Seton Hall Basketball: 3 takeaways from Pirates loss to Louisville
By Joe Casey
Seton Hall Basketball fell to Louisville to open the 2020-21 NCAA Basketball season.
Seton Hall basketball is coming off one of their most successful seasons under Kevin Willard. As the team adjusts to major offseason changes through the losses of Myles Powell, Quincy McKnight, and Romaro Gil the Pirates look to continue their winning ways this year. By adding transfers Bryce Aiken and Takal Molson, Seton Hall is poised to take only a marginal step back after losing three senior starters.
Focusing on the 2020-21 season, prior to stepping on the court, Seton Hall had already been challenged by the new protocols and regulations the NCAA has enacted to keep the season alive. Shutting down the program for fourteen days prior to their first game in accordance with the NCAA policy has forced Seton Hall to come into the season with little to no time to build chemistry between their new core.
Regardless, the Pirates had a chance to win their game against Louisville today. Even with an unexpected injury to Bryce Aiken, who rolled his ankle and did not return, the Pirates looked disjointed but talented enough to compete with the Cardinals roster.
As the game progressed Louisville extended their lead and looked to put the Pirates away but was met by a late rally driven by Sandro Mamukelashvili. In the final five minutes of the game, both teams exchanged baskets and free throws down to the wire. Trailing three with 0.7 seconds left Takal Molson was fouled by a closing Cardinals defender and went 2/3 at the line, coming one point short of overtime.
It was the first game of the season but it’s never too early to gain an opinion on a team. Here’s a look at some takeaways from the game for the Pirates.