Men's Basketball Travels To Villanova; Faces Wildcats Saturday

SETON HALL (15-8, 5-5) at
VILLANOVA (13-8, 3-6)

Saturday, February 9, 2008

The Pavilion - Philadelphia, Pa.

6:00 p.m. ET

THE MATCHUP:  Seton Hall is coming off a 95-69 loss to #22 Notre Dame on Wednesday.  The Pirates have now lost two straight, both against ranked opponents, after reeling off five straight wins.  Villanova enters the game having lost their last five games including a 77-55 setback at St. Joseph’s on Monday.  Seton Hall has played Villanova more than any other team in the program’s history.

 

TV:  The game will be televised on ESPNU, with Quint Kessenich on play-by-play and Eric Murdock providing the color analysis.

 

RADIO: The game will be broadcasted by WABC 770 AM, with Gary Cohen on play-by-play and Dave Popkin as the analyst.  The game will also be heard on 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 VILLANOVA

Villanova returns two starters from a team that won 22 games a year ago and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.  Predicted to finish seventh in the BIG EAST preseason poll, the Wildcats have struggled in the first half, winning only three of their first nine BIG EAST contests.  Three players are currently averaging in double-figures in scoring.  The reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, Scottie Reynolds, leads the Wildcats in scoring at a 17.1 points per game clip.  Villanova features a youthful roster which lacks a single senior and has four players in their starting lineup with sophomore eligibility or younger.  The Wildcats have lost five straight games entering Saturday’s contest with Seton Hall.  They’re averaging 75.3 points per game as a team.

SETON HALL - VILLANOVA SERIES

Seton Hall will face Villanova for the 97th time on Saturday - most of any opponent.  The Pirates have lost their last five against the Wildcats overall and their last eight at Villanova.  Seton Hall’s last win at Villanova came on Feb. 26, 1994.  Villanova won their only meeting last year, 78-69, on Feb. 10.

PIRATES DOWNED BY #22 NOTRE DAME

Seton Hall lost to #22-ranked Notre Dame, 95-69, on Wednesday.  It was the Pirates second lost to a ranked opponent in four days and only the third loss at Prudential Center all season.  Seton Hall lost Paul Gause to an injured left knee mid-way through the first half, but still managed to force 18 turnovers.  Freshman Jeremy Hazell led all scorers with 26 points.  Senior Brian Laing scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds.

GAUSE LOST FOR YEAR

Junior Paul Gause (Pittsgrove, N.J.) will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season due to an injury he sustained in action vs. Notre Dame on Wednesday.  The 5-foot-11 tri-captain tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee mid-way through the first half.  Gause was playing in only his second game since missing seven games due to a broken bone in his right hand.  The defensive specialist led the BIG EAST in steals per game last season and was leading the conference again this year prior to his first injury.  He is expected to be ready for the beginning of the 2008-09 Seton Hall men’s basketball season.

DESPITE LOSS, HAZELL SHINES

In Seton Hall’s lost to Notre Dame, freshman Jeremy Hazell turned in another outstanding performance.  The six-foot-five guard scored a game-high 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting and picked up a career-high five steals.  Hazell has turned in a number of big performances in his first season, topping the 20-point mark five times this season.  Against Louisville, he scored a career-high 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field.  He made 8-of-14 shots from three-point range, which ranks second most in a single-game in Seton Hall history.  Hazell is currently averaging 12.4 points per game.

SECOND STRAIGHT HONOR ROLL

Senior Brian Laing’s outstanding play has not gone unnoticed as of late.  On Monday, he was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second consecutive week.  The Pirates went 1-1 last week with Laing averaging 23.5 points and six rebounds.  It is the third time he’s received the honor this season and sixth of his career.  Laing has scored at least 20 points in five of his last six games and is currently second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.4 points per game.

EXTRA BASKETBALL

Seton Hall’s overtime victory at Rutgers marked their fifth overtime game this season.  Never, in the 104 years of Seton Hall basketball, has a team played five overtime games in one season.  The Pirates have had four seasons in which they’ve played in four overtime games.

