UConn head coach
@dhurley15
says "We don't have to be as good as last year's UConn team to compete for a national championship." It's "UConn vs the world" on a quest to 3-peat.
Listen to the entire podcast here:
The NCAA Selection Committee has spoken and the message is clear for Big East Teams:
Next year schedule as many Quad 4 teams in the non-conference as possible, at least 7 or 8. Beat them all by 25-30 points, and you'll have a better shot than if you challenge yourself against Q1s
The Big East is now a perfect 6-0 in the NCAA Tournament. They have 3 teams in the Sweet 16 for the 2nd straight year.
They might've had more, but unbeknownst to everyone else in the country, the NCAA Committee imposed a 3-team cap on the 2nd best conference in the country.
So the Mountain West gets SIX Teams!!!! and the Big East 3!!!
I'd love to see any of those MW teams go through a 20-game schedule in the Big East and see if Boise State or UNLV gets to 12 wins. Please.
The Seton Hall players were not only playing that game for their school and each other, and a chance to get to the NIT Final Four, but they were playing for the pride of the Big East Conference.
No way could they lose that game to a Mountain West team.
As a player at Seton Hall, Shaheen Holloway hit the game-winning layup to beat Oregon in 2000. One of the greatest coast to coast layups in NCAA Tournament history. Tonight, as coach of St. Peter's, Holloway led his team to one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tournament history
It figures Dre Davis, the hometown kid from Indianapolis, hits the shot of his career. The game-winning layup with 16 seconds to play to propel Seton Hall to the NIT Title. Whatever it takes to keep him in South Orange for one more year...Pay the Man 💵💵
For Seton Hall fans it's never been a matter of "If" but "When" would Shaheen Holloway become the Pirates head coach. That when has arrived. Kevin Willard brought Seton Hall back into the national picture. Sha has the ability to take SHU to the next level. It's a home run hire
Preach Kim English...Preach!!
This is exactly the message the metrics and the NCAA is sending:
"I think you can schedule bad teams in your non-league and beat the snot out of them and beat them by 50 and 60."
Doug, your hatred and disdain for the Big East is obvious. You've always been a hater. That's such a weak-ass argument saying Big East teams are fortunate because they beat lower-seeded teams. There are no gimmes or apologies in the NCAA Tournament.
I'm not a Bracketologist, but I do have two good eyes.
Seton Hall passes the eye test. They just picked up their 6th Quad 1 win over a red hot Villanova team.
They're one of only 16 teams in the country with 6 Quad 1 wins. That's an NCAA Tournament team
Shaheen Holloway pulls off the greatest win in St. Peter's history as the Peacocks slay Kentucky 85-79. Sha talked the talk and his team walked the walk. Congrats to the Peacocks!
Villanova and UConn have been the toughest tickets to get at the Prudential Center. That will change next season when St. John's visits Seton Hall. Rumor has it Shaheen Holloway is threatening to play the game at Walsh. Stay tuned
Cam Spencer wasn't on the list of Top 25 transfers in the offseason. He might be the best of them all right now. His second game-winning 3 on the road in the Big Ten in 9 days. A career-high 6 3-pointers and 23 points in Rutgers 65-62 win at Northwestern.
@johnpavlovitz
This is how we got into the car, and i always made sure I was facing backwards. Oh...and seat belts were those straps that were buried under the seats
Rutgers looks 100% like an NCAA Tournament team. I couldn't say that on Sunday night, but they've found the switch, and Steve Pikiell has them playing Rutgers basketball again.
The insertion of freshman Derek Simpson into the starting lineup has ignited this the Scarlet Knights
Seton Hall 2024 NIT Champions! Down by 7 with 2:38 to play, they end the game on a 9-0 run. Defense wins championships. This team will be celebrated for years to come.
The crowd chanting DEFENSE! Hows this? Dylan Addae-Wusu with a steal and slam at the buzzer! Seton Hall roars into the half with a 44-26 lead on UNLV in what was a dominant first half. The Hall is 20 minutes from its first trip to the NIT Final 4 since 1953
The 3 Seton Hall captains rose to the occasion in the biggest game of the year to deliver the school's 2nd ever National Championship.
Al Dawes: 24 pts (9-9 FTs)
Kadary Richmond: 21 pts, 13 rebs
Dre Davis: 18 points and the game-winning layup
Providence sits atop the Big East standings at 6-1. Their conference wins have come vs UConn (no Sanogo), Seton Hall (with 7 rotation players), DePaul, Georgetown, St. John's and Butler. It's a very good team, but they've definitely benefitted from the timing of their schedule
Fabulous job by my friend and colleague Jerry Carino
@NJHoopsHaven
on presenting Tyrese Samuel with the first annual J.P. Pelzman Award for the Seton Hall player who did the most with the media.
