No. 15 Pirates Host Saint Peter's at Walsh Tuesday

2017-18 Non-Conference Game No. 15 Seton Hall Pirates (8-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Saint Peter's Peacocks (4-4, 0-0 MAAC)
Date/Time/Location	Tuesday, December 12 \| 7 p.m. \| Walsh Gymnasium (South Orange, N.J.)
Tickets	Call (973) 275-4255
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Sirius 137 \| XM 380 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Saint Peter's
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook
Promotions	Game Presented by South Mountain Tavern \| Team Walker Toy Drive

The newly crowned No. 15 team in the country is back in action Tuesday night at the old digs.

Today we became a top-15 nationally ranked program for the first time since January 9, 2001. #HALLin #PiratePursuit pic.twitter.com/ryLwKhaI9I
— Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) December 11, 2017

Historic Walsh Gymnasium is ready for its closeup as the Pirates take on Saint Peter's in what is an intimate setting and home court advantage for The Hall. The Pirates are looking to continue their dominance against its New Jersey brethren: Seton Hall is 164-60 all-time against Div. I Garden State foes. This includes a 63-24 record against the Peacocks.

Tomorrow's game is presented by South Mountain Tavern, and the game is also an opportunity to make a donation to the Team Walker Toy Drive to help inner-city children have an awesome Christmas.

Reminder the @SetonHallMBB & @SHUWBB home games this week will serve as @TEAMWALKERJC Toy Drive games! #HALLin pic.twitter.com/5F0NgJEWM7
— Seton Hall Athletics (@SHUAthletics) December 11, 2017

Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be nationally televised on FS1, simulcast on FOX Sports GO, with Brian Custer and Jim Spanarkel on the call. As usual, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 137, XM 380 and the Pirate Sports Network.

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 15 ranked Seton Hall welcomes in-state rival Saint Peter's to Walsh Gymnasium on Tuesday night for the 88th all-time meeting between the programs.
The Pirates have won four consecutive games - all against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (76), Texas Tech (17), Louisville (28) and VCU (87).
Desi Rodriguez continued the scorching hot start to his senior campaign against VCU on Saturday, and finished with a team-high 17 points in the 90-67 blowout victory over the Rams in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. A 10-0 Seton Hall run midway through the opening frame led to a double-digit halftime lead. The Pirates then made seven of nine shots to open the second half, and take control of the game.
Rodriguez is averaging 19.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 35.7 from three-point range. The team is 7-0 when he is the leading scorer, and the Pirates are 28-8 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
At No. 15, SHU has its highest AP Top-25 poll ranking since January 9, 2001.
Tuesday marks the first meeting with the Peacocks since Dec. 13, 2015 when the Pirates came away with a 72-46 victory at Prudential Center. Angel Delgado tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Khadeen Carrington scored a game-high 14 points. Seton Hall held Saint Peter's to 32.7 percent shooting, and did not allow a double-digit scorer.
The Pirates are 45-7 at home and 63-24 overall in the all-time series with Saint Peter's.
Seton Hall has won 25 consecutive non-conference home games, good for the 10th-longest streak in the country.
Head coach Kevin Willard is 5-1 all-time against the Peacocks.
The Pirates have an all-time record of 421-142 (.748) inside Walsh Gymnasium.
Sophomore Myles Powell is shooting 42.9 percent (27-for-63) from long range, and has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, last year's national rebounding leader, Angel Delgado, already has six double-doubles this season.
#PiratePursuit
Seton Hall has flourished in the program's previous two seasons to the likes of which the program has not seen in over 20 years, and they are in pursuit of a truly special 2017-18 campaign.
The Pirates head into the holiday stretch with momentum coming off huge wins over then-ranked No. 22 Texas Tech and at No. 17 Louisville, in addition to Saturday's blowout win over VCU, a KenPom top-100 team. The Hall is riding a four-game winning streak heading into Tuesday night.

Jersey STRONG
Throughout the history of Seton Hall basketball, the Pirates have proven they are The Garden State's premier program, with an all-time record of 164-60 (.732) against teams from New Jersey.
The Pirates have won each of their previous nine meetings against teams from the state, including victories over Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson and NJIT this season.
During the Willard era, Seton Hall is 18-7 against New Jersey programs.

