PIRATES READY TO ROCK!

SETON HALL vs. MONMOUTH

Sunday, November 11, 2007 1:00 p.m.

Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

 

THE MATCHUP: Seton Hall will take on in-state rival Monmouth in the 2007-08 in the Pirates’ season-opener.  The contest also marks the first basketball game in the new Prudential Center.  The pregame festive atmosphere will feature two high school bands, face-painters, stilt-walkers and ballon animal artists.  Several Seton Hall basketball alumni will also be available for photos and autographs.

TV:  The game will be shown on SNY as part of the ESPN Regional package.  Scott Graham  (play-by-play) and Jim Spanarkel (analyst) will call the game. 

 

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 for a live audio stream of all games on www.shupirates.com

BIG EAST CONFERENCE: www.bigeast.org

SCOUTING MONMOUTH

Predicted to finish 10th out of 11 teams in the preseason Northeast Conference poll, following a 12-18 season, Monmouth enters their matchup with Seton Hall with a very young team.  The Hawks return just two starters from a year ago who combined for only 37.5% of their team’s scoring.  Returning are junior guard Whitney Coleman and last season’s NEC Rookie of the Year, Jhamar Youngblood.  Youngblood finished second on the team in 2006-07 in scoring with 12.3 points per game and led the team in steals.  Coleman started all 30 games and averaged 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. In their season-opener, Monmouth lost at Colgate, 63-60.  Youngblood scored 20, while Colman had 17 in the losing effort.

SETON HALL - MONMOUTH SERIES

Seton Hall and Monmouth will meet for the ninth time in the history of the matchup.  The Pirates have never lost to the Hawks and earned their most-lopsided victory in the series last season with an 83-49 victory on Dec. 4. 

PIRATES READY TO ROCK

For the first time in 26 years the Seton Hall men’s basketball team will call a new arena it’s home, Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.  This spectacular, state-of-the-art venue has the capability to hold 18,500 fans for basketball games, but with the newest curtaining technology, will limit the Seton Hall faithful to seating on the lower level only and a capacity of approximately 9,000.  Prudential Center contains 750 television monitors, a 4,800 square-foot, state-of-the-art exterior LED screen and a gourmet restaurant overlooking the event floor as well as an array of fan amenities and conveniences, including the richly appointed Fire and Ice Lounges.

WHAT AN ATMOSPHERE!

The doors to the Prudential Center will open at 11:30 on Sunday to a carnival-like atmosphere.  Two bands will be playing, one indoors and one outdoors, while fans arrive.  Seton Hall will feature an array of face-painters, balloon animal-makers and Pirate stilt-walkers.  Also in attendance on the concourse will be several Seton Hall basketball alumni ready to sign autographs and take photos.  The Newark Museum, NJPAC and City of Newark will have a presence on the concourse.  White Castle, a sponsor of the Pirates, is celebrating the first game at Prudential Center in a big way.  White Castle is cooking up 1,500 burgers to be delivered to the 12 bus loads of students who will be attending the first game.  This is the third season that White Castle will be a sponsor of Seton Hall basketball.  Seton Hall is once again teaming up with White Castle for a great family package.  For selected games, White Castle is offer the Pirate Party Pack which features four tickets, four White Castle meals and a Pirate basketball with packages starting at just $65.00.

PRE-GAME AND HALFTIME CEREMONIES

Be sure to get to Prudential Center early on Sunday as there will be a special pre-game ceremony featuring several University as well as city and state officials.  At halftime, dozens of Seton Hall basketball alumni will be recognized on the court.

OPENING THE SEASON

Seton Hall is 51-5 in season-openers since the 1959-60 season.  The Pirates defeated Caldwell College last season, 91-52, in last season’s opener at Continental Airlines Arena.

SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE

Seton Hall features a team with six returning players and six talented newcomers.  Freshmen Mike Davis, Michael Glover, Jeremy Hazell and Brandon Walters join junior Augustine Okosun and sophomore transfer Robert Mitchell to form Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez’ second straight impact recruiting class.

FRONTCOURT ADDRESSED

One of the Pirates weaknesses in the 2006-07 season was a lack of height in the frontcourt.  The additions of 6-11 Mike Davis, 6-11 Augustine Okosun, 6-9 Brandon Walters and 6-6 Michael Glover immediately fortify the interior.  The Pirates are also looking forward to a full season of a health for 6-9 John Garcia.  What was a weakness for Seton Hall last season may become a strength this year.

HEAD COACH BOBBY GONZALEZ

Career Record: 142-93

At Seton Hall: 13-16

BIG EAST Record: 4-12

An intense competitor, outstanding game coach and tireless recruiter, head coach Bobby Gonzalez enters his second season at Seton Hall.

Predicted to finish 15th in the grueling BIG EAST Conference, Gonzalez guided the Pirates to a near .500 record at 13-16 overall and a 13th place conference finish in his first season at the helm.  A young and talented team, Seton Hall showed glimpses of a very promising future in South Orange thanks in large part to Gonzalez’ recruiting.

