Seton Hall Basketball has been going through a rough time, to say the least. After getting blown out three times in a row, Pirate fans are in desperate need of a pick-me-up when taking a look at the rest of the season.
Shaheen Holloway has faced his fair share of criticism as the Pirates sit at 6-14, but for The Hall, that can be a discussion for another day. There is still a lot of season left to go to make this respectable, and it starts with a big game at home against the Providence Friars.
Providence is coming off a major win over Georgetown and is riding high heading into Newark against a team at the bottom of the Big East. Seton Hall is playing for their pride as a program, and things need to improve as soon as possible to get this season somewhat back on track. So how will the Pirates do it? Can they get a win against the Friars?
The offense needs to click as soon as possible
Offensively, Seton Hall has struggled mightily this season. They sit at the bottom of the Big East in most offensive categories and have scored 63.7 points per game. Sitting right above them at 10 is Providence, but they score almost 10 more points per game than Seton Hal does with 72.0 per game.
A major issue has been the lack of plays being run, offensive sets have been hard to come by for this squad. Isolation basketball is tough to win with especially when most of your players are not real iso scorers. This offense needs to move the basketball, find a way to get back to fundamentals and figure some semblance of scoring out.
From the perimeter, they are at the bottom of the Big East and have been unable to find ways to consistently make shots from outside. Isaiah Coleman Jahseem Felton, and Chaunce Jenkins will be asked upon a lot to knock down shots. Scotty Middleton is also starting to find more of a role in this offense, and can hit outside shots.
The Pirates need to play with pride
Unless this teams goes on a 2021 Georgetown esque performance and wins the Big East, this season is effectively over for Seton Hall. 6-14 is already an embarrassing situation, but they have to find a way to play without thinking about the record. The Pirates are playing for not just the pride of their coach and program, but personal pride as well.
Holloway built his great teams off defense, hustle, and passion, all of which has not been seen on this team. The Pirates brought in a bunch of new players, and they have not been able to mesh or play for each other this season. However, this is a team looking for hope, and if there is any ounce of passion left, Holloway will find a way to squeeze it out of this Seton Hall team.
For the rest of the season, this is what the Pirates are playing for, pride, and a chance to build for the future. While most of this roster will likely transfer, using the rest of the season to build upon the youth that will be here next season is also key, and finding some pride to play with is big for that.
Garwey Dual needs a huge game against his former team
The sophomore Garwey Dual has started to emerge as a bright spot with potential for the Seton Hall Pirates. It was unclear the exact role he would have with this team, but in a season like this, Holloway has put everything out there on the floor lineup wise. Dual has shown some solid athleticism, the ability to plug passing lanes, and a bit of scoring as well.
In a rough game against Creighton, Dual showed an ability to hit midrange shots, and also tagged in four rebounds, five assists, and three steals along with his 10 points. These type of performances are ones you can build on as a player, and he is waiting to have his breakout moment for this team.
Expect him to play over 30 minutes for the third game in a row, and against his former team, that may be where the pride for this squad will come from. Dual has a ton of talent, and Seton Hall will need his best game in order to pick up a win at home. In a lost season, the performances of young talent can give fans a reason to continue to have faith in their program. Dual can do exactly that for the squad out of South Orange.