SUPER SOPHOMORE

At Rutgers, Eugene Harvey may have turned in his greatest performance in a Seton Hall uniform.  The 6-foot guard poured in a game-high 26 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out seven assists and recorded three steals while playing all 45 minutes of the overtime affair.  Harvey made all three of his three-point attempts and was 9-for-11 from the free throw line.  Overtime appears to bring out the best in Harvey as he has scored at least 26 points in all four of Seton Hall’s overtime victories this season.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

In the off-season, head coach Bobby Gonzalez stressed the importance of taking the next step in building the program following a 13-16 overall record and 4-12 mark in the BIG EAST.  So far in 2007-08, the Pirates have responded.  With at least eight games remaining, Seton Hall has already surpassed their overall and BIG EAST win totals from a year ago.  Currently, they are 15-8 overall and 5-5 in the BIG EAST.

 

1,000 FOR NUTTER

By halftime of the Providence game, senior Jamar Nutter had surpassed the 1,000 career point milestone.  He finished the game with 19 points and only needed 10.  Nutter is the 35th member of the exclusive Seton Hall club to reach the mark.  Teammate Brian Laing reached it four games earlier making them the first pair of teammates to do so in the same season since the 1997-98 season.

 

ALL-TIME 1,000-POINT MILESTONES

With Laing and Nutter reaching the 1,000-point plateau this season, it marks the eighth time that two players reached the milestone in the same season.  Most recently, Donnell Williams and Levell Sanders reached it during the 1997-98 season.  In 1988-89, three players reached the mark, John Morton, Ramon Ramos and Darryl Walker.  Sophomore Eugene Harvey has an outside chance of making it three for Seton Hall this year.  He currently has 826 points.

TOP ROOKIE

For helping guide the Pirates to their first two BIG EAST victories of the season, freshman Jeremy Hazell was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on January 21.  For the week, he averaged 25.5 points per game to lead all BIG EAST players.  Sophomore Eugene Harvey earned the distinction three times last season.

 

LAING REACHES 1,000 POINTS

With 13 points at Marquette, senior Brian Laing surpassed the 1,000 career point plateau.  He is only the 34th player in Seton Hall history to accomplish the feat.  Laing is currently second in the BIG EAST with 19.4 points per game.

TO THE POINT

History has indicated that when point guard Eugene Harvey scores 20 points, the Pirates do well.  In Harvey’s young career, Seton Hall has a record of 10-5 when the sophomore scores 20 or more in a game.  He had a team-high 26 points most recently in Seton Hall’s win over Rutgers on Wednesday.

 

OVERTIME

Seton Hall’s victory over Monmouth marked the first time they opened the season with an overtime game since they defeated Catholic, 69-67, to start the 1963-64 campaign.  The Pirates’ victory over Robert Morris marked the first time in the history of the program that they’ve started the season with two straight overtime games.

 

HIGH SCORING

The Pirates are averaging 80.3 points per game so far this season, which leads the BIG EAST Conference.  They’ve topped the 80-point mark 11 times in 23 games this season.  Seton Hall’s scoring has been relatively balanced as well.  In 19-of-23 games, at least three players have scored in double-figures and in 11 games at least four players have.  Currently, senior Brian Laing ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.4 points per game and sophomore Eugene Harvey ranks 12th with 15.1 points per game.

PROUD PAPA

Seton Hall Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez became a father for the first time prior to the Princeton game.  Brooke Kimberly Gonzalez entered the world at 11:41 a.m. on Wed., Nov. 28.

A PACKED ROCK

Against N.C. State on Dec. 27, Seton Hall enjoyed their first-ever attendance sellout at Prudential Center.  With the curtains drawn, the home crowd packed in 9,800 fans.  The Pirates have also enjoyed sellouts against Louisville and Notre Dame so far this season.  Call 973-275-HALL for more ticket information.