He was named the 18th head coach in Seton Hall basketball history on April 7, 2006, ushering in a new, exciting era of Pirate hoops.  In no time, Gonzalez has put his stamp on the program, triggering a high level of excitement around Seton Hall due to his tireless work ethic and boundless energy.  He brought a forward-thinking, optimistic and take-charge attitude to South Orange and made an immediate mark on the recruiting trail, reeling in freshman standouts Eugene Harvey and Larry Davis.

Gonzalez, 44, came to Seton Hall 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.

Manhattan went 20-11 in 2004-05 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 enjoyed international success when he served as an assistant coach for the Gold Medal-winning, 22 and under United States team of the World University Games held in Turkey in 2005.

“Bobby Gonzalez is the key leader of Seton Hall’s bold new plan for our men’s basketball program,” said Monsignor Robert Sheeran, Seton Hall University President, on the day of his hiring.  “Bobby is a high-energy leader whose good spirit and drive are infectious.  He is the right coach for this special moment. Seton Hall basketball has an outstanding historyand I am confident Bobby Gonzalez’s tenure will be an exciting chapter in our unfolding story.”

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’s first overall winning season came in his third year, 2001-02, when the Jaspers finished 20-9 overall and 12-6 in the MAAC while advancing to the NIT.  Manhattan was 14-15 in Gonzalez’s second season but boasted an 11-7 record in league play.  In 1999-00, Gonzalez inherited a last-place team and led Manhattan to a record of 12-15 and 9-9 in the conference.

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).

Active off the court, Gonzalez is a member of the NCAA Ethics Committee and regularly serves as a radio and TV baskeball analyst.  In 2007, he provided expert insight on NBA TV for the NBA Draft.

Gonzalez graduated from Buffalo State College in 1986 with a degree in communications.

PRESEASON BIG EAST PREDICTIONS

Seton Hall was predicted to finish 13th in the 16-team BIG EAST Conference.  Last season, the Pirates were predicted to finish 15th and they ended up placing 13th.  Georgetown and Louisville are the co-favorites to win the regular-season title in the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll.  The two teams tied for first place in the balloting with 217 points.  Seton Hall was selected to finish 13th with 56 points.  Georgetown senior Roy Hibbert, a unanimous selection to last season’s All-BIG EAST First Team, was been named the 2007-08 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head men’s basketball coaches.  Syracuse freshmen Jonny Flynn and Donte’ Greene were selected BIG EAST Co-Rookies of the Year.  Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

CHANGES COMING TO THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

The Presidents of the BIG EAST Conference voted to include all 16 member institutions in the men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments beginning in 2009.  The Presidents took this action at their annual meeting, which was held Nov. 6 in Philadelphia, Pa.  Currently, the top 12 teams in the final regular-season standings advance to participate in the men’s and women’s championships.  The men’s championship is held in New York City at Madison Square Garden.  The women’s championship is held in Hartford, Conn., at the Hartford Civic Center.  The new format will have the teams seeded 9 through 16 meet on the first day of competition.  The matchups will be No. 9 vs. No. 16, No. 10 vs. No. 15, No. 11 vs. No. 14 and No. 12 vs. No. 13.  The winners of those four games will meet seeds 5 through 8 on the second day of play.  The 9/16 winner will advance to play the No. 8 seed.  The 10/15 winner will play the No. 7 seed.  The 11/14 winner will meet the No. 6 seed.  The 12/13 winner will play the No. 5 seed.  Those four winners will advance to play the top four seeds in the quarterfinal round.  Thus, the top four seeded teams still will not play until the quarterfinals, which occurs in the current 12-team format.

2007-08 CAPTAINS TRIO

For the second straight season, head coach Bobby Gonzalez has appointed three captains for the season.  Senior Brian Laing will captain the team for the second consecutive year, while senior Jamar Nutter and junior Paul Gause join him to make the trifecta.

PIRATES ADD ADUBATO; PROMOTE VALCARCEL

Scott Adubato is the Pirates’ newest assistant coach.  Adubato most recently served as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and replaces former Seton Hall assistant, Geoff Billet, who left in August.  Adubato spent parts of two years on head coach Mike Fratello’s coaching staff after serving the previous five seasons with the Grizzlies as a scout.  Prior to joining the Grizzlies, he served as an advance scout for the New York Liberty of the WNBA, working with his father, head coach Richie Adubato.  His coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Trojans of the USBL (1999-2000), the San Diego Stingrays of the International Basketball League (1999), Georgia State University (1997-1999), Collin County Community College (1993-1995), the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (1993-1994) and Old Dominion University (1990-1991).  Elvis Valcarcel was promoted to administrative assistant.  This season will be Valcarcel’s second with Seton Hall as he spent last season as the team’s video coordinator.  Valcarcel replaces former Pirate great Shaheen Holloway who accepted an assistant coach position at Iona College.

TV SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Twenty-one of the Pirates’ 31 scheduled regular season games will be televised either nationally or regionally this season.  Seton Hall will get the nation’s attention five times with two broadcasts on ESPN2 (at Providence Jan. 24, Syracuse March 5), two on ESPNU (N.C. State Dec. 27, at Villanova Feb. 9) and one on ESPN360 (at USF Feb. 26).  Via ESPN Regional, Seton Hall’s games will be shown an additional 14 times with broadcasts on SNY (nine), MSG (three) and FSNY (two).  The Penn State game on January 8 will be broadcasted locally by BTN.  The Prudential Center-opening game against Monmouth on November 11 will be carried by SNY.