In the Polls
The Pirates have secured a strong footing in the AP Top-25 poll, and are up to No. 15, the highest ranking for the program since January 9, 2001.
Seton Hall has been in the weekly national rankings 105 times in program history, and now five times this season.
This year marked the fourth time Seton Hall was ranked in the preseason top 25
2017-18: No. 23
2000-01: No. 10
1992-93: No. 6
1991-92: No. 9
Of the 105 all-time rankings, this is the fifth time Seton Hall has been ranked No. 15, and first since January 2001.
Seton Hall's all-time record as an AP nationally ranked team is 148-49 (.751).

Building a Resume
The Pirates have already notched several key wins that will loom large down the road, including victories over five teams currently in the KenPom Top-100:
Indiana - 82 (W, 84-68)
Vanderbilt - 76 (W, 72-59)
Texas Tech - 17 (W, 89-79)
Louisville - 28 (W, 79-77)
VCU - 87 (W, 90-67)
The Pirates have gone 10-2 during non-conference play in each of the past three years.

#EliteDesi
Desi Rodriguez has been the most consistent offensive contributor, and an outright stud all season.
He is averaging a team-best 19.7 points per game, while shooting an incredible 54.5 percent (67-for-123) from the field and 35.7 percent (15-for-42) from long range.
He earned BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 4 averaging 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 55.9 percent in two Seton Hall victories over ranked opponents.
Against No. 22 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden, he posted a game-high 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field, 3-for-6 from long range and 7-of-7 from the stripe. He also added four assists and seven rebounds.
At No. 17 Louisville, the Bronx native went off for a season-high and game-high 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field, on top of eight rebounds and two assists. He connected on the game-winning layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to lead The Hall to a 79-77 victory over the Cardinals, the program's first win at Louisville since Feb. 25, 1952.
The Pirates are now 7-0 this season when Rodriguez is the team's leading scorer, and 28-8 all-time when he scores at least 15 points.

Halftime Adjustments
Over the past five games the Pirates are averaging a +9.2 scoring margin and shooting 51.9 percent over the final 20 minutes.
The defense has been locked in, as opponents are shooting just 23.1 (12-of-52) from three-point range.

HOLD THE DOOR!
The Pirates pride themselves on defense, and have proven the ability to hold off late pushes by the opposition.
In fact, Seton Hall is 52-3 in its last 55 games (dating back to the start of the 2015-16 season) when holding a lead of seven or more at any point in the contest.

Chomping at the Bit
Although as a collective, the Pirates have played better in the second half, Desi Rodriguez does his best work right from the jump.
Rodriguez is averaging 11.4 points and shooting 58.8 percent (40-of-68) over the first 20 minutes of games this season.

Sharp Cheddar
The man called "Cheese" - Myles Powell, has a smooth and savory stroke from long range, and is leading the Pirates in three-point buckets, shooting 27-for-63 (42.9 percent).
Earlier this season against Texas Tech, he took control when it mattered most. With 2:05 to go in the game, Cheese banged a three to push the lead to nine. He later made an acrobatic layup, then stole the ball on the ensuing possession and converted a layup while being fouled with 1:20 left. In all, he finished with eight of the team's final 10 points.
When Cheese gets hot, the Pirates feed off his energy and seem to play better as a collective. In fact, they are 12-5 over the course of his career when he makes three or more treys.
Cheese scored a season-best 21 points and went 5-for-7 from long range against Rhode Island on Thanksgiving, and was 4-for-8 against Texas Tech. He has scored in double-figures all nine games this year.
He has been piping hot from long range during the second half of games this season, shooting an incredible 50.0 percent (13-for-26).

General Carrington at Your Service
Carrington's transition to point guard this season has been a success thus far, as he leads the team with 37 assists and has just 17 turnovers.
He has furthermore committed only 14 fouls while playing 268 minutes of lockdown defense.

Owning the Glass
It helps to have the best rebounder in the country, but rebounding is truly a team effort, and the Pirates have proven the ability to dominate.
The Pirates have out-rebounded opponents 337-289 this season, and have had a positive margin in 12 of the last 14 games dating back to last season.
The Pirates have out-scored opponents in the paint this season, 362-238.
Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been nearly twice as good as their opponents in taking advantage. SHU averages 13.8 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging just 7.3.

