Butler Basketball: Keys to success against Seton Hall at home

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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 14: The Seton Hall Pirates react. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Opponent Intel: Seton Hall Pirates

Seton Hall was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Big East this year and it still belongs as one of the top title contenders after the first two months. Although the Pirates struggled a bit to begin the campaign (started 6-4), they have found their rhythm as of late. Seton Hall is currently riding a six-game winning streak heading into this contest and that includes opening conference play at 4-0 with road victories over DePaul and Xavier.

By virtue of their hot run as of late, the Pirates have moved to No. 13 on KenPom. They boast the 39th-most efficient offense in the country but mostly thrive defensively as they rank 10th on that end of the floor. This impressive defensive ranking is largely due to how well the team protects the paint with elite shot-blocking. Seton Hall plays at the 123rd-fastest tempo in the country and is led by head coach Kevin Willard on the sidelines.

On the court, the unquestioned leader of the squad is Myles Powell. An early-season frontrunner for the National Player of the Year award, Powell is an incredibly dangerous scorer from anywhere on the court. The 6-foot-2 guard has wreaked havoc on the Big East for the past few years and is currently averaging 21.5 points per game through his 14 contests as a senior.

The team’s second-leading scorer is Quincy McKnight. Now in his second season with the program after transferring from Sacred Heart, the 6-foot-4 point guard is averaging 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. In addition to Powell, McKnight is also flanked by two other wings in the starting lineup with Jared Rhoden and Myles Cale. These two are combining to average 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds while each attempting at least three 3-pointers per game.

Rounding out the starting lineup, big man Romaro Gill is an absolute terror in the paint defensively. He stands at 7-foot-2 with great rim-protecting instincts. He might not be a major scoring threat (6.6 points) but does average 5.2 rebounds and a ridiculous 2.9 blocks in 21.6 minutes per game. While he is on the bench, Ike Obiagu comes in and averages 1.5 blocks in 13.0 minutes per game as another 7-footer inside.

Tyrese Samuel, Shavar Reynolds, and Anthony Nelson round out the Pirates’ nine-man rotation.