The Hall Welcomes Marquette to The Rock Wednesday

2017-18 BIG EAST Game Seton Hall Pirates (17-6, 6-4 BIG EAST) vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (13-10, 4-7 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Wednesday, February 7 \| 7 p.m. \| Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com \| Prudential Center Box Office
Television Broadcast	FS1 \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Sirius 119 \| XM 202 \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Marquette
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram
Promotions	Greek Night
Game Sponsorship	Presented by Garden Savings Federal Credit Union

It's February, and the Pirates are at home. Those tend to be good things for Seton Hall.

Over the last two seasons, the Pirates are 8-2 at home in the month of February, and they are looking to continue to trend Wednesday night when they host Marquette in BIG EAST action at Prudential Center. It's a big game for both teams; The Hall is looking to improve to 7-4 and create a three-way tie in the conference standings with Creighton and Providence, and Marquette is looking to stop a four-game skid. The Golden Eagles have just one win since they knocked off the Pirates in Milwaukee almost a month ago.

Wednesday's game will be nationally televised on FS1 with Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery on the call and the Uber-loving, incomparable Steve Scheer producing. The game is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. As always, the dynamic duo of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin will deliver the radio broadcast on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 119, XM 202 and the Pirate Sports Network.

This season, the NCAA has adjusted the way it prioritizes wins for tournament selection. Instead of Top 50 RPI wins, there are Quadrant 1 RPI wins. And we are near the top in most Q-1 dubs. #HALLin #PiratePursuit pic.twitter.com/jo20E5vC6b
— Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) February 6, 2018

THINGS TO KNOW

Seton Hall returns home to Prudential Center on Wednesday night when it takes on Marquette for the second time this season. The Pirates are looking to avenge their first BIG EAST setback of the season back on Jan. 9 in Milwaukee.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Seton Hall went toe-to-toe with the No. 1 team in the country, and although the score is not a direct indicator, the Pirates battled Villanova punch-for-punch for 30 minutes before a 31-12 Wildcats run forced The Hall to a 92-76 defeat at Wells Fargo Center.
The Hall shot 50.0 percent for the game and turned the ball over just 10 times, but Villanova made 12 three-pointers, out-rebounded the Pirates and committed only seven giveaways. Desi Rodriguez led the Pirates with 20 points while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Angel Delgado registered 18 points and nine boards, while Myles Powell poured in 17 points including a trio of three-pointers.
The core four offensive contributors for the Pirates - Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Rodriguez and Powell - have scored 60.2 points per game - 79.7 percent of the team's total points during BIG EAST play.
At home, the main four offensive contributors have been particularly effective. They are shooting a combined 47.7 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from long range.
Wednesday night marks the 25th all-time meeting between Seton Hall and Marquette. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 17-7.
The last time the programs met was on Jan. 9 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center where Marquette came away with an 84-64 victory. Delgado recorded a double-double and Ismael Sanogo finished with a career-high 14 points, but Marquette made 11 three-pointers and used a 16-0 second-half run to take control down the stretch.
The Pirates have won 13 of their last 16 BIG EAST home games at The Rock including six of the last seven. They are 3-6 all-time against Marquette at home.
Last year, Carrington scored six points over the final 38 seconds of the game to transform a 66-63 deficit into a 69-66 victory over the Golden Eagles on New Year's Day in Newark. Delgado finished with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 12 rebounds.
This year's senior class (Carrington, Delgado, Sanogo and Rodriguez) has scored a collective 4,961 career points.
On Sunday, Rodriguez became the 19th player in program history to score 1,500 or more points.

#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 four over teams currently in the KenPom Top-100. Seton Hall is also 3-2 against ranked opponents this season.

In the Polls

The Pirates head into Wednesday night receiving votes in both the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll.

It is the third time this season the Pirates have not been ranked in either poll.

Earlier this season Seton Hall was 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 11 times this season.

Building a Resume

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

Indiana - 80 (W, 84-68)

Vanderbilt - 92 (W, 72-59)

Texas Tech - 10 (W, 89-79)

Louisville - 37 (W, 79-77)

Creighton - 21 (W, 90-84)

St. John's - 86 (W, 75-70)

Butler - 19 (W, 90-87)

Providence - 58 (W, 73-57)

Down the Stretch We Go

There is no question that games this time of year simply mean more. In the past, there has been a direct correlation between Seton Hall's success in February and March, and reaching the NCAA Tournament. During these two months, the Pirates have an incredible 70-32 combined record in the 11 seasons the program reached the NCAA Tournament.

1987-88: 6-2

1988-89: 6-3

1990-91: 4-3

1991-92: 9-2

1992-93: 9-1

1993-94: 4-4

1999-00: 5-4

2003-04: 7-4

2005-06: 6-4

2015-16: 7-2

2016-17: 7-3

Home is Whenever I'm at Pru

Seton Hall is very difficult to beat at Prudential Center. It is 12-1 this season, and has won 14 of the last 15 home games overall. Furthermore, the Pirates have won 13 of their last 16 BIG EAST games and six of the last seven 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)

01/31/18 - Providence (W, 73-57)

Seniors Know How to Score

Between Rodriguez, Carrington and Delgado, the Pirates have an incredible threesome of experienced scorers - the trio has a combined 4,601 career points.

