then No. 5-ranked Xavier in the 2015-16 home finale. SHU will not be leaving the Metro New York area for the next three weeks as tonight marks the beginning of four home games in five contests with the lone road matchup against St. John's at The Garden. Every other team in the BIG EAST has played 12 or more home games in contrast to just nine for the Pirates.
>> Prudential Center has been noticeably loud this season as attendance has surged and is expected to continue. The Pirates are averaging an attendance of 7,933 during their eight games at Prudential Center. That number would rank just shy of fifth in the BIG EAST, however, the overall home attendance average is 7,257 (eighth in BIG EAST) because of the Nov. 11 game played at Walsh Gymnasium (sold-out, standing-room crowd of 1,856). Through nine overall home games last season, Seton Hall's average attendance was 6,218. Additionally, The Hall has already sold over 14,000 tickets for the Feb. 18 game vs. Villanova.
>> Including the game winner at Georgetown, the versatile swingman Rodriguez has had the hot hand offensively for the Pirates in BIG EAST play. In fact, he is third in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.4 points per game) during league play, and is shooting 45.2 percent (28-of-62) from beyond the arc. He has made 2.8 triples per game in the team's 10 BIG EAST contests, second most in the conference. Prior to league play, Rodriguez was 6-of-29 (20.7 percent) from three-point range.
>> The Bronx native has had six 20-point games and two double-doubles this season. He scored a career-high 30 points at Marquette and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 9 after a 25-point performance against DePaul in which he made each of his first 10 field goal attempts. Affectionately known as #DunkinDesi, Rodriguez has thrown down 11 dunks this season and 34 for his career. He is 12th in the conference in scoring (15.7 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (5.5 rpg).
>> It is no secret that the heartbeat of Seton Hall is paced by the best big man in the BIG EAST, Delgado. He enters Saturday as the nation's top rebounder with 13.1 per game, and has 6.1 more per game (127 total) than any other player in the conference. He has five 20-point games this season including a career-best 26 at Georgetown, and is one of two players in the top-15 in the BIG EAST in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. He was named Metropolitan Basketball Writers' Association Player of the Week and earned a nod on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the seventh time this season after averaging 19.5 points and 15.0 rebounds over two games last week. Delgado is furthermore averaging 18.6 points and 15.3 rebounds during home games.
>> Delgado is posting truly historic numbers in his junior campaign, and has aligned himself with some of the elite rebounders in school and conference history. The 6-foot-10 Dominican native posted 21 points and 20 rebounds against St. John's and 12 points, 22 boards versus Butler. His performance in the St. John's game marked the first 20-20 game for The Hall since Eddie Griffin vs. Saint Peter's on Nov. 27, 2000 and just the 14th to occur in any BIG EAST regular season conference game. Delgado's 22 rebounds against Butler are the most by any Pirate since the school joined the BIG EAST in 1979. He is only the seventh Pirate in program history to record a 20-rebound game, and the first since Pope vs. Syracuse on Jan. 8, 2011. Additionally, Delgado is one of four student-athletes from a "Power Basketball Six" conference since 1996 to have back-to-back 20-rebound games (courtesy of FOX Sports & Anthony Masterson):
- Tim Duncan, Wake Forest (1996-97)
- Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (2008-09)
- Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (2016-17)
>> The SHU backcourt is led by junior guard Khadeen Carrington, who is eighth in the BIG EAST with 16.6 points per game. The Brooklyn native has the ability to drive it to the rim or shoot it from long range. He has eight 20-point games and has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, 52 times throughout his career. Carrington has come up clutch in late-game situations and is averaging 9.7 points during the second half this season on 49.3 percent shooting. He currently has a team-high 1,117 career points (34th all-time in school history), and became the 41st student-athlete in school history to reach the 1,000-point threshold after a 27-point performance at Creighton.
>> Largely considered one of the top defenders in the BIG EAST, and described by head coach Kevin Willard as the team MVP day in and day out, junior forward Ismael Sanogo has also proved his worth on the glass. He is fifth in the BIG EAST with 6.3 rebounds per game and pulled down a career-high 16 in the Garden State Hardwood Classic victory over Rutgers on Dec. 23. He also grabbed 12 boards in a victory over then-ranked No. 16 South Carolina at The Garden. Sanogo played a crucial role in limiting the BIG EAST's fifth leading scorer, Shamorie Ponds of St. John's (17.2 points per game), to just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting on Jan. 22. Against Butler, he totaled a season-best three blocks and matched a career-high four steals.
>> SHU prides itself on defensive tenacity and it shows. Opponents are shooting just 41.9 percent from the field, the third-best field goal defense in the conference; and SHU is 7-1 when opponents shoot under 40 percent. The Pirates have played particularly tough defense at home and are holding opponents to 64.9 points per game on 39.0 percent (199-of-510) shooting. Furthermore, the team's 7.1 steals per game are good for second most in the BIG EAST.
>> SHU prides itself on defensive tenacity and it shows. Opponents are shooting just 41.9 percent from the field, the third-best field goal defense in the conference; and SHU is 7-1 when opponents shoot under 40 percent. The Pirates have played particularly tough defense at home and are holding opponents to 64.9 points per game on 39.0 percent (199-of-510) shooting. Furthermore, the team's 7.1 steals per game are good for second most in the BIG EAST.
