Men's Basketball Travels To Morgan State Saturday
11/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SETON HALL (1-1) at MORGAN STATE (0-3)
Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 4:00 p.m.
Hill Field House - Baltimore, Maryland
THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall will travel to Morgan State for the first time in the history of this match-up. The Pirates own a 4-0 record all-time against the Bears and defeated them handedly last year at the Continental Airlines Arena, 93-46.
TV: None
RADIO: The game will be broadcast by WABC 770 AM, with Gary Cohen on play-by-play and Dave Popkin as the analyst. The game will also be broadcast by WSOU 89.5 FM, Seton Hall’s student radio station.
SHU ON THE WEB: Tune in to hear a live audio stream of all games on www.shupirates.com
BIG EAST CONFERENCE: www.bigeast.org
SCOUTING MORGAN STATE
Morgan State has a completely new look this year after going 4-26 under departed head coach Butch Beard. New head coach Todd Bozeman returns senior guard Joseph McLean and senior center Timothy Berkley, who led the Bears in scoring and rebounding respectively. McLean led the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and assists (2.38 apg) last year, and was second on the team in rebounding with 5.3 boards per game. Berkley scored 7.5 points per game and led the team in rebounding, grabbing 6.0 per game. So far the Bears are 0-3 and have been outscored by their opponents by an average of 17.0 points.
SETON HALL-MORGAN STATE SERIES
Seton Hall and Morgan State will meet for the fifth time, with Seton Hall owning a perfect 4-0 record in the series. However, this will be the first time the Pirates are making the trip to Baltimore for the game. Last season, the Pirates handedly defeated the Bears, 93-46, as four players scored in double figures.
NO LONGER NEC STREAKING
The 76-71 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson snapped a 10-game winning streak against FDU and a 33-game winning streak againist opponents from the Northeast Conference. The Pirates will see another NEC foe on Monday, December 4 as they resume their in-state rivalry with Monmouth.
NUTTER ON THE CUSP
Junior Jamar Nutter is on the cusp of becoming the 99th player in Seton Hall history to score 500 career points. Scoring with ease in the season’s first two games, he is averaging 17.5 points per game and 4.0 steals per game. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Nutter contributed a team second-best 20 points.
GONZALEZ SIGNS THREE
Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced that three marquee recruits, Michael Glover, Jeremy Hazell and Augustine Okosun, have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Seton Hall University beginning in the 2007-08 academic year. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Glover is the gifted brother of former St. John’s standout Anthony Glover and will provide the Pirates with a strong rebounding presence and good finisher around the basket. Last season, he guided his prep school, Boys to Men Academy (Ill.), to a national championship. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound Hazell was ranked in the nation’s Top 20 by Scout.com among post graduate players. A standout for coach Chris Chaney at Patterson School (N.C.), he is widely regarded as an excellent shooter and will provide the Pirates with great depth at the guard position and the top scoring punch in this class. Augustine Okosun is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound junior college transfer who will have junior eligibility when he joins the Pirates next season. The Nigeria native comes from well-respected Harcum College (Pa.) and coach Drew Kelly and will add some much-needed size and experience to the Pirates’ frontcourt.
CRUSHING CALDWELL
In the season-opening victory, Seton Hall scored 91 points, the most the team has scored in a season-opener since a 104-76 victory over Rider to begin the 2000-01 campaign. The Pirates shot .531 from the field and connected on 10-of-24 three point attempts with senior Jamar Nutter connecting on four himself.
OPPONENTS GETTING MESSY
After missing the vast majority of the 2005-06 campaign, senior Mani Messy finally showed a glimpse of his capabilities in the season-opener. The backup forward scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in only 18 minutes vs. Caldwell. He played only four minutes vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, but the Pirates will lean heavily on Messy this season due to their lack of depth in the frontcourt.
SWISHING AND DISHING
Continuing in a long Seton Hall tradition of uber-talented point guards, Eugene Harvey didn’t disappoint in his collegiate debut. The freshman scored 11 points and dished out a game-high nine assists in an easy victory over Caldwell. A highly regarded prospect and one of Coach Gonzalez’ first recruits, Harvey cracked the starting lineup in his first game.
HEAD COACH BOBBY GONZALEZ
Career Record: 130-78
At Seton Hall: 1-1
BIG EAST Record: 0-0
Bobby Gonzalez became the 18th Seton Hall University head basketball coach in the program’s history earlier this year and comes to the Pirates after a tremendous seven-year run as the head coach at Manhattan College. He led the Jaspers to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournaments in seven years, including finishing .500 or above in the league in each season. His record at Manhattan was 129-77, and his team won the MAAC regular season championship three times and the tournament title twice.
Gonzalez is widely known as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the NCAA, an intense competitor, outstanding game coach and tireless recruiter.
