Seton Hall Concludes Regular Season At No. 20 Providence

Game 31: No. 20 Providence Friars (21-9, 13-6 BIG EAST) at Seton Hall Pirates (16-14, 9-10 BIG EAST)
Saturday, March 4 • 12 p.m. • Providence, R.I. • Amica Mutual Pavilion
TV: FOX • Tim Brando & Donny Marshall
Web: www.FOXSports.com/Live
Radio: SHU Pirates Mobile App / Pirate Sports Network / SiriusXM 382, SiriusXM App 972 / Gary Cohen & Dave Popkin
Game Notes: Seton Hall | Providence
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NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Seton Hall men's basketball team will wrap up the regular season on Saturday as the Pirates travel to No. 20 Providence to face the Friars at 12 p.m. on FOX.
Seven of the last eight contests in the series have been decided by single digits, including the first meeting of the season back on Dec. 17 where the Pirates led by nine at halftime but ultimately fell, 71-67.
This is only the second time in the BIG EAST Era that Seton Hall has started and ended the conference schedule with the same opponent (2020-21, St. John's).
Starting point guard Kadary Richmond (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had a career-high 28 points in that first meeting but has missed the last two games with a back injury that he suffered seven minutes into the game at No. 20 UConn on Feb. 18.
Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway's first season is statistically stacking up to be one of the best in program history among rookie head coaches:

Most Wins Most BIG EAST Wins
1. George Blaney (1994-95) - 16
Shaheen Holloway (2022-23) - 16
3. Tommy Amaker (1997-98) - 15
Richie Regan (1960-61) - 15

Most BIG EAST Wins
1. Tommy Amaker - 9
Shaheen Holloway - 9
3. George Blaney - 7
Kevin Willard (2010-11) - 7

Holloway's five true road wins are the most for a first-year head coach at Seton Hall since Bill Raftery also registered five road wins in 1970-71.
Despite starting 0-3 in BIG EAST play, Holloway took a group of four returners and five newcomers and has guided them to nine conference victories, marking the seventh straight season that The Hall has notched at least nine BIG EAST wins.
Seton Hall has played one of the most difficult schedules in DI as KenPom ranks the Pirates' slate the 24th toughest and its NET SOS ranks 25th.
Seton Hall ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (65.3 ppg), field goal percentage defense (41.5 pct) and three-point defense (31.1 pct).
In BIG EAST play, Seton Hall ranks third in scoring defense (68.1 ppg) and field goal defense (43.4 pct) while ranking fifth in three-point defense (32.8 pct).
Seton Hall also ranks third in the BIG EAST and in the top 50 nationally in both steals per game (8.4 spg) and turnovers forced (14.7 tpg).
The Pirates rank 24th in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Pirates are 15-3 this season when they hold their opponents to under 70 points.
Seton Hall looks to generate offense from the free throw line where they rank second in the BIG EAST and in the top 40 nationally in both free throw attempt per game (22.4) and free throws made (15.3)
Graduate student KC Ndefo (Elmont, N.Y.) is the anchor of Seton Hall's defense and he has the most blocks of any active player in a power conference with 368.
Ndefo is one block away from tying Herb Pope (59, 2009-10) for 10th on Seton Hall's single season blocks list.
After missing six games with a right ankle sprain, junior Dre Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) is averaging 11 points, shooting 9-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point land the last two games.
Senior Tyrese Samuel (Montreal, Quebec) has blossomed under Holloway, setting career highs in scoring (10.9 ppg), rebounding (5.7 rpg), field goal percentage (55.1 pct.), steals (33) and assists (23).
Looking to fill the void at point guard for Richmond is high school teammate Femi Odukale (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who didn't play in the first meeting against the Friars due to an ankle injury.
Odukale has averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals over the last two games and is coming off of his first career double-double performance against Villanova (14 pts, 10 reb).