Resilient opening-night win bodes well for Rutgers moving forward

Steve Pikiell and Rutgers squeaked past Bryant Thursday night, but Scarlet Knights’ head coach was encouraged by gritty victory and what it could mean in long run. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The sight of Rutgers media awaiting Steve Pikiell’s emergence from the locker room for his postgame press conference became atypical after about ten minutes, as the affable head coach has become known for his punctuality in discussing his team’s travails. Normally, when a high-major team such as the Scarlet Knights narrowly defeats a mid-major opponent by a mere two points instead of the double-digit margins expected by fans and pundits, one would suspect a coach would take the extra time to rip into his team, highlighting the lack of execution.

Nothing could be further from the truth Thursday night, and Pikiell — as those who cover him frequently can attest — is not your run-of-the-mill program leader.

Rather than play the role of disciplinarian following a 73-71 victory against Bryant that was not sealed until the final seconds, when Adam Grant’s corner three-pointer for the win rimmed out and fell into the hands of Geo Baker, Pikiell took the opportunity to lift his players up, offering encouraging words and underscoring that the first game of this 2019-20 season was merely a teaching moment that can serve his team well as the year wears on.

“I’m glad we gutted out a win,” Pikiell conceded in the face of Rutgers nearly squandering a 16-point lead as Bryant used a flurry of timely shots and hustle plays to nearly upend a Big Ten Conference opponent for the second time in as many seasons under head coach Jared Grasso. “I always give credit to the other team, and they played their brains out. They made threes, they made shots. We didn’t wrap up the game the way I’d like, but we’re young, it’s a learning experience, and we have film to move forward and get better.”

“You guys know I like grinds, and the season is a grind, the whole season. I hope you guys just enjoy it, because that’s college basketball at its best. We had to manage our way through the game, but I like to grind out wins, because that’s what we’ve done. We’ve shown some grit, and we had to do that again today, so I think that’s a step for us and now we have some great tape to go over. We’ll get better. We have a lot of good answers up here.”

Even in the face of a concerning display at the foul line — Rutgers made just 18 of its 32 free throws — there were enough positives to outweigh the negatives, starting with the debut of freshman point guard Paul Mulcahy, whose impact off the bench helped ignite the Scarlet Knights offensively after a start to the game in which the hosts missed all but one of their first ten field goal attempts.

“He has a swagger and a grit to him,” Pikiell said of his newly-baptized rookie. “He’s a winner, and he’s the happiest guy in the locker room after a win. I love that part of him, too.”

“You could tell in practice Paul fits in,” said Ron Harper, Jr. “Paul belongs. He has a great future here at Rutgers, and his debut was nothing short of special. I’m really proud of him.”

In prior regimes, a stretch run like Bryant’s could easily have spelled doom for past Rutgers teams. This group, though, having been through the wars together for the most part, is wired differently, and subsequently carrying itself more strongly as a result.

“I like the way our guys are acting right now,” Geo Baker candidly assessed. “Everyone, as soon as the game ended — Tez (Montez Mathis) saying we gotta be more focused in practice, Ron told me he’s gonna go shoot some free throws — I like our mindset right now. We really have a good mindset right now.”

“We haven’t played in 239 days,” Pikiell observed. “It showed a little bit today, but we’ll keep getting better. We did what we needed to do to win the basketball game, and 1-0 was our goal before this game. We’re 1-0, and that’s what I’m most excited about.”

St. John’s makes Anderson’s debut one to remember in thrashing of Mercer

Mike Anderson’s debut at St. John’s Wednesday turned out to be 30-point harbinger of promise for Red Storm, who defeated Mercer in season opener. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK – Please allow me to introduce myself

I’m a man of wealth and taste

- The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”

It’s perfectly natural to get excited one game into a new season. Honestly, if you don’t – regardless of how your team fares in its opening contest – you may want someone to come check your vital signs.

