Seton Hall cannot rest on their win over UConn

Andre Drummond didn't know who Herb Pope was prior to No. 8 UConn's trip to Seton Hall, but the name he most likely learned during the Pirate's 75-63 win on Tuesday was that of Jordan Theodore.

The Pirate point guard was sensational as Seton Hall won their first game against UConn in 3,958 days, finishing with 19 points, 11 assists, three steals and a number of big buckets in the second half to prevent the Huskies from building any kind of momentum.

The statement "big buckets" in the second half is kind of ironic, I know, as the Pirates flat out drilled UConn on this night. Think about this: UConn was hot early, hitting three threes in the first four minutes of the game as they jumped out to a 11-2 lead. Over the next 16 minutes? Seton Hall outscored the Huskies 31-11, which included a 16-3 run to close the first half. UConn was able to trim a 35-22 halftime deficit to 10, but they never made things interesting after the break.

The one, very basic, question that we are now forced to ask: is this Seton Hall team is 'for real'?
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POSTERIZED: Anali Okoloji is fashionably late

It feels like it's been ages since we've seen a solid tip-jam.

Seton Hall's Anali Okoloji made sure we didn't have to wait any longer, cleaning up a Jordan Theodore miss.



Now that's how you make an entrance.

But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jennings, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia
POSTERIZED - Dwayne Lathan, Indiana State
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Matt Dickey, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Jeff Robinson, Xavier
POSTERIZED - Nyika Williams
POSTERIZED - Jawanza Poland, South Florida
POSTERIZED - Brady Jardine, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Peyton Siva, Louisville
POSTERIZED - E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
POSTERIZED - DJ Newbill, Southern Mississippi
POSTERIZED - Scotty Hopson, Tennessee
POSTERIZED - Justin Brownlee, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Tyrone Johnson
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Ross, Washington
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Andre Roberson, Colorado
POSTERIZED - Durrell Summers, Michigan State
POSTERIZED - Phillip McDonald, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Kyle Kuric, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Anthony Nelson, Niagara
POSTERIZED - Cory Joseph, Texas
POSTERIZED - Will Sheehey, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Tom Pritchard, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas

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Jordan Theodore gets hit with a gun charge stemming from a family feud with Keon Lawrence

Bobby Gonzalez may be gone, now working as a sideline reporter for the MAAC Tournament, but that doesn't mean that life is any less hectic at Seton Hall.

Back on February 12th, Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson were kicked off of the Pirate basketball team due to a curfew violation. After the two were given the boot, Jordan Theodore told New Jersey News Room: "He really didn't want to do it. But as a coach, you can only take so much. So it's like when guys are repeatedly doing the wrong thing, it's like, 'OK I have to step in and do my job now.' That's what he did. Nobody on the team thinks he made the wrong move. Guys understand."

That was just the beginning.

During Seton Hall's February 15th game against Villanova at the Prudential Center, Tiffany Accor, the partner of Lawrence's mom, confronted Theodore's mother in the stands:

According to the incident report Carol Theodore filed with Newark police, "Miss Theodore states that she was in Section 4, Row 1, Seat 8 when she was approached by another female, who asked her if she had seen the article in the newspaper about Keon Lawrence getting kicked off the team. This female then began assaulting Miss Theodore from behind, striking her with a closed fist all about the head, neck and upper back area. Miss Theodore states that she believes that this woman attacked her because she thinks that Miss Theodore's son Jordan is responsible for Keon Lawrence getting kicked off the team."

According to the incident report, Carol Theodore "was transported to UMDNJ via private ambulance from The Prudential Center." The injuries were "not life-threatening," according to the report.

There's more.

Darlene Epps, Lawrence's mother, accused Jordan Theodore of, well, just read it:

After the game, Epps alleges, Theodore and two "unknown assailants" appeared outside Lawrence's dorm room.

She told Rosenbluth that Lawrence called her upset and said, "Jordan and two men in ski masks are banging on my door."

At that point, Epps told the judge, "I drove to Xavier Hall. I seen with my own eyes Jordan Theodore and two men standing with him."

At one point in her explanation to Rosenbluth, Epps indicated she saw the men with one handgun in the Xavier Hall parking lot. At another juncture, she said she saw three guns. Asked if there was enough light in the parking lot to see the men and the guns, she said there was.

"I seen a gun in the perpetrator's hand," she said at one point, apparently referring to one of the two men with Theodore.

Later, she said: "All three of them had guns, your honor."

Now, the judge would later say that he found Epps' testimony to be suspect (which it is. I strongly urge you to read Adam Zagoria's full report) and that he had trouble believing Theodore actually had a gun, but he still found enough probable cause that Theodore was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school property.

Honestly, I don't know what to believe here.

Is it possible Theodore and a couple of his boys have confronted Lawrence for the incident between their mothers? Yes. Is there a chance that a gun was involved? Yes. Could Lawrence's mother have made this entire story up -- or at least embellished the details -- to get revenge on Theodore because she believed that Theodore was responsible for Lawrence being kicked out of school? Absolutely.

The point is that this incident just goes to show you the insanity that is the Seton Hall program. I'm not sure what is crazier. That a player would pull on a gun on an ex-teammate because of a fight between their family members, or that the mother of an ex-player would accuse a current player of pulling a gun to get revenge. I will say that neither of these situations are in anyway good for a basketball program.

This incident is just another day in the life of a Seton Hall Pirate. Herb Pope nearly died this summer. Jeremy Hazell was shot on Christmas. Pope tried to punch a Texas Tech player below the belt twice in an NIT game last year. Bobby Gonzalez was fired for a laundry list of offenses, then proceeded to get caught trying to steal a $1,400 satchel. Robert Mitchell was arrested for kidnapping and robbing a house full of people at gun point.

I wonder if Kevin Willard was prepared for what he was walking into.

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The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings

Every week, writers, publications, media outlets and bloggers issue their Top-25 rankings for the week. A majority of the time, everybody has virtually same opinion of all the teams.

If you want to find this week's top-25 rankings, you've come to the wrong place. Here you will find our rankings for the 10 worst team performances in the NCAA. This list isn't just home to the winless mid-major bottom-feeders. No, here you will find the biggest underachievers, slumpers and teams in a funk, the worst weekly performers, and the teams that just plain suck. Now there will be teams on this list that are better than teams not on this list. But come on people, we are trying to be creative, just work with us.

