Pirates Invade Indy for Sunday Night Showdown with Butler

SETON HALL PIRATES (17-8, 7-7) at BUTLER BULLDOGS (13-12, 4-10)

Date/Time: Sunday, Feb. 15 • 6 p.m. Eastern
Site: Indianapolis, Ind. • Hinkle Fieldhouse
TV: FS1 • Kevin Lee & Dickey Simpkins
Online: Fox Sports App
Radio: SHU Pirates Mobile App • Dave Popkin & Matt Ambrose
SHUPirates.com • Varsity Network App
Seton Hall All-Time vs. Butler: 14-13 (Streak: L1)

NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seton Hall is 6-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse since 2019-20, a mark which includes a pair of wins in the semifinals and championship of the 2024 NIT.
Seton Hall is fresh off a win over Providence on Wednesday, 87-80, completing its first season sweep of the Friars since 2017-18.
Budd Clark had one of the best games by a college player this season, scoring 31 points to go with eight assists and five steals.
Clark is the first BIG EAST player since at least 1996-97 to compile such a stat line in a regulation game. He is the first BIG EAST player to do it in any game since Jonny Flynn (34 pts, 11 ast, 6 stl) in the six-overtime classic against UConn in the 2009 BIG EAST Tournament.
It was the first 30-point performance by a Pirate since Jared Rhoden, who scored 30 against Xavier on Feb. 26, 2022.
Clark is averaging 22.4 pts, 5.0 ast, 2.4 stl and shooting 56 percent over his last five games.
Tajuan Simpkins scored 13 points in the win on Wednesday as he continues to build a case for BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year.
Simpkins has come off the bench in every game this season, and his 10.8 ppg leads all qualified reserves in the conference.
Simpkins has been essential to the Pirates' success this season, averaging 12.5 points and shooting 50% FG in Seton Hall's 17 wins this season.
Seton Hall is 13-1 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
The Pirates have held 19 of their 25 opponents this season to under 70 points and are 14-5 in those games.
Furthermore, they've held 12 foes to 65 or less points and are 10-2 in such games.
Last game was an outlier for a Shaheen-Holloway coached team, as it was the first time the Pirates won a game in regulation while allowing 80+ points since Dec. 17, 2023 against Missouri (93-87).
The Pirates are 17th in the nation in scoring defense (65.4) and 13th in blocks per game (5.4).
Najai Hines ranks 22nd in the nation and first among all freshmen in blocks per game (2.1).
Stephon Payne has three games this season with 15+ rebounds after having zero such games in his career prior to this year.
Shaheen Holloway is one of 51 coaches in the nation to be coaching at his alma mater.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO LATELY

The Pirates got back in the win column after a strong offensive performance in an 87-80 win over Providence on Wednesday.
Seton Hall overcame a halftime deficit for the second straight game in a 69-64 win over Marquette on Jan. 31.
The Pirates snapped their four game losing streak with a 86-68 win over Xavier.
Tajuan Simpkins tied his career-high with 27 points and knocked down five 3-pointers.
Simpkins had the most points off the bench by a Pirate since Kadary Richmond, who also scored 27 as a reserve on Jan. 8, 2022 against UConn.
Simpkins' five made three-pointers off the bench are the most by a Pirate non-starter since Jamir Harris (6) against Nyack on Dec. 4, 2021.
Budd Clark had a sensational all-around game with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, the first Pirate to have at least those totals in a game since Jeremy Hazell on Jan. 25, 2011 against Syracuse (28p, 9r, 4a, 4s).
Seton Hall's 56 point second half against Xavier was its most points in a half since Jan. 13, 2022 at DePaul (57).
On Jan. 10, the Pirates erased an 11-point second half deficit to defeat Georgetown, 76-67, in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
The win over the Hoyas was the third straight game in which the Pirates had overcome a double digit second half deficit to win.
Seton Hall rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat Creighton, 56-54, on Jan. 4 at Prudential Center.
The Pirates used a 13-0 run to close the game in a 79-73 victory at Marquette.
Stephon Payne grabbed 22 rebounds in the win at Marquette on Dec. 30, the most rebounds by a Pirate since Angel Delgado pulled down 23 in his memorable performance against Kansas in the Second Round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Payne also put on a show at Providence on Dec. 19 with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
For Payne's efforts against the Friars, he was named BIG EAST and MET Writers Player of the Week, and also received a USBWA National Player of the Week honor.
In the non-conference finale, Seton Hall reclaimed the Boardwalk Trophy by defeating in-state rivals Rutgers, 81-59, in the Garden State Hardwood Classic on Dec. 13.
Budd Clark was named the Joe Calabrese MVP of the game, finishing with 16 points, seven assists, four steals and just one turnover.
Picked to finish last in the BIG EAST before the season, the Pirates have already more than doubled last year's win total and have scored double-digit signature wins over No. 23 NC State in Maui as well as on the road at Kansas State.
Five different Pirates made multiple three-pointers in the win over CCSU back on Dec. 3, a first since Feb. 14, 2012 against St. John's.