Seton Hall 2010 NIT Capsule

Joel Welser — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:15:23 -0800

Seton Hall Pirates

Big East Conference (19-12, 9-9)

Big Wins: 11/20 at Cornell (89-79), 1/21 Louisville (80-77), 1/24 Pittsburgh (64-61)

Bad Losses: 1/6 at Connecticut (63-71), 1/28 at USF (74-76), 3/10 vs Notre Dame (56-68)

Coach: Bobby Gonzalez

Why They Can Surprise:

Usually when there is a high scoring team like Seton Hall turnovers are a problem. It is a natural result of pushing the ball up the floor at every opportunity. However, that is not the case with this group. Coach Bobby Gonzalez has three terrific ballhandlers and at least two of them are on the floor almost every minute of the game. Eugene Harvey is the most experienced option and leads the team with 4.6 assists per contest. Harvey is also a solid defender and capable scorer around the basket.

Sophomore Jordan Theodore is still a backup point guard, but he has really stepped up his game during his sophomore campaign. Not only has he emerged as a capable shooter and scorer, but his assist-to-turnover ratio is very impressive. And then there is Keon Lawrence. The transfer from Missouri made his debut with the Pirates in mid-December and has been a relatively consistent ballhandler ever since. He is not much of a scoring threat, but he has worked his way into the starting lineup because of his athleticism.

Why They Can Disappoint:

A few more familiar names dot the frontcourt. Herb Pope is the team’s second best scorer and the team’s main rebounding threat. Pope is a good scorer inside and can stretch out the defense with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper. Pope is a beast on the glass too, but rebounding can be a problem for the Pirates. Jeff Robinson, a transfer from Memphis, also made his debut with Seton Hall in mid-December and has been progressing nicely ever since. However, he is not that great of a rebounder. When a player like Robert Mitchell gets relegated to the bench, you know the frontcourt has talent. Mitchell is ideally a wing player and that is where he earns most of his minutes, but there is just not room for him in the starting lineup. His lack of rebounding is the reason, but he will still provide a nice offensive spark off the bench. John Garcia has the size to be effective on the glass, but his minutes have dwindled since the arrival of Robinson and freshman Ferrakohn Hall needs to get stronger before he will be a force on the glass.

Who To Watch:

And even with all that talent, Jeremy Hazell is the star of this team. He is averaging 20.9 points per game and hits 3.2 three-pointers per contest. A year ago Hazell had to score a lot due to lack of other options. Heading into this season there was a concern that he would continue to jack up a ton of shots despite all the new talent around him. For the most part Hazell is continuing to hoist up a ton of shots, but it has worked out pretty well and Seton Hall is just scoring more points and increasing their tempo. Hazell is one of two long range threats on the team and if his shot is not falling, reserve guard Jamel Jackson better be ready to step up or Seton Hall will be a team full of slashers and no shooters.

Probable Starters:

Eugene Harvey, Senior, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 4.6 apg

Jordan Theodore, Sophomore, Guard, 9.1 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.5 spg

Jeremy Hazell, Junior, Guard, 20.9 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg

Jeff Robinson, Junior, Forward, 11.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Herb Pope, Sophomore, Forward, 11.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.9 bpg

Key Roleplayers:

John Garcia, Senior, Center, 3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Ferrakohn Hall, Freshman, Forward, 2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg

Jamel Jackson, Junior, Guard, 4.8 ppg

Keon Lawrence, Junior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 2.1 apg

Robert Mitchell, Junior, Forward, 8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 80.3 (11^th in nation, 4^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 74.2 (297, 15)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.9 (98, 7)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (102, 7)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (103, 7)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.2 (164, 8)

Free-Throw Percentage: 67.6 (216, 10)

Rebound Margin: -0.3 (204, 14)

Assists Per Game: 15.4 (33, 7)

Turnovers Per Game: 10.9 (14, 3)

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jeremy hazell

Seton Hall 2010 NIT Capsule