Men's Basketball Set for Penn State Saturday
12/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SETON HALL (5-1) vs. PENN STATE (6-2)
Saturday, December 9, 2006 - 1:00 p.m.
Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutherford, N.J.
THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall has never beaten Penn State in four prior meetings. The Pirates enter the game winners of four straight at 5-1. Penn State is 6-2 and has won two in a row.
TV: The game will be broacast by YES with Dave Sims providing the play-by-play and Jim Spanarkel as the analyst.
RADIO: The game will be broadcast by WABC 770 AM 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 PENN STATE
Penn State enters Saturday’s game with Seton Hall with a 6-2 record, winners of two straight. On Wednesday they edged Hartford, 56-55 in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions are led by reigning BIG TEN Rookie of the Year, Jamelle Cornley, who is averaging a team-high 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. An All-Conference performer, Geary Claxton, has been slow in rebounding from an injury, but ranks second on the team with 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Danny Morrissey is a third Nittany Lion averaging in double-figures in scoring with 11.1 points per game. As a team, Penn State has out-rebounded it’s opponents by a 35.4-28.3 margin, but has turned the ball over more, 14.6-15.8.
SETON HALL-PENN STATE SERIES
Seton Hall and Penn State will meet for the fifth time, with the Nittany Lions having won every game in the series, 4-0. The last time they played, Penn State won, 71-57, in Happy Valley in 1973. This is the third time the Pirates have hosted, but the first time at Continental Airlines Arena.
A MONMOUTH MASHING
Seton Hall ran their current win streak to four games with an 83-49 victory over Monmouth on Monday. The Pirates jumped out to a 43-24 halftime lead and ran the margin to as high as 41 points in the second half. Four Pirates scored in double-figures and all 10 players logged at least 12 minutes of playing time. Seton Hall was led by junior Brian Laing who scored a game-high 17 points and picked up four steals. Freshman Eugene Harvey, fresh off being named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, scored 14 points in only 17 minutes of action. Both Grant Billmeier (11 points) and Stan Gaines (10 points) also scored in double-figures. Billmeier also logged a season-high six rebounds. The Pirates shot 51.6 percent from the floor for the game while limiting the Hawks to under 38 percent. Seton Hall also out-rebounded Monmouth, 37-26.
THE COMMON OPPONENT
Seton Hall and Penn State have had one common opponent so far this season...Morgan State. On Dec. 12, Penn State defeated the Bears, 80-71 in Happy Valley. Sophomore Jamelle Cornley led the team with 18 points. The Nittany Lions out-rebounded Morgan State, 39-30, but were out-shot, 43.3 percent to 46.6 percent. The Pirates beat Morgan State, 83-63, in Baltimore on Nov. 25. Freshman Eugene Harvey led Seton Hall with a career-high 20 points. The Pirates out-rebounded the Bears, 36-32, and had their best shooting performance of the season with 54.5 percent to Morgan State’s 38.2 percent.
#2 BECOMES #99
With 15 points against St. Peters, junior Jamar Nutter surpassed the 500-point mark for his career. Nutter is the 99th Pirate in the program’s history to surpass the milestone. He currently has 545 points. Junior Brian Laing has the second-most career points among active players with 337.
MEN OF STEAL
Through six games this season, the Pirates have enjoyed the fruits of their relentless full-court press, picking up 80 steals as a team. Their average of 13.3 steals per game leads the BIG EAST Conference. Sophomore Paul Gause has led the Pirate charge in this category. He recorded a career-high five steals at Morgan State and then 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. As a result, Gause ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 3.83 steals per game average. Freshman Eugene Harvey is tied for fourth in the conference with 2.50 steals per game.
NO PAUSE IN GAUSE
Sophomore sparkplug Paul Gause has made two starts this season, but has shined in coming off the bench the last two games. 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. Against St. Peter’s, Gause hit three clutch three-pointers and finished with 12 points. He also added three rebounds and tied his career-high with five steals in 18 minutes of action. At Morgan State, Gause contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and set a career-high with five steals. In six games, he has been a key component to the Pirate’s trapping defense.
