Seton Hall University
DePaul
3 Things About The Hall's Sunday Visit to DePaul
1/4/2019 3:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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| 2018 BIG EAST Conference Game Seton Hall Pirates (11-3, 2-0 BIG EAST) at DePaul Blue Demons (8-5, 0-2 BIG EAST) |
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| Date/Time/Location | Sunday, January 6 | 1 p.m. | Wintrust Arena (Chicago, Ill.) |
| Television Broadcast | FS1Â |Â FOX Sports GO |
| Radio Broadcast | AM970 The Answer | Sirius 134 | XM 201 |  Pirate Sports Network |
| Game Notes | Seton Hall | DePaul |
| Links | Live Stats | Twitter |  Facebook |  Instagram |
It is tough to win on the road, especially in the BIG EAST. We mentioned this in the previous preview and here's the grid again of road BIG EAST wins since Dec. 30, 2015:
- Villanova 21-6
- Xavier 17-10
- Seton Hall 14-14
- Butler 13-14
- Providence 13-14
- Creighton 13-15
- Marquette 11-17
- Georgetown 8-20
- DePaul 5-23
- St. John's 4-24
As you can see, just being .500 on the road can elevate you in the conference.
Winning two road games in a row to start BIG EAST play? That's something only one other Seton Hall squad has ever done.Â
Yup. In 39 BIG EAST seasons, Seton Hall has only started 2-0 on the road once. The 1999-00 squad, led by Shaheen Holloway, actually started the BIG EAST slate 3-0 in road games, winning at Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Boston College. So this year's Pirates are staring at potential history Sunday when they face DePaul at Wintrust Arena, where the Blue Demons are 8-2.Â
This clash with DePaul will be tough, especially with potential All-BIG EAST players Max Strus and Eli Cain lighting up the scoreboard, but good teams find ways to win on the road. There's a reason why The Hall is third on that list above.
Sunday's contest is an FS1 nationally televised broadcast with Jeff Levering and Tarik Turner on the call. For you radio fans, Dave Popkin has the call with Joe DeSantis as his wingman on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on Sirius 134, XM 201 and the Pirate Sports Network.
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Three Things to Know About Sunday's Road Game at DePaul
 1. Heading Towards Uncharted Territory
The win at Xavier has extended Seton Hall's unbeaten streak to seven games and that has only happened five times under head coach Kevin Willard. Getting to eight in the Willard era has been even tougher; only the 2011-12 squad reached eight wins in a row, doing so from Nov. 22, 2011 to Dec. 23, 2011. Getting to eight on Sunday won't be easy, but if the Pirates accomplish this, it'll be some feat considering the opponents.
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2. Continue Making Second Half Adjustments
We're not sure what it is, but Seton Hall of late has been a second half team, and whatever Willard is saying to the student-athletes in the locker room at halftime has been working. Take note of the last three games:
- Seton Hall Shooting 1st Half: .483
- Opponent Shooting 1st Half: .528
- Seton Hall Assists/Turnovers 1st Half: 23/24
- Opponent Assists/Turnovers 1st Half: 26/16
- Seton Hall Shooting 2nd Half: .442
- Opponent Shooting 2nd Half: .376
- Seton Hall Assists/Turnovers 2nd Half: 24/11
- Opponent Assists/Turnovers 2nd Half: 14/21
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3. Three-Point Shooting Will Be Key
In terms of three-point shooting percentage, this is a matchup of the BIG EAST's two worst teams. The Pirates are ninth, making only 32.6 percent of their attempts, and DePaul is 10th, making only 31.1 percent of its attempts. The difference? Seton Hall is much better at defending the triple. The Pirates are second in the conference, allowing opponents to shoot 32.8 percent, and DePaul is 10th at 36.3 percent. The Blue Demons give up an average of 9.5 threes a game. As long as The Hall gets open looks and drains the shots, that eighth win in a row will be in sight.
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