>> Powell has shown the ability to be a dynamic scorer and dangerous three-point threat through the first 22 games of his career. Just three games into his rookie season he put up 26 points in SHU's victory at Iowa (Nov. 17) to snap the Hawkeyes 41-game home winning streak over non-conference foes. He went 9-for-14 from the field, 5-for-7 from beyond the arc, and was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on Nov. 21. Powell scored 26 and made a career-best 10 field goals at Xavier last Wednesday including a 6-of-12 mark from three-point land. He is one of only two Pirates since 2008 to have multiple 25-point games as a freshman, joining Jeremy Hazell. He has canned three or more triples in seven different games this year and is averaging 11.0 points per game. In home games, the Trenton native is shooting 40.0 percent from three-point land.
>> During non-conference play, Jones proved he could be a valuable contributor in the backcourt this season. Now that BIG EAST play is in full swing, he has shown the ability to be a true impact player for the Pirates with innate defensive awareness and leadership at the point. Last Wednesday at Xavier, Jones totaled eight points, nine assists, a career-high five steals, five rebounds, and turned the ball over just once. He is fifth in the BIG EAST with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, seventh in assists (3.6) and fourth in steals (1.7). Additionally, Jones has provided more assists than turnovers in seven of the last eight games and is averaging 4.4 assists per game at home.
>> The Hall has been dominant down low all season and leads the BIG EAST in several rebounding categories. SHU has out-rebounded its opponent in 17 of 21 games (including seven of nine league games), is eighth in the country and leads the BIG EAST with 41.1 boards per game and is 24th in the nation with a +6.7 rebounding margin. It is also atop the league standings and 11th in the nation with 13.6 offensive rebounds per game. Earlier this season the team pulled down a season-best 27 at Marquette. The Pirates are outscoring opponents in the paint by 8.0 points per game (770-594).
>> One of the most critical aspects of the Pirates' offense is its ability to produce second chance points. That effort is led by Delgado, who is third in the country with 4.6 offensive rebounds per game. Earlier this season, he grabbed 13 offensive boards at Marquette, which is the most by any Pirates player in recent history and it is the first 13-offensive rebound game by a BIG EAST player since Kentrell Gransberry of USF had 13 vs. DePaul on March
3, 2007. Effort on the offensive glass has led to 13.4 second chance points per game, 4.1 more than opponents. Delgado has grabbed 101 offensive rebounds, and the Pirates have scored on the ensuing opportunity 56 times, which is 55.4 percent of total chances. The team has scored 112 second chance points off his offensive boards alone. The Pirates grab an offensive board on 35.8 percent of all available chances, the best in the BIG EAST.
>> In addition to their offensive rebounding prowess, the Pirates have done a nice job on the defensive glass. It limited Columbia, Creighton and Providence to just four offensive rebounds, and allowed just six against Rutgers, who entered the game averaging 15.7 offensive boards. As a team, SHU holds opponents to an offensive rebound on only 26.3 percent of available chances.
>> The Pirates have shown the ability to finish games strong. They have four wins when trailing at halftime and are shooting 48.5 percent (304-of-627) in the second half overall. The Hall is shooting 53.1 percent (208-of-392) in the second half of 14 wins this season while limiting opponents to 40.6 percent shooting. Additionally, SHU is outscoring opponents by 3.1 in the final frame while scoring 39.2 points. Seton Hall and its strong defense has also proven to be well equipped at holding leads. The Pirates are 38-1 in their last 39 games (dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season) when holding at least a seven-point lead at any point in the contest.
>> Sophomore forward Michael Nzei has been a valuable contributor in the post off the bench all season, and will make his fourth start of the season Wednesday night. He has proven worthy of starter minutes by averaging 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in a pair of starts earlier this season at the Advocare Invitational. Nzei is second on the team with 14 blocks and is a blistering 67.9 percent (38-of-56) from the field over 17.3 minutes per game. He has also shown the ability to throw it down and is second on the team with nine dunks this season.
>> In addition to all of his other statistical achievements this season, Delgado is also the BIG EAST's active leader in double-doubles with 40 (second most in the country), and when he delivers one, good things happen for The Hall. Dating back to last season, the Pirates have won 25 of the last 30 games when he doubles up (13-0 in 2015- 16, 12-5 in 2016-17), and are now 31-9 during his career. Earlier this season, Delgado recorded 11 double-doubles in a row, averaging 16.3 points and 13.5 boards during the stretch.
>> Delgado is currently seventh in school history with 910 career rebounds and is producing numbers that rank alongside SHU legends Nick Werkman (1961-64), Herb Pope (2009-12) and Mark Bryant (1984-88). Following last Wednesday's 17-rebound performance, he became the seventh player in school history to reach 900 rebounds. He is on pace to reach 1,000 career boards later this season. Only four players in program history have reached the 1,000-rebound milestone:
- Walter Dukes (1950-53) - 1,697
- Glenn Mosley (1973-77) - 1,263
- Ken House (1969-72) - 1,149
- Nick Werkman (1961-64) - 1,036
>> The month of February is the home stretch of the regular season and it is littered with home games for the Pirates, who are chasing a second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. February home games have been kind to Seton Hall in recent past history; since 2000, the program has had seven seasons in which it has had at least five home games and went on to earn an NCAA Tournament berth in four of those years:
- 1999-00 Season: 4-2 (advanced to NCAA Tournament)
- 2001-02 Season: 0-5 (did not qualify for postseason)
- 2002-03 Season: 5-0 (advanced to NIT)
- 2003-04 Season: 4-1 (advanced to NCAA Tournament)
- 2005-06 Season: 3-2 (advanced to NCAA Tournament)
- 2012-13 Season: 1-4 (did not qualify for postseason)
- 2015-16 Season: 4-1 (advanced to NCAA Tournament)