 

NO PAUSE IN GAUSE

Junior Paul Gause took the BIG EAST by storm last season with his dazzling defensive efforts.  Against Saint Mary’s, Gause tied the Seton Hall single-game record with eight steals.  He completed the season with a Pirates single-season record of 90 steals, leading the BIG EAST in steals per game (3.1) and ranking second in the nation.

 

STIX TRANSFERS IN

Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced Monday that Robert Mitchell has transferred to the University.  Mitchell played basketball last season at Duquesne University and will sit out the 2007-08 season due to NCAA regulations.  The 6-foot-6, 180-pound Mitchell will be eligible to practice with the Pirates this season, but won’t see game action until 2008-09.  Last season at Duquesne, Mitchell led the Dukes in scoring with a 16.4 points per game average, which ranked ninth in the nation among Division I freshmen.  Mitchell was named Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week five times en route to being ultimately named Rookie of the Year by the conference.

770 WABC RADIO GETS ’EM ALL

All 31 Seton Hall men’s basketball regular season games in 2007-08 will be heard on its flagship radio station, 77WABC, it was announced on Tuesday.  The agreement will enable the Pirates faithful to easily find the games on the radio dial.  In past seasons, Seton Hall game broadcasts lacked a consistency with one station.  This year, all 31 regular season games will be broadcasted via 77WABC.  Veteran radio announcers Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will return for their fifth season covering Pirates basketball.

 

FORMER PIRATE EDDIE GRIFFIN DIES

Former Seton Hall men’s basketball student-athlete, Eddie Griffin, died on August 17 in Houston, as confirmed by the Harris County medical examiner’s office.  Griffin played for the Pirates during the 2000-01 season.  Although Griffin only wore a Seton Hall uniform for one season, his exploits won’t soon be forgotten.  He is a member of the Pirates’ 500-point club and remains the all-time single-season leader with 133 blocks.  Eddie Griffin was 25-years old.

PIRATES CLOBBER CONCORDIA IN EXHIBITION

Seton Hall jumped out to a 34-4 lead and held Concordia without a field goal until the 7:41 mark of the first half as the Pirates went on to defeat the Clippers, 87-49, in men’s basketball exhibition action on Friday.  Senior Brian Laing (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 11 of his team-high 16 points in the first half has Seton Hall out shot Concordia, 52.5% to 12.1% and led 52-16 at halftime.  Freshman Jeremy Hazell (Bronx, N.Y.) had 13 points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench to lead the Pirate newcomers.  Freshman Mike Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes, while Augustine Okosun (Benin City, Nigeria) had five points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.  Brandon Walters (Brooklyn, N.Y.) blocked a team-high four shots in only eight minutes to lead the defense.

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.

 

NUTTER, LAING CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS

Seniors Jamar Nutter and Brian Laing should become the 34th and 35th members of the 1,000-Point Club at Seton Hall.  Nutter enters the 2007-08 campaign tied for 55th all-time with 808 points, while Laing is 63rd with 733 points.  Just outside the 500-Point Club is sophomore Eugene Harvey.  He tallied 479 points in his rookie season.

 

PHILLY HOOP GROUP CLASSIC

Seton Hall will participate in The Philly Hoop Group Classic, a new Thanksgiving Weekend basketball tournament featuring college teams from the East.  The first two rounds of games will be played on teams’ campus with the Championship Round being at The Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa. on Friday, November 23rd and Saturday, November 24th.  The Philly Hoop Group Classic will hold afternoon and night sessions both days, with each session featuring two games. Friday’s afternoon schedule features: Howard University vs. Loyola College at 12:00 pm and Robert Morris University vs. Drexel University at 2:00 pm. Friday’s night games include: Navy vs. Seton Hall University at 7:00 pm and University of Pennsylvania vs. University of Virginia at 9:00 pm.

PIRATES vs. THE NEC

Seton Hall has had a long history of success against teams from the Northeast Conference.  To date, they have a record of 123-40 all-time.  In addition to their 8-0 record against Monmouth, they’re 46-11 against St. Francis (N.Y.), 16-3 against Fairleigh Dickinson and 21-6 against Wagner, among others.

LOOKING AHEAD

SETON HALL vs. ROBERT MORRIS

Sunday, November 18 1:00 p.m.

Prudential Center Newark, N.J.

TV:  None

Radio:  WABC 770 AM / WSOU 89.5 FM

Seton Hall vs. Robert Morris:  First Meeting

NOTEBOOK:  One week after Seton Hall opens their 2007-08 campaign and their inaugural game at Prudential Center, the Pirates will play their second game at the state-of-the-art arena.  It will be the first time in history these two teams have squared off against one another.  The Colonels return four starters from a 2006-07 squad that finished with an overall reacord of 17-11.  Among the returning starters is senior forward A.J. Jackson, who averaged 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.  Senior guard Tony Lee led the NEC with 2.8 steals per game and also averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season.

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