Rivalry Renewed: No. 15 Pirates at Rutgers Saturday

2017 Garden State Hardwood Classic No. 15 Seton Hall Pirates (9-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) at Rutgers (9-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Date/Time/Location	Saturday, December 16 \| 12 p.m. \| Rutgers Athletic Center (Piscataway, N.J.)
Television Broadcast	Big Ten Network \| BTN2GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Rutgers
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook

Blue vs. Red for the right to claim New Jersey Supremacy.

No, this isn't the gubernatorial election. But much like this year's election, most of New Jersey is hoping that Saturday goes BLUE.

The Pirates and Scarlet Knights renew their basketball rivalry in the fourth installment of the Garden State Hardwood Classic, which comes with a massive 33-pound hardwood trophy in the shape of New Jersey, made from reclaimed wood from the Asbury Park boardwalk salvaged in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. All-time, Saturday will be the 69th meeting between the two New Jersey institutions with the Pirates claiming a strong 39-29 advantage in the series, including 31-17 since joining the BIG EAST Conference.

Tip time is scheduled for 12 p.m., and the game will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network, simulcast on BTN2GO, with Kevin Kugler and Jon Crispin on the call. Once again, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on the Pirate Sports Network.

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 15 Seton Hall heads to enemy territory on Saturday for a highly-anticipated matchup at Rutgers in the fourth installment of the Garden State Hardwood Classic.
The Pirates have won five consecutive games - four against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (76), Texas Tech (17), Louisville (28) and VCU (87).
Angel Delgado and Desi Rodriguez combined for 35 points and 17 boards as the Pirates cruised to an 84-61 victory over Saint Peter's on Tuesday night at Walsh Gymnasium. Seton Hall racked up a 19-point halftime lead, and led by as many as 28 late in the second half.
Rodriguez has seemingly been the best player on the court in every game this year. He is averaging 19.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 38.3 from three-point range. The team is 7-0 when he is the leading scorer, and the Pirates are 29-8 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
At No. 15, Seton Hall has its highest AP Top-25 poll ranking since Jan. 9, 2001.
The Pirates are 39-29 in the all-time series with Rutgers, a perfect 3-0 since the inception of the Garden State Hardwood Classic, and 31-17 since joining the BIG EAST Conference.
Overall, Seton Hall has won four straight against Rutgers with an average margin of victory of +18.8 points.
Head coach Kevin Willard is 6-5 all-time against the Scarlet Knights and is 4-1 at the RAC.
The last time the rivalry was played with a nationally ranked team was Feb. 4, 2001 when No. 22 Seton Hall fell at home to RU, 70-64.
The last time a ranked Seton Hall squad visited Rutgers was Dec. 11, 1991 when No. 12 Seton Hall came away with a 77-72 victory.
Seton Hall and Rutgers have played every season since 1994-95.
A total of 18 of the last 22 meetings have been decided by six points or less or in overtime.
The teams are currently in an eight-year schedule agreement that runs through 2020.

#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 blowout wins over VCU, a KenPom top-100 team, and Saint Peter's on Tuesday night. The Hall is riding a five-game winning streak heading into Saturday afternoon.

Intra-State Dominance

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 165-60 (.732) against teams from New Jersey.

The Pirates have won each of their previous 10 meetings against teams from the state, including victories over Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson, NJIT and Saint Peter's this season.

During the Willard era, Seton Hall is 19-7 against New Jersey programs.

Garden State Hardwood Classic

In 2014-15, Seton Hall and Rutgers dubbed its annual rivalry game the "Garden State Hardwood Classic" to accentuate the colorful rivalry between the two highest-profile college basketball teams in the state.

The custom-made trophy is handcrafted from wood salvaged from the Asbury Park boardwalk in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and features the names of the winners engraved on the back.

Seton Hall has won all three meetings, and has had one of its players named the Joe Calabrese Most Valuable Player each year:

12/6/14 - W, 81-54 (Isaiah Whitehead)

12/5/15 - W, 84-55 (Angel Delgado)

12/23/16 - W, 72-61 (Angel Delgado)

Saturday marks the final #GSHClassic for a group of seniors that has enjoyed success against the Scarlet Knights during their time at The Hall:

Carrington - 3 gp, 15.0 ppg, 13-of-34 FG (.382), 5-of-10 3FG (.500)

Delgado - 3 gp, 14.3 ppg, 17-of-32 FG (.531), 14.0 rpg

Rodriguez - 3 gp, 8.0 ppg, 10-of-23 FG (.435), 6.3 rpg

Sanogo - 2 gp, 2.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 1.5 spg

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 Jan. 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 149-49 (.753).

The Pirates are 3-1all-time when facing Rutgers as a nationally ranked team.

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 - 83 (W, 84-68)

Vanderbilt - 76 (W, 72-59)

Texas Tech - 16 (W, 89-79)

Louisville - 25 (W, 79-77)

VCU - 89 (W, 90-67)

The Pirates have gone 10-2 during non-conference play in each of the past three years.

Hitting the Ground Running

With Tuesday night's victory over Saint Peter's, the Pirates improve to 9-1 on the season. It is the third start of 9-1 or better for The Hall during the Willard era.

Since its inaugural BIG EAST season, Seton Hall has now had eight starts of 9-1 or better - 1981-82, 1986-1987, 1988-89, 1992-93, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2017-18.

#EliteDesi

Desi Rodriguez has been the most consistent offensive contributor, and an outright stud all season.

He is averaging a team-best 19.4 points per game, while shooting an incredible 55.2 percent (74-for-134) from the field and 38.3 percent (18-for-47) from long range.

He earned BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 4 by 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 29-8 all-time when he scores at least 15 points.

Halftime Adjustments

During the second half of the past six games, the Pirates are averaging a +8.4 scoring margin and shooting 51.1 percent.

The defense has been locked in, as opponents are shooting just 26.5 (18-of-68) from three-point range during that stretch.

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 53-3 in its last 56 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 58.4 percent (45-of-77) in the first half 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-67 (40.3 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 in nine of 10 games this year.

He has been piping hot from long range during the second half of games this season, shooting an incredible 48.1 percent (13-for-27).

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 42 assists and has just 17 turnovers.

Against Saint Peter's on Tuesday he tallied five assists without turning the ball over.

He has furthermore committed only 14 fouls while playing 292 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 380-316 this season, and have had a positive margin in 13 of the last 15 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates have out-scored opponents in the paint this season, 408-260. On Tuesday night against Saint Peter's, the Pirates had a 46-22 advantage.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been nearly twice as good as their opponents in taking advantage. SHU averages 14.3 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging just 7.6.

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 105 of 108 career games.

Delgado's 4.0 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for eighth 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.

Against VCU, Seton Hall recorded 20 assists on 35 made field goals, and had just 12 turnovers.

The Pirates have won 11 consecutive games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 16 of the last 17.

Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in eight of 10 games this year.

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 1,434 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 have shot 50.0 percent or better in six games and 40.0 percent or better in all 10 games this season.

Seton Hall is averaging 85.5 points over the last four games and shooting 50.4 percent from the field.

For the year, the Pirates have 158 assists and 130 turnovers (1.2 ratio).

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, 64.9, on 24-of-37 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 (1,151) and double-doubles (57).