The B.I.A.H Not-Top-10 Rankings

1. Georgetown Hoyas
Record: 12-5 (1-4)

They've lost four out of five, and the one win was an underwhelming 11-point win at home against DePaul. The Hoyas aren't rebounding, aren't playing aggressive defense, and aren't making good decisions. They are forcing turnovers, missing foul shots, not executing on offense and seem to lack desire and leadership. They still have 13 more Big East games left, so they have time to correct the problems, or they could continue to implode.


Our very-own Rob Dauster made an excellent point about the leadership on this team. When the current seniors were freshman, they won the Big East before getting bounced in the second round of the NCAA tournament. During their sophomore seasons, they started 10-1 before staging an epic implosion which included Chris Wright punching Jessie Sapp in the face in a locker room confrontation after a loss at Duke. Last season, their junior year, they rallied to make the Big East tournament finals before losing to the Ohio Bearcats in the first round. How are the seniors supposed to lead if they have never been exposed to leadership before?


2. Memphis Tigers
Record: 12-4 (1-1)

Losers of three out of their last six, the Tigers seem to be falling apart at the seams. They suffered their first "bad loss" to SMU on Wednesday, but they haven't had a "good win" since early December. Young Josh Pastner has his hands full trying to coach up a young team and keep his kids in line. He has already dismissed Jelan Kendrick, had Angel Garcia leave to pursue a pro career, and just recently suspended Welsey Witherspoon indefinitely.


3. Kansas State Wildcats
Record: 12-5 (0-2)

The preseason favorites to win the Big-12 are currently 0-2 in conference play. Has Frank Martin lost his team? It certainly looks that way.


Jacob Pullen, the lovable scamp who took the country by storm last season with his inspired play and manly beard, has turned into a stubborn zealot. He's committed NCAA violations, called out fake K-State fans, and even said that if they make the N.I.T., he won't be playing. He may be having the most disappointing season of anybody in the country.


4. St. Louis
Record: 5-11 (0-3)

You really hate to see a team like St. Louis struggle this much, especially given the circumstances. Their head coach is out for three games with a leg infection due to a cut he sustained during a sideline collision last week. On top of that, the Billikens are on a six-game losing streak and haven't seen a W since before Christmas. From a statistics standpoint, they are just as bad. they rank 337th in rebounding and 317th in total points, plus their leading scorer averages less than 10-ppg.


5. The SEC West

I can't figure out the SEC at all. The East is anybodies to win, and nobody should be allowed to win the West. Think about it, Alabama and LSU are both tied for the lead in the West with 2-0 records. The same Alabama team that has lost to Providence, Seton Hall, Iowa and St. Peter's. LSU might even be worse. They have losses to Nicholls State, Coastal Carolina, Rice, Virginia, Memphis, and a 20-point blunder against North Texas. Yet somehow both these teams are 2-0. Arkansas and Mississippi State sit at 1-1, and we all are aware of MSU's problems. Ole Miss is 0-2, along with Auburn, arguably one of the worst BCS-conference teams in the country. It really is the Wild wild SEC West.


6. Indiana
Record: 9-8 (0-4)

They started off on a six-game winning streak. Then came a 3-2 stretch of play. But that was followed up by a current seven-game losing streak, including losses to a underwhelming Northern Iowa squad and Penn State. Indiana's last win against a remotely-credible opponent was way back in November, and that was against 8-8 Evansville. There's no doubt that Tom Crean can recruit, but he's certainly having some trouble coaching up his guys. Oh yeah, plus there was this little doozy:




7. Oregon
Record: 8-9 (1-4)

I am writing off their win against USC last night because it was the first game in their new arena, so the atmosphere was in their favor. but I mean, did you look at their new arena? It's ugly. It's hideous. it's down-right awful. It's so bad that even Oregon's uniforms for the National Championship were easier on the eyes than the new Matt Court.


The six-point win over USC was their first victory in seven games, and their first win since before Christmas. Oregon is bad, and so are their new digs. I mean, do you see a midcourt line? Neither do I.


8. Providence
Record: 11-7 (0-5)

There was so much promise for this Friars team heading into Big East play. They were 11-2, determined who their key players and role players were, and even looked not-that-bad in their two suspect losses. They even played well in their first conference game against Syracuse (a 81-74 road loss). But since then, they've lost four more, including a 13-nlowout at the hands of Rutgers and a 30-point drubbing by West Virginia. The Friars know how to score the basketball, but their defense is down-right awful. They are giving up an average of roughly 71-ppg.


9. Seton Hall
Record: 8-9 (2-3)

They've lost five of their last seven, and despite getting Jeremy Hazell back and beating DePaul by 11, Seton Hall is not the team some predicted to earn an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Get this, against Syracuse the Pirates shot 11% from behind the arc. Jordan Theodore and Fuquan Edwin combined for 1-15 from long distance. That's an ugly stat.


10. Centenary
Record: 0-17 (0-5)

Poor Centenary. With Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State and UNC-Greensboro all tallying their first W's of the season this week, the Gentlemen remain the only winless team in D-I hoops. The team is transitioning back to D-III so any scholarship players they had probably transferred. It is entirely possible that Centenary doesn't win a single game this season, becoming the first team to do so since New Jersey Tech did it in 2008.


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Jeremy Hazell "90%" likely to play tonight

According to NJ.com's Brendan Prunty, there is a "90%" chance that Jeremy Hazell suits up for Seton Hall tonight when the Pirates head to Chicago to take on DePaul.

Obviously, this is a great story -- Hazell has undergone surgery on a broke wrist and been shot in the past month -- but that's another post for another time.

Keep an eye on this move if you are a Big East fan. There were rumblings that Hazell was going to be out for the season and that the Seton Hall staff was going to redshirt him. The Pirates have struggled offensively this year and Hazell is one of the most potent scorers in the country. He also showed an improvement in his shot selection in the three games he played earlier in the season. For those unfamiliar, shot selection was the biggest reason that Hazell wasn't ranked among the elite players in the Big East despite being a 22.3 ppg scorer as a junior.

With Hazell back in the fold, this Seton Hall team will be back to full strength. Could they make a run at the tournament in Big East play?

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Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell is still six weeks away

Seton Hall hasn't exactly had the start that Pirate fans were hoping for.

Last night's 69-49 win over St. Peter's bumped the team's record to 3-3, a long way from being the potential tournament team that some were predicting in the preseason.

One of the issues is that Herb Pope is not yet 100%, which is understandable given what the young man went through this summer. As Kevin Willard put it, "Give him time, he was dead for a while," Willard cracked. "He's a miracle on Earth."

