Sold-Out Saturday at The Rock: The Hall vs. Xavier

2017-18 BIG EAST Game No. 19 Seton Hall Pirates (15-4, 4-2 BIG EAST) vs. Xavier Musketeers (17-2, 5-2 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Saturday, January 20 \| 2:30 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	SOLD OUT except limited $11 tickets that will be available at the Prudential Center box office beginning Saturday at 11 a.m.
Television Broadcast	FOX Broadcast Network \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Sirius 108 \| XM 201 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Xavier
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram
Promotions	South Orange Day \| Presented by Professional PT \| Pirate Varsity Club Reunion

There is nothing like Saturday afternoon basketball at The Rock. And boy, we've got a good one for you, Pirates fans.

Before this year, there hadn't been a Seton Hall home game that was "Ranked vs. Ranked" since 2001. Now in less than a month, we're on our second. Tomorrow, No. 19 Seton Hall hosts No. 11 Xavier in a titanic matchup of two upper-echelon BIG EAST squads. Both have only lost twice in conference play so far, and the winner of Saturday's game will have a leg up on the chase for the regular season title.

These two teams always have entertaining battles, and this year should be no different.

The game is sold out, with the exception of the limited $11 tickets that go on sale every gameday at the Prudential Center box office. Better get there early.

Tip time Saturday is 2:30 p.m., and the game will be on the FOX Broadcast Network (Channel 5 in Metro New York), simulcast on FOX Sports GO, with Joe Davis and Len Elmore on the call and Lisa Byington patrolling the sidelines. As always, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 108, XM 201 and the Pirate Sports Network.

"Even when I'm having a bad day, I try to walk around with a smile on my face because you never know whose day you'll make." - @Myles_MBP_23 #HALLin https://t.co/YJt5FagP12
— Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) January 19, 2018

THINGS TO KNOW

No. 19 Seton Hall returns to the friendly confines of a sold out Prudential Center on Saturday afternoon for a crucial BIG EAST Conference matchup with No. 11 Xavier.
The Pirates are looking to rebound from an 80-63 setback at Creighton on Wednesday night.
Myles Powell scored 19 points, but Seton Hall ran into a hot-shooting Creighton squad that made 51.7 percent of its shots. The Bluejays made eight of their first 10 field goal attempts to take an early lead that the Pirates were ultimately unable to overcome.
Powell has scored 19 in each of the last two games and continues to be the top three-point threat for the Pirates, shooting 44.1 percent (15-for-31) during BIG EAST play.
Senior big man Angel Delgado was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after averaging 11.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 blocked shots last week. He has recorded 17 double-doubles in his last 18 BIG EAST games, and is the nation's leader in career rebounds. He has recorded five or more assists in five of the last eight games.
The core four offensive contributors for the Pirates - Delgado, Powell, Khadeen Carrington and Desi Rodriguez - have scored 69.7 points per game during BIG EAST home games this year while shooting 46.2 percent.
SHU is 20-19 all-time, 8-4 at home when it is ranked and facing a ranked team.
Saturday marks the 17th all-time meeting between Seton Hall and Xavier. The Pirates lead the all-time series, 10-6, have won three of the last four, and are a perfect 6-0 at home against the Musketeers.
- 01/05/49 - W, 60-51
- 01/11/53 - W, 86-78
- 03/03/14 - W, 71-62
- 01/31/15 - W, 90-82
- 02/28/16 - W, 90-81
- 02/22/17 - W, 71-64
In the last meeting, Delgado made his presence known with 25 points and 13 rebounds as the Pirates registered a 71-64 victory at Prudential Center. The Pirates used an 8-0 run to move ahead by 10 with 3:30 remaining to seal the victory. Rodriguez scored his 1,000th career point and finished with 22 on 7-of-14 shooting.
The Pirates are 11-0 at home this year and have won 13 consecutive home games overall.
Seton Hall has won 12 of its last 14 BIG EAST home games and five in a row at The Rock.
The team is 10-0 when Rodriguez is the leading scorer, and he has poured in 15 or more in 10 of the last 14 games. The Pirates are 33-9 all-time when he scores 15 or more points.
Head coach Kevin Willard is 6-4 all-time against Xavier.

#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 concluded non-conference play with a handful of resume-boosting victories including three over teams currently in the KenPom Top-100.

Seton Hall has won 11 of its last 14 games, and is a perfect 3-0 against ranked opponents this season.

In the Polls

The Pirates head into Saturday as the No.19 ranked team in the AP Poll.

Last week, Seton Hall was up to No. 13 in the rankings, the highest since Jan. 2, 2001.

Seton Hall has been in the weekly national rankings 111 times in program history, and now 11 times this season.

Of the 111 all-time rankings, this is the fifth time Seton Hall has been ranked No. 19. The Pirates have gone 6-3 all-time as the No. 19 team, including 1-1 this season.

Seton Hall's all-time record as an AP nationally ranked team is 155-52 (.749).

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 - 92 (W, 84-68)

Texas Tech - 8 (W, 89-79)

Louisville - 36 (W, 79-77)

Creighton - 17 (W, 90-84)

St. John's - 78 (W, 75-70)

Butler - 42 (W, 90-87)

Home is Whenever I'm at Pru

Seton Hall is very difficult to beat at Prudential Center. It is a perfect 11-0 this season, and has won 13 straight home games overall. Furthermore, the Pirates have won 12 of their last 14 BIG EAST games and five in a row at The Rock.

