No. 23 Pirates Host St. John's Sunday at 5 p.m.

2017-18 BIG EAST Game No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates (12-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) vs. St. John's Red Storm (10-3, 0-1 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Sunday, December 31 \| 5 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	WMCA 570 AM \| XM 201 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| St. John's
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook

What better way to close out 2017 than with some Pirates Basketball?

The Pirates are back at Prudential Center for the final time in this calendar year, and before 2018 comes to save us all, The Hall is looking to start a season 13-2 for the first time since 2011-12 and start 2-0 in BIG EAST play for only the eighth time in program history. Standing in the Pirates way are the talented Red Storm, who boast two of the most dynamic guards in the league and a strong frontcourt with a knack for blocking shots. It's a battle for New York City supremacy, and while St. John's might be physically in New York City, these Pirates are only 15 miles away from Madison Square Garden, and they have a better record there in the last three years than St. John's does (7-2 to 7-10).

Tip time is scheduled for 5 p.m., and we cannot stress that enough. 5 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on FS1, simulcast on FOX Sports GO, with Brian Custer and Vin Parise on the call. As always, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on WMCA 570 AM, simulcast on XM 201 and the Pirate Sports Network.

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 23 Seton Hall welcomes St. John's to Prudential Center Sunday evening, and will look to ring in the New Year undefeated in BIG EAST Conference play.
The Pirates won their conference opener in thrilling fashion on Thursday night. They erased a 13-point deficit against No. 23 Creighton, and held the Bluejays scoreless over the final 3:32 to come away with a 90-84 victory in front of a crowd of nearly 10,000 at The Rock.
Against Creighton, Seton Hall was once again powered by their senior starters, as Desi Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington and Angel Delgado combined for 59 points. Rodriguez led the way with 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the floor. Carrington finished with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Delgado notched his 10th double-double of the season with 18 points, 14 rebounds and a team-high five assists.
The Pirates concluded non-conference play with an 11-2 record, and have won seven of their last eight games - four against KenPom top-100 teams, including Vanderbilt (71), Texas Tech (11), Louisville (32) and VCU (93). It is the first time since 2012-13 that the Pirates have accumulated 11 non-conference wins in the regular season.
Thursday's game against Creighton was the 10th-highest attended game in SHU's Prudential Center history (9,824).
The Pirates are 38-59 in the all-time series with the Johnnies, but are 25-17 at home, and have won the last three in Newark by an average of 14.3 points.
Seton Hall and St. John's last met on Feb. 11 last season, and the Pirates did not play as well as they normally do at Madison Square Garden. They could not overcome a 10-point halftime deficit, and ultimately fell, 78-70. Delgado and Nzei both finished with double-doubles, but Seton Hall ran into a rested St. John's team that turned 18 Pirates turnovers into 30 points.
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 51.6 percent from the field and 35.4 from three-point range. The team is 9-0 when he is the leading scorer, and he has poured in 15 or more in seven of the last nine games. The Pirates are 30-9 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
Last year, Rodriguez was the fourth-leading scorer in BIG EAST play (17.3 ppg), and Delgado averaged 18.1 points and 15.1 rebounds in conference home games, leading the Pirates to a 7-2 record.
Head coach Kevin Willard is 6-5 all-time against St. John's
Sunday marks the last game of a four-game homestand for the Pirates. They defeated Wagner on Dec. 20, Manhattan on Dec. 23, and No. 25 Creighton on Dec. 28.

#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 BIG EAST play 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, Wagner, and Manhattan.

Seton Hall has won eight of its last nine games, and is a perfect 3-0 against ranked opponents this season.

With SHU's victory over Creighton on Thursday, the Pirates improve to 12-2 for the third time in the last four seasons. The Hall has not gotten off to a 13-2 start since the 2011-12 team began its season with wins in 15 of its first 17 games.

A 2-0 start to BIG EAST play would be the program's third under Willard (2015-16, 2014-15), and only the eighth time in 39 BIG EAST seasons. Of the past seven times Seton Hall has started 2-0 in league play, the Pirates went on to win three BIG EAST Tournament titles and earned five NCAA Tournament appearances.

In the Polls

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

On Dec. 11, the program earned a No. 15 ranking, its highest since Jan. 9, 2001.

