AMHERST, Mass. – 104 points, a record for an opponent in the building they played in. Seven players scoring in double figures. 73 percent shooting in the second half, 11-22 from three-point range in the game.
Does this sound like a team that doesn’t have their best scorer? It was Seton Hall, playing without Jeremy Hazell, who averaged 24 points per game in three games before a broken wrist put him on the shelf. Those were some of the Pirates’ numbers in their 104-79 thumping of UMass on Saturday night.
The Pirates struggled early on without Hazell, who was 11-17 from long range in the first three games. They went 1-3 in the first four games without him, scoring no more than 69 points; twice they scored below 60. There is plenty of offensive talent on the team, but Hazell was the one who it largely was built around. If Saturday night is any indication, they may be turning a corner, and in quite a fashion.
“We’ve been struggling to score over the last seven, eight games,” said head coach Kevin Willard. “These guys continue to work hard, continue to believe in each other. I thought they did a great job of watching our Arkansas film and realizing mistakes they made. We have some really good players on this team, and they’re starting to play that way.”
Jordan Theodore was the best player on the floor Saturday night. The junior point guard scored a team-high 17 points and had eight assists, and he was in the middle of a lot of the action. While there was plenty of help, a key complement was Herb Pope (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocked shots) inside. The only Pirates to shoot less than 50 percent from the field for the game were two players who came off the bench in the final two minutes of the game.
Entering the game, the Pirates were shooting an uninspiring 34.1 percent on three-pointers. Their 11-22 effort on Saturday will raise that some, and leading the charge there was freshman Fuquan Edwin, who had made just one all season before Saturday.
“We like the three-point shot,” Willard said. “These guys are going to put them up, and I let them put them up. They work hard on their three-point shot, and they know if they’re open and it’s a good one, they’re allowed to take it.”
Add it all up, and one can see the Pirates starting to develop some depth. Ten players average double-digit minutes per game, and all of them contribute something. The least-used player of the group, freshman forward Patrick Auda, was the best player on the floor for a couple of minutes on Saturday night in a ten-point outing. The minutes will be a little different when Hazell gets back, but if they can continue to develop like this, they will be in a good place by then.
Seton Hall now heads home for four more games before Big East play starts with USF at home. They are 4-4, but have been well-tested thus far. Willard inherited the entire non-conference slate, one whose worst opponent is likely either Cornell or St. Peter’s, both of whom they played at home and the latter of whom should contend in the MAAC. The schedule gets lighter before two more Atlantic 10 tests as Dayton and Richmond visit before the Big East opener.
Not only has the competition been tough, but the Pirates have only played the aforementioned two games at home. They took fourth place in the Paradise Jam and have been on the road for other games.
“I’m not happy with being 4-4, but I’m not disappointed either,” Willard said. “We’ve played good teams, but we’ve just been away from home and not being able to get in a rhythm. These guys have really done a great job of being focused, taking on the challenge, and now we have five at home. Hopefully we can take care of that.”
The Pirates look to be in a position to do exactly that – at least, a better one than they were in a few weeks ago. Hazell could be back early in Big East play, and if he picks up where he left off and his teammates improve the way they have of late, they could be a tough out in a conference that has proven to be very strong in non-conference play thus far.
