Seton Hall Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis

3) Maintaining defensive intensity is key

If Seton Hall is going to be the team we expect them to be and live up to their lofty expectations, they’re not going to be able to play hard defense in spurts.

Willard’s teams have made their mark on that end of the court throughout his tenure and, as good as Myles Powell is, their defense will ultimately determine where they finish in the Big East and how far they go in the NCAA Tournament.

The Pirates may have been able to preserve that lead over Oregon despite their offensive struggles if they didn’t let their foot off the gas on the other end. They allowed the Ducks to shoot 12/19 from the field and grab four offensive rebounds after building that 19-point lead. Those defensive lapses cost them against Michigan State, too.

In the win over Iowa State, they trailed throughout the first half because they were sloppy defensively in the first eight minutes.

The good news for Seton Hall is that when they are fully engaged defensively, they can be suffocating. But if they want to compete for a Big East title and consistently remain high in the national rankings, they have to avoid the kind of up-and-down defensive efforts that can lead to disappointing losses.