TALES FROM THE BUS RIDE

A little known note was discovered on the long bus ride home following Seton Hall’s victory at Providence.  Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez is a perfect 3-0 in his career on bobblehead nights.  Providence dared to have Marvin Barnes bobblehead night on Thursday, which worked perfectly to the Pirates’ advantage.  Other “bobblehead wins” during his Manhattan tenure include Frank Layden Night and Calvin Murphy Night.

THE ELUSIVE TRIPLE-DOUBLE

The Pirates continue to come close to notching their second triple-double in school history.  Against James Madison, Paul Gause had 21 points, seven rebounds and eight steals.  Last season against Princeton, Larry Davis scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out eight assists in only 28 minutes.  Only one player in Seton Hall history has recorded a triple-double.  Eddie Griffin logged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in a victory over Norfolk State on Dec. 4, 2000.

HUGE HALF

Seton Hall’s first half at Penn State on Dec. 8 was one of the program’s top offensive performances in recent years.  The Pirates shot 61.3% from the floor and made their first eight shots of the game.  Seton Hall didn’t miss until the 13:39 mark.  The Pirates were a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and went 8-for-13 from behind the three-point arc.  Entering the game, sophomore Eugene Harvey had only two made three-pointers on the season, but he equaled that total, going 2-for-2, in a strong first half.  Four players had at least eight points, led by freshman Jeremy Hazell’s 11.  The Pirates put up 52 points in all and shot 19-for-31 from the floor.

HUGE HALF TAKE TWO

Fresh off one of their best single-half performances in the Penn State game, the Pirates put together another 20 minutes for the record books against James Madison.  This time, however, the Pirates saved their best for the second frame.  After trailing by 10 at the half, Seton Hall put up 69 points in the second half, while shooting 56.1% (23-for-41) from the floor.  They were 6-for-10 from three-point range and were, a remarkable, 17-for-19 from the free-throw line.  Junior Paul Gause scored 20 of his 21 points in the second half.

27 FOR HARVEY... AGAIN

Super Sophomore Eugene Harvey has scored a career-best 27 points in a game four times.  Most recently, he led all scorers with 27 in an overtime victory over James Madison.  He also scored 27 points in the Pirates’ overtime victories against Monmouth and Robert Morris this season.  On Jan. 30, Seton Hall won again in overtime, but shockingly, Harvey did not score 27 points.  He could only muster 26.

 

COMEBACK KIDS

The Pirates trailed by as many as 23 points (66-43) to Robert Morris with only 17:37 remaining in the second half before mounting their comeback and pulling off an improbable 111-107 overtime victory.  Seton Hall trailed by 19 to James Madison before coming back to defeat the Dukes, 112-110, also in overtime.  Against BIG EAST powerhouse Louisville, the Pirates trailed by 14 in the second half before rallying for a 92-82 victory.  At Providence, they trailed by 15 in the first half before defeating the Friars, 88-75.

 

GAUSE TIES GAUSE, GAUSE AND SANDERS

The reigning BIG EAST steals champion has twice tied the single-game steals record this season with eight against Monmouth and James Madison.  Last season, junior Paul Gause recorded eight steals against Saint Mary’s to tie Levell Sanders for the record.  He currently has 171 career steals, which ties him for seventh among the Seton Hall career leaders.

TWO NEW TO 500 POINTS

During the Monmouth game, Eugene Harvey became the 101st player in Seton Hall history to record at least 500 career points.  Currently, Harvey is tied for 51st all-time with 826 points.  During the James Madison game, Paul Gause became the 102nd player to reach the mark.  He currently tied for 90th all-time with 546 career points.

 

OPPONENTS “LAING”UISHING

Senior Brian Laing has picked up where last year’s breakthrough season left off.  After averaging 16.5 points per game last season, he has averaged 19.4 points per game through 23 games in 2007-08.  Laing is rebounding better this year too.  Last season, he averaged 6.7 rebounds per game, while this season, he is averaging 7.2.  He has scored in double-figures 20 times this year, topped the 20-point mark 12 times and had his career-high, a 32-point performance, against Robert Morris on Nov. 18.