Manhattan went 20-11 this past year and Gonzalez was named the MAAC Coach of the Year. The Jaspers advanced to the National Invitation Tournament and won two games, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson and winning at Maryland. Gonzalez led the team to a 14-4 record and the MAAC regular season title.
His best season came in 2003-04, when he guided the Jaspers to a 25-6 overall record, 16-2 in the MAAC. Manhattan was a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Championship and defeated No. 5 seed Florida in the first round before losing a close game to No. 4 seed Wake Forest. Gonzalez received numerous accolades following the season, being named NABC District 2, USBWA, and NYBCA Division I Coach of the Year as well as receiving Metropolitan Coach of the Year recognition for the second straight year.
Gonzalez coached Luis Flores, Manhattan’s all-time leading scorer, who was drafted in the second round by the NBA’s Houston Rockets in 2004. Flores played with both Denver and Golden State in 2004-05.
In 2002-03, Gonzalez led Manhattan to the MAAC regular season and league championship with a 23-7 record, 14-4 in the league. Named the MAAC Coach of the Year for his efforts, Gonzalez took Manhattan College to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. The Jaspers fell to eventual national champion Syracuse in the first round.
Gonzalez is no stranger to the BIG EAST and to big-time college basketball. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was an assistant on Pete Gillen’s staffs at Xavier (1993-94), Providence (1994-98) and Virginia (1998-99).
Known for his strong recruiting classes, Gonzalez possesses outstanding contacts and ties to the metropolitan area. He was assistant high school coach at Rice High School in the Bronx in 1992-93 and assistant at St. Nicholas of Tolentine from 1988-91. He was also an assistant coach at Binghamton University (1987-88) and Broome Community College (1986-87).
FLY’IN BRIAN
Poised for a major breakout season, Brian Laing has not disappointed in the season’s first two games. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Laing recorded career-highs with 25 points and nine rebounds in nearly 40 minutes of action. The junior forward is leading the team with 22.0 points and six rebounds per game in the early season. Laing tied his previous career-high in the season-opener vs. Caldwell with 19 points. For his efforts, he was named to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll for the week of 11/13-11/19.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 2006-07 SCHEDULE
Seton Hall will play at least nine games against teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament last year, but only three of the games will be on the road (Monmouth, Pennsylvania, Georgetown, at Marquette, West Virginia, Villanova, at Connecticut, at West Virginia and Pittsburgh... The Pirates will play 18 night games and 12 day games this season... SHU will face Rutgers, West Virginia and Providence twice, but will not see Syracuse or DePaul as part of the BIG EAST’s unbalanced schedule... Pittsburgh (#4), Georgetown (#8), Marquette (#16) and Connecticut (#18) are Seton Hall opponents ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
NO PAUSE IN GAUSE
Sophomore Paul Gause made his first career start in the season-opener vs. Caldwell. The athletic sparkplug played an impressive game on both ends of the floor, scoring 14 points and picking up four rebounds and four steals. Gause will play a key role in the Pirates’ trapping defense this season.
FAB FRESHMAN
All three players in coach Bobby Gonzalez’ first recruiting class impressed in their collegiate debuts. Eugene Harvey started and scored 11 points while dishing out nine assists in 30 minutes of action. Larry Davis chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and three steals in 19 minutes off the bench. Kashif Pratt scored five points, pulled down two boards and made a steal in 13 minutes of action.
PILLAGING PIRATES
Caldwell had no response for the Pirates’ suffocating defense in the season-opener. Seton Hall forced a staggering 31 turnovers and recorded 19 steals, led by senior Jamar Nutter and sophomore Paul Gause who had four each. Even in the loss to FDU, the Pirates forced 21 turnovers, 11 more than they committed. Nutter had a team-high four steals vs. FDU as well. A direct result of coach Bobby Gonzalez’ intense conditioning regiment, the Pirates appeared rested throughout, were quick to trap on defense and pounced on loose balls.
NEW FACES
The Pirates added three highly talented freshman to the roster for the 2006-07 and all three look to make a difference immediately. Larry Davis, Eugene Harvey and Kashif Pratt are three guards that come from well-respected metropolitan high school programs. Davis led Christ the King to a 24-5 record and the New York City Catholic High School title game while averaging 13.2 points per game his senior year. Harvey joins Seton Hall as one of the nation’s most highly regarded point guard prospects and could be running the Pirates’ offense sooner than later. Pratt averaged 15 points and six rebounds for Rice High School, but is even better known as a defensive specialist. The SHU backcourt is in good shape for years to come.
IN NEW PLACES
Seton Hall lost five players from last season’s roster, including their top two scorers, Donald Copeland and Kelly Whitney. Copeland and Whitney graduated, while Marcus Cousin, David Palmer and Mike Pilgram transferred. Copeland and Whitney combined for 31.3 points per game and were both named Second Team All-BIG EAST last season. Whitney also led the team with 7.9 rebounds per game.
