Men's Basketball To Host Princeton Monday
1/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SETON HALL (11-9) vs. PRINCETON (9-6)
Monday, January 29, 2007 - 7:30 p.m.
Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutherford, N.J.
THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall and Princeton will face each other for only the 12th time in the history of the matchup. The Pirates are coming off a 74-70 double-overtime loss to Rutgers on Saturday, which dropped their BIG EAST record to 3-5. The Tigers have been off since January 13, a 55-35 loss to Cornell, and have lost their last two.
TV: None
RADIO: The game will be broadcast by WQEW 1560 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 for a live video and audio stream of of the Princeton game on www.shupirates.com
BIG EAST CONFERENCE: www.bigeast.org
SCOUTING PRINCETON
Princeton enters this non-conference matchup with an overall record of 9-6, having lost their last two games. Due to exams, the Tigers haven’t played since January 13. Despite a positive record, Princeton has no players averaging in double-digit scoring. They are led by junior Kyle Koncz who is averaging 9.6 points per game. The Tigers are only averaging 52.6 points per game, but lead the nation in fewest points allowed per game with 50.5. Although Princeton (43.0%) and Seton Hall (42.3%) are shooting similiarly from the floor, the Tigers are averaging only 41 field goal attempts this season while the Pirates are averaging more than 63. Princeton is averaging 22.8 rebounds per game
SETON HALL - PRINCETON SERIES
Seton Hall owns an 8-3 all-time series lead over Priinceton, but the two teams haven’t faced each other since a 64-46 Seton Hall victory on Dec. 22, 1988. The Pirates have won seven of their last eight games against Princeton and have never lost while hosting at Continental Airlines Arena.
HALL DROPS 2OT THRILLER
Despite a valiant effort for 50 minutes, Seton Hall lost to Rutgers in double-overtime, 74-70 at the RAC on Saturday. The first half was rather lackluster for both teams as they were tied at 25 at halftime, but both picked up the pace after the break. There were 20 lead changes and 13 ties in the game. The Pirates were led by freshman Eugene Harvey who scored a game-high 19 points, while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists. Sophomore Paul Gause, making just his fourth start of the season, chipped in 18 points, six rebounds and was a major catalyst for the Pirates in the extra frames. It was the first double-overtime game Seton Hall had played since a victory over Pittsburgh in the 2003-04 season.
GAUSE WITH A CAUSE
Sophomore Paul Gause has excelled as the Pirates’ sparkplug this season and his performance at Rutgers was no exception.
Making only his fourth start of the season, Gause scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and provided the stout defense that has become his trademark when the team needed it most. He scored eight of his 18 points in the two overtime sessions and made two huge defensive plays. With Rutgers leading by one with the ball, Gause took a charge with only 16 seconds remaining in the first overtime which led to a free throw by Brian Laing to force a second overtime. Then, in the opening moments of the second overtime, Gause stole the ball at the top of the key and converted a three-point play on the other end.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Pirates are returning home for the next three games. Monday they host non-conference Princeton, Saturday, Feb. 3 they’ll host West Virginia and on Saturday, Feb. 10, they’ll host Villanova. Seton Hall is 9-2 at Continental Airlines Arena this season.
MORTON ENTERS ANOTHER HALL
Former Seton Hall great, John Morton was 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.
TOP BIG EAST ROOKIE
No freshman’s impact has been greater than that of Eugene Harvey through his career’s first 20 games. His 15.8 points and 4.7 assists per game lead all BIG EAST rookies and only Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody has matched Harvey’s three BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors. He has started all 20 games this season and scored a career-high 27 points in a come-from-behind victory over Penn State on Dec. 9. Harvey has scored in double-figures in 18-of-20 games. In his first BIG EAST game, he scored 21 points, including four clutch free throws with under 20 seconds remaining to seal a victory over rival Rutgers. He had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a tremendous all-round game vs. St. John’s. Harvey also ranks fourth in the conference for averaging 35.50 minutes per game.
BILLMEIER OUT FOR SEASON
Senior Grant Billmeier will miss the remainder of the 2006-07 season due to an injury to his left knee in the first two minutes of the game vs. Providence. Billmeier tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). A two-year team captain, he started 14-of-17 games this season and helded guide the Pirates to two NCAA appearances including a thrilling victory over Arizona in the 2004 event.
CONTRIBUTING IMMEDIATELY
After missing nearly a year and a half, it is a wonder how red shirt freshman John Garcia has been able to contribute on a high level so soon. He made his triumphant return vs. Providence and scored six points and tied his career-high with three rebounds in nine minutes. Overall, he has averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game since his return and has started in the last two games. He has also blocked five shots and make four steals.
PIRATES vs. THE IVY LEAGUE
Seton Hall has an all-time record of 31-20 against current teams of the Ivy League. Since a 61-59 loss at Princeton in 1987, the Pirates have gone 7-0 against Ivy teams. Most recently, Seton Hall defeated Pennsylvania earlier this season, 94-85, on Dec. 23 at Continental Airlines Arena. The Pirates own a winning record over six of the league’s eight teams. This marks the first time that Seton Hall has played more than one Ivy League team in the same season since they beat Columbia, Princeton and Brown during the 1986-87 campaign.