 

NEWCOMER DEVELOPING

Junior Augustine Okosun continues to develop as a reliable frontcourt option for the Pirates.  Against Virginia, he played a career-high 19 minutes and grabbed a career-best six rebounds.  Against JMU, Okosun scored a career-high five points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots.

AGAINST THE RANKED

The Pirates are 1-4 in games against ranked opponents.  They defeated #23 Virginia, 74-60, on Nov. 24 and lost to #15 Marquette, 61-56, on Jan. 8, #20 Pittsburgh, 84-70, on Jan. 12, #6 Georgetown, 73-61, on Feb. 2 and #22 Notre Dame, 95-69, on Feb. 6.

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.

 

2007-08 TV SCHEDULE

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 Prudential Center-opening game against Monmouth on Nov. 11 will be carried by SNY.

BIG EAST SCHEDULE

Starting this season, Seton Hall will face all 15 of its BIG EAST opponents at least once.  They will play Marquette, USF and Rutgers twice.  The Pirates open the conference slate against Connecticut on January 3 and finish against Rutgers on March 9.  Both games will be at Prudential Center.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN

Senior Jamar Nutter continues his assault on the record books in terms of three-point shooting.  He ranks in the Top-10 all-time in career shots attempted and made.  This season, freshman Jeremy Hazell has joined Nutter as the primary long-range gunners.  Below is a breakdown of some of the Top-10 lists.

SETTING POINTS RECORDS

It was 32 seasons in between games that Seton Hall and their opponent both scored 100 points in a game when the Pirates defeated Robert Morris, 111-107, on Nov. 18.  But only eight games later, Seton Hall did it again with a 112-110 win over James Madison on Dec. 22.  That victory marked the first time in school history that two teams scored over 110 points in the same game.

 

LAING TIES 33-YEAR RECORD

Brian Laing added another accolade to his remarkable senior season.  In Seton Hall’s victory over Delaware State, Laing made his first 12 shots from the field.  The feat ties John Ramsay’s all-time single-game mark of 12 consecutive field goals set against St. Michael’s on Dec. 3, 1974.  Laing missed his 13th shot.  He finished the game with 27 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field.

 

BIG EAST NAMES GAUSE

For is exploits in the James Madison game, junior Paul Gause was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 23.  It is the first time that Gause has received the honor in his career.  Senior Brian Laing earned the same honor on Nov. 19 and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Nov. 26.

 

THEY’VE GOT DOUBLE VISION

Both senior Brian Laing and sophomore John Garcia have four double-doubles on the young season.  Laing has been heavy on the points side as he ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 19.4 points per game, while Garcia has been heavy on the rebounding side, tying for 14th in the conference with 7.2 boards per game.  Laing now has 10 career double-doubles, while Garcia has picked up all four of his this season.

LOTS O’ POINTS

Seton Hall’s 111-107 overtime victory over Robert Morris marked the first time that the Pirates scored over 100 points since a 104-85 victory over St. Peter’s on Nov. 27, 2000.  It was the first time that both teams scored over 100 points since the Pirates lost at Providence, 106-101, on Feb. 2, 1975.  Seton Hall’s 111 points were the most since a 113-91 victory over Alaska-Anchorage on Dec. 29, 1996.

MILESTONE VICTORY

With the Pirates’ 112-110 overtime victory over James Madison, head coach Bobby Gonzalez recorded his 150th career coaching victory.  Currently in his ninth year, Gonzalez has an overall record of 157 wins and 101 losses.  He is 28-24 in his tenure at Seton Hall.