The other issue is Jeremy Hazell.

The Pirates sharp shooting senior broke his wrist against Alabama in the opener of the Paradise Jam. Initial diagnosis put the recovery time at six weeks, but after last night's win over St. Peter's, Willard was less optimistic about Hazell's return time:

Jeremy Hazell, the Pirates' senior shooting guard and first-team All-Big East selection, will see his third hand specialist on Wednesday for his broken wrist and the results of that meeting could go a long way in determining the outcome of Seton Hall's season.

"He might have to have surgery," said first-year Pirates coach Kevin Willard, whose team improved to 3-3. "He might not. The bone's in perfect shape right now. It's actually already healing. You could put a pin in there and it might accelerate it and you could put a pin in and it might not do anything."

Willard said Hazell could return in "six weeks" if he doesn't have surgery. That would mean a debut around Jan. 10.

Without Hazell, Seton Hall has struggled offensively. Those struggles will likely continue as he is one of the most talented pure scorers in the country.

Hazell's initial diagnosis was six weeks when he hurt the wrist two weeks ago. If Seton Hall is still saying it could take six weeks for him to heal, maybe this injury is worse than we originally thought.
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Jeremy Hazell and Tracy Smith suffer injuries

Two teams expecting to have rebound seasons lost a key player in the opening game of their respective early season tournaments.

Tracy Smith of NC State will miss three weeks after injuring his knee early in the Wolfpack's Charleston Classic opener against East Carolina. He went back to Raleigh where he had arthroscopic knee surgery which found no significant damage to the knee.

NC State still advanced to the finals where they will face Georgetown Sunday night.

Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell broke a bone in his wrist against Alabama in the Pirate's Paradise Jam opener. He will miss four to six weeks, including Sunday's semifinal matchup with Xavier.

The injury to Hazell has to be especially frustrating. He finally seems to have learned how to be an efficient scorer. His last two games, Hazell has taken 23 shots and scored 55 points.

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2010-2011 Season Preview Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 45-41

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country.

For a complete listing of our season previews, click here.

To browse through the rest of our Top 50 Countdown, click here.


45. Virginia Commonwealth

• Last Season: 27-9, 11-7 (CAA)


• Head Coach: Shaka Smart


• Key Losses: Larry Sanders, Jay Gavin, TJ Gwynn


• New Additions: Juvonte Reddic, Rob Brandenburg, Heath Houston, DJ Haley, Reco McCarter


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Joey Rodriguez, Sr.
• G: Ed Nixon, Sr.
• G: Bradford Burgess, Jr.
  
• F: Juvonte Reddic, Fr.
  
• C: Jamie Skeen, Sr.
• Bench: Brandon Rozzell, Sr.; Darius Theus, So.; Toby Veal, Jr.; Heath Houston, Fr.
  

• Outlook: How long until VCU starts getting mentioned in the same breath as the Xavier's and the Gonzaga's of the world? The past two seasons, they have sent a player to the first round of the NBA Draft. Their last two coaches have ended up at Oklahoma and Alabama. Last season, they won 27 games despite losing seven conference games by five points or fewer, two of which came in over time. Despite all of that, the Rams will once again be a favorite to win the CAA. It will start with point guard Joey Rodriguez, who is one of the most underrated players in the country. Last year, he averaged 12.9 ppg and 5.8 apg, admirably replacing Eric Maynor. Joining him in the back court will be 6'2" senior Brandon Rozzell and 6'6" junior Bradford Burgess. Senior Ed Nixon is one of the toughest defenders in the CAA, giving VCU arguably the best back court in the conference. Darius Theus and a couple of freshmen -- Rob Brandenburg and Reco McCarter -- should also see time in the back court. Up front, its going to be tough to replace a talent like Larry Sanders, but there are some pieces there. Senior Jamie Skeen is a tough, experienced senior, and junior Toby Veal -- who originally enrolled at Colorado -- should also step in and contribute significant minutes. After that, there is a lot of inexperience -- three freshmen and a redshirt sophomore that played in just nine games -- up front, but plenty of potential. Juvonte Reddic is probably Smart's best recruit, an explosive athlete that should be an impact freshman. 7'0" DJ Haley was a late, under-the-radar signee that could develop like Sanders. Heath Houston originally signed with Auburn before Jeff Lebo resigned. VCU will, once again, be a very tough out.

44. Dayton

• Last Season: 25-12, 8-8 (A-10)


• Head Coach: Brian Gregory
  


• Key Losses: Marcus Johnson, London Warren, Rob Lowery, Mickey Perry, Kurt Huelsman
  


• New Additions: Juwan Staten, Brandon Spearman, Devin Oliver, Ralph Hill, Mitch Asmus
  


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Juwan Staten, Fr.
• G: Paul Williams, Jr.
• F: Chris Johnson, Jr.
  
• F: Chris Wright, Sr.
  
• C: Devin Searcy, Sr.
• Bench: Luke Fabrizius, Jr.; Brandon Spearman, Fr.; Josh Benson, So.
  

• Outlook: The Flyers had a disappointing finish to what seemed to be such a promising season. With all five starters returning and seven seniors on a roster with quite a bit of talent, most analysts predicted Dayton to win the Atlantic 10. But the Flyers, who ended up finishing seventh in the A-10, could never quite figure out how to execute down the stretch of games, as all 12 of their losses were by less than eight points. This year, Dayton essentially loses their entire back court as Mickey Perry, London Warren, Rob Lowery, and Marcus Johnson all graduate. Brian Gregory does have some talented perimeter players coming in -- headlined by four-star point guard Juwan Staten and two-guard Brandon Spearman -- but, as is the norm with freshmen, it may take time before they are ready to contribute significantly. Dayton did catch a break when Chris Wright made the decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft. A super athletic combo-forward, Wright was the Flyers leading scorer and rebounder last season, but he didn't quite develop into the star that many believed he would. Chris Johnson, Dayton's second leading scorer and another big wing, also returns, as does Paul Williams, who may sneak into the starting line-up this year. Inside, Kurt Huelsman, who started every game in his Dayton career, graduates, but the rest of the front court is back. Sharpshooting Luke Fabrizius, Devin Searcy, and sophomores Matt Kavanaugh and Josh Benson will likely all see minutes. I expect Searcy and Benson, in particular, to have good years. This Dayton squad lost quite a bit of talent, but they were a deep team the last few years. There are still good players on this roster, and while they may not be the favorite in the league, they will compete for an NCAA Tournament spot.

