3 Things About Championship Saturday vs. Villanova

2019 BIG EAST Championship Presented by Jeep [3] Seton Hall Pirates (20-12, 9-9 BIG EAST) vs. [1] Villanova Wildcats (24-9, 13-5 BIG EAST)
Date/Time/Location	Saturday, March 16 \| 6:30 p.m. \| Madison Square Garden (New York, N.Y.)
Tickets	Ticketmaster.com
Television Broadcast	FOX Broadcast Network \| FOX Sports GO
Radio Broadcast	AM970 The Answer \| Pirate Sports Network
Game Notes	Seton Hall \| Villanova
Links	Live Stats \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram

Consider these items:

Seton Hall started this season by graduating its greatest senior class ever, a class that scored over 5,000 points.
The BIG EAST coaches thought Seton Hall would be the eighth-best team in the conference.
This young group of Pirates suffered a pair of back-to-back defeats to Nebraska and Saint Louis that caused everyone to further doubt the team.
The grueling BIG EAST schedule produced a mid-season four-game losing streak that sent everyone to Panic City.
A double overtime loss at Georgetown was a gut punch that put everyone on edge.

Now consider this:

This year's Pirates are 5-2 against Associated Press nationally ranked teams. They knocked off the then No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats on a neutral court.
They are 14-10 against Quad 1 + 2 teams, 7-7 against Quad 1 teams and 5-3 against the NET Top 30.
Even in defeat, these Pirates never give up. They are as good as any team in the country in the second half, led by one of the best players in all of college basketball.
In a wild year for the BIG EAST, the Pirates finished in third place for a fourth straight year, won 20 games overall for a fourth straight year and find themselves in the BIG EAST Tournament final for the second time in four years.
Every criticism you have for this program, these student-athletes answer it with a punch back.

Tonight, Seton Hall plays for a championship, something no one outside of this group of motivated student-athletes saw coming. They saw it coming because they have never given up. Not even when others have. Tonight the Pirates and Wildcats will do battle, leaving it all on the floor. It's Championship Saturday at The Garden, and it's exactly where you want to be.

Saturday's title bout is a national FOX Broadcast Network telecast with Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson on the call and Lisa Byington on the sidelines. Calling the action on the radio once again are Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin on AM970 The Answer, simulcast on the Pirate Sports Network.

Three Things to Know About Championship Saturday

1. What's Left in the Tank?
Both teams are playing on the third straight day. Villanova had to go to overtime with Xavier yesterday. The Pirates had a three-hour marathon with Marquette that was emotionally draining. Which team is going to come out with the energy on championship Saturday? Honestly, when both teams take the floor and feel the electric Madison Square Garden crowd, you'll see that both teams have plenty left in the tank to go for that coveted championship.

2. Need to Make Shots
Seton Hall matched Villanova in three-pointers made in last week's meeting with 13, and as was said last time, the Wildcats are going to get theirs like they always do. So the Pirates need to be efficient with their shots and make some threes to match Villanova' potency.

3. Myles Powell Owns the Garden
Myles Powell has been unreal at Madison Square Garden. In 10 career games here, he's averaging 19.2 points a game. In four MSG appearances this season, he's averaging 26.8 points a game! He has a case for All-America and he can possibly stamp it in permanent ink with a tournament final game to remember.