Big Man, Big Expectations
Angel Delgado is one of the best players in the country. His on-court dominance has garnered national attention, and his play has earned him preseason All-America honors from multiple outlets including the Associated Press.
The Dominican native led the country with 13.1 rebounds per game last season, and was a unanimous First Team BIG EAST selection and AP All-America honorable mention.
In 2016-17, he recorded over 200 more rebounds than any other player in the BIG EAST, and set the conference's single-season rebounding record (253).
Against Vanderbilt earlier this season, Delgado was held without an offensive rebound, snapping a streak of 71 games with one or more offensive boards.
He has grabbed one or more offensive rebounds in 104 of 107 career games.
Delgado's 3.9 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for 10th in the country.

Sharing is Caring
In the season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson, the Pirates assisted on 22 of their 33 made field goals, which is the most in a game since Jan. 28, 2015 when the Pirates registered 23 at Marquette.
On Saturday against VCU, Seton Hall recorded 20 assists on 35 made field goals, and had just 12 turnovers.
The Pirates have won 10 consecutive games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 15 of the last 16.
Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in seven of nine games this year.

Unmatched Senior Scorers
Between Delgado, Rodriguez, Carrington and Sanogo, the Pirates entered 2017-18 with the most senior points returning in the country:
Seton Hall - 3,816 points - four players
Idaho - 3,736 points - six players
Purdue - 3,392 points - four players
Xavier - 3,088 points - three players
Bucknell - 3,026 points - three players
Drake - 2,988 points - six players

Do Not Pass Sanogo
Largely considered one of the top defenders in the BIG EAST, Ismael Sanogo throughout his career has played a crucial role in shutting down top opponent scorers and limiting teams to below their scoring average.
Against Rhode Island, his presence in the second half allowed the Pirates to get back in the game, as they limited the Rams to just 21 points on 25.8 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes.
He was also a major factor in holding Vanderbilt scoreless for an 11-minute stretch in the SHU victory, while contributing eight rebounds and four blocks.

One of the All-Timers
Whether it is dribble-drive and slash to the hoop, or filling it up from long range, Khadeen Carrington has a natural scoring ability that ranks him among the all-time greats at The Hall.
Currently, Carrington is 21st on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,423 career points.
The Brooklyn native has scored 20 or more points 18 times in his career, and led the Pirates with 17.1 points per game last season.
He put on one of the best individual performances in program history with a career-high 41 points, capped by a last-second steal and breakaway slam, in an 87-81 home win over No. 20 Creighton last year.

Offensive Showcase
The Pirates unloaded some serious offensive power against No. 22 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.
Entering the game, the Red Raiders were leading the country in field goal percentage defense (33.5), were third in scoring defense (55.3), and had not given up 70 or more points in any of their first six games.
However, the Pirates, playing at their "home away from home," finished with 89 points, shot 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field, and was a season-best 11-for-20 from long range (55.0 percent).

That's Usin' Your Noggin'
Junior Mike Nzei is one of the brightest all-around student-athletes at Seton Hall, and the economics major is a two-time All-Academic BIG EAST selection.
Unsurprisingly, his intellect translates to the court in terms of his efficiency and shot selection.
Against VCU, he scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, and currently leads the team in field goal percentage, 68.8, on 22-of-32 shooting.
He led the team in field goal percentage in 2016-17, shooting an incredible 65.1 percent from the field (54-of-82), and would have been second in the BIG EAST if he registered enough attempts to qualify.
He is tied for the team lead in dunks (four), and the Pirates are 6-1 all-time when he scores in double figures.

1,000 Point Club
Desi Rodriguez, Angel Delgado and Khadeen Carrington entered the season as the only trio of returners with 1,000 or more career points.
In fact, all three reached the milestone in 2016-17, becoming only the program's second trio of 1,000-point scorers to be active in the same season, joining John Morton, Daryll Walker and Ramon Ramos of the program's historical 1988-89 national runner-up season.
Delgado is the NCAA's active leader in career rebounds (1,140) and double-doubles (56).