Men's Basketball Kicks Off BYU Holiday Classic With Oral Roberts Thursday
12/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BYU Holiday Classic SETON HALL (7-2) vs. ORAL ROBERTS (5-6) Marriott Center - Provo, Utah Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 7:00 p.m. EST THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall travels to Provo, Utah to participate in the B.Y.U. Classic, Dec. 28-30. Their first opponent is Oral Roberts, whom the Pirates have never faced. Seton Hall enters the game with a record of 7-2, while the Golden Eagles enter at 5-6 and have lost three of their last four games. TV: None RADIO: The game will be broadcast by WABC 770 AM Radio, with Gary Cohen on play-by-play and Dave Popkin as the analyst. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. The game will also be broadcast by WSOU 89.5 FM, Seton Hall’s student radio station. SHU ON THE WEB: Tune in for a live audio stream of all games on www.shupirates.com BIG EAST CONFERENCE: www.bigeast.org SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS Oral Roberts enters Thursday’s game with Seton Hall with a 5-6 record having lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven. The Golden Eagles have endured a see-saw season thus far, enjoying great heights, defeating third-ranked Kansas, 78-71, in Lawrence, but falling on hard times recently. Most recently, they are coming off a 68-56 loss at Arkansas on Dec. 22. The Golden Eagles are led by Caleb Green who sports a team-best scoring average (19.7) and rebounding average (10.2). Ken Tutt is the only other player averaging in double-figures in scoring (16.3). The Golden Eagles are averaging 67.9 points per game and shooting only 42.0 from the floor. They are averaging 35.1 rebounds per game and are turning the ball over 16.5 times per game. SETON HALL-ORAL ROBERTS SERIES Seton Hall and Oral Roberts will meet for the first time in the history of both programs at the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic, December 28. The Pirates will also play Liberty and Brigham Young while in Provo. PENN NOT MIGHTIER THAN PIRATES Seton Hall bounced back from a disappointing loss to Virginia Tech on Dec.21 with an offensive explosion two days later vs. Penn. The Pirates defeated the Quakers, 94-85, to improve their record to 7-2 overall. The 94 points is the highest output this season. The Pirates were led by the dazzling performances of two freshman, Larry Davis and Eugene Harvey, who both recorded their first career double-doubles. Davis picked up career-highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Harvey scored 14 points and added a career-high 11 assists. Brian Laing and Jamar Nutter both added 18 points in the victory. The Pirates shot 49.2 percent from the floor for the game and even more notably, hit 26-of-30 free throws. DON’T CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM Freshman Larry Davis had a coming out party vs. Penn on Dec. 23. He scored 27 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. The 27 points matches Eugene Harvey’s 27-point performance vs. Penn State on Dec. 9 as the highest individual point total for a Seton Hall player this year and the highest by a freshman since John Allen scored 31 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 31, 2001. Davis also added 10 rebounds for his first career double-double and a game-high three blocks. Davis’ previous career-highs were 11 points and six rebounds. THE B.Y.U. HOLIDAY CLASSIC Seton Hall will play three games as part of the BYU Holiday Classic, Dec. 28-30, in Provo, Utah. The Pirates will face Oral Roberts for the first time in the program’s history on Thursday, December 28 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Oral Roberts enters the event with a 5-6 record, having lost three of their last four. On Friday, December 29, Seton Hall will square off against Liberty at 7:00 p.m. EST. The Pirates own a 2-0 all-time record against the Flames having last defeated them, 82-45, at Continental Airlines Arena in 2005. Seton Hall will play the host, Brigham Young, on Saturday, December 30 to conclude the event. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 EST. The Pirates are 1-1 all-time against BYU. They defeated the Cougars, 82-80 on Dec. 29, 1958 and lost to them on March 15, 1951. Both games were on a neutral floor. TAKING ADVANTAGE AT THE LINE Seton Hall ranks third in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage, shooting at a 73.8 percent clip. Against Penn, the Pirates made 26-of-30 free throws for a season-high 86.7 percent for the game. Senior Stan Gaines leads Seton Hall in the category, making 23-of-27 free throw attempts for a percentage of 85.2 - good for 10th in the BIG EAST. Junior Jamar Nutter is 25-for-31, which ranks him 15th in the conference. B.Y.U. CLASSIC TIME CHANGES Please be advised of the new starting times for the three Seton Hall games at the B.Y.U. Classic in Provo, Utah, Dec. 28-30. Seton Hall will face Oral Roberts on Thursday, December 28 at 7:00 p.m. EST. They will play Liberty on Friday, December 29 also at 7:00 p.m. EST. Finally, the Pirates will face Brigham Young on Saturday, December 30 at 9:30 p.m. EST. ANOTHER EARLY ACHIEVEMENT Freshman Eugene Harvey added another achievement to what has been an impressive freshman season thus far. Against Penn, he recorded his first career double-double, with 14 points and a career-high 11 assists. Currently, he leads the Pirates with 15.8 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. Harvey has already been named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week twice and scored a career-high 27 points in a come-from-behind victory over Penn State on Dec. 9. A starter in all nine games this season, he has scored in double-figures in eight of the team’s nine games, including seven straight. He scored a team-high 20 points in his first road game as the Pirates soundly defeated Morgan State, 83-63. Against St. Mary’s, he scored 18 points, picked up a career-high seven rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded four steals. FLY’IN BRIAN Junior Brian Laing is enjoying his best collegiate season. His 14.8 points per game rank him second on the team and 17th in the BIG EAST and his 6.8 rebounds per game lead the Pirates and ranks him 16th in the conference. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Laing recorded career-highs with 25 points and nine rebounds in nearly 40 minutes of action. He also has two double-doubles this season. For his efforts, he was named to the BIG EAST Conference Weekly Honor Roll for the week of 11/13-11/19. DOUBLE YOUR FUN The Pirates have recorded four double-doubles so far this season, two of which came against Penn. Junior Brian Laing has picked up two this season, while freshmen Eugene Harvey and Larry Davis recorded their first career double-doubles against the Quakers. PIRATES vs. THE MCC Seton Hall has very limited experience playing teams from the Mid-Continent Conference. Thursday, Oral Roberts will be only the second team from the MCC that the Pirates have faced in the program’s history. The only team they have played is Valparaiso, of which they have a 1-1 record against. Seton Hall defeated Valpo, 81-61, at home, on March 2, 1950. The Pirates lost to Valpo on a neutral floor, 64-54, on Nov. 8, 1998. HEAD COACH BOBBYGONZALEZ Career Record: 136-79 At Seton Hall: 7-2 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).. MEN OF STEAL Through eight nine this season, the Pirates have enjoyed the fruits of their relentless full-court press, picking up 113 steals as a team. Their average of 12.6 steals per game leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks among the national leaders. Sophomore Paul Gause has led the Pirate charge in this category. He recorded a career-high five steals at Morgan State and tied his new mark with five more vs. St. Peter’s. Then, against St. Mary’s he re-recorded his career-high and tied the Seton Hall single-game record with eight steals. He chipped in six vs. Penn State and five more vs. Virginia Tech. As a result, Gause leads the BIG EAST and ranks among the national leaders with a 4.00 steals per game average. Freshman Eugene Harvey is fourth in the conference with 2.33 steals per game. NO PAUSE IN GAUSE Sophomore sparkplug Paul Gause has made three starts this season, but has shined in coming off the bench this season. In a tremendous performance against St. Mary’s, Gause scored a career-high 21 points in 33 minutes of action and picked up eight steals, tying the Seton Hall single-game mark for steals held by former Pirate Levell Sanders. More recently, Gause hit three clutch three-pointers down the stretch to help the Pirates defeat Penn State. He also added a game-high six steals in the game. At Morgan State, Gause contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and set a previous career-high with five steals. He had five more in a loss vs. Virginia Tech. GAINING RECOGNITION Senior Stan Gaines has stepped up his game in 2006-07 and is making major contributions. He has started all nine games and is averaging 8.3 points and a team second-best 4.7 rebounds per game. Gaines has scored in double-figures in five of the team’s nine games and is contibuted 12 points and a season-high seven rebounds against Virginia Tech. Cool and calm on the free throw line, Gaines has connected on 23-of-27 shots, an 85.2 percentile that leads the team and ranks him 10th in the BIG EAST. He also leads the Pirates with 1.0 blocks per game. MORTON TO ENTER ANOTHER HALL Former Seton Hall great, John Morton will be inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Fame on Sunday, January 28 at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Pirates jersey, Morton ranks 11th all-time at Seton Hall with 1,621 career points and was instrumental in guiding the team to the national championship game in 1989. He is currently an assistant coach at St. Peters College. 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. Billmeier scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds in 25 minutes vs. Monmouth and had nine points and a season-high seven rebounds vs. Penn State. 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. 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 the University of 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. SCORING EASILY The Pirates again saw an offensive explosion in scoring 94 points against Penn. Despite scoring only 61 points vs. Virginia Tech the game prior, the Pirates have had no difficulty scoring points so far this season. In nine games, the Pirates are averaging 80.6 points per game which ranks them fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense. They have topped 90 points three times and 80 points six times. Seton Hall has four players averaging in double-figures and a fifth (Gaines) inching closer to that group with 8.3 points per game. 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. 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. PIRATES IN THE NBA Four former Seton Hall players are now playing in the NBA - Andre Barrett and Adrian Griffin (Chicago Bulls), Sam Dalembert (Philadelphia 76ers) and Eddie Griffin (Minnesota Timberwolves). Barrett, Dalembert and Eddie Griffin all played on the same Seton Hall team in 2000. 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. 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 BYU Classic - Provo, Utah Opponents ORAL ROBERTS, Thursday, December 28 LIBERTY, Friday, December 29 BRIGHAM YOUNG, Saturday, December 30 SETON HALL VS. LIBERTY Friday, December 29, 2006 7:00 p.m. EST Marriott Center Provo, Utah TV: None; Radio: 1050 AM ESPN Radio / WSOU 89.5 FM Seton Hall vs. Liberty: SHU, 2-0 NOTEBOOK: In Seton Hall’s second game of the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic, the Pirates will take on Liberty on Dec. 29. The Pirates have won both games all-time against the Flames, defeating them 65-47 on a neutral floor in 2003 and beating them soundly, 82-45 at Continental Airlines Arena in 2005. Liberty has three players averaging in double-figure scoring with Larry Blair leading the way with a 19.1 average. 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. 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. * 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).