Seton Hall has been in the weekly national rankings 108 times in program history, and now eight 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 108 all-time rankings, this is the fourth time Seton Hall has been ranked No. 23.

Seton Hall's all-time record as an AP nationally ranked team is 152-50 (.752).

Building a Resume

The Pirates have already notched several key wins that will loom large down the road, including victories over six teams currently in the KenPom Top-100:

Indiana - 90 (W, 84-68)

Vanderbilt - 68 (W, 72-59)

Texas Tech - 10 (W, 89-79)

Louisville - 33 (W, 79-77)

VCU - 96 (W, 90-67)

Creighton - 31 (W, 90-84)

#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 51.6 percent (96-for-186) from the field and 35.4 percent (23-for-65) 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 has scored 20 or more points in five games this season including 23 against Creighton on Thursday. He furthermore added a season-best five steals against the Bluejays.

Rodriguez 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 9-0 this season when Rodriguez is the team's leading scorer, and 30-9 all-time when he scores at least 15 points. He has scored 15 or more points in seven of the last nine games.

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 54 assists and has just 30 turnovers.

He has furthermore committed only 21 fouls while playing 416 minutes of lockdown defense.

The Brooklyn native was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after averaging 20.5 points last week in wins over Wagner and Manhattan. Against Wagner he scored a season-high 26 points and set a school record for most three-point makes in a game without missing (6-for-6).

Carrington has done a nice job at the free throw line this season, and is shooting 80.0 percent (48-for-60). Last year, he shot 73.1 percent (122-for-167).

In six career games against St. John's, Carrington averages 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Thriving in the BIG EAST

Desi Rodriguez was the fourth-leading scorer in the BIG EAST last season, averaging 17.3 points per game during league play.

He was also on fire from long range, shooting 43-for-102 (44.1 percent) from beyond the arc. He hit a three in all 18 conference games in 2016-17.

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 55-4 in its last 59 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.

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.

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 109 of 112 career games.

Delgado's 4.4 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for fourth in the country. He pulled down a season-high eight against Manhattan last week, and had six against Creighton on Thursday.

Legendary BIG EAST Rebounder

In 2016-17, Delgado recorded over 200 more rebounds than any other player in the BIG EAST, and set the conference's single-season conference-games only rebounding record (253).

He also set the BIG EAST single season conference-games only rebounding average record last season with 14.1 rebounds per game.

Delgado is currently second on the BIG EAST's all-time rebounding average (11.41) behind only Michael Smith (Providence, 1991-94, 11.66 rpg), and is fourth on the all-time BIG EAST rebounding list (628).

On Jan. 22, 2017, he finished with 21 points and 20 rebounds against St. John's, and pulled down 22 boards against Butler on Jan. 25.

In six career games against the Johnnies, Delgado averages 12.2 points and 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55.0 percent.

Second-Half Heroics

The Pirates are fresh off a 13-point second half comeback win over Creighton on Thursday night, and have been stellar in the second half all season.

Over the final 20 minutes, Seton Hall is shooting 48.2 percent while holding opponents to 39.0 percent shooting from the field.

One of the main reasons the Pirates have been able to create separation during the second half this season has been their three-point field goal defense. Opponents are shooting just 27.0 percent (41-for-152) from long range over the final 20 minutes.

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 37-for-88 (42.0 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 13-6 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 13 of 14 games this year.

In his two career games against St. John's, Powell scored 16.0 points per game while shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 46.0 percent (6-for-13) from long range.

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 554-464 this season, and have had a positive margin in 16 of the last 19 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates score an average of 40.6 points in the paint and allow just 27.7 per game.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been excellent in taking advantage. SHU averages 14.4 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging just 8.7.

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 10 of 14 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.

Not Up in Here!

Sanogo finished with a career-high five blocks at Rutgers, and is up to 13 for the season.

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

The team is already up to 55 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 18th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,503 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.

Offensive Showcase

The Pirates have shot 50.0 percent or better in seven games and 40.0 percent or better in all 14 games this season.

For the year, the Pirates have 223 assists and 196 turnovers (1.1 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, 58.5, on 31-of-53 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 five dunks this season, and the Pirates are 8-1 all-time when he scores in double figures.

On Thursday against Creighton, Nzei pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.

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 (1,214) and double-doubles (60).