But that’s how it was for St. John’s Wednesday night, welcoming the Bears of Mercer University – whose 2014 NCAA Tournament upset of Duke was enough to remember the city of Macon, Georgia for something more than being the home base of The Allman Brothers Band – back where it all begins and into Carnesecca Arena for the start of a new era, which commenced in explosive fashion when the Johnnies erupted to the tune of a decisive 109-79 victory.

Yes, Wednesday’s contest was the debut of one Michael Andre Anderson as head coach of the Red Storm, the same Mike Anderson unceremoniously cast aside at Arkansas after eight years of doing things on a basketball court for which St. John’s fans would petition to name a building after him had he done the same on the corner of Union and Utopia. The Nolan Richardson disciple famous for his 40 Minutes of Hell approach may not have been the first choice in athletic director Mike Cragg’s meandering search process, but his track record and approach to the game was enough to win fans over heading into the 2019-20 campaign.

“Basketball is basketball,” he surmised at Big East media day. “Obviously, if you believe in something – in terms of your system, your style of play, the type of players you want in your program – I think you get a chance to go and put your team together the way you want to play. We want to play the fun, exciting, in-your-face type of basketball.”

So what, exactly, constitutes the prototypical Mike Anderson player?

“I like guys who can make decisions,” he said. “I like instinctive players, I like tough players, aggressive guys. I’m big on versatility and I love being in attack mode, but when you talk about a prototypical player, one word: WINNER. I like guys who want to win.”

St. John’s had a full complement of players who fit that mold Wednesday, with five scoring 12 or more points and two more coming within a bucket of double digits. The high-flying cavalcade of dunks and transition baskets in the first half, coupled with the efficient shooting down the stretch, was a potent enough chaser from the final scenes of the Chris Mullin regime to where several card-carrying members of the long-starving Red Storm fan base were heralding the decision to not only play rotation pieces such as Marcellus Earlington (17 points), Josh Roberts (nine points and seven rebounds in a long-awaited breakout) and Houston Baptist transfer David Caraher (12 points, seven rebounds), but also highlight their skills in a game plan.

“When you play as many guys as we’re playing,” Anderson cautioned, “all that does is add a little bit more value to your team because now, you’re trying to create some depth. That’s what we have to do in this non-conference schedule.”

“I think they have to be that way every night,” Mustapha Heron said of his supporting cast after his 25 points led all principles involved. “I think Greg (Williams) is starting to come along a little more coming off a back injury, Josh has a motor like nobody else in the country, and Marcellus is one of the best spark plugs I’ve seen in a while, so with those three, I’m glad to be going to war with them.”

So it’s not just Heron and LJ Figueroa this season? AND the whole team is getting involved in an uptempo offense that – at least through one game – eschews the isolation and stagnant ball movement that plagued last season? What a concept!

“One thing I’m married to is winning,” said Anderson. “I want to be unpredictable.”

The nature of the Johnnies’ game may puzzle you, but St. John’s is pleased to meet you, and hopes you at least guess its name.

After a first impression like that one, how can you not?

Fordham takes Notre Dame to wire in close loss to Irish

(Photo by Karen Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

NEW YORK — Many coaches do not maintain moral victories within their respective lexicons, and who can blame them? Coaches by nature are very competitive and want to instill that quality into their players. Moral victories will not suffice.

Fordham’s Stephanie Gaitley strayed from using that term Tuesday night, when her Rams gave 16th-ranked Notre Dame all it could handle before falling five points short in a narrow 60-55 loss inside a sold-out Rose Hill Gymnasium.

“I am very proud of our kids,” Gaitley said in her office following the contest. “We did not take care of the ball that well, but our defense was good, the kids really gave a great effort.”

Not taking care of the ball spelled turnovers, of which Fordham registered 16, ten of which came in a first half where the Rams shot a meager 29 percent from the floor, and just 3-of-18 from the three-point line.

While Fordham — with two freshmen in its backcourt — struggled, Notre Dame altered its approach by going inside to combat the Rams’ zone defense.