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).. MEN OF STEAL Through eight nine this season, the Pirates have enjoyed the fruits of their relentless full-court press, picking up 113 steals as a team. Their average of 12.6 steals per game leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks among the national leaders. Sophomore Paul Gause has led the Pirate charge in this category. He recorded a career-high five steals at Morgan State and tied his new mark with five more vs. St. Peter’s. Then, against St. Mary’s he re-recorded his career-high and tied the Seton Hall single-game record with eight steals. He chipped in six vs. Penn State and five more vs. Virginia Tech. As a result, Gause leads the BIG EAST and ranks among the national leaders with a 4.00 steals per game average. Freshman Eugene Harvey is fourth in the conference with 2.33 steals per game. NO PAUSE IN GAUSE Sophomore sparkplug Paul Gause has made three starts this season, but has shined in coming off the bench this season. In a tremendous performance against St. Mary’s, Gause scored a career-high 21 points in 33 minutes of action and picked up eight steals, tying the Seton Hall single-game mark for steals held by former Pirate Levell Sanders. More recently, Gause hit three clutch three-pointers down the stretch to help the Pirates defeat Penn State. He also added a game-high six steals in the game. At Morgan State, Gause contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and set a previous career-high with five steals. He had five more in a loss vs. Virginia Tech. GAINING RECOGNITION Senior Stan Gaines has stepped up his game in 2006-07 and is making major contributions. He has started all nine games and is averaging 8.3 points and a team second-best 4.7 rebounds per game. Gaines has scored in double-figures in five of the team’s nine games and is contibuted 12 points and a season-high seven rebounds against Virginia Tech. Cool and calm on the free throw line, Gaines has connected on 23-of-27 shots, an 85.2 percentile that leads the team and ranks him 10th in the BIG EAST. He also leads the Pirates with 1.0 blocks per game. MORTON TO ENTER ANOTHER HALL Former Seton Hall great, John Morton will be inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writer’s Association Hall of Fame on Sunday, January 28 at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Pirates jersey, Morton ranks 11th all-time at Seton Hall with 1,621 career points and was instrumental in guiding the team to the national championship game in 1989. He is currently an assistant coach at St. Peters College. 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. Billmeier scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds in 25 minutes vs. Monmouth and had nine points and a season-high seven rebounds vs. Penn State. 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. 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 the University of 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. SCORING EASILY The Pirates again saw an offensive explosion in scoring 94 points against Penn. Despite scoring only 61 points vs. Virginia Tech the game prior, the Pirates have had no difficulty scoring points so far this season. In nine games, the Pirates are averaging 80.6 points per game which ranks them fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring offense. They have topped 90 points three times and 80 points six times. Seton Hall has four players averaging in double-figures and a fifth (Gaines) inching closer to that group with 8.3 points per game. 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. 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. PIRATES IN THE NBA Four former Seton Hall players are now playing in the NBA - Andre Barrett and Adrian Griffin (Chicago Bulls), Sam Dalembert (Philadelphia 76ers) and Eddie Griffin (Minnesota Timberwolves). Barrett, Dalembert and Eddie Griffin all played on the same Seton Hall team in 2000. 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. 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 BYU Classic - Provo, Utah Opponents ORAL ROBERTS, Thursday, December 28 LIBERTY, Friday, December 29 BRIGHAM YOUNG, Saturday, December 30 SETON HALL VS. LIBERTY Friday, December 29, 2006 7:00 p.m. EST Marriott Center Provo, Utah TV: None; Radio: 1050 AM ESPN Radio / WSOU 89.5 FM Seton Hall vs. Liberty: SHU, 2-0 NOTEBOOK: In Seton Hall’s second game of the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic, the Pirates will take on Liberty on Dec. 29. The Pirates have won both games all-time against the Flames, defeating them 65-47 on a neutral floor in 2003 and beating them soundly, 82-45 at Continental Airlines Arena in 2005. Liberty has three players averaging in double-figure scoring with Larry Blair leading the way with a 19.1 average. 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. 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. * 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).
Seton Hall Softball vs. Iona (Game 2)
Wednesday, April 29
Seton Hall Softball vs. Iona (Game 1)
Wednesday, April 29
Seton Hall Pirates Live Stream
Thursday, April 23
2026 Seton Hall Giving Day is Here!
Tuesday, April 21