43. Notre Dame

• Last Season: 23-12, 10-8 (Big East)


• Head Coach: Mike Brey
  


• Key Losses: Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson, Jonathon Peoples
  


• New Additions: Eric Atkins, Jerian Grant, Alex Dragicevich
  


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Eric Atkins, Fr.
• G: Ben Hansbrough, Sr.
• F: Tim Abromaitis, Jr.
  
• F: Scott Martin, Jr.
  
• F: Carleton Scott, Sr.
• Bench: Tyrone Nash, Sr.; Jerian Grant, Fr.; Jack Cooley, So.
  

• Outlook: The Fighting Irish have their work cut out for them this season, as they will be losing Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson. Mike Brey's club will count heavily on their front line, which is headlined by last season's second-leading scorer Tim Abromaitis. Abromaitis is a 6'8" sharpshooting forward, but he'll need to continue to develop the ability to create his own shot. Scott Martin, a Purdue transfer who tore his acl before the season started, will be back after sitting out the past two years. One guy I expect to have a big season is Carleton Scott, a senior that nearly left the program before finding a groove as he moved into the starting lineup when Gody got injured. Ty Nash, a scrappy, 6'7" power forward, and Jack Cooley, a 6'10" Gody lookalike, complete the front line rotation. In the back court, its going to be Ben Hansbrough and a lot of inexperience. Tyler's younger brother is a good player, a combo guard that can score, create, and defend, but he's not a true point guard. After Hansbrough, the Irish return just 30 games games with Joey Brooks and Tom Kopko combined, but add three freshman -- including Eric Atkins, a four-star point guard that could slide right into the starter's role, and Jerian Grant -- to the mix. Notre Dame made a run to the NCAA Tournament last season by changing their style, slowing the pace, and becoming a defensively oriented group. With a line-up that is bigger at most positions than the Irish are used to, don't be surprised if the Irish do more of the same next season.

42. Seton Hall

• Last Season: 19-13, 9-9 (Big East)


• Head Coach: Kevin Willard


• Key Losses: Eugene Harvey, Robert Mitchell, John Garcia


• New Additions: Fuquan Edwin, Anali Okoloji, Patrik Auda, Aaron Geramipoor, Reco McCarter


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Jordan Theodore, Jr.
• G: Jeremy Hazell, Sr.
• F: Eniel Polynice, Sr.
  
• F: Jeff Robinson, Sr.
  
• C: Herb Pope, Jr.
• Bench: Keon Lawrence, Sr.; Ferrakhon Hall, So.; Jamel Jackson, Sr.; Fuquan Edwin, Fr.
  

• Outlook: Seton Hall is the x-factor in the Big East this season. For starters, they got rid of Bobby Gonzalez, replacing him with Kevin Willard from Iona, while returning most of their roster. Jeremy Hazell, one of the best scorers in the country when he is making good decision with the bal, returns for his senior season. He'll play along side Jordan Theodore, an underrated point guard who will get a chance to be the lead guard with Eugene Harvey's graduation. Keon Lawrence (a talented but enigmatic Missouri transfer), Jamel Jackson (a streaky shooter who hit 12 threes in a game last season), and freshman Fuquan Edwin should all see minutes. Eniel Polynice, an Ole Miss transfer, will be eligible immediately and could sneak into the Pirate starting line up. At 6'5", Polynice is more of a defender, a slasher, and a creator and should really complement Hazell well. Up front, Seton Hall has quite a bit of talent as well. Herb Pope is a double-double machine when healthy (if you remember, he had that scary incident when he collapsed back in April). Jeff Robinson also returns after pulling his name out of the draft. Those two can matchup with most front lines in the Big East, but Willard will need to develop some kind of bench between sophomore Ferrakhon Hall and four freshmen. If Pope returns to himself, Seton Hall has all the pieces they need to make a run at a spot in the top four of the league. The question is whether new head coach Kevin Willard can fit all those pieces together. Hazell doesn't understand the concept of team basketball or what a good shot is. Pope was ejected from the NIT last year for punching a Texas Tech player below the belt. Four players have transferred in from different colleges. This is a talented group, but if there is no chemistry, it could be another disappointing season.

41. Wichita State

• Last Season: 25-10, 12-6 (MVC)


• Head Coach: Gregg Marshall


• Key Losses: Clevin Hannah


• New Additions: Trey Jones, Randall Vautravers


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Joe Ragland, Jr.
• G: Toure' Murry, Jr.
• G: Graham Hatch, Sr.
  
• F: JT Durley, Sr.
  
• C: Garrett Stutz, Jr.
• Bench: Gabe Blair, Sr.; David Kyles, Jr.; Demetric Williams, So.; Aaron Ellis, Sr.
  

• Outlook: The Shockers look like they will be the early favorite to win the Missouri Valley. They only lose one senior and bring back a roster loaded with talent, size, and experience. In the Missouri Valley, it tends to be the front court that determines who wins the league, and Wichita State has one of, if not the best. Senior JT Durley is probably the Shockers most dangerous scorer in the front court, and if seven-foot junior Garrett Stutz can regain the form he had late in the season, he'll be force inside as well. Aaron Ellis and Gabe Blair are athletic live-bodies that will provide defense and rebounding, while redshirt freshman Jerome Hamilton and seven-foot sophomore Ehimen Orukpe could also see minutes. The biggest question for the Shockers is going to be how they replace point guard Clevin Hannah, their best scorer and the leader of this club the past two seasons. Sophomore Demetric Williams got better as the season progressed, and JuCo transfer Joe Ragland should also fight for minutes at the point. The guy that Gregg Marshall will be looking for more consistency out of will be two-guard Toure' Murry. A tough defender, Murry is a bit streaky on the offensive end, although he is capable of going for 20. Senior Graham Hatch is a glue guy through and through that can also knock down a three, while junior David Kyles will see a bigger role this year as well. The Shockers will, once again, be a tough defensive team with a lot of size on the inside. The Valley is always tough and full of close, competitive, physical basketball games. If Wichita State can figure out how to win some of those on the road -- which they didn't do last season -- this looks like a team that could win the league.

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Stix Mitchell pleads guilty

Former Seton Hall forward Robert "Stix" Mitchell plead guilty on Friday to criminal restraint and burglary charges.

If you remember, Stix duct-taped and robbed eight people at gunpoint the day after he was kicked off of the Seton Hall team. Kelly Whitney, a center for the Pirates from 2002-2006 that currently ranks as the 18th all-time leading scorer at the school, was Mitchell's partner-in-crime. He will have his day in court on November 5th.