“We went with a small lineup to use our quickness,” Gaitley said on a night where Fordham’s consistency reappeared in the second half as junior guard Kendell Heremaia was one of the more stable hands for the Rams. “Notre Dame’s size did bother us, however. If we just played better in that second period (Fordham scored only ten points in this stanza), things could have been different.

Gaitley did mention her team won the second half, outscoring Notre Dame by a 31-24 margin after the intermission. While the cynics can point to the Fighting Irish replacing its entire starting lineup — Kaitlyn Gilbert, Muffet McGraw’s top returning scorer, averaged just 3.6 points per game last year — with a quintet making its first individual collegiate starts, Fordham’s veteran mentor still saw positives in a game scheduled back in the spring.

“One of my goals each year is to get to the NCAA Tournament,” she said. “You can win the conference tournament or get an at-large bid. A game like this gives us a test to get ready for conference play and helps our own strength of schedule if we look for an at-large bid. We always want to schedule a tough non-conference schedule.” 

Panthers’ defense pounds Barons in opening night mauling

By Richard Martin (@Ricardo_Knows)

ATLANTA — The Georgia State Panthers took an early lead and forced 29 Brewton-Parker turnovers to roll to an easy 104-35 victory on Wednesday night in the GSU Sports Arena.

“This was a contrast from last Friday’s game,” said head coach Rob Lanier. “We were unselfish on offense and played well together as a whole. Regardless of the outcome, those things will translate to later in the season.”

Georgia State (1-0) jumped out to a quick 27-5 lead, forcing seven Baron (3-2) turnovers and shooting 50 percent from behind the arc early. The Panthers would continue the hot shooting the rest of the half, ending the first half with eight three pointers. Damon Wilson had a huge first frame, scoring 16 points and bringing down five boards.

“I was really proud of the way Dame rebounded the basketball,” said Lanier. “I was a little disappointed in his five turnovers. But he has worked his tail off. We changed his jump shot and went through the long process of adjusting his shot. For him to do that and get results tonight makes me proud of him.”

The Panthers also brought down 23 offensive rebounds tonight. Lanier says that the physical play is a mindset he wants his team to have this season.

“We have a chart. We write down how many times you attempted a hustle play like an offensive rebound, charge, shot attempts, etc.,” said Lanier. “We look at a percentage of, ‘How many of those did you do today and what percentage of the time are we doing the things that will lead us to a win?’ If you have a number in the eighties or nineties, you’re doing a pretty good job.”

Georgia State had five players score in double digits, including Nelson Phillips, who dropped 17 points off the bench and made three of five shots from behind the arc. For Brewton-Parker, John Allen led the way with 10 points and shot two-for-three from three point land. 

A lot of buzz in Atlanta was around Joe Jones III, star freshman from Buffalo, New York and brother of former Ohio State great Greg Oden. Jones started for the Panthers tonight, finishing with seven points and nine rebounds. Lanier believes that the sky is the limit for the big man. 

“Joe was consistent all summer long,” said Lanier. “He has a lot to learn and needs to develop some better habits, but there’s a toughness about him that’s attractive to a coach. He likes being coached. Time will tell on his upside, but if he keeps working, he’ll be a heck of a college player for sure.”

Georgia State will begin a long four-game road trip this Saturday with a trip to College of Charleston. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game can be streamed on FloHoops.

Highlights of tonight’s game are available here: https://youtu.be/QTRKRLamT-g

JP’s 4 Thoughts: Seton Hall opens season with 105-point explosion against Wagner

Ike Obiagu asserted himself early and often at rim as Seton Hall powered past Wagner Tuesday in season opener. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — College basketball season returned in full force Tuesday night, and the 12th-ranked Seton Hall Pirates kicked things off against Northeast Conference foe Wagner, handling business with a resonant 105-71 victory at Walsh Gymnasium.

