Men's Basketball To Host St. Peter's Monday
11/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SETON HALL (2-1) vs. ST. PETER'S (2-3)
Monday, November 27, 2006 - 8:00 p.m.
Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutherford, N.J.
THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall resumes their long in-state rivalry with St. Peter’s and welcomes back former assistant coach and current Peacock head coach John Dunne. The Pirates own a 54-23 record all-time against the Peacocks and defeated them 66-57 last year at the Continental Airlines Arena.
TV: None
RADIO: The game will be broadcast by 1050 AM ESPN Radio, 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 ST. PETER’S
St. Peter’s is coming off a heart-breaking, one-point loss at Monmouth on Saturday which dropped their record to 2-3. They return four starters from last year’s 17-15 squad, but lost their best player, the Peacock’s all-time leading scorer, Keydren Clark. St. Peter’s has three players averaging in double-figure scoring led by junior Raul Orta’s 15.6 points per game. Junior Todd Sowell is averaging nearly a double-double with 13.4 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game. The Peacocks bring in two familiar faces on the coaching staff. Head coach John Dunne served as a Seton Hall assistant for five years under Louis Orr and former SHU great and administrative assistant, John Morton, is a member of Dunne’s staff.
SETON HALL-ST. PETER’S SERIES
Seton Hall and St. Peter’s will meet for the 78th time, with Seton Hall leading the series 54-23. The Pirates have won the last 10 against the Peacocks and 19 of their last 20. Last season, Seton Hall defeated St. Peters 66-57, with four Pirates scoring in double figures.
PIRATING IN THE CHESAPEAKE
The Pirates ran their all-time record against Morgan State to a perfect 5-0 as they defeated the Bears, 83-63, in Baltimore. It was the first time Seton Hall had ever traveled to a school from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Pirates had five players score in double-figures led by freshman Eugene Harvey’s 20 points. Junior Brian Laing recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Seton Hall shot a season-high 54.5% from the floor and held a 41-20 halftime advantage before cruising to the victory.
SWISHING AND DISHING
Freshman Eugene Harvey scored a team-high 20 points in his first road game as the Pirates soundly defeated Morgan State, 83-63. Harvey has now contibuted two stellar performances sandwiched around a somewhat lackluster performance in the Pirates’ loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. The 6-foot guard dished out a career-high nine assists in the season-opener vs. Caldwell and added six more, a game-high, in the victory over Morgan State. Harvey is averaging 5.67 assists per game, which ties him for fourth in BIG EAST non-conference play.
DON’T TAKE BILLMEIER FOR GRANTED
After only playing a combined 11 minutes in the Pirates’ first two games, senior Grant Billmeier broke out with one of the best performances of his career at Morgan State. The captain scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and even added a block and a steal in 33 crucial minutes for the Pirates. Most notably in Billmeier’s stat line is the fact he was called for only two personal fouls.
FLY’IN BRIAN
Poised for a major breakout season, Brian Laing has not disappointed in the season’s first three games. His 19.0 points per game rank him second in the BIG EAST in non-conference play and his 8.0 rebounds per game tie him for 10th. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Laing recorded career-highs with 25 points and nine rebounds in nearly 40 minutes of action. Then, at Morgan State, he recorded his first career double-double. The junior forward is leading the team with 19.0 points and eight 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.
PIRATES vs. THE MAAC
Seton Hall owns a 190-90 all-time record against current teams of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Pirates have a winning record against nine of the 10 teams in the conference and a losing record (20-27) against Manhattan. Seton Hall has won the most games against St. Peters (54), lost the most to Manhattan (27) and owns a perfect record against Rider (14-0) and Marist (1-0).
HEAD COACH
BOBBY GONZALEZ
Career Record: 131-78
At Seton Hall: 2-1
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).
NUTTER ON THE CUSP
Junior Jamar Nutter needs only three points against St. Peters to become the 99th player in Seton Hall history to score 500 career points. Through three games, Nutter is averaging 12.7 points per game. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Nutter scored a season-high 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.
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. The Pirates will lean heavily on Messy this season due to their lack of depth in the frontcourt.
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.
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.
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.
FAB FRESHMAN
All three players in coach Bobby Gonzalez’ first recruiting class impressed in their collegiate debuts. Eugene Harvey has started all three games so far this season and recorded a team-high 20 points and six assists in the victory over Morgan State. Harvey is averaging 12.0 points and 5.67 assists per game. Larry Davis is averaging 4.3 points per game in 13.7 minutues per game. Kashif Pratt has impressed on defense and is logging 16.7 minutes per game thus far.
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 Billett joins the SHU staff after five seasons as an assistant at Monmouth. As a player, Billett 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.
LOOKING AHEAD
SETON HALL
VS
ST. MARY’S
Saturday, December 2, 2006 1:00 p.m.
Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: None; Radio: 1050 ESPN Radio / WSOU 89.5 FM
Seton Hall vs. St. Mary’s: 0-1 all-time
NOTEBOOK: The Pirates will take on St. Mary’s for only the second time in the program’s history and first time since the 1972 season. That year, Seton Hall dropped an 83-78 decision to the Gaels.
This season, Saint Mary’s returns four starters from a team that posted a 17-12 overall record during the 2005-06 campaign. The loss is a big one for the Gaels, as they lose the school’s all-time leading scorer Daniel Kickert, who in four seasons, helped the Gaels post a 76-48 overall record during his time at Saint Mary’s. The players that return to keep much of the offense and defensive punch from last season are guards John Winston, Todd Golden and Wayne Hunter, wingmen Brett Collins and Ian O’Leary, and post players Diamon Simpson and Blake Sholberg.