We all miss J.P. dearly. No one was more deserving than Tyrese. 👏
Adding K.C. Ndefo gives Seton Hall an elite 6-8 defender and gifted passer - the reigning national Defensive POY. The Pirates front court, while not as tall as it was last year, is still solid with 6-10 Tyrese Samuel, 6-8 Alexis Yetna, 6-8 Ndefo and 6-10 Tray Jackson
People will talk about Myles Powell scoring 24 pts in Seton Hall's victory but no way the Pirates beat DePaul without the play of Jared Rhoden who had 14 pts and 11 rebounds and kept the Pirates in this game until Powell took over.
#HallIn
"If I'm not here next year, I'd love, if Shaheen Holloway is here, that would be the happiest thing to happen to me.”
You 100% don't make those comments unless you're out the door. That also helps to explain why Seton Hall was so unprepared to play TCU
This will go down as Seton Hall's worst performance ever in an NCAA Tournament game. I've seen them all. It's not close. Worse than 2016 vs Gonzaga or 2006 vs Wichita St.
Creighton's loss to St. John's moves Seton Hall into sole-possession of 3rd place in the Big East. The Hall and Creighton will meet on Wednesday in the biggest game of the year for both teams.
UConn 15-2
Marquette 11-4
Seton Hall 11-5
Creighton 11-6
Seton Hall receives a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd.
They've exceeded all expectations. Predicted 9th in the Big East coaches poll, the Hall finishes 4th in conference play with a 13-7 record and 20-11 overall.
Shaheen Holloway says he has the "best backcourt in the Big East...from the shoulders down. Now from the shoulders up, I gotta get them to be the best backcourt. And if they do that, this team will go far"
Watch the full interview on my Youtube page here:
I've said this before: Quincy McKnight has taken his game to another level this year. He was a combo/scoring guard at Sacred Heart who averaged 19 ppg. 3 years later he's one of the best PGs in the Big East and arguably the league's best defensive player. What a transformation
That's quite a day for Seton Hall.
First they welcomed
@CoachSha10
back home as their men's basketball coach
Then the women's basketball team advanced to the final of the WNIT with a dramatic win over Middle Tennessee on a game-winner by Sidney Cooks with 2 seconds left
#HallIn
Have confirmed
@UConnMBB
will open the '24-25 season against Sacred Heart on Nov. 6 at Gampel Pavilion.
Can't take all the credit for bringing
@dhurley15
and
@AnthonyLatina
together, but I think I deserve just a little 🤏
Here's a snippet of my podcast with Hurley on May 31.
Shaheen Holloway led Seton Hall to an appearance in the Sweet 16 as a player in 2000. 22 years later, he's guided St. Peter's to an NCAA Appearance in his 4th year as head coach.
Seton Hall lands it's 2nd 2024 recruit in 6'9" C/F Godswill Erheriene, a Top 125 3 ⭐️ out of Long Island Lutheran.
Godswill already has a Big East body. He's an excellent rebounder and defender who finishes strong around the rim.
I spoke with a longtime Rutgers fan who paid $400 for a ticket to Friday's game on the secondary market. It may sound like a lot, but when you break it down, he only had to put away 11 cents a month for the last 30 years.
It's been rumored for weeks, but now it's official...
Dylan Addae-Wusu has withdrawn his name from the portal and will return to Seton Hall for his final season.
He's an important veteran leader and defensive presence for Shaheen Holloway. Averaged 8.6 pts & 5.3 rebs in 37 starts
Just got finished watching The Show Must Go On: The Queen and Adam Lambert Story. Riveting. Could not turn away from the TV for 2 hours. So well done. Makes me want to see them in concert.
Seton Hall is moving on to the NIT Final 4 in Indianapolis, after throttling UNLV 91-68. It's the Hall's first trip to the NIT Final 4 since they won it in 1953.
Al Dawes led 5 players in double figures with 21 pts and 6 rebs
Kadary Richmond had 16 pts and 10 assists
It wasn't Seton Hall's day. South Dakota St. wins the WNIT 82-50. It was still one of the best seasons for
@SHUWBB
in the programs's history.
*24 wins were 2nd most under
@TonyBozzella
and 5th most all-time
*WNIT Runner-Up
They will hang a banner in Walsh Gym
Jared Rhoden will bounce back. You watch. He's done it his entire career. Seton Hall will too. Don't bet against them. The Pirates have overcome injuries and adversity all season. They are not a one and done team in the NCAA Tournament
This is extremely well produced and edited from beginning to end. Thrilling. Emotional. Captures the essence of Seton Hall's NIT championship quest and coming out on top. The comments from the players and Sha to one another in the postgame locker room;
priceless. Worth the watch.
Steve Lappas is out of his mind. He just said "When it's all said and done the Big East will get four teams in the Tournament"
He and Jerry Palm are living in another era
Win or Lose this game, Seton Hall has done more than enough to prove they are one of the best teams in the Big East - a Top 4 team IMO - and should be ranked.
This team is for real.