Here are the first Thoughts of 2019-20:

1. D-Fence

Seton Hall’s edge in size, strength and speed proved to be enough to not allow Wagner too many good looks at the basket early in the game, with the Pirates building a lead they would never relinquish. But Bashir Mason’s Seahawks, true to form, would not lay down. Wagner continued to fight back, and for a while, really did hang with Seton Hall. That all changed in the last four minutes of the first half, however, thanks to the Pirates’ defense. A lead that was only seven points late in the opening stanza ballooned to 15 at the intermission on the strength of a 13-5 run. Later, in the second half, Wagner continued to fight, and got within 12 points with 10:30 remaining, trailing 70-58. But once again, the Pirates put the clamps down on defense, leading to an extended 24-4 run that put the game far out of reach.

Both Myles Powell, who finished with a game-high 27 points on only 24 total shot attempts in the contest, and acting head coach Grant Billmeier said that the Pirates' defense isn't where it could be, and that is true, but when Seton Hall did string together stops, it allowed the Pirates to truly flex their muscles on the scoreboard to the delight of their fans.

2. Big Men On Campus

The Pirates happen to have a pair of seven-footers on the roster, and they both played quite well. In Ike Obiagu's debut for the Hall, he certainly looked the part of a 7'2" shot-blocking enforcer. The Florida State transfer, who somehow looks even bigger in person, proved to be adept at finishing strong inside as well, converting four dunks and three free throws for 11 total points, while rejecting three shots on the other end. 

Obiagu did pick up two quick fouls, leading to him sitting for a good chunk of the first half, but Romaro Gill came in and picked up where he left off. The Pirates' other biggest big man ended up with eight points and one blocked shot, basically replicating what Obiagu brought as a presence in the paint.

Meanwhile, Sandro Mamukelashvili also had a strong game, with 11 points of 5-10 shooting, five rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals. The most impressive of the assists was a Magic Johnson-like, blind behind-the-head pass to Obiagu for a two-handed stuff, a pass that, according to longtime beat writer Jerry Carino on Twitter, may have been the best he's ever seen by a post player.

Long story short, all the Pirates' big men did well tonight against the shorter Seahawks. We will see if they can carry that over to higher levels of competition coming up in the next few weeks.

3. Offense = Impressive

Looking at the stat sheet, the Pirates did what you might expect a Top 15 team to do against a lower level of opponent. Powell was an All-American tonight, drawing nine fouls on his own (including a couple while shooting threes) to get to the line often (9-for-11) and draining shots from the field when he wasn't busy getting to the stripe (7-for-13). He also had the timely baskets for the Hall tonight, stemming the tide whenever Wagner was looking like they had momentum — it was his four-point play that kicked off the aforementioned 24-4 run that put the game out of reach in the second half.

Also of note were point guards Anthony Nelson and Quincy McKnight, who combined for 17 points, 13 assists and just two turnovers. Having those two take pressure off Powell so he is free to score and be himself out on the floor will likely prove to be big this year, and Nelson in particular showed off his remarkable court vision, looking like a point guard who was more comfortable on the floor than a year ago as a freshman.

As a team, 20 assists on 37 field goals with only ten giveaways is a stat most coaches and fans would take any day of the week. And in terms of superlatives, it led to just the second time in the Kevin Willard era and first time since 2010 that the Pirates scored over 100 points in a game, as well as the highest-scoring season-opener for the Hall since Bill Raftery roamed the sidelines in 1977.

4. Walsh Rocks

The lovely thing about Walsh Gymnasium, Seton Hall's on-campus facility with an estimated capacity of a shade under 2,000 fans, is that it's a classic gym. The ceiling is relatively low, the fans are right on top of the action, and the architecture is such that when it gets loud, it gets LOUD, with the sound bouncing off of everything. They don't make them like this anymore, and nights like tonight serve as a reminder of the reasons why Seton Hall's winning percentage all-time at Walsh is nearly 80 percent.

