Thursday, February 9, 2012

Pirates break losing streak, knock off Rutgers

Sorry I haven't been posting in a while but the losing streak has made me sick. The Pirates have finally snapped their 6 game losing streak and knocked off arch-rival Rutgers 59=54 from The RAC. In a sloppy game all around the pirates come up with a W.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Pirates travel to Marquette tonight trying to end losing streak at 4

Sorry if I have updated the blog in a while but I have been in a state of panic right now after the losing streak for this team was extended to four with the loss at home to Louisville. Tonight, the Pirates of Seton Hall head out to Milwaukee to take on a very good Marquette team that is ranked #15 in the country. Last year, the Pirates edged Marquette on Senior Day at The Rock. Hopefully we can see the same tonight. The game will be at 8 PM ET on SNY, 77 WABC, and 89.5 FM WSOU.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Newark National Invitational at The Rock on Saturday

New Jersey's premier high school basketball, The Newark National Invitational is back again on Saturday for its 4th year from Prudential Center in Newark. The games will be, St. Peter's Prep vs. Gill St. Bernards at 11 AM, Hudson Catholic vs. Lincoln (NY) at 12:45, and host St. Benedict's Prep vs. Blair Academy at 2:30. The games are sure to be intriguing and I am especially interested in seeing Coach Tiny Morton and his Lincoln High School squad take on Hudson Catholic at 12:45. It should be a great day of basketball and a lot of talent tat the event. I will be there scouting the players and reporting to all of the readers of The Hall Zone.

Pirares dont't show up in loss to Notre Dame

I was at last night's game and the Pirates SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. THEY DID NOT SHOW UP! I'm sorry for all of the caps but Seton Hall scored a season low 42 points yesterday, the lowest total since 2005-2006 and played like absolute garbage. I'm sorry but this team in the past three games has looked like a completely different team from when they were #24 in the country. I hate to say it but the Louisville game on Saturday could potentially be a must-win. The whole game was sloppy from both ends but the Hall could not make even the easiest of baskets. For all Pirate fans out there, I hope it i just a three game phase and the team can come back and show that they belong in the elite but for now, this is unacceptable. The team had a whole week to prepare and they come out and can't even get a basket until seven minutes into the game. To be fair, it was only 19-18 at the half but in the second half, the defense didn't perform and the offense couldn't make a shot. I'm starting to feel sick so I better end this article on this, I sure hope this team can bounce back or it may be a long last two months of the season.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Pirates take on Notre Dame at The Rock Wednesday at 8!

The 15-4 and Pirates return to the hardwood of their home court to try and regain their composure after back to back losses. The Hall is 10-0 at Prudential Center and takes on a Notre Dame team, who upset #1 Syracuse on Saturday night. I will be attending the game on Wednesday, so I should have updates during the game. It will be a tough task for the Pirates on Wednesday but a game that can shape them, if they win.

Broadcast-
ESPN 1050 AM- Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin
89.5 FM WSOU- David Rind and Alex Lubischer
TV- MSG+

Friday, January 20, 2012

Dave Popkin to appear on The Big Apple Sports Show

Seton Hall basketball radio color commentator, Dave Popkin will be appearing on The Big Apple Sports Show, Sunday at 3 PM ET on BlogTalkRadio.com. That is my internet radio shwo that I co-host with my colleague Christian Alfano. We are very grateful to have Mr. Popkin on the show and we want you to listen in!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Halftime Report: Villanova 37 Seton Hall 28

WHAT IS GOING ON?!? At the half, the Hall is down to 8-10 Villanova 37-28. Seton Hall hasn't beaten the Wildcats since 2004 and have been shooting abysmally in the first half. I think I am starting to get sick. Hopefully, they can pull it together in the 2nd half.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

USF Stuns #24 Ranked Pirates

Sorry I couldn't get this post up yesterday but I have been in a state of shock and sadness for the past 8 hours. Seton Hall went into Tampa yesterday to play South Florida and was sucked in by a storm and never came out. USF upset the Pirates 56-55 in an entertaining game for anyone but Seton Hall fans. This loss is not only stunning but saddening as the Hall will most likely fall out of the Top 25 after getting in for the first time since 2001, last week. Now it is time to move on if you are Seton Hall. Pick yourself up off the floor, get a strong talking to from the coaching staff and come out charging again. At 15-3, the Hall is very good but needs to beat some very solid Big East teams to keep moving forward. That starts Wednesday night at Villanova. I guess we will have to see how this team responds and if they can solidify themselves as a true NCAA tournament team.