Prosecutor's are recommending that Mitchell gets three years.

Its a shame. Mitchell, who averaged 8.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg last season, was a good player.

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I would LOVE if Gonzo got a TV deal

By now you all know about Bobby Gonzalez, the former Seton Hall head coach and the current accused shoplifter.

Currently unemployed, Gonzo has a lot of time on his hands, and undoubtedly has some bills piling up (lawyers ain't free, my friend). As he is currently all-but unhireable in the collegiate ranks, Gonzo told the New York Times that a couple of NBA teams had inquired about his services. Jeff Goodman backed him up.

But that wasn't what caught my eye.

This is the line that caught my eye, and made twitter quite enjoyable to read Wednesday afternoon:

"Or I might be in TV for a year or two," Gonzalez said. "Let the smoke clear."

People can joke about it all they want. Gonzo is a lunatic and has done some really out-on-control stuff over the last six months. (And in his career as a whole, for that matter.)

You wouldn't wanna see this guy on TV?
(photo credit: NJ.com)

But you are out of your mind if you don't want this guy on television. Its not because he is a great basketball mind, like a Jay Bilas. Its not because he is well-spoken, like a Fran Fraschilla or a Doug Gottlieb. And its certainly not because he's lovable the way that Bill Raftery and Dick Vitale are.

No, it is because Gonzo is a lunatic that he would make great television. Think about it. Why is Charles Barkley everyone's favorite analyst? Because he is libel to say anything, anything, on camera. Granted, Chuck is thousands of times more lovable than Gonzo, but you get my point.

Gonzo is firey. He's got an attitude. He seems like the kind of guy that will forever believe he is right, and by proving him wrong you only stoke the flames. And if his recent history is any indication, it doesn't matter who he is talking too. Gonzo will speak his mind.

In a world where reality TV reigns supreme, Real Housewives has become a successful series, and Jersey Shore is one of the most popular shows on television, isn't that exactly what an audience would want?

If my vote counts, I say put the man in front of a camera. At the very least, he won't be boring.
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Bobby Gonzalez pleads not guilty

As you should know by now, Bobby Gonzalez was arrested for shoplifting a $1,400 man-purse/satchel from a Polo Ralph Lauren store at the Short Hills Mall last month.

It was the culmination of what has been a horrific four months for the former Seton Hall coach. Watching someone have a complete meltdown in a public forum is not a comfortable experience. The last time I addressed the Gonzalez situation, I urged you to avoid laughing and joking about Gonzalez.

But ... ahh, its just gotten so hard not too!

Take a look at this picture the New Jersey Star Ledger got of Gonzalez in court today:


I mean, do I even need to comment on this? Gonzo's reputation is that of a man just a bit off his rocker. Doesn't this picture scream "I got a case of the crazies"? Can he look any creepier? Is it just me, or does he look a little too much like Jack Nicholson in The Shining?

He stole a satchel. Not just any satchel. A $1,400 Polo satchel. The unintentional comedy is off the charts. (There's a Hangover joke to make in there somewhere.)

Anyway, Gonzo pleaded not guilty to shoplifting charges in Essex County Court in Newark today. And while it certainly is not a joking matter, especially for those in the Gonzalez family and the Seton Hall community, that picture was just too funny not to post.

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Bobby Gonzalez arrested for shoplifting

John Beilein hasn't exactly had the best off-season. He lost half his team and half of his coaching staff after struggling through a very disappointing 2010 season.

Andy Kennedy hasn't been celebrating either, as his Ole Miss team lost three of their top four scorers from a team that missed the NCAA Tournament again last season.

Lorenzo Romar lost two potential one-and-done recruits to John Calipari. Rick Pitino may have as well.

But none of those four come close to the off-season that Bobby Gonzalez has had.

First, there was his Seton Hall teams unceremonious exit from the first round of the NIT, complete with a couple of shots below the belt. Six days later, he was fired by Seton Hall, something that always seems to happen when you decide to curse out your boss. Of course, he decided to sue his former employers over the firing, going on camera with the NJ Star Ledger to state his case. We all thought Gonzo had hit rock bottom when he was denied credentials to the NBA Draft, only to sneak in and ream out FOXSports college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman.

Boy, were we wrong.

Yesterday, Gonzo was arrested.

For shoplifting. From NorthJersey.com:

According to reports, the manager of store told police that the manager of Joe’s American Bar and Grill returned a men’s satchel to her that belonged to Polo Ralph Lauren and said an individual came into the restaurant, left the satchel with the hostess and never returned.

The satchel, valued at $1,395, was reportedly damaged in the area where a sensor tag had been attached. An investigation into the incident by the Millburn Detective Bureau resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for Robert P. Gonzalez, 47, of Harrison, N.Y., for allegedly removing the sensor device from the satchel and walking out of the store without paying for the item.

Insert Hangover joke here.

This is the bag that Gonzo allegedly stole.

Bobby has plead not guilty to the charges, and is claiming the incident to be a misunderstanding. Bobby's sister, Linda, reportedly took to the Seton Hall message boards to defend her brother, although her story doesn't exactly seem all that plausible.

To be honest, the plight of Gonzo isn't even funny to me anymore. We all know Gonzo is a jerk -- if you don't, go read this or this, and you'll start to piece it together -- but regardless of your feelings about a person, do you really find humor in watching them, and their career, meltdown in a public forum like this?

I don't.

While I'm not backing Gonzo's bid to coach again (I think it will be difficult for him to land another gig. At least guys like Tim Floyd, Larry Eustachy, Todd Bozeman won games.), I am hoping that he can learn to keep him personal life personal.

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Eniel Polynice to Seton Hall

On Monday, we talked about Roburt Sallie, the former Memphis guard who will be transferring to Louisville for his final year of eligibility if he can graduate this summer.

He's not the only player making that move.

Polynice should complement Jeremy Hazell well on the perimeter.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Eniel Polynice, the former Ole Miss guard who left the program and initially entered the NBA draft, has decided to transfer to Seton Hall. According to ZagsBlog, Polynice -- who will complete his undergrad degree this summer -- will be going to Seton Hall to pursue a graduate degree in Communications. As we mentioned in the Sallie post, there is an NCAA rule that allows players that have graduated to transfer without sitting out the mandatory redshirt season so long as they transfer to a school to pursue a graduate degree they would not be able to get at their previous school.

Ole Miss does not have a communications program.

This only adds to what has been a pretty fantastic summer for new Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard.