As one fan said to me on Twitter during the game, "the faithful love to see the enthusiasm on the defensive end," and that was when the building got really, really into it. The saying is that defense wins championships, but defense also gets fans cheering loud, and at Walsh Gym, when that happens like it did tonight, opponents tend to struggle. Seton Hall won't leave the modern Prudential Center, nor should they, but I always enjoy the games on campus for that classic college basketball feel.

And so begins another college basketball season at Daly Dose of Hoops. We hope you follow along all season as the Pirates continue their quest for a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a Big East championship. Seton Hall returns to action on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Stony Brook, back at Walsh Gymnasium.

Seton Hall justifies hype with season-opening rout of Wagner

Myles Powell’s 27 points paced Seton Hall as Pirates downed Wagner in season opener. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — The hype is real.

Seton Hall, No. 12 in the nation and the preseason consensus choice to win the Big East, opened its 2019-20 season Tuesday night against Wagner with several minor question marks. From the absence of head coach Kevin Willard to a group not accustomed to playing amid this much hoopla, the Pirates took the floor in a businesslike fashion, building a comfortable lead and gradually expanding it with a high-flying, take-no-prisoners style at both ends en route to throttling the Seahawks, visitors from Staten Island, by the final of 105-71 at a sold-out Walsh Gymnasium.

About that preseason buzz? Well, it’s only one night, but at first blush, it seems to be validated.

“We’re for real,” Myles Powell remarked when asked about the chatter surrounding Seton Hall, minutes after he wowed the 1,655 patrons in attendance with an effortless 27 points on just 13 field goal attempts, feasting on a young Wagner lineup that was no match for the Pirates’ massive size and enormous depth.

“I thought our defense was much better,” Grant Billmeier — substituting for Willard as the head coach served the last of his two-game suspension for tampering allegations — added. “Give Wagner some credit. Their guys made a lot of tough shots, and I thought we really tightened things up defensively in the second half.”

A prime source for clamping down came on the part of Ike Obiagu, the 7-foot-2 Florida State transfer whose interior presence was something Willard could not stop raving about at last month’s Big East Conference media day. In his first official game action, the Nigerian big man was perfect from the floor on his way to 11 points, but his three blocked shots — one that was sent into the first row of Walsh’s baseline stage — made the bigger impact.

“That’s what he’s been doing to us since the summertime,” Powell said of Obiagu and his mountainous stature in practice. “That’s what we expect out of him. He led the NCAA in blocks as a freshman, so we’re gonna stay on his tail. He’s a big presence, he and Ro (Romaro Gill). It makes a lot of things easier.”

“I thought Ike was really good,” Billmeier echoed. “I think playing two exhibition games certainly helped him get the nerves out and allowed him to kind of get into a flow playing with referees and playing with the crowd. I’m really happy with the minutes we got from him tonight.”

So too does the steady point guard play of Quincy McKnight and Anthony Nelson, who combined for 17 points, but more importantly, 13 assists against only two turnovers in an exhibit of stout ball handling that was proof positive that the Pirates are more than just the All-American depicted on the marquee.

“I think it’s great to have two ball handlers,” Billmeier assessed. “It takes the stress off of Myles and you’ve got two guys who are able to get in the lane and get him shots, and are very unselfish basketball players.”

“Coach has been doing a great job of building confidence in these guys,” added Powell. “When I went into the draft, he was telling me I wasn’t coming back, so he was building confidence in them. They went out in Italy and they’ve just been working and working, and Coach was telling them to limit their turnovers in practice. They came out and did what they did, and when you have younger guys that listen and want to do better, it makes everything easier.”

Looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup against Stony Brook, Seton Hall is far from a finished product, but the Pirates have momentum on their side, which can only help moving forward.

“You guys have seen how good we could be at the end of last year, and we’re just trying to keep that train rolling. It starts with me and Coach Willard being the head guys — Coach Willard being the head coach and me being the leader — and we’re going to come back and watch film to see how we can get better.”

As of now, though, the hype is indeed real, and it is spectacular.