HEAD COACH
BOBBY GONZALEZ
Career Record: 140-86
At Seton Hall: 11-9
BIG EAST Record: 3-5
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).
SETON HALL AT CAA
To date, Seton Hall is 9-2 at Continental Airlines Arena this season. With the victory over Penn on Dec. 23, Seton Hall reached the 200-win mark at Continental Airlines Arena. The Pirates are now 203-95 all-time at the arena. They 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.
A CAREER YEAR
Junior Brian Laing is enjoying a breakout campaign. He has twice been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and currently ranks seventh in the conference in scoring with 16.4 points per game. Laing has led the Pirates in scoring in 12 of the team’s 20 games. Laing was also named to the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. Most recently, he scored nine points at Rutgers, which snapped a streak of 11 consecutive games in which he scored in double-figures, but grabbed six rebounds, picked up three steals and tied a career-high with three blocks.
MEN OF STEAL
Through 20 games this season, the Pirates have enjoyed the fruits of their relentless full-court press, picking up 218 steals as a team. They recorded 15 steals a piece in their final two games at the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic. Their average of 10.9 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 and Liberty. As a result, Gause leads the BIG EAST lead and ranks among the national leaders with 3.25 steals per game, freshman Eugene Harvey is 11th in the conference with 1.80 steals per game and junior Brian Laing is 14th with 1.70 per game.
GAINING RECOGNITION
Senior Stan Gaines has stepped up his game in 2006-07 and is making major contributions. An imporant cog of the front court, his reputation as a strong defensive player leads him to often guard the opposing team’s best player. He has started 17-of-20 games this season and is averaging 6.3 points and a team second-best 4.4 rebounds per game. Cool and calm on the free throw line, Gaines has connected on 39-of-47 shots, an 83.0 percentile that ranks second on the team. He also leads the team with 0.9 blocks per game.
SEEING 20/20
Five Pirates have scored at least 20 points this season, and the mark has been reached 12 times. Junior Brian Laing leads the team with five 20-point games, freshman Eugene Harvey has had three, junior Jamar Nutter has had two and freshman Larry Davis and sophomore Paul Gause have both had one each. Against Rutgers, Laing and Harvey topped 20-point mark. Laing nearly bested the mark again with 19 points vs. Georgetown. Both members of that scoring tandem are among the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in scoring. Laing is averaging 16.4 points per game, while Harvey is averaging 15.8.
DOUBLE YOUR FUN
The Pirates have recorded six double-doubles this season. Brian Laing picked up his third and fourth double-doubles of the season against Oral Roberts and Liberty in the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic. Laing’s first career double-double came with a 25-point, 12-rebound performance vs. FDU. Remarkably, Laing has been one rebound shy of a double-double five times this season. Two Pirates, freshmen Eugene Harvey and Larry Davis, both recorded their first career double-doubles in a win over Pennsylvania on Dec. 23. Harvey had 14 points and 11 assists. Davis had career-highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds.
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.
LAING LIKES UTAH
Junior Brian Laing has clearly found a second home...Utah. In three games at the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Laing led the Pirates in scoring in all three games and added career double-doubles #3 and #4. For his efforts, Laing was named to the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. BYU’s Keena Young was named the tournament’s M.V.P.
HARVEY, DAVIS LOVE PA TEAMS
The highest scoring output by a Seton Hall player this season was 27 points accomplished by a pair of freshmen against Pennsylvania teams. Eugene Harvey scored his career-high 27 points against Penn State on Dec. 9. He played all 40 minutes and also pulled down five rebounds. Larry Davis matched Harvey with 27 against Penn on Dec. 23. He also added 10 rebounds for his first double-double. The totals are the highest individual point totals for a Seton Hall freshman since John Allen scored 31 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 31, 2001.
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.
LIVE AUDIO STREAM
Go to www.shupirates.com to hear a live web audio stream of all Seton Hall men’s basketball games this season. Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will bring you all the action.
#14 BECOMES 100th TO 500
At Notre Dame, junior Brian Laing became the 100th player in Seton Hall history to record 500 career points. He now has 566 and is tied for 84th place on the all-time points list. Teammate Jamar Nutter passed the same milestone earlier this season and currently has 712 points for 63th all-time.
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 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.
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.
LOOKING AHEAD
SETON HALL vs. WEST VIRGINIA
Saturday, February 3, 2007 Noon
Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: None
Radio: WABC 770 AM / WSOU 89.5 FM
Seton Hall vs. West Virginia: SHU, 11-9
NOTEBOOK: Seton Hall will host West Virginia on Saturday, February 3. The Pirates have won the last four games they’ve hosted in this series including a 71-64 victory in their last meeting at Continental Airlines Arena. This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Seton Hall will head to Morgantown exactly two weeks later, Feb. 17.
West Virginia has enjoyed an outstanding season thus far. Entering Sunday’s game against DePaul, the Mountaineers have a 15-4 overall record with a 4-3 mark in BIG EAST conference play. They are led by Frank Young who is averaging 14.8 points per game. One of the better defensive teams in the league, they are holding opponents to only 56.6 ppg.
