Seton Hall Basketball: A true cinderella
By Joe Albano
Can Seton Hall basketball do something special come tournament time?
The Seton Hall Pirates are the most overlooked team in the NCAA. Maybe its because they are held to the negative stigmas of the Big East, maybe it is because they are not a reputable program, or maybe it is because nobody really knows who they are.
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Regardless of the reasoning, Kevin Willard has done an outstanding job turning this program around and the Pirates are running into March scorching hot.
The Pirates currently stand at 21-7, and with their big win over Xavier yesterday they likely have secured an NCAA Tournament bid. Joe Lunardi currently has them projected as a 7-seed in the East Region, with Villanova as the projected 1-seed in their bracket. As a proud member of Nova Nation, this possibility terrifies me.
Seton Hall has all the makings of a team that can make a run to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond. They are athletic, they play great defense, they shoot well and they have star-power in the form of Isaiah Whitehead.
The Pirates truly embody what Big East Basketball is all about. They are not flashy and they do not run up huge margins on opponents. The Pirates consistently rack up wins by playing a physical, rugged brand of basketball. They are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Angel Delgado is nearly averaging a double-double per game, at 10.4 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Moreover, this Seton Hall squad possesses a unique combination of athleticism and team chemistry that allows them to succeed on the defensive end.
The Pirates are more flawed on the offensive side of the ball. Most of their issues are maturity issues, rather than talent problems. However, since all five starters are sophomores, this is to be expected.
The Pirates are prone to turnovers and at times they fail to run an effective offense. Thus, they end up settling for a lot of low quality shots. They also do not move the ball well, as they average 13.7 assists per game, with five of those coming from Isaiah Whitehead. Even with all this, the Pirates are still averaging a 74 points per game, well above their defensive average of 66.5 points per game.
What makes Seton Hall different from other potential Cinderella’s is that they are a low-profile team in power conference. When you think of Cinderella you think of VCU or George Mason, teams that you had not even heard of before they made a run in the tournament on year. The Pirates are currently third in the Big East, yet they have not even earned a spot in the AP Top 25 once this season. Seton Hall is clearly flying below the radar, yet they are right below two Top 5 teams (Villanova and Xavier) in the conference standings.
Furthermore, they have a much greater talent level than many of the highly praised Mid-Major teams. Isaiah Whitehead is yet to fall victim to the “Sophomore Slump” after a fantastic freshman season.
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When it is all said and done, don’t be surprised if you see the Seton Hall Pirates playing after the first weekend of March Madness.