Not only did he land a head coaching position in the Big East, but he was able to get Seton Hall's three best players -- Jeff Robinson, Jeremy Hazell, and Herb Pope -- to decide to withdraw their names from the NBA Draft. Need I mention the fact that Willard also caught a break when Pope survived a scary incident when he collapsed earlier this spring?

And now, Willard adds Polynice to the mix, a 6'5", 215 lb, wing that is a capable scorer and excellent playmaker. He averaged 4.0 apg for the Rebels. With the underrated Jordan Theodore and Keon Lawrence joining Polynice and Hazell on the perimeter, and a decent three man recruiting class, Willard should be able to make a run at the top half of the Big East, and possibly a NCAA Tournament berth, even if Pope isn't capable of playing this season.

If he is, watch out for the Pirates as a sleeper in the Big East.
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What is going on at Seton Hall?

Yesterday, we wrote about how Herb Pope's meltdown in Seton Hall's first round NIT loss was an embarrassment and a sign of bigger issues within the program.

We had no idea.

It started when reports leaked that Bobby Gonzalez had been fired has head coach of the Pirates. While the timing was a little bit sudden, it really comes as no surprise that Gonzo got the axe. He rubbed people the wrong way, was verbally abusive to just about anyone that crossed him, and he brought in player's with questionable backgrounds.

Despite that, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. These kids weren't that bad, right? I don't condone drinking and driving or physically assaulting another man's jewels, but in the grand scheme of things, those are relatively minor infractions. These kids weren't slinging crack, they weren't putting fellow students into comas, and they weren't involved in academic scandals (that we know of, I'm sure Pete Thamel already has a story in the works) like the team up at Binghamton.

Well, that thought lasted about an hour, when news leaked that Robert Mitchell, who had just been kicked off the team on Sunday, was arrested.

For BREAKING INTO A HOUSE AND DUCT-TAPING EIGHT PEOPLE TO HOLD THEM HOSTAGE AT GUNPOINT while he and a partner-in-crime stole their money, jewelry, and anything else of value.

Sticks Mitchell's mug shot.
(photo credit: NJ Ledger)

That sure spiraled out of control pretty quickly, now didn't it?

For what its worth, SHU is saying they fired Gonzo before they found out about Mitchell's arrest. Mitchell was kicked off the team on Sunday, committed the crime on Monday, and was arrested Tuesday afternoon.

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Herb Pope's nut punch -- a sign of a bigger probem for SHU?

Seton Hall had a lot of talent on their roster this season, but for one reason or another they were never able to put it all together. Some will say it is the egos on the Pirates roster and the inability of Bobby Gonzalez to get them to buy into a system. Some will say it is the selfishness and poor decision making of his players. Some will simply say Gonzo is not a good coach.

Personally, I think it is because Gonzo has collected a team full of talented basketball vagabonds.

Perhaps there is a reason that these guys are "vagabonds" despite having as much talent as they do.

Kevin Armstrong and Pete Thamel hit on this last week when they combined to pen an article blasting Bobby Gonzalez, and given some of the recent actions of his players, I'd expect someone articles comparing the influx of transfers into Seton Hall with what happened at Binghamton.

Right before the season started, Missouri transfer Keon Lawrence was arrested for causing an accident by driving the wrong way on the highway at 3am. Robert "Sticks" Mitchell was dismissed from the team after criticizing Gonzo to the press. And now tonight, Herb Pope was ejected after punching Texas Tech's Darko Cohadarevic in the groin (UPDATE: He did it twice! Another video below):





As of this writing, the Pirates are down 23 points in the second half. No doubt the culmination to what has been a very disappointing year. I don't mean to criticize kids like Lawrence or Mitchell (Pope, however, deserves it for that cheap shot), but something is not right at Seton Hall right now.


On another note, what is it with college basketball players and nut shots these days? (UPDATE: I kid you not, just FIVE minutes after I first posted this, Phillip Williams of Jackson State was ejected for punching Dee Bost in the groin!)



On Sunday, Melvin Goins laid out DeMarcus Cousins with an elbow to the mid-section:



And who remembers when Leonard Washington hit Blake Griffin below the belt last season?



Fellas, we are all men here. We all knows what it feels like getting hit down there. Can you please find another way to show your displeasure?

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Seton Hall blows a lead, but survives to fight another day

With 13:36 left in the game, Herb Pope caught an alley-oop to put Seton Hall up 76-47.

Providence had scored eight points in the first 6:24 of the half, and with nothing left to play for, it seemed as if the Friars had all but given up on the season.

Or at least that's what Seton Hall thought.

By the time things were all said and not, Big East tournament records were broken, two teams were in triple figures, and the Friars had missed a three that would have tied the game.

The numbers posted in this game were ridiculous. Take a look:

• Both teams broke the record for points in a Big East tournament game, scoring 109 and 106 to break the old record of 103, scored by Seton Hall in 1993.
• Jamine Peterson had 38 points and 16 boards, setting Providence's Big East scoring record previously held by Billy Donovan from 1987.
  
• Along with Peterson, the Friars had four other starters reach double figures ... and they still lost.
• Seton Hall also had all five starters hit double figures.
  
• The two teams combined to shoot 146 field goals and 82 free throws. It probably then makes sense that neither team had more than 14 turnovers.
• PC outscored the Hall 59-33 over the last 13:36 of this game, and still lost.
  

Let's put it simply: composure is not one of Seton Hall's strong suits. They handed this game to Providence on a silver platter. From the 1:48 mark on, Seton Hall turned the ball over five times, including on four straight possessions. They missed late free throws, including two form Jeff Robinson with 8.5 seconds left and a three point lead. They took quick shots instead of working the clock. They missed an opportunity to foul instead of allowing PC the chance to tie the game.

And while all of that makes us question how good Seton Hall really is, the one stat that matters is the 1 that is added to Seton Hall's win column.

Remember, the Hall is still fighting for a tournament spot, and Bobby Gonzalez did his darnedest to let the committee know at the press conference, intercepting a question directed at his players.

"We have 19 wins, we have no bad losses", Gonzalez said, "we beat Notre Dame at our place. A lot of people are saying they're in. We know it's a big game. If we win, now, all of a sudden we swept Notre Dame, we have 20 wins. We'll leave it up to the people to make the decision. We want to keep playing."

Why did he keep mentioning Notre Dame?

Well, the Pirates play Notre Dame tomorrow.

Both Notre Dame and Seton Hall are on the bubble. Tomorrow' matchup could very well turn into a play-in game.

