Seton Hall University
DePaul
3 Things About Saturday Night vs. DePaul at The Rock
1/17/2019 2:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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| 2018-19 BIG EAST Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (12-6, 3-3 BIG EAST) vs. DePaul Blue Demons (10-6, 2-3 BIG EAST) |
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| Date/Time/Location | Saturday, January 19 | 8 p.m. | Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.) |
| Tickets | Ticketmaster.com | Prudential Center Box Office on Saturday |
| Television Broadcast | FS1Â |Â FOX Sports GO |
| Radio Broadcast | AM970 The Answer  | Sirius 111 | XM 201 |  Pirate Sports Network |
| Game Notes | Seton Hall | DePaul |
| Links | Live Stats | Twitter |  Facebook |  Instagram |
| Promotion | Throwback Fanny Pack Night - First 1,000 fans to enter receive a FREE fanny pack! |
Everyone loves schedule quirks!
Besides the fact that Seton Hall playing four of its first six conference games on the road (by comparison, Providence has only played four total league games and only one on the road), Saturday's matchup presents some fun in schedule quirking.Â
The Pirates and Blue Demons are facing off for the second time in 13 days. This will be the seventh time under head coach Kevin Willard that the Pirates are playing a team twice in the regular season within 14 days of each other. Plus there are two other instances of two games against the same opponent happening when the two teams drew each other in the BIG EAST Tournament:
- 2018 - Played Butler twice in 6 days (W, L*)
- 2017 - Played Marquette twice in 11 days (W, L)
- 2016 - Played Georgetown twice in 11 days (W, L)
- 2016 - Played Xavier twice in 13 days (W, W)
- 2015 - Played Butler twice in 13 days (L, L)
- 2015 - Played DePaul twice in 13 days (L, L)
- 2015 - Played Marquette twice in 11 days (W, L)
- 2014 - Played Butler twice in 5 days (L,W*)
- *BIG EAST Tournament
In addition, Seton Hall is wrapping up its season series with DePaul in the seventh league game of the year. That's before the Pirates even play Villanova, Creighton or Georgetown once. DePaul might have it even weirder; the Blue Demons will be done with Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova by Feb. 2 and will not see Creighton or Georgetown until Feb. 20. DePaul, in fact, plays Providence twice in a seven-day span (Jan. 27 & Feb. 2).
Naturally, because, you know, schedule quirks, this isn't even close to being a record for Seton Hall. In the Willard era, the Pirates back in 2017 played Marquette in league game No. 2 and 4, finishing the season series with the Golden Eagles on Jan. 11 before even seeing six other conference foes. And the all-timer? In the 1995-96 season, The Hall's second and third conference games of the season were both against Providence. Games No. 1 and 5 were both against Miami (FL). So that year by Game No. 5 of an 18-game conference schedule, the Pirates were done with two teams and hadn't yet faced nine others.
Schedule quirks!
It's no quirk that Saturday night's game will be nationally televised on FS1 with Dave Sims and Sarah Kustok on the call. Back from his time in the sun, Gary Cohen will give everyone the play-by-play action and Dave Popkin will bring the analysis on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 111, XM 201 and the Pirate Sports Network.
Three Things to Know About Saturday Night vs. DePaul
 1. Defend DePaul's Interior
In the Jan. 6 meeting, which as you recall was only a short time ago, the Blue Demons got 24 points and 18 rebounds from the combo of Jaylen Butz and Paul Reed, and those two combined with the emergence of Femi Olujobi has created a force in the paint for DePaul. The Pirates will need to slow down this group and force the Blue Demons more out in the perimeter. Â
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2. Get Back to Turnover Free Basketball
It's incredible to say this: 25 percent of Seton Hall's turnovers this season have come in just the last three games (54 out of 220). Think about that. Yes, that means the Pirates have struggled with giving the ball away the last three games, but that also means that they have been fantastic at limiting turnovers for 80 percent of the season. They still only average 12.2 giveaways, and if the Pirates get back to playing within themselves, they'll be fine.
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3. Home Court is Everything
The Pirates have won five straight at home, and they know the importance of protecting home court in this league. Wins are hard to come by already, and winning at home and avoiding a sweep to DePaul will mean everything at season's end.Â