 

GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION

Seton Hall received votes in both the Associated Press (AP) and ESPN/USA Today weekly rankings on Monday, Nov. 26.  The Pirates received 54 votes in the AP Top-25 poll, which ranked them 34th in the nation.  They received two points in the ESPN/USA Today poll.  It marked the first time since February 6, 2006 that Seton Hall received votes in either poll.  Following the loss to Saint Mary’s, the Pirates still retained nine votes in the AP poll on Dec. 3.

GREAT START

This year, the Pirates began the season 6-0.  It was the program’s best start since they went 13-0 to open the 1988-89 season.  That season, the Pirates finished with an overall record of 31-7 and lost in overtime of the NCAA Championship Game.

 

RIPPING THE RANKED

Seton Hall upset victory of #23-ranked Virginia on Nov. 24 marks the first Pirates win over a ranked opponent since they defeated eighth-ranked Pitt on March 3, 2006.

 

SCORING 30

Brian Laing’s offensive output against Robert Morris was the first Seton Hall 30-point scoring effort since Andre Barrett and John Allen both scored 30 in a 97-80 victory over St. Peter’s on Feb. 9, 2003.  It is the most points since Adrian Griffin scored 32 at Pittsburgh on Jan. 30, 1996.

 

LAING BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Senior Brian Laing was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on November 26.  Laing helped the Pirates to a 3-0 week, averaging 22.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game over that span.  It is the first time that Laing has received the honor in his career, although he has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll four times.  Laing is the first Pirate to be named Player of the Week since Donald Copeland on January 30, 2006.  Currently, Laing ranks second in scoring at a 19.4 points per game clip.

THREE-HEADED CENTER MONSTER

The Pirates have employed a three-man platoon at center this season.  Sophomore John Garcia has seen most of the time, making 12 starts.  Augustine Okosun has made 10 starts and continues to improve.  Freshman Mike Davis is beginning to show his formidable defensive presence.  All three have made at least one start this season.

 

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

In the Pirates’ victory over Virginia, they set a season-low with only six turnovers.  They forced 16.  For the season, Seton Hall is only committing 11.8 turnovers per game, while forcing 16.2.  That is a turnover margin of +4.39, which ranks them second in the BIG EAST conference.

 

THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER

Junior captain Paul Gause once again imposed his relentless energy and will in Seton Hall’s overtime victory against James Madison.  After failing to score in the first half, he erupted for 20 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free throw line in the second half.  Spearheading the Pirates’ defensive effort, Gause tallied eight steals including three crucial thefts in the final two minutes of regulation.  His steal with 11 seconds remaining allowed Jamar Nutter to tie the game and send it into overtime.  Gause had two more steals in the overtime period.

LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO 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.  Get the HALL PASS Today!

AIR JORDAN LANDS AT HALL

Seton Hall men’s basketball head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced that Jordan Theodore (Englewood, N.J.) has signed a national letter of intent to attend the University and play basketball for the Pirates beginning in the 2008-09 season.  Theodore averaged 16.9 points, 6.7 assists and 4.6 steals per game as a junior at Paterson Catholic last year.  He helped lead them to an 18-8 record and scored a career-high 31 points vs. DePaul in the county final.  Additionally, he was the point guard for the #1 rated summer AAU basketball team, the New York Gauchos.

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 for the trifecta.

ALL THE RIGHT PARTS

Seton Hall features a team with six returning players and five talented newcomers.  Freshmen Mike Davis, 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 and 6-9 Brandon Walters 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.

 

STIX TRANSFERS IN

Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez announced 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.

 

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.  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.

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.

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.

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.

HARVEY IS COUSY AWARD CANDIDATE

Sophomore Eugene Harvey has been named a Pre-season Candidate for the 2007-08 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.  The honor is given to the top collegiate male basketball point guard annually spanning across all divisions within the game by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  The selection criteria emphasizes leadership, team work, success, and fundamentals as being critical parts for the game of basketball as a point guard.  Nominations are solicited from across the country from head coaches and the winner is selected by a Blue Ribbon Selection Committee made up of the biggest names in college basketball.

