No. 23 Pirates Take on Manhattan in Saturday Matinee

2017-18 Non-Conference Game No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates (10-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Manhattan Jaspers (5-6, 0-0 MAAC)
Date/Time/Location	Saturday, December 23 \| 12 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com \| Be a Student Day Tickets
Television Broadcast	FOX Sports Networks (Full List of TV Clearances) \| YES Network \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Sirius 145 \| XM 202 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Manhattan
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook
Game Promotions	Christmas at The Hall - Take pictures with Santa on the concourse prior to the game Be a Student Day - $15 tickets near the Seton Hall student section are available – comes with a Seton Hall lanyard and admissions brochure

Christmas at The Hall!

Saturday the Pirates celebrate Christmas at Prudential Center with their afternoon matchup against Manhattan. Prior to the game, fans can meet and take pictures with Santa Claus up on the concourse!

A win on Saturday would give the Pirates an 11-2 record in non-conference play with five KenPom top-100 victories.

Tip time is scheduled for 12 p.m., and the game will be regionally televised on FOX Sports Networks, simulcast on FOX Sports GO, with Brian Custer and Sarah Kustok on the call. The game will be locally shown on YES Network, check TV clearances for other stations that are carrying the game. Once again, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 145, XM 202 and the Pirate Sports Network.

"I came here to make a legacy and to help Seton Hall become great again. I gotta give back what they gave me, all the love, all the support to make me a better player. I have to give them back something.'' - @angelluis45 https://t.co/cOZ8WUeiIm #HALLin
— Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) December 20, 2017

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 23 Seton Hall welcomes Manhattan to The Rock on Saturday afternoon for its final non-conference game of the regular season.
On Wednesday night, the Pirates defeated Wagner, 89-68, behind Khadeen Carrington's 26-point outburst on 6-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. It is the most three-point makes in a single game without missing in program history. SHU led the Seahawks wire-to-wire, and Angel Delgado finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes for his NCAA-leading 58th career double-double.
The Pirates have won six of their last seven games - four against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (75), Texas Tech (13), Louisville (32) and VCU (85).
So far, Desi Rodriguez has been the go-to man offensively for the Pirates. He is averaging 18.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 37.5 from three-point range. The team is 7-0 when he is the leading scorer, and he has poured in 15 or more in six of the last seven games. The Pirates are 29-9 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
The Jaspers lead the all-time series, 27-20, but the programs have met just twice since 1985.
The last meeting came on Nov. 14, 2005 - the first game of the season in the NIT Season Tip-Off at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. Seton Hall used 25 points from Kelly Whitney and 17 from Jamar Nutter to secure a 66-52 victory over the Jaspers. The Pirates held Manhattan to just 26.2 percent shooting, and fired at a 43.5 percent clip to run away with the game.
The Pirates have won 22 consecutive non-conference games at Prudential Center and 27 overall.
Head coach Kevin Willard was 4-2 against Manhattan while he was the head coach at Iona, but has not faced the Jaspers since arriving in South Orange.
Saturday is the second of a four-game homestand for the Pirates. They will begin BIG EAST Conference 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 and into BIG EAST play next week with a handful of impressive wins during non-league play. The Pirates picked up 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, Saint Peter's and Wagner Wednesday night.

In the Polls

The Pirates enter Saturday 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 107 times in program history, and now seven 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 107 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 150-50 (.750).

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 finished 10-2 during non-conference play in each of the past three years, and can win their 11th non-league game on Saturday. Seton Hall has not won 11 non-conference regular season games since 2012-13.

#EliteDesi

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

He is averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game, while shooting an incredible 52.5percent (84-for-160) from the field and 37.5 percent (21-for-56) from long range.

What makes Rodriguez so valuable is his versatility. He can shoot from long range, post up, dribble/drive, and throw it down with the best of them. He filled the box score against Wagner, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, and matched a career-high five assists and four blocks.

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. He has scored 15 or more points in six of the last seven games.

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 54-4 in its last 58 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 10.8 points and shooting 55.4 percent (51-of-92) in the first half this season.

As a team, the Pirates average a +7.5 scoring margin after the first 20 minutes, and have had a halftime lead in nine of 12 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 32-for-78 (41.0 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 11 of 12 games this year.

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 49 assists and has just 24 turnovers.

He has furthermore committed only 19 fouls while playing 357 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 471-400 this season, and have had a positive margin in 14 of the last 17 games dating back to last season.

Against Wagner, four different Pirates had six or more rebounds - Delgado (10), Rodriguez (eight), Nzei (seven), Sanogo (six).

The Pirates score an average of 40.5 points in the paint and allow just 26.7 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 14.2 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging just 8.2.

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 107 of 110 career games.

Delgado's 3.9 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 12 consecutive games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 17 of the last 18.

Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in nine of 12 games this year.

A total of four different Pirates have recorded five assists or more in a single game this season (Carrington, Delgado, Powell, Rodriguez).

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.

He is not normally used as a scorer on the offensive end, but has attempted 6.0 field goals per game over the last three contests after attempting just 2.8 per game over the previous nine this season.

Not Up in Here!

Sanogo finished with a career-high five blocks at Rutgers last Saturday, and is up to 12 for the season.

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

The team is already up to 49 blocks this year after a season-high eight against Wagner on Wednesday, 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 18th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,470 career points.

The Brooklyn native has scored 20 or more points 19 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 seven games and 40.0 percent or better in all 12 games this season.

For the year, the Pirates have 193 assists and 164 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, 62.8, on 27-of-43 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.

On Wednesday against Wagner he finished with 10 points and seven boards.

He has five dunks this season, and the Pirates are 7-1 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 (1,182) and double-doubles (58).