3 Things About The Hall's Wednesday Home Return

Wednesday, January 9

Newark, N.J.

8:30 p.m.

Seton Hall University

Butler

Tickets

1/8/2019 3:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

TICKETS WATCH LISTEN

2018-19 BIG EAST Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (11-4, 2-1 BIG EAST) vs. Butler Bulldogs (10-5, 1-1 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Wednesday, January 9 \| 8:30 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com \| 19-for-19 Deal (Butler & DePaul Games)
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	WMCA 570 AM \| Sirius 99 \| XM 210 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Butler
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram

Hey, remember what we said:

The BIG EAST is a great league.
It's tough to win on the road in the BIG EAST.

Yes, it's easy to look at the names Seton Hall and DePaul and suggest that the Pirates should have won the game. But that's not taking into account how much improved DePaul is, how the Pirates needed to play better defense and how difficult it is to win on the road no matter who the opponent is. If anything, you should now have greater appreciation for the wins at Maryland and Xavier as well as last year's wins at Butler, Louisville, Providence, St. John's and DePaul.

Speaking of Butler, the Bulldogs are in town this week, and they of all programs should know how difficult and satisfying road wins can be. They own a 4-1 record at Prudential Center. The lone loss came last season when the Pirates went senior crazy (think Carrington and Delgado) in a 77-70 victory in the regular season finale. In the four losses, Seton Hall's average margin of defeat was six points. So the games have been close, but for some reason, Butler's not been afraid of The Rock. Butler is one of three teams to have a winning record in Newark since the new league formed in 2013 (Marquette and Villanova).

And speaking of Marquette, that's the next opponent, and guess what? It's on the road! The Pirates will be back on the road for two more, so with that looming, it's even more important to buckle down, defend home court and make sure Butler does not walk out of the Rock with a win for a fifth time.

Speaking of non-sequiturs, Wednesday's contest is an FS1 nationally televised broadcast with the reliable duo of Brian Custer and Jim Spanarkel on the call. You'll be able to enjoy the game on television after Georgetown-Xavier play theirs. If you enjoy words and no pictures, the eloquent Dave Popkin will team up with the elated John Fanta on WMCA 570 AM, simulcast on Sirius 99, XM 210 and the Pirate Sports Network.

"When I watched the entire clip, I broke down in tears."
ICYMI: Shavar Reynolds' emergence with Seton Hall has inspired his high school, his family and especially a Navy officer who gets updates in a barracks in Italy.https://t.co/Jeu8YUOj1p via @AsburyParkPress
— Jerry Carino (@NJHoopsHaven) January 8, 2019

In the season premiere of Inside the BIG EAST on @FS1, @Myles_MBP_23 was featured & his rise to stardom in the nation knows no limits. Thank you to @CBBonFOX for a great feature on a great kid. #HALLin pic.twitter.com/SlSx6WRXTL
— Seton Hall Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) January 7, 2019

Three Things to Know About Wednesday's Late Game vs. Butler

1. Get Ready for a Grind
Butler has only allowed four of its 15 opponents to score 70 points, a mark that Seton Hall has hit in 11 of 15 games and eight straight. Something will have to give, and the squad that is forced out of its comfort zone will be the one in trouble for this one.

2. Possessions Will Be Valuable
As we've been saying for a while now, the Pirates do a great job of limiting their own turnovers. But so do the Bulldogs! The Pirates averaging only 11.1 turnovers a game, third in the BIG EAST, and Butler is the leader of the pack, giving up only 10.7 turnovers a game. Butler in total has committed 50 fewer turnovers than its opponents this season. With a chance of this game being low-scoring, every possession needs to be valued, and the ball will need to be taken care of.

3. Defend Home Court
The Pirates only have three home games in the month of January, and every one of them carries significant weight in the BIG EAST. The Pirates need to hold serve at The Rock, especially with trips to Marquette, Providence and Villanova looming before February arrives.