SCORING EASILY
The Pirates have had no difficulty scoring points so far this season. In six games, the Pirates are averaging 83.5 points per game Which ranks them second in the BIG EAST in scoring offense, behind only Notre Dame (86.2). Seton Hall has four players averaging in double-figures. Additionally, they have held their opponents to only 63.7 points per game for a 19.8 scoring margin, which ranks them third in the BIG EAST behind only Pittsburgh and UConn.
PIRATES vs. THE BIG TEN
Seton Hall has not faired well against the current teams of the BIG TEN Conference. The Pirates have a 6-26 all-time record against the conference and don’t have a winning record against any of the 11 teams. Seton Hall has never beaten six teams: Illinois (0-3), Iowa (0-1), Michigan State (0-3), Penn State (0-4), Purdue (0-3) and Michigan (0-2), which includes an 80-79 overtime loss in the 1989 National Championship game. The Pirates have never played Wisconsin. Seton Hall dropped their last game against a BIG TEN opponent when they were edged by Northwestern, 44-42, last season.
HEAD COACH
BOBBY
GONZALEZ
Career Record: 134-78
At Seton Hall: 5-1
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).
BIG EAST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman Eugene Harvey was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for the week of Nov.27-Dec.3. A starter in all six games this season, he is averaging 13.8 points per game and a team-high 4.8 assists per game. Against Monmouth he scored a team second-best 14 points in only 17 minutes of action. He scored a team-high 20 points in his first road game as the Pirates soundly defeated Morgan State, 83-63. Harvey followed that performance with a 15-point, six-rebound, six-assist, four-steal showing in an 80-60 victory over St. Peter’s. With another all-around great game vs. St. Mary’s, he scored 18 points, picked up a career-high seven rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded four steals. Harvey is averaging 4.83 assists per game, which ties him for 10th in the BIG EAST.
FLY’IN BRIAN
Poised for a major breakout season, Brian Laing has not disappointed in the season’s first six games. His 16.3 points per game rank him ninth in the BIG EAST and his 6.3 rebounds per game rank him 18th. 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 with 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. The junior forward has scored in double-figures in five-of-six games this 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.
SETON HALL AT THE ARENA
Seton Hall is 197-94 all-time at Continental Airlines Arena and 4-1 this season. The Pirates were 13-4 at home last season, and 48-16 over the last four years. The Pirates’ first full-season in the arena was 1985-86 when the team played seven games there. The first Seton Hall game was December 4, 1981, an 87-85 overtime victory over Houston.
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.
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.
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.
A NEW MARSHALL IN TOWN
Senior Carl Marshall is thriving in his role as a backup guard for the Pirates this season. On Dec. 4 vs. Monmouth, he scored a season-high nine points and dished out a pair of assists in 23 key minutes off the bench. The 23 minutes was only two off of his career high. Marshall scored eight points in only 10 minutes at Morgan State on Nov. 25. Marshall’s experience as a senior and steady ball-handling has given the Pirates a reliable and somewhat calming backup point guard to freshman Eugene Harvey.
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
Aeropostale Classic
SETON HALL
VS
VIRGINIA TECH
Thursday, December 21, 2006 6:30 p.m.
Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y.
TV: ESPNU; Radio: WQEW 1560 AM/WSOU 89.5 FM
Seton Hall vs. Virginia Tech: 3-0 all-time
NOTEBOOK: The Pirates will face Virginia Tech for the fourth time in the program’s history on Thursday, December 21. Seton Hall has never lost to Virginia Tech in three meetings, with one having been played at Seton Hall, one at Virginia Tech and one on a neutral court. In their last meeting, the Pirates defeated the Hokies, 83-76, at Continental Airlines Arena in 2004.
Virginia Tech is playing in their third season as a member of the ACC and returns all five starters from a team that went 14-16 last season. Last year, they had four players average in double-figure scoring, led by Zabien Dowdell (15.3 ppg) and Coleman Collins (14.5 ppg.). Through eight games in 2006-07, Dowdell pick up right where he left off last season owning a 15.5 points per game scoring 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 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.
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).
