NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Baylor rolling, Ohio State tumbling

Seton Hall has been very impressive as of late. Despite the fact that the team is still playing without Sandro Mamukelashvili, the Pirates have hit their stride over the past few weeks while embarking on a current six-game winning streak. This stretch started with a home win over Maryland and most recently has included a 4-0 start to Big East play. Myles Powell obviously looks tremendous as a National Player of the Year frontrunner but the Pirates’ defense has been the biggest reason for success.

Seton Hall currently ranks 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency as it has shut down most opponents that it has faced. Perhaps most notably, the Pirates are fresh off holding Marquette to just 55 points in what was a strong double-digit home victory. That was just one of Seton Hall’s wins during this past week, though, as the team also went on the road to take down Xavier.

The Pirates are currently the only team in the Big East with a 4-0 record through the first few weeks. With that said, though, they will face their toughest challenge yet in their next game by traveling to Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on the Bulldogs Bulldogs (15-1, 3-0 BE). That is a major battle of the unbeatens in conference play and should give the winner an edge for the regular-season title early in the year.

There is no denying that Seton Hall is playing excellent basketball right now. With Powell dominating offensively and the shot-blocking duo of Ike Obiagu and Romaro Gill inside, this team is very dangerous.