With the groundwork laid, Seton Hall primed for even greater success in 2020
Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight walked off the court with a towel draped over their heads. Jared Rhoden followed suit with his hands on his head in a state of disbelief, while Sandro Mamukelashvili draped his arm around Director of Basketball Operations Kyle Smyth. There’s nothing quite like an NCAA Tournament loss. All season long, players and coaches work countless hours to perfect their craft, build a worthy resume and win enough...
Pirates can’t overcome slow start, bow out of NCAA Tournament with loss to Wofford
Fresh off a trip to the Big East Championship game, Seton Hall traveled down to Jacksonville for the NCAA Tournament with its eyes on making a similar kind of run. No. 7 seed Wofford came to town with designs on a tournament run of its own, though, and knocked off the Pirates by a final score of 84-68 to send The Hall home early. “That’s one heck of a basketball team we played,” coach Kevin Willard said. “When...
Preview: Wofford will give battle-tested Seton Hall a run for its money
It’s rare that a school with a student population of 1,692 turns into a basketball power, but that is exactly what Wofford managed to accomplish in 2019. Winners of 20 straight games and the No. 20 team in the AP Top 25, Wofford has emerged as one of college basketball’s best teams. Behind the play of Fletcher McGee and an assortment of sharpshooting guards and wings, the Terriers secured the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region of the...
Nelson, Rhoden use lessons learned during freshman season for March Madness prep
If you watched Seton Hall’s stretch run through the end of the regular season and the Big East Tournament, two players receiving major minutes may have come across as new faces. At VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. on Thursday, the situation will be no different for Anthony Nelson and Jared Rhoden. The two freshmen, who played together on the New York Lightning prior to Seton Hall and now room together at school,...
McKnight to take on prominent role in first NCAA Tournament appearance
Two years ago, Quincy McKnight made the decision to venture out of his home state for the first time in his basketball career. Leaving a school where he was the undisputed star of the team to take a step up in competition was a risk, but a necessary one for McKnight to get a chance at opportunities like the one he will have when Seton Hall takes the floor on Thursday night. The 2018-19 season has been one of firsts for McKnight. After...
Seton Hall students weigh in on NCAA Tournament
Hitting its stride two weeks ago during a time that was sink or swim, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team firmly secured one of the 34 at-large tickets to the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates received a 10-seed, much to the skepticism and dismay of many. On Thursday, Seton Hall will face one of the nation’s hottest teams – the No. 7-seeded Wofford Terriers. A couple of Seton Hall students weighed in on what is at stake come Thursday...
Willard prepares for first-round dogfight
JACKSONVILLE – Kevin Willard is becoming a tournament regular. His 10th-seeded Pirates boarded a chartered flight for Jacksonville, Fla., on Tuesday night – the first of many distinctions between this preparation and the build-up to his first NCAA Tournament as a head coach in 2016. That week in March 2016 was one of firsts for Willard: from the dramatic Big East Tournament triumph on Saturday to the subsequent NCAA Tournament...
Pirates face free-scoring Wofford in NCAA Tournament
After an impressive runner-up finish at the Big East Tournament, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team now has its eyes set on the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates enter their fourth successive post-season tournament as a 10-seed and are poised to face newly-crowned Southern Conference champions Wofford. Wofford enters the tournament on a 20-game winning streak that dates back to late December and is ranked 19th best team in the AP Top 25...
Despite end result, Seton Hall’s Big East Tournament run a noteworthy achievement
This year’s Seton Hall team was never supposed to sniff Big East Championship Saturday at Madison Square Garden. After losing four seniors and three 1,000-point scorers, the Pirates were better suited as a bottom-third team in the conference with designs on an NIT appearance. At best, this team could maybe avoid the dreaded first day of the Big East Tournament and maybe scrap for a win against another middle of the pack team. At least...
A bridge too far: freshmen provide spark, Powell prayer goes unanswered
NEW YORK – After three games in which the Seton Hall men’s basketball team enjoyed the luxury of a head-start over its opposition, the Pirates spent the Big East Tournament championship chasing top-seed Villanova, who did just enough to hold on for a record-setting third straight title, 74-72. In a game where the largest lead was merely nine and the advantage changed hands nine times, freshman Anthony Nelson converted a put-back layup...
Seton Hall has a chance to officially silence the critics after preseason prediction
In many ways, the 2018-19 Seton Hall men’s basketball team embodies the “Hazard Zet Forward” motto. The slogan, which sits proudly on Seton Hall’s school crest, translates to “Whatever the peril, ever forward” in English. The gritty roster put forth by Kevin Willard this season has exemplified this to a tee, as the Pirates advanced to the Big East Championship game with a dramatic, 81-79 win over Marquette on Friday night at Madison...
Back from the Dead: Powell returns from locker room, provides late heroics
NEW YORK – The Seton Hall men’s basketball team needed every inch – every last one – on Friday night to reach the Saturday promise-land of the Big East Tournament. In an affair that was marred by controversial officiating, the Pirates overcame second-seeded Marquette, 81-79, setting up the ultimate rivalry renewal with top-seed Villanova. One night after praising his budding superstar, Myles Powell, for his poise in dealing with...