And if it is anywhere near as exciting as the last five minutes here tonight, we are in for a treat.
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Big East Bubble Breakdown

Ed. Note: The rest of this post can be found at RTC.

Barring an improbable collapse or an unforeseen run through Madison Square Garden, there are just six Big East teams that are still sitting somewhere on the bubble.

Syracuse, Villanova, Pitt, Georgetown, and West Virginia are all playing for seeding and a double-bye in the Big East Tournament. South Florida, Providence, Rutgers, DePaul, and St. John's are all playing for pride and, well, pride.

That leaves the six teams sitting in the middle of the league -- Marquette, Louisville, UConn, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, and Seton Hall -- with a shot at dancing. Commencing Big East Bubble Breakdown.

Marquette: 18-9, 9-6; RPI: 54, SOS: 65
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 2-6, 3-7, 6-7
- Best Wins: Xavier, Georgetown
- Worst Losses: DePaul

As has been the case all season long for Marquette, their inability to win close games early in the season has been killer. The Golden Eagles RPI does not properly represent how well this team has played this season. None of their nine losses have come by more than nine points, and seven have come by less than five points. It seems like Marquette's luck is starting to turn a corner, as they have now won their last four close games, including Wednesday's buzzer-beating W at St. John's. Marquette gets Seton Hall on the road and Louisville and Notre Dame at home before heading to the Big East tournament, where is looks as if they will get a first round bye. Win three more games, and Marquette will lock up a bid.


Louisville: 18-10, 9-6; RPI: 42, SOS: 9
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 1-5, 2-6, 6-9
- Best Wins: UConn, Syracuse
- Worst Losses: Western Carolina, St. John's

Louisville is in a tough spot. They have a solid RPI bolstered by very good strength of schedule, but they have not really beaten anyone this season. The win at Syracuse is as good as it gets, but after that, their best W is against a UConn team that could lose their last four games by 20 points and no one would be surprised. If the eye test matters to anyone, Louisville will pass with flying colors. They have a very good front line, anchored by Samardo Samuels and the suddenly-dangerous Jared Swopshire. Their back court, which has been inconsistent this season (although there have been some injuries), is as talented on paper as any in the conference save Villanova. Louisville has a tough schedule down the stretch, but that means that they will have three chances to really improve their resume - at UConn and Marquette (who are both fighting for a bubble spot as well), and at home for Syracuse (who will likely be playing for the Big East title and will be looking for revenge). Lose all three, and Louisville is in trouble. But if they win all three and make some noise in the Big East Tournament, and this is a team that could be a top six or seven seed.


UConn: 17-11, 7-8; RPI: 40, SOS: 2
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 3-5, 3-6, 9-9
- Best Wins: Texas, Villanova, West Virginia
- Worst Losses: Providence, Michigan

The Huskies are coming along at the right time. Since Jim Calhoun returned from his illness, UConn is 3-1 with wins over Villanova and West Virginia. Overall, UConn is in a similar boat to Louisville, as their lofty RPI is, in large part, a result of the tough schedule they have played. UConn brings up an interesting question - how will the committee handle the seven games Jim Calhoun missed? With him, the Huskies are 14-7. Without him, they are 3-4 with a loss to Providence. But UConn also beat Texas without him and lost to Cincinnati in terrible fashion without Calhoun. The Huskies get Louisville at home and South Florida and Notre Dame on the road. Win their last three and their first game in the Big East, and this team wins.


Cincinnati: 16-11, 7-8; RPI: 59, SOS: 29
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 1-3, 4-6, 6-11
- Best Wins: Maryland, Vanderbilt, UConn X 2
- Worst Losses: St. John's

Cincinnati is in a really tough spot. Before beating DePaul, the Bearcats had lost four of their last five games and seven of their last eleven. And now they are sitting at 59th in the RPI without a good conference win under their belts. They will get three chances at getting one in their last three games, as they go on the road to face Villanova, get Georgetown at home, and play West Virginia on the road as well. As I said, the Bearcats are in trouble.


Seton Hall: 16-10, 7-8; RPI: 52, SOS: 18
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 1-7, 3-9, 6-10
- Best Wins: Cornell, Pitt
- Worst Losses: South Florida

You know, Seton Hall's resume is not as bad as many people think it is. They have a couple nice wins, beating Cornell on the road and knocking off Pitt and Louisville at home. They do have 10 losses, but of those ten, the only one that can be considered a "bad" loss came in overtime at South Florida during that two week stretch when South Florida was pretending they were good. The Pirates play three more regular season games - Marquette at home and Rutgers and Providence on the road. If they can win all three of those, a task which is far from improbable, the Pirates will head into the Big East Tournament at 10-8 in the league with a very real chance of being able to play their way into the tournament.


Notre Dame: 18-10, 7-8; RPI: 72, SOS: 63
- vs. RPI top 25/50/100: 1-7, 3-9, 6-10
- Best Wins: West Virginia, Pitt
- Worst Losses: Loyola Marymount, Northwestern, Rutgers

Call me crazy, but is Notre Dame playing better basketball without Luke Harangody? Since to all-american went out with a knee injury against Seton Hall, ND has looked downright scary at times. They lost to Louisville on the road in double overtime most recently they just put a whooping on Pitt at home. Without 'Gody on the floor, ND seems to play better defense and move the ball better. The rest of the team also seems to be a bit more aggressive, knowing that they don't have to get the big fella touches. In the three games 'Gody has been out, Tim Abromaitis has up his average to 23.3 ppg in the last three. Ben Hansbrough is averaging 16.3 ppg. Tory Jackson is averaging 13.7 ppg, and scored 25 the night 'Gody was hurt. Clearly, Notre Dame is a better basketball team with Luke on the floor, and they are going to need him if the Irish are to navigate a difficult stretch run -- at Georgetown, UConn, at Marquette. With the losses ND has this season, they probably needed to sweep those three games and pick up at least one win in the Big East tournament for a shot at an at-large.
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Jeremy Hazell still doesn't know what a good shot is

Two weeks ago, after watching Seton Hall beat Louisville, we wrote about how Jeremy Hazell's ability to decipher a good shot from a bad shot would be the difference for Seton Hall this season.

Never was that more on display than last night.

Hazell was unconscious last night against Villanova. His layup with 12:53 left gave the Hall a 58-56 lead and gave Hazell 32 points. He scored those 32 points on just 20 shots, most of which came within the flow of the offense or off of a set play designed to get him a shot.