All three are Top-25 all-time scorers in the history of the program, with Carrington leading the trio (12th), followed by Rodriguez (17th) and Delgado (23rd).

Each also has significant experience scoring in double-figures:

Delgado - 80 times

Carrington - 78 times

Rodriguez - 73 times

A New King

Angel Delgado had already cemented his name in the BIG EAST record book entering the season. But at DePaul on Jan. 28, with his second rebound, BIG EAST career rebound No. 702, he broke Syracuse's Derrick Coleman's (1986-90) all-time BIG EAST career rebound record that had stood for 28 years.

The big man is also second on the BIG EAST's all-time rebounding average list (11.59) behind only Michael Smith (Providence, 1991-94, 11.66 rpg).

Delgado is comfortable putting up eye-popping rebounding numbers. In 2016-17, he 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 record for rebounding average (14.1).

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 3.0 assists per game this season, the most among any non-guard in the BIG EAST.

During league play, he has already had four games with five or more assists, and is tied for 11th in the BIG EAST with 3.4 per game.

#EliteDesi

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

On Monday, Rodriguez was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the third time this season after averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists last week. He was 56.0 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from long range.

He is averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game, good for eighth in the BIG EAST. He is shooting 50.7 percent (154-for-304) from the field and 38.1 percent (40-for-105) from long range.

The Pirates are 10-2 this season when Rodriguez is the team's leading scorer, and 34-11 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 59-6 in its last 65 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.

Sanogo Stepping Up

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

Over his last seven games, Sanogo has averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds. In his previous 15 games this season, he had averaged 3.7 points and 4.1 boards.

He has gone 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) from three-point range over the last seven games. Entering the season, he was 1-for-6 in his career from long range. He also started the season 0-for-7 from deep.

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.

Rebounding on Both Ends

Delgado's ability to rebound on both ends of the floor has earned him national attention.

He was named to the 2018 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List after earning a spot on the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list two weeks ago.

Delgado's 4.2 offensive boards per game so far this season is good for fourth in the country. Overall, Delgado's 12.0 rebounds per game are also fourth-best in the nation.

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 118 of 121 career games.

Bullies in the Backcourt

Against Providence on Jan. 31, Carrington and Powell held two of the best guards in the BIG EAST, Kyron Cartwright and Jalen Lindsey, SCORELESS on a combined 0-for-13 effort from the field.

Entering the game and during BIG EAST play, Cartwright was averaging 16.1 points, a league-best 7.5 assists, was shooting 51.8 from the floor, and had a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

On top of being held without a point, Cartwright turned it over four times and dished out just two assists in 27 minutes.

Lindsey was averaging 12.7 points in conference games and shooting 47.8 percent from deep overall. He was shut out and limited to 0-for-4 from long range on Wednesday.

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 46.4 percent while holding opponents to 42.4 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 32.5 percent (79-for-243) 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 12th on the all-time scoring leaderboard with 1,637 career points. He also ranks 15th on the all-time assists leaderboard with 339.

The Brooklyn native has scored 20 or more points 22 times in his career.

Carrington has found his stroke at the free throw line, and is shooting 90.9 percent (40-of-44) during BIG EAST play, up from 79.2 percent in 11 non-conference games this year.

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 60-for-146 (41.1 percent).

He was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Jan. 29 after scoring a team-high 21 points at DePaul.

Against Georgetown on Jan. 13, Cheese filled the box score with a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, and a career-high six steals.

Earlier this season against Texas Tech, Powell 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 15-8 over the course of his career when he makes three or more treys. He has scored in double-figures in 20 of 23 games this year.

Getting to the Line is Key

The Pirates are 28-3 over the last 31 games and 13-1 this season with they have more free-throw attempts than their opponent.

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 21 of the last 28 games dating back to last season.

The Pirates score an average of 37.0 points in the paint and allow just 29.6 per game.

Offensive rebounds lead to second-chance points, and the Pirates have been excellent in taking advantage. SHU averages 13.0 second-chance points per game, while opponents are averaging 11.1.

Sharing is Caring

Against St. John's on Dec. 31, 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 17 of 19 games when they register a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 22 of the last 25.

Seton Hall has finished with an even or positive assist-to-turnover ratio in 17 of 23 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).

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, 56.2, on 41-of-72 shooting.

He is second on the team 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.

Block You Like A Hurricane

As a team, the Pirates already have more blocks this season (93) than they did in all of 2016-17 (83).

Ismael Sanogo leads the way with 23 blocks, and has recorded three or more on four occasions.

Angel Delgado has blocked 22 shots so far, and finished with a career-best four against Xavier on Jan. 20.

Shooters Shoot

The Pirates have shot 50.0 percent or better in eight games and 40.0 percent or better in 22 of 23 games this season.

For the year, the Pirates have 374 assists and 318 turnovers (1.2 ratio).