02/25/16 - Providence (W, 70-52)

02/28/16 - #5 Xavier (W, 90-81)

01/01/17 - Marquette (W, 69-66)

01/07/17 - DePaul (W, 87-56)

01/22/17 - St. John's (W, 86-73)

02/08/17 - Providence (W, 72-70 OT)

02/15/17 - #20 Creighton (W, 87-81)

02/22/17 - Xavier (W, 71-64)

02/28/17 - Georgetown (W, 62-59)

12/28/17 - #25 Creighton (W, 90-84)

12/31/17 - St. John's (W, 75-70)

01/13/18 - Georgetown (W, 74-61)

Big Four Dominate at Home

It is no secret that the quartet of Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, Angel Delgado and Myles Powell are tasked with carrying their weight on the offensive end - especially during BIG EAST play. Through three BIG EAST home games, the four have proven their worth.

Rodriguez - 21.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.7 spg

Powell - 17.3 ppg, 2.3 spg

Carrington - 17.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg

Delgado - 13.7 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 5.3 apg

Combined - 69.7 ppg

Combined - 72-of-156 (46.2%) FG

Combined - 23-of-55 (41.8%) 3FG

Up to the Challenge

Since head coach Kevin Willard's arrival in 2010-11, The Hall has shown consistent ability to perform well against nationally ranked opponents.

Saturday afternoon the Pirates can pick up their 18th win over an Associated Press top-25 team during Willard's tenure. Dating back to Feb. 28, 2016, the Pirates have won nine of last their 14 games against nationally ranked opponents.

This year's squad is 3-0 against ranked competition:

11/30/17 - vs. No. 22 Texas Tech (W, 89-79)

12/03/17 - at No. 17 Louisville (W, 79-77)

12/28/17 - No. 25 Creighton (W, 90-84)

Delgado Can Swing It

Angel Delgado's ability to distribute the ball and find the open man has been one of the most important aspects of his game, and has allowed the Pirates offense to click.

He is averaging 3.1 assists per game this season, the most among any non-guard in the BIG EAST and tied for 13th-best overall.

During league play he has already had four games with five or more assists.

#EliteDesi

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

He is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game, good for ninth in the BIG EAST. He is shooting 49.8 percent (125-for-251) from the field and 36.8 percent (32-for-87) from long range.

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.

At No. 17 Louisville, the Bronx native went off for a season-high and game-high 29 points. 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 10-0 this season when Rodriguez is the team's leading scorer, and 33-9 all-time when he scores at least 15 points. He has scored 15 or more points in 10 of the last 14 games.

Rodriguez is averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and is shooting 55.7 percent from the field in seven career games against Xavier.

Sanogo the Scorer

Although widely regarded as the team's top defender, Ismael Sanogo has shown the ability to step in and contribute on the offensive end.

Over his last three games he has provided a valuable spark, shooting 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from the floor, while averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

At Marquette on Jan. 9, he scored a career-high 14 points to go along with six boards and a pair of three-point buckets.

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 57-4 in its last 61 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.

Delgado Dominates Downlow

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.

Last week, he was named to the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list.

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 114 of 117 career games.

Delgado's 4.3 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for fifth in the country. Overall, Delgado's 11.3 rebounds per game ranks eighth in the nation.

In seven career games against Xavier, the big man is averaging 14.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and is shooting 58.2 percent from the floor.

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 (11.37) behind only Michael Smith (Providence, 1991-94, 11.66 rpg), and is second on the all-time BIG EAST rebounding list (682) after passing Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2006-10) last week. He is only 20 rebounds short of setting the all-time BIG EAST record which is currently held by Syracuse's Derrick Coleman (1986-90).

Second-Half Heroics

On Dec. 28 the Pirates pulled off a 13-point second half comeback win over Creighton, and an 11-point second half comeback win at Butler on Jan. 6. Seton Hall also trailed Georgetown by 10 in the first half on Jan. 13, but won by 13 points. It has been stellar in the second half all season.

Over the final 20 minutes, Seton Hall is shooting 46.1 percent while holding opponents to 41.3 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 31.8 percent (63-for-198) from long range over the final 20 minutes.

One of the All-Timers

Carrington has a natural scoring ability that ranks him among the all-time greats at The Hall.

Currently, Carrington is 15th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,575 career points. He furthermore is 15th on the all-time assists leaderboard with 318.

The Brooklyn native has scored 20 or more points 21 times in his career.

Some Wine With That?

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 49-for-117 (41.9 percent).

The Trenton native scored a team-high 19 points at Creighton on Wednesday night on 4-of-8 shooting from distance.

Against Georgetown last Saturday, Cheese filled the box score with a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, and a career-high six steals.

On Jan. 6 at Butler he drilled a massive three-pointer with just over two minutes to go and shot 4-of-4 at the free-throw line in the final seconds to secure the win.

Earlier this season against Texas Tech, he also 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 14-7 over the course of his career when he makes three or more treys. He has scored in double-figures in 16 of 19 games this year.

In two career games against Xavier, Powell is averaging 17.0 points while shooting 61.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from long range (8-for-16).

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 had a positive margin in 18 of the last 24 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates score an average of 37.2 points in the paint and allow just 28.8 per game.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been excellent in taking advantage. SHU averages 13.2 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging 9.9.

Sharing is Caring

Against St. John's, the Pirates assisted on 19 of their 24 made field goals, the highest percentage of assists to field goals this season.

The Pirates have won 15 of 16 games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 20 of the last 22.

Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 14 of 19 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).

Getting to the Line is Key

The Pirates are 27-3 over the last 30 games and 12-1 this season with they have more free-throw attempts than their opponent.

Be Like Mike

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, 59.1, on 39-of-66 shooting.

He is tied for the team lead with seven dunks this season, and the Pirates are 8-1 all-time when he scores in double figures.

Against Creighton on Dec. 28, Nzei pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.