Note- The Hall Zone's interview with 89.5 WSOU Sports Director, David Rind will be up in the next few days.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Seton Hall Hosts DePaul Tonight

In just under an hour, the 14-2 Pirates of Seton Hall will play host to the DePaul Blue Demons tonight from Prudential Center. After coming off an upset win over Pitt, DePaul looks to beat another good Big East opponent in the Pirates. Coverage will be on ESPN3.com, 77 WABC with Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin, and 89.5 FM WSOU with Jason Guerette and Alex Lubischer. GO PIRATES!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Hall in Top 25 for First Time Since 2001

It has finally happened. The Pirates of South Orange are in the new Top 25 rankings this week for the first time in just a few weeks shy of 11 years, at the #24 spot. Surprisingly though, the team was only picked in one of the two polls this week, that being the AP Poll. I know coaches are billed to be a little nuts but WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!? They let in Harvard, who only had 16 votes in the AP Poll and not Seton Hall, who had 205 AP votes. I think they are getting screwed but i am still happy they are in. Rant over. Is this Pirate team good enough to be in the AP Top 25 this week? Certainly. Are they good enough to be in the NCAA Tourney? Time will tell but I believe so. The Hall has a relatively easy schedule in their next four games, hosting DePaul tomorrow, then traveling to USF and to Villanova, to play a struggling Wildcats team. They will also come back home to face an up and down, Notre Dame team before playing host to 14th ranked Louisville from The Rock. Louisville is yet another team, the Pirates have the ability to upset and personally I think they will. Happy days are here again in South Orange and hopefully they stay this way for the rest of the season. GO PIRATES!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Seton Hall Grinds Out The Win Over Providence

I didn't say it would be easy but the Pirates grind out the win tonight over Providence, 66-57. In my game preview yesterday i mentioned that despite their 0-3 Big East Record (at the time), Providence should pose a tough task for Seton Hall. And that they did. Seton Hall held only a 3 point lead at the half but was given good news that Herb Pope, who got kicked in the eye early in the first half was able to come back on to the game. Every Pirate was thanking the Lord when they heard that he was okay because when he hit his head on the floor and got kicked in the eye in the same play it looked ugly. The second half was another hard fought battle. Both teams were able to score in what was at times a sloppy game. It was also the definition of a Big East game, with a lot of physical play and not a lot of foul calls. Overall, the Pirates prevailed and that is what counts. They have also now won three straight Big East games after getting thrashed 75-49 at the hands of Syracuse. In tonight's game it was a little different than usual in regards to who led the team. Instead of Herb Pope leading with his play down low, it was Fuquan Edwin and Jordan Theodore who carried the Pirates in this one. After Pope was injured for most of the first half, Fuquan Edwin stepped up scoring a career high of 24 points and almost adding his second double-double in as many games, as he had 9 rebounds. I've one thing to say, despite the sloppy play and ugliness of tonight's game, Fuquan Edwin is a VERY good basketball player. Edwin also hit his first 5 three-pointers tonight and made baskets when the Pirates needed a lift. Last but not least with Fuquan, he is classy. At the end of the game with the clock running out, Edwin received a pass over the half court line, which he could have easily slammed one down to finish the game with an exclamation point. He didn't though, he just took the ball and held it to run out the clock which is a classy move and mature move by a Sophomore. Overall, the Pirates prevailed over Providence and now I believe they SHOULD BE ranked come Monday morning but I don't make the polls so I guess we all will just have to wait and see. Good win for the Hall and now they take on a DePaul team, who is coming off an upset victory over Pitt. That game will be The Rock at 7 P.M. GO PIRATES!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Pirates head to Providence: Game Preview

After two huge home wins against West Virginia and UConn, the 13-2 Pirates of South Orange head out to Rhode Island to take on the Providence Friars. Despite their 0-3 Big East record, the Friars can potentially pose a tough task for this Seton Hall squad. At 11-5 overall, Providence has had some solid victories in non-conference play, including wins over South Carolina and Boston College, with both of those games being on the road. The Friars are led by leading scorer, Vincent Council and leading rebounder, LaDontae Henton. Council averages 16.1 PPG and is a presence in the guard spot. Freshman Forward LaDontae Henton is very close to averaging a double-double, with 13.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG. Henton is a force down in the post and still had 3 more years to go in a Friar uniform after this year ends. An advantage for the Pirates though, is that they have a rebounding machine of their own in Herb "Papacy" Pope. The Pope man is averaging 18.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG and as many Pirate fans know, the man can lead a team. Pope is a true leader on the court and has been a go-to guy for the Pirates all year. Another threat for Seton Hall is Jordan Theodore. "Theo" is 7th in the nation in assists per game and as we all saw in the UConn game, he can score when he wants to. After not scoring a point in the first half, Jordan hit 3 three-pointers in a row and sparked a Pirate run, which in my opinion led them to their victory. If Theodore gets hot, it could be the end of the game. One more asset Seton Hall has is how versatile they are. They can score in many different ways and with many different people, again as we say on Tuesday night. Against UConn, every starter except for Patrik Auda scored in doubel figures, including Freshman Aaron Cosby, who had 4 three-pointers. Brandon Mobely also came off the bench and put up 8 quick points in the first half to give them momentum going into halftime. Not just in the UConn game but in other games this season, the Pirates have proved they can find scorers in other places besides Herb Pope, Fuquan Edwin, and Jordan Theodore. If you are scouting Seton Hall, one last thing that one cannot overlook is how stingy the Hall's defense can be. Allowing only 48 points against West Virginia and 63 against UConn, this Pirates defense has proved that they can guard the top players in the Big East, including Andre "Who's Pope?' Drummond. On Tuesday night the defense held Drummond to only 5 points and stopped him from getting the ball at a lot of points in the game. Overall, I think the Pirates will prevail but Providence will not be a cupcake game and give Seton Hall a run for their money
My Prediction: Seton Hall 83 Providence 73

