Busting Brackets
Fansided

Seton Hall vs. Marquette: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Anthony Brown

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 11: D.J. Carton #21 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles the ball down the court during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on December 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 11: D.J. Carton #21 of the Marquette Golden Eagles dribbles the ball down the court during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on December 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Seton Hall Pirates (4-3) swept Marquette basketball (5-2) last season with Myles Powell and Markus Howard leading both squads. Who takes over now?

TV Schedule: Thursday, December 17, 9 p.m. ET, FS1

Where: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI

Marquette basketball will be looking to right the ship against the Seton Hall Pirates who shut them down last year. Sandro Mamukelashvili is still in South Orange, New Jersey, and doing damage while he’s at it. The Golden Eagles have some very talented forwards to defend him so the frontcourt will be a unit to watch in this game for sure.

Those forwards are Dawson Garcia (12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Jamal Cain (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) Justin Lewis (9.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Theo John (6.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg) make up the bulk of the Golden Eagles frontcourt production.

Garcia and Lewis were huge gets for Head Coach Steve Wojciechowski. Both players can score inside and on the perimeter, they rebound the ball effectively and they have performed in big games when Marquette basketball needed them to. Lewis hit the game-winning shot to beat the Wisconsin Badgers earlier this month and Garcia showed up all over the court with 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in the 89-84 win over the Creighton Bluejays.

John’s energy jumps out at you right away when you watch film because he’s so aggressive on the boards and he utilizes his post moves well to score down low. Jamal Cain makes an impact with hustle plays: steals, rebounds, and blocks. He also is an efficient three-point shooter.

I believe D.J. Carton (11.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.6 rpg) and Koby McEwan could be one of the best backcourt tandems in the Big East. Carton has found himself playing at a high level with the Golden Eagles. He slashes to the rim, can shoot from anywhere on the floor, and is one of the Golden Eagles’ best passers.

McEwan is the Golden Eagles leading scorer with 15.7 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, and a 43 percent shooter from the perimeter. He will get them buckets when they need them and as the running mate of Howard last season, he has experience knowing how to score efficiently and run the offense.

As I said at the beginning, Mamukelashvili is tearing it up for the Pirates right now averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and shooting 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from the perimeter. The senior is a matchup nightmare, and the Golden Eagles will be tasked with trying to contain him. He’s had two 30-point games against the St. John’s Red Storm and Penn State Nittany Lions.

While Bryce Aiken is waiting in the wings and coming back from an ankle sprain, Jared Rhoden (14.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Myles Cale (9.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg) have been productive for the Pirates. The good news for them is that Aiken is slated to make a return to the court on Dec. 20 at home against the Providence Friars.

Next. Top 25 strongest backcourts for 2020-21 season. dark

The post area is going to be a major factor in who wins this game. Which frontcourt can assert their dominance the most? Which backcourt is going to facilitate the ball, slash to the rim and draw fouls efficiently? This is going to be a close Big East game. Neither team is going to run away with it. It’s going to be a fun game to watch, nonetheless.

Prediction: Seton Hall 76 – Marquette 82

Home/Big East