THREE CAPTAINS FOR 2006-07
Seniors Grant Billmeier and Stan Gaines as well as junior Brian Laing will serve as team captains for Seton Hall during the 2006-07 season. Billmeier was the lone Pirate captain last season and brings his hard work and unselfishness to the leadership position again. Gaines, a former transfer from Minnesota, is playing in only his second season with the Pirates, but his infectious energy and enthusiasm make him an excellent choice as captain. Laing, the lone non-senior of the trifecta, is a real breakout candidate this season and will provide an experienced leader when it is time to look towards next season.
BENCHMARKED FOR SUCCESS
Joining head coach Bobby Gonzalez on the bench this year are three experienced and talented assistant coaches that will surely prove to be a positive influence on the 2006-07 Pirates. Kevin Murphy followed Gonzalez to Seton Hall after three years as his assistant at Manhattan. There, he helped guide the Jaspers to the 2004 MAAC title and NCAA Tournament berth. Geoff Billet joins the SHU staff after five seasons as an assistant at Monmouth. As a player, Billet scored 1,480 career points for Rutgers and graduated as the school’s all-time leading three-point shooter. Dermon Player brings a standout basketall acumen and remarkable recruiting skills to the Pirates. As a coach and athletics administrator, Player is no stranger to the metropolitan high school and AAU scene.
HOLLOWAY RETURNS
Shaheen Holloway, the school’s all-time assist leader who played from 1996-00 and helped lead the Pirates to the 2000 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, has returned to Seton Hall as the team’s administrative assistant. Holloway scored 1,588 points during his career, which ranks him 12th all-time at SHU. He dished out 681 assists and had 231 steals (2nd all-time), while also hitting 185 three-pointers (5th all-time) in 116 games. In 2000, he was named the BIG EAST’s Most Improved Player, and he earned all-league status three times in his career.
TV SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Seton Hall will have at least 17 regular-season games televised nationally or regionally in 2006-07, starting Dec. 9 with a game on YES against Penn State. The Pirates will be on MSG seven times, YES and Fox Sports New York three times, ESPN 360 twice and a game a piece on ESPN and ESPNU.
RADIO INFORMATION
The Pirates will once again be on WABC 770 AM, or its affiliates ESPN Radio or Radio Disney. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin return for their fourth season of coverage on the broadcasts. Cohen will handle play-by-play duties with Popkin as the analyst. WABC will carry 15 games this season. WEPN, ESPN Radio 1050 AM will broadcast four, and Radio Disney WQEW 1560 AM will carry 10.
SETON HALL BASKETBALL HISTORICAL NOTABLES
* The men’s basketball team went to the Final Four in 1989 and lost in the championship game to Michigan by one point in overtime, 80-79. The Pirates won BIG EAST tournament titles in 1991 and 1993 and regular season titles in 1992 and 1993. All of the above was under the guidance of current San Antonio Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo.
* A starter on the 1989 Final Four team, Ramon Ramos, was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 9. Ramos was tragically injured in a car accident prior to playing a single game for the Portland Trailblazers in December of 1989. He has lived in Puerto Rico since the accident, under the care of his famly, after recovering from a coma and life-threatening brain damage. He was in New Jersey for the induction ceremony, where he was presented by Carlesimo.
* Seton Hall has a national championship under its belt. The Pirates won the 1953 NIT, then considered the premier national tournament.
* The program’s all-time leading scorer is Terry Dehere (2,494 points, 1989-93). Leading rebounder Walter Dukes (1,697, 1950-53) still holds the NCAA single-season rebounding record of 734 in 1952-53. CBS analyst Bill Raftery coached Seton Hall from 1970-81 (154-141 record).
LOOKING AHEAD
SETON HALL
VS
ST. PETER’S
Monday, November 27, 2006 8:00 p.m.
Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: None; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio / WSOU 89.5 FM
Seton Hall vs. St. Peter’s: 54-23 all-time
NOTEBOOK: The Pirates resume their long in-state rivalry with St. Peters on Monday, November 27. Seton Hall has won the last 10 games and 19 of their last 20 against the Peacocks, including a 66-57 victory last season. This season, St. Peter’s will feature some familiar faces. John Dunne, a Seton Hall assistant coach for the last five years, has embarked on his first season as head coach of the Peacocks. Assisting him on the bench, is former Seton Hall great and administrative assistant, John Morton. The Peacocks are returning four-of-five startes from last season’s 17-15 team that made it to the MAAC Championship game. They will, however, endure the loss of Keydren Clark, a 3,000 point scorer who finished his career ranked sixth on the NCAA all-time scoring list.
