No. 23 Pirates Battle Wagner at The Rock Wednesday

2017-18 Non-Conference Game No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates (9-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Wagner (7-2, 0-0 NEC)
Date/Time/Location	Wednesday, December 20 \| 7 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com \| Be a Student Day Tickets
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Sirius 119 \| XM 381 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Wagner
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook
Game Promotions	Team Walker Toy Drive – bring an unwrapped toy with a value of $10 or more to receive free admission into the game (valid only at Prudential Center box office entrance) Be a Student Day - $15 tickets near the Seton Hall student section are available – comes with a Seton Hall lanyard and admissions brochure

Home for the Holidays!

The Seton Hall men's basketball team begins a four-game homestand with two matchups coming before Christmas and two right after Christmas. It all starts Wednesday night against Wagner as the nationally ranked Pirates look to start a new winning streak.

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 Vin Parise 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 Sirius 119, XM 381 and the Pirate Sports Network.

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 23 Seton Hall squares off with Wagner on Wednesday night, and is looking to get back on the right track following a 71-65 setback at Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in the Garden State Hardwood Classic.
Myles Powell scored a team-high 18 points, and Angel Delgado registered 21 rebounds, but the Pirates did not connect on a field goal in the final 6:06 of the game as Rutgers pulled away down the stretch for the win.
The Pirates have won five of their last six games - four against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (75), Texas Tech (15), Louisville (28) and VCU (87).
So far, Desi Rodriguez has been the go-to man offensively for the Pirates. He is averaging 19.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 37.7 from three-point range. The team is 7-0 when he is the leading scorer, and he has poured in 15 or more in each of the past six games. The Pirates are 29-9 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
The Pirates lead the all-time series with Wagner, 22-6, and are 16-1 at home. The two NYC Metro programs last met on Nov. 15, 2015 when Isaiah Whitehead and Desi Rodriguez combined for 33 points and Seton Hall came away with a 69-59 victory inside historic Walsh Gymnasium.
Overall, Seton Hall has won eight straight against Wagner with an average margin of victory of +17.1 points.
Seton Hall has an all-time record of 126-41 (.755) against current Northeast Conference programs, and in this year's opener defeated Fairleigh Dickinson, 90-68.
The Pirates have won 21 consecutive non-conference games at Prudential Center and 26 overall.
Head coach Kevin Willard is 1-0 all-time against the Seahawks.
Wednesday night's contest marks the beginning of a four-game homestand for the Pirates. They conclude non-conference play against Manhattan on Saturday, then begin BIG EAST play against No. 25 Creighton on Dec. 28 before squaring off with St. John's on New Year's Eve.

#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 enter the holiday stretch with a handful of impressive wins including victories 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 last Tuesday night.

In the Polls

The Pirates enter Wednesday ranked at No. 23 in the AP poll.

Last week, the program's No. 15 ranking was its highest since Jan. 9, 2001.

Seton Hall has been in the weekly national rankings 106 times in program history, and now six 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 106 all-time rankings, this is the third time Seton Hall has been ranked No. 23.

Seton Hall's all-time record as an AP nationally ranked team is 149-50 (.749).

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 - 74 (W, 84-68)

Vanderbilt - 75 (W, 72-59)

Texas Tech - 15 (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 19.0 points per game, while shooting an incredible 54.8 percent (80-for-146) from the field and 37.7 percent (20-for-53) 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 7-0 this season when Rodriguez is the team's leading scorer, and 29-9 all-time when he scores at least 15 points.

Finish Strong

The Pirates pride themselves on defense, and have proven the ability to hold off late pushes by the opposition.

In fact, Seton Hall is 53-4 in its last 57 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.

From the Jump

Desi Rodriguez is averaging 11.4 points and shooting 57.6 percent (49-of-85) in the first half this season.

As a team, the Pirates average a +6.5 scoring margin after the first 20 minutes, and have had a halftime lead in eight of 11 contests.

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 31-for-74 (41.9 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 12-6 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, was 4-for-8 against Texas Tech, and shot 4-for-7 at Rutgers. He has scored in double-figures in 10 of 11 games this year.

He has been piping hot from long range during the second half of games this season, shooting an incredible 46.7 percent (14-for-30).

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 46 assists and has just 22 turnovers.

He has furthermore committed only 17 fouls while playing 326 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 426-362 this season, and have had a positive margin in 13 of the last 16 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates score an average of 40.2 points in the paint and allow just 26.2 per game.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been nearly twice as good as their opponents in taking advantage. SHU averages 14.7 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging just 8.1.

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 106 of 109 career games.

Delgado's 4.0 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for ninth 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 11 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.

Not Up in Here!

Sanogo finished with a career-high five blocks at Rutgers on Saturday, and is up to 11 for the season.

Last year, he tied for the team lead in swats with 18.

The team is already up to 41 blocks this year, and is on pace to cruise past last year's season total of 83.

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 20th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,444 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 11 games this season.

For the year, the Pirates have 173 assists and 148 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, 63.2, on 24-of-38 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 has four dunks this season, 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 (1,172) and double-doubles (57).