Bracketology 2020: North Carolina, Michigan headline this week’s losers

SETON HALL

In case the dangers of being one-dimensional weren’t already clear, Seton Hall’s 20-point loss to Rutgers was a good reminder.

Seton Hall made it through November with a few bruises but avoided taking any overtly bad punches. They lost to both Michigan State and Oregon by just one possession. But since the calendar turned to December, the Pirates have looked lost. Myles Powell powered Seton Hall to a Thanksgiving weekend win over Iowa State, but the December 8 rematch went much better for the Cyclones.

It was the first real blow to the Pirates—but losing by 20 to their Garden State rivals was even worse.

With Sandro Mamukelashvili sitting out for Seton Hall, the door was open for the Scarlet Knights to jump out to a 26-5 start. Seemingly nothing could fall in those opening minutes and it never really got much better. The situation became increasingly dire when Powell, their star, left the game with a concussion and did not return. His health is obviously paramount, but from a purely on-the-court perspective, the reality is that this team cannot afford to be without their scorer extraordinaire.

The Pirates entered the season with a lot of hype surrounding their returning talent and a potential national Player of the Year in Powell. They were in or near the Top 10 of most preseason polls and looked to be one of the two best teams in the Big East, alongside Villanova.

At least for now, Seton Hall has ceded their spot in the Big East’s top two to Butler. Not only that, but they are quickly playing their way out of a protected seed in the NCAA Tournament. At the moment, the Pirates are still a safe bet to make the Big Dance, but the past two games may come back to affect their placement in the tournament.

That’s a few months off, though. The incipient issue is that the loss to Rutgers will almost assuredly push the Pirates out of the Top 25—a fate already experienced by our next Bracketology Loser.