Carr Verbally Commits to Seton Hall

Is the Kyle Anderson let-down over? Whether it is or isn't, Coach Willard and the Pirates, got a belated Christmas gift in the form of Aquille Carr. First reported by South Orange Juice, Carr, the 36th ranked player in the class of 2013 committed today to the Pirate program. Hopefully now, he will stay and not de-commit. The addition of Aquille Carr is huge for the Pirates, whom will be young at the point guard position in the next 2 and 3 years. If you want to learn more about the Point Guard phenom, go back to my September 28th post on Carr. Looking forward to seeing him and the blue and white and GO PIRATES!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Can Seton Hall crack the Top 25 this week and will they make the tournament?

Ahh, happy days are here again in South Orange as the Pirates of Seton Hall 13-2 and have tied their TOTAL number of wins from last season. Seton Hall has had marquee wins this year against 4 teams that made last year's NCAA Tournament and has won 10 out of their last 11 games, with the only loss in that stretch coming at the hands of 1st ranked Syracuse. The big question that lies ahead is, Will they have enough power to continue their winning ways and return to the NCAA Tourney, for the first time since 2006? I believe that they can if they continue to have the fire to go out and play teams that are ranked highly and play them hard every night. The wins they need to get are a few more wins against highly ranked opponents. he other question for this week is, Will they crack the Top 25, when the rankings go out of the press on Monday? For the January 2nd edition of the pole, the Pirates received 3 votes in the coaches poll and 2 votes in the AP poll. Cracking the rankings will depend on if they win again on Saturday at Providence and how teams 20-25 fare from today until Sunday. In all honesty I do believe they will be at that 24 or 25 spot in the rankings this week. And on behalf of all fellow Pirate fans, I can say keep praying for the victories and GO PIRATES!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Drought Is Over, The Pirates Stun UConn!!!

For the first time in almost 11 years The Pirates have beaten UConn, who is ranked 8th nationally. Is Seton Hall basketball back? 13-2 now with back to back wins over West Virginia and now UConn, they may sneak into the coaches poll or AP poll by the start of next week. Tonight's win was HUGE. I will repeat HUGE for The Hall who now have momentum after winning two straight Big East games. The Hall travels to Providence on Saturday in what should be a very winnable game and one that will give Seton Hall even more momentum. Tonight, Jordan "Theo" Theodore has a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists, adding to his terrific assists pace on the year. Coming into the game he averaged 7 assists per game, which now will have risen. Brandon Mobley added 8 points and a spark off the bench in the first half and Herb Pope had 15 points to go along with 8 more rebounds. Aaron Cosby also hit some big threes, going 4-7 from beyond the arc. The high man for the huskies was Jeremy Lamb with 19 points.

Notes- I especially enjoyed the "Who is Drummond?" chant from the student section in reference the UConn star"s comments, saying he didn't know who Herb Pope was. I also enjoyed the "You Need Kemba!" chant as well.

Final Point- The Hall's defense was tremendous tonight and every one of their points started on the defensive end. Let's see if they keep it up.

Hall takes on UCONN Tonight from The Rock

12-2 Seton Hall hosts the UCONN Huskies from Prudential Center tonight at 7 PM on SNY. UCONN comes into the game ranked 8th nationally and 12-1 overall. They will not have head coach Jim Calhoun on the sidelines though as he finishes serving a suspension. In addition to being on TV on SNY, the game will be on 77 WABC with Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin, 89.5 WSOU with David Rind and Jason Guerette, and on the Pirate Sports Network and ESPN3.com.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Listen to "The Big Apple Sports Show" tomorrow 1 PM ET!

This isn't Seton Hall related but I co-host a New York themed Sports Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio.com, which premiers tomorrow at 1 PM ET. The show is called "The Big Apple Sports Show" and my co-host, Christian Alfano and I will be discussing all of the big stories in New York Sports, including the HUGE Giants-Cowboys match-up from East Rutherford. Tune in and Call in!



Link:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigappleradio/2012/01/02/the-big-apple-sports-show-first-episode

Pirates Knock Off Mountaineers

Sorry folks, I have not updated the blog lately but I have been busy with my own radio show and the holiday's. Big things happened though since I was out. The Pirates lost to Number 1 ranked Syracuse in the Carrier Dome  but bounced back with a BIG confidence boosting win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. Fuquan Edwin led all scorers with 19 points, as "The Papacy" (Herb Pope) had 13 points and 6 rebounds as well as 6 assists.

Notes- Jordan Theodore was honored before the game for reaching the 1000 point plateau