Hazell shot Seton Hall in, then out, of their conference tilt with Villanova.
(photo credit: Bleacher Report)

In other words, Hazell scored 32 points on 20 shots Bobby Gonzalez wanted him to take.

But the tides turned very quickly for Seton Hall. Villanova would go on an 11-0 run to open up a 73-62 lead. Where was Seton Hall during that run?

Watching Jeremy Hazell go 1-on-3 or 1-on-4, fire up tough, contested shots, and then beg the officials for a foul.

So what did Gonzo do?

Benched him, with 4:06 left down 11. He benched a guy that had scored 32 points with four minutes left in a very winnable game.

Adam Zagoria had a chance to catch up with Gonzo after the game:

"It's not the way you want to play college basketball," Gonzo said. "I wouldn't be doing a good job of teaching him, I'm not helping him. So basically I took him out and I told him 'Jeremy you can go 1-on-1 and you can be forceful, press and look for some shots but you can't just come down every time and take bad double-clutch shots.'

"You don't get points for degree of difficulty with guys tackling you and then complain to the officials because even the officials started getting frustrated with him. It was just a chance for me to be a leader and try to teach him something that could help him."

The move was necessary.

Until Hazell learns what is a good shot and how to use his teammates, Seton Hall is going to continue to lose close games.

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The end of Seton Hall-Louisville: Should Keon Lawrence have been called for a violation?

Matt Norlander sure thinks so.

Me?

Not necessarily.

Let me set this up for you. Louisville was down but double figures with four minutes left in this game, but they threw on their press, started making some shots and forcing come turnovers, and made a run.

Here, you will see Jerry Smith hit a three from the corner to cut the lead to 79-77 with just 0.7 seconds left on the clock.

That's when things get weird.



At first glance it appears that Lawrence, after taking the ball out of bounds, just walks onto the court for no reason, before realizing what's going on and trying to throw a pass from in-bounds. Its actually a bit amusing.

Except for the fact that this is a violation. Lawrence, after a made basket, established himself out of bounds, then walked in bounds. Louisville ball with a chance to tie.

But, you see, that doesn't make any sense? Why would he just walk onto the court?

Play the video again, and listen closely. At the :06 second mark, you hear what sounds like a whistle. Then watch the rest of the player's react on the court. They all look towards their respective benches. Inadvertant whistle? Keon Lawrence thought a timeout had been called?

I don't know, and I can't tell you what happened until I read a statement from the refs after the game. If anyone has seen one, please send it our way to contactBIAH@gmail.com or @ballinisahabit.
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Jeremy Hazell's shot selection is the difference for Seton Hall

Jeremy Hazell can score.

No one has questioned that. Ever.

He's averaging 22.9 ppg. He put 41 on West Virginia. He's hit 30 four times.

No, the issue for Hazell isn't putting up points. Its how he gets his points.

Prior to Thursday night's game against Louisville, an argument could have been made that Hazell was the most selfish player in the Big East, if not the entire country. Yes, Hazell is an outstanding three-point shooter, but he only makes 32.5% of his attempts from deep.

Jeremy Hazell was, believe it or not, efficient against Louisville, scoring 25 points on just 12 shots.
(photo credit: Washington Post)

Why?

Because Hazell has a bit of a problem with shot selection. He has a knack for hitting some incredibly tough shots, but far too often he forces quick shots, challenged shots, early in a possession. There is nothing wrong with taking a tough shot at the end of a shot clock, or the end of the game, or even when you've knocked down three or four jumpers in a row - your proverbial heat check.

But there is something wrong with taking the number of forced jumpers that Hazell was taking early in the season. Take a look at some of the shooting performances Hazell has had this season:

• In a win over Monmouth, Hazell scored 26 points, but was 9-23 from the floor and 5-14 from three.
• In a loss at Temple, Hazell finished with just 11 points while shooting 4-17 from the field and 1-11 from three.
  
• Hazell's two best scoring outputs of the season came in back-to-back losses against West Virginia and Syracuse, when he went for 41 and 38 points, respectively. But in those two games combined, Hazell was just 26-64 from the floor and 10-34 from three.
  
• Hazell scored just 13 points on 5-20 shooting, 2-8 from three, in a loss at UConn.

And while he has had his economic scoring performances, those are, for the most part, few and far between.

Now fast forward to Thursday's game against Louisville. Seton Hall picked up a win in a do-or-die game for the Pirates at-large hopes as they played arguably their best basketball of the season.

While there were some line-up changes - most notably using Keon Lawrence strictly off of the ball - the biggest difference was Hazell and his shot selection. The 6'5" junior finished the game with 25 points, but he only needed 12 shots to do so, hitting nine and making 3-6 from deep. He played 39 minutes, and in those 39 minutes, Hazell took just a single bad shot.

And it was an awful shot. With just four minutes left on the clock and the Hall up 12, Hazell airballed a deep three with a good 30 seconds on the shot clock after the Pirates had broken the Louisville press.

Doris Burke, who was doing the color for the game (Side note: Burke is a very underrated commentator. She really knows the game, she breaks it down in an insightful manner, and she does it in a way that makes what she is explaining seem very basic. Bill Simmons may disagree, but Burke should be spending more time away from the sideline.), ripped him. The twitterati ripped him. No doubt Bobby Gonzalez ripped him.

But while ripping him for taking a poor shot with a big lead late in the game, you must also commend him. Hazell's mindset is "shoot, shoot, shoot, score, score, score". He has always looked for his best shot first, and the best shot for the team second. But tonight, it was different. Louisville chased Hazell around all night, for the most part having a defender in his jock everytime he caught the ball.

What happened as a result is that driving lanes opened up. Post up opportunites became available. And for maybe the first time in a game I've seen Hazell play, he didn't take it as a personal challenge. He didn't try to prove that he could score despite an opponent's game plan centering around slowing him down. If he didn't have a shot or a lane to drive on the catch, he moved the ball. This meant that guys like Jordan Theodore, who played a fantastic game, going for 17 points and 4 assists on a season-high 11 shots, and Keon Lawrence and Eugene Harvey had an opportunity to take advantage of those driving lanes.

Seton Hall has a lot of talent on their roster. How much? Well, that's tough to say, but I think I'm far from the only person that believes this team is much better than their 11-6, 2-4 in the Big East, record would indicate.

Tonight, the Hall played their best game of the season and picked up arguably their biggest win of the season. The reason why is that Jeremy Hazell, the most talented player on a talented roster, gave his teammates the opportunity to show how good they are.

Hopefully, he will learn from that.

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