It's too bad Bryce Aiken never played one game in the Big East Tournament in two years. He's the type of player capable of taking and making a last-second shot we've seen so often at MSG
3 Things I never thought I'd see Villanova get called for in a basketball game:
1. 3-second call
2. Flop warning
3. Push-off on Gillespie
Did these officials not read the Nova rule book prior to this game?
I understand there are still teams that could outright win their conference & steal a bid, but as of now...
If the Big East is the 2nd rated conference in the country, how could you not take at least 5 teams?
4th place Seton Hall (13-7) & 5th place St. John's (11-9) deserve bids
One of Seton Hall's most impressive wins of the season, 82-66 at Xavier. The Pirates earn their 6th Quad 1 win. They are 6-6 in Quad 1 games and 5-5 on the road.
Gavin Griffiths is the highest-rated Rutgers freshman in the Steve Pikiell era.
Pikiell says Griffiths "is one of the top freshmen in the country...He's gonna be expected to score points, and he's ready for that." Click to view the entire interview here:
If they're giving an NIT Most Outstanding Player, it should go to Al-Amir Dawes who played the best basketball of his career in the NIT.
In 5 games, Dawes scored 105 points for an average of 21 per game. Take a bow.
Seton Hall lands 6'0" PG Zion Harmon, a transfer from Bethune Cookman. Former SHU "finalist" in 2020.
2023 SWAC Freshman of the Year. Named First-Team All-SWAC as a sophomore, averaging 14.6 pts, 4 assists and was the 5th best FT shooter in the nation at 93%.
Considering the stakes and the atmosphere, Bryce Aiken has played his best game at Seton Hall with 22 points, 3 rebs and 3 assists. He was the MVP of this win over Rutgers.
Jared Rhoden has truly grown as a freshman for Seton Hall. Not every freshman can come in and be an immediate star. Most take time to mature and adjust. He will be an excellent 4-year player and maybe a star when it's all said and done. Book it.
Shaheen Holloway "I don't think our guys understood the magnitude of this game. Obviously their guys did. They did a good job of understanding what this game means."
Since February 1, Seton Hall is 8-2. Kevin Willard has them peaking at the right time. After starting 3-6 in the Big East, the Hall finished 11-8, and 20-9 in the regular season. I've said this before. It's Kevin Willard's best job in his 12 seasons in South Orange.
Best portal grab yet for Shaheen Holloway as ODU's Chaunce Jenkins commits to Seton Hall. Jenkins led ODU in scoring at 15.9 ppg and was named 2nd Team All-Sun Belt. 6-4 combo guard who can score at the rim and shoots well from distance 34% for his career. Had 21 pts vs Arkansas
Seton Hall will meet Indiana State in the NIT Championship Game on Thursday after a wire to wire win over Georgia.
The Hall will attempt to win its 2nd national title across all sports.
Al Dawes led 5 players in double figures with 20 points. Dre Davis had 19 in his homecoming.
Seton Hall softball wins over the last 3 seasons:
2021 - 9 wins
Angie Churchill hired as head coach
2022 - 20 wins
2023 - 41 wins and a Big East Tournament Championship
With the additions of 3 freshmen (Weston, Conway and Powell) and 3 immediately eligible transfers (Harris, Richardson and Yetna) plus the return of Cale, this has been Kevin Willard's most impactful class ever IMO.
Kadary Richmond will go down as one of the greatest point guards in Seton Hall history. His name will be mentioned along with other Pirates greats like Holloway, Barrett, Theodore and Carrington in the Big East era. He'll also go down as one of the most mercurial Pirates.
St. Peter's Bashir Mason and Wagner's Donald Copeland, who are childhood friends from Jersey City, are both going to be coaching in the NCAA Tournament next week. Their teams are tough, gritty and resilient...just like their head coaches.
I've been following Rutgers basketball since 1989. Never did I ever think they would land the
#2
recruit in the country. And now they have the
#2
AND
#3
recruits. Steve Pikiell deserves a lifetime contract.
On New Years Eve, UConn was 3-0 in the Big East and Seton Hall was 0-3. Since then UConn has lost 5 of 6 and Seton Hall has won 5 of 6. Who would've thought?
Without question that was Seton Hall's best win of the season 65-60 on the road at Creighton. Losing Kadary Richmond 3 minutes into the game and down by as much as 11 points.
What a win by Rutgers, grinding it out in OT to beat Ohio State 68-64. Cam Spencer is the Player of the Game with 21 pts, 7 rebs, 6 assists and 4 steals. Mawot Mag had 15 pts. RU is 5-2 in the Big Ten, 1/2 game behind Purdue and very much a threat to win a Big Ten Championship
Great job by Steve Pikiell signing 6-11 JUCO center Emmanuel Ogbole. Rutgers has assembled a sizable front court with one of the best big men in the Big Ten in Cliff Omoruyi, a talented, rising soph in Antwone Woolfolk, and an athletic, hard-working, energizing big man in Ogbole