JP's 5 Thoughts: Seton Hall scores massive upset over Kentucky in OT

Myles Powell's 28 points, including go-ahead three late in regulation before Kentucky forced overtime, led Seton Hall to epic victory over ninth-ranked Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Wendell Cruz/Finish First Photos)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEW YORK -- Wow.

In one of the best games (and finishes) you'll ever see, Seton Hall came into Madison Square Garden on Saturday and made even more magic at The World's Most Famous Arena, knocking off Kentucky 84-83 on a clutch three-pointer by sophomore Myles Cale in overtime.

Just the last ten minutes of the game had more twists and turns than the rides at Six Flags, and fittingly, just like the two teams delivered bonus basketball, we've got a bonus sixth thought for you here at Daly Dose Of Hoops:

1. This. Is. The Garden.

Something about playing at MSG brings out the best in Seton Hall. Including the Big East Tournament, the Pirates are now 9-3 here since the 2015-16 season began. And this game felt like one that will go up on the pregame intro video before too long.

After a rock fight in a first half that can be described as ugly if we're being polite, Seton Hall was down six. But in the second half, the script flipped, whereas both teams couldn't find the bottom of the net in the first stanza (at one point, going nearly ten minutes without a field goal being scored), the second time around was breathtaking. 

Here was Kentucky, with a Hall of Fame coach on the sidelines and boatloads of size and talent on the floor, showing off what they could do, particularly with sophomore big man PJ Washington (more on him later). 

Here was Seton Hall, matching them shot for shot down the stretch, and using a whale of a performance from Myles Powell to will their way back in the game when all seemed on the verge of slipping out of reach. 

And then came the endgame. After going mano-a-mano with the ninth-ranked Wildcats, Powell, who had already hit some ridiculous shots, made a step-back, double-clutch, heavily-contested three-pointer with 1.4 seconds left to break a 67-67 tie, and made the Pirates believe they had won.

Not so fast, said Keldon Johnson, as the Kentucky guard hit a halfcourt shot at the horn to send the game to overtime. It was something out of the fantasies of every kid in the driveway playing hoops growing up. You just don't see that every day, and it felt like a privilege to witness it in person.

2. Toughness And Togetherness

Here's the biggest reason the Pirates prevailed. They went into overtime with the Wildcats and their crowd (which filled up about 75 percent of the lower bowl) having all the momentum. They were already down both of their starting big men in Sandro Mamukelashvili and Michael Nzei, who fouled out in the second half. Then, in the extra session, Johnson hit another big three, which put Kentucky up by a point with 42 seconds left.

Seton Hall overcame all of it by keeping their wits about them to stay cohesive as a unit despite being shorthanded. In all my years of watching and covering Seton Hall hoops, this was one of the grittiest performances by the team that I can remember.

"What I like about this group more than anything is that they stay, they continue to work," head coach Kevin Willard said. "I was very proud of how they fought and played." 

"It took a lot of effort, but as coach said, we were ready," Powell said. "We fought, we never gave up, we stayed together, and we got the job done."

The cherry on top was the final possession, which showed just how together the team was. Anthony Nelson saw an opening and drove inside, then kicked out to Quincy McKnight in the corner, who shot-faked, drove, and kicked up top to Taurean Thompson. HE then shot-faked and dished right to Cale, who made yet another fake to get free for the open shot that won the game. It was a coach's dream possession: Finding the open man, passing up good shots for a great shot, and playing hard, but not too hurried.

3. Going The Extra Myles

Where would the Pirates be without Powell? He showed yet again today that he's one of the very best players in the Big East. It wasn't easy for him, either, as he only attempted four shots in the first half and struggled to get going, most notably missing four of his first six foul shots. But like with all great scorers, it's only a matter of time, and when Powell canned his first triple, there was no slowing him down. He ended up with a team-high 28 points, making six of eleven from beyond the arc.

"I just had to find it within the offense," Powell said of finding his rhythm. "Coach told me to stay patient, things will open up. Just stay focused on the defensive end, get out in transition."

He's a downright special player, one who turned a lot of heads today among Wildcats fans and everyone else watching on national TV. And with the volume and magnitude of the shot he made, one could make the argument that the reason Seton Hall won the game is that they had Myles Powell, and Kentucky didn't.

Speaking of staying focused, Cale was just 3-for-17 before making the aforementioned game-winner from the right side in front of the Pirates' bench. He played 44 minutes in the game, more than anyone else on the team, including Powell, and showed what they call a shooter's mentality in nailing the biggest shot of the game — the indomitable belief that no matter if the first 99 shots miss, that the 100th will be made.

"My coach tells me to always be ready, because you never know when the ball is coming your way," Cale said after the game.

"I have confidence in Myles Cale," Willard added. "There's a reason he's out there for 44 minutes is that he's going to be a special player one day. It was a great ball fake, and he knocked (the shot) down."

4. Extras

You also never know when players will take advantage of opportunities and lift their team with their performance, and today, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Taurean Thompson, and Quincy McKnight all stepped up in their own way.

For Mamukelashvili, he began the game like a house on fire. He scored, he handled the ball, he passed, he defended, he rebounded, and played with a brimming confidence to help the Pirates get started. Until Powell started cooking with gas in the second half, and until he personally got into foul trouble, Sandro was the Pirates' best player.

For Thompson, he stepped up huge. With Mamu (and later Nzei) in foul trouble, it was the smooth big guy who picked up a ton of the slack, scoring 13 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting with six rebounds, his most impactful game at the Hall. 

As for McKnight, while he did commit six turnovers, four of those came in the first half, and he dished out five assists as well as his usual trademark defense on the perimeter. But he also scored 15 big points in this game, including two big hoops in overtime. His role on this team isn't to be a big-time scorer, but he has that ability to get a bucket if needed, and it was needed today.

Speaking of lifting the team with their performance, a big compliment needs to be paid to Kentucky's PJ Washington. 29 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots later, I came away thoroughly impressed with his size, skill, and athleticism. 

As Kevin Willard said after the game, "he's gonna make a lot of money." Without his production, Seton Hall wins this game pretty easily.

5. Wrap-Up

This is an undoubted feather in the cap for the Pirates as far as the NCAA Tournament is concerned. With such a strong schedule outside the Big East, the Pirates had yet to record that signature win, and after coming up just a hair short against both Saint Louis and Louisville, they got it today. It's a performance that can really lift the team up both on and off the floor, and looking forward, having this experience will help the Hall come March.

"That's how I set the schedule up, to get these guys battle-tested," Willard commented. "So I love this game. The fact that it was Kentucky was huge, but to get them in the Garden, to get them Garden experience, to get them ready for the Big East Tournament, it's a big win."

Next up, of course, is Rutgers in the Garden State Hardwood Classic, who will be coming off a defeat at the hands of Fordham in the Bronx. For a lot of Pirates fans, that's a bigger game than this one, and after Seton Hall was turned away in Piscataway last season, you can bet they'll have revenge on their minds against Steve Pikiell's up-and-coming Scarlet Knights.

BONUS THOUGHT: Advice From A Legend

Before the second half started, according to the good sources around the Seton Hall media contingent, Powell had a short talk with Seton Hall's all-time leading scorer and former Big East Player of the Year Terry Dehere (who also happened to be a prolific three-point shooter and a 6'2" guard to boot). We were not privy to what was said in the conversation, but you know what happened in the second half. I think Mr. Dehere was quite pleased with what he saw, don't you?