 

PIRATES EARN FIRST PRUCENTER WIN; CLIP HAWKS

Seton Hall opened their 2007-08 season with an 89-81 overtime victory against Monmouth last Sunday.  It marked the first time that the Pirates have opened the season with an overtime game since they defeated Catholic, 69-67, to start the 1963-64 campaign.  Sophomore Eugene Harvey tied his career-high with 27 points to lead Seton Hall, while Monmouth’s Jhamar Youngblood scored 27 in the losing effort.  Seton Hall senior Brian Laing recorded his seventh career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Paul Gause tied the Pirates single-game record with eight steals, a mark he already shared with Levell Sanders.  The Pirates were out-shot for the game, 42.3%-to-47.6%, but they out-rebounded the Hawks, 43-to-34 and forced them to commit 23 turnovers.  Seton Hall, last year’s BIG EAST leader in steals per game, had 21 in their season-opening victory.

PIRATES “ROCK”ING

For the first time in 26 years the Seton Hall men’s basketball team are calling 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 were opened at 11:30 on Sunday, Nov. 11 to a carnival-like atmosphere for the opener.  Two bands played, one indoors and one outdoors, while fans arrive.  Seton Hall featured an array of face-painters, balloon animal-makers and Pirate stilt-walkers.  Also in attendance on the concourse were several Seton Hall basketball alumni ready to sign autographs and take photos.  The Newark Museum, NJPAC and City of Newark had a presence on the concourse.  White Castle, a sponsor of the Pirates, celebrated the first game at Prudential Center in a big way.  White Castle cooked up 1,500 burgers to be delivered to the 15 bus loads of students that attended 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.

HARVEY CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS

Seniors Brian Laing and Jamar Nutter became the 34th and 35th members of the exclusive 1,000-Point Club at Seton Hall.  The next Pirate approaching the milestone is sophomore Eugene Harvey.  Currently, he is tied for 51st place with 826 career points.  If he scores his 1,000th point this season, it will be the second time in Seton Hall history that three teammates achieved the mark in the same year.

EUGENE LOOKING TO JOIN SMALL GROUP

If sophomore Eugene Harvey scores his 1,000th career point this season, he will be only the fifth player in Seton Hall history to record 1,000 career points over their first two seasons.  Only Terry Dehere, Nick Werkman, Ken House and Darius Lane stake claim to that exclusive group.

 

PHILLY HOOP GROUP CHAMPS

The Pirates went 4-for-4 in games in the inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic.  They defeated Robert Morris, 111-107 in overtime on Nov. 18, and Loyola, 94-80 on Nov. 20, at Prudential Center.  They then took on two more opponents in the Championship Round at The Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa.  The Pirates defeated Navy, 79-75 on Nov. 23, and Virginia, 74-60 on Nov. 24.  The victory over Virginia earned the Pirates the title of the Independence Bracket.

 

LAING MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Senior Brian Laing was named the Most Valuable Player of The Philly Hoop Group Classic.  He scored at least 25 points in three of the four games of the tournament, culminating with a 25-point, 10-rebound performance against #23-ranked Virginia in the event’s championship game.

LOOKING AHEAD

 

MARQUETTE at

SETON HALL

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 7:30 p.m.

Prudential Center Newark, N.J.

TV:  SNY

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Seton Hall vs. Marquette:  MU, 3-1

NOTEBOOK:  Seton Hall will return home to take on Marquette for the second time this season.  The Golden Eagles defeated the Pirates, 61-56, in a tight game on January 8 in Milwaukee, Wisc.  Sophomore Eugene Harvey was the high scorer for the Pirates with 18 points.  Senior Brian Laing had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Marquette has struggled some since their meeting with Seton Hall.  In January, they were the 15th-ranked team in the country, but heading into their next game at Notre Dame, they’ve been mired in a stretch that has seen them go 3-3.  Four players are averaging in double-digit scoring for the Golden Eagles.  Sophomore Lazar Hayward is leading the way at just over 13 points per game.

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