Grasso and Bryant maintaining hunger heading into year two

Jared Grasso tripled Bryant's win total last season, and now prepares to take next step leading Bulldog program with mounds of upside. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

When you're part of a program whose crowning achievement was five NCAA Tournament appearances during your eight years there, expectations are naturally higher for you wherever you go.

Such is the case for Jared Grasso, who set out on his own last season after helping Tim Cluess cultivate a mid-major dynasty at Iona. Although Grasso, now entering his second season in charge at Bryant University, did not cut down a net last season in Rhode Island, his impact was profound and noticeable, more than tripling the Bulldogs' win total from the 3-28 campaign he was hired on the heels of. And this season, the sense of urgency is greater on the 39-year-old upstart, who firmly believes that his team can not only contend, but win, and win big.

"We weren't the most talented group, but our kids played their tails off," Grasso recounted of a Bryant team that nearly upset Iowa on the road late in the non-conference season last year, a testament to the relentless competitive spirit the Bulldogs bring to the floor on a nightly basis. "They gave me everything they had. They bought in, they cared about winning, they cared about each other, so I really enjoyed coaching them. I think we were able to start changing the culture a little bit, and I think that was the first step in the turnaround of this program."

"I'm excited about the returning guys we have, because they kind of understand me and how I'm wired, the way I run our program. Obviously, I'm excited about the recruiting class we have coming in, it's a nice mix of returning guys who played a lot of minutes and understand me now, and some incoming guys who hopefully upgrade our talent level."

Despite losing an all-Northeast Conference point guard when Ikenna Ndugba was forced to redshirt due to shoulder surgery, Grasso forged ahead and put together a product that, on any given night, was capable of being the best team in the NEC. Ndugba returns, as does senior guard Adam Grant, and the progress the Bulldogs made in a short time while simultaneously behind the eight-ball is something the coach still marvels at.

"It wasn't about wins and losses to me," Grasso admitted. "The first thing was about changing the culture to what fits me. The biggest thing for me was setting some standards in terms of work ethic and culturally, what we're going to be about, and I think we set those things in place. Our team looked a little different than we thought, but the kids competed really hard and I think our guys overachieved with their effort, because they played hard for each other. It's not a win-loss thing for me, it's about our product getting better and playing for each other every night."

"Ike's had a great summer," he added of Ndugba. "It's nice having him for the spring and then the summer, and I think he adds some intangible things at the point guard position that we didn't have last year. He led the league in assists and steals, and he's naturally a leader. There's just a lot of things he adds to our group that we didn't have, and those things, I think, will really help us."

While Ndugba and Grant anchor the backcourt, the Bulldogs' front line has taken a similarly sturdy shape. Bash Townes is back for his senior season, as is Colombian Juan Cardenas, whom Grasso plucked from the junior college ranks last year and developed into one of the better big men in the NEC.

"Bash turned into a leader," Grasso said of Townes. "He dropped 30 pounds, completely transformed his game where he really extended his range shooting the ball. He's down to about 245 pounds right now, and I'm just proud of the growth he's made as a person, as a player, and as a leader. He's a kid I trust and can rely on, and there's a loyalty between me, him and Adam. We went through a lot last year, and I challenged them. They didn't back down from it, through some losses and some adversity, and Bash was at the forefront of this group -- I want to lead this group and I want to win, He's a kid with a chip on his shoulder who wants to go out a winner."

"Juan Cardenas, his last ten games, he was as good as anybody in the league. I thought in the conference tournament game against Saint Francis, he was the best player on the floor. Keith Braxton was the Player of the Year, but Juan was as good as anybody in that game, and that's continued through the offseason. We went through a rough patch early on -- I had really high expectations for him, because I knew what he could become -- but I told my staff, 'We're not going to know what he is until January,' and I ended up being right because once we got into league play, he started playing better and better. He can do so many things, and I think his best basketball is ahead of him. He has a chance to make money playing this game."

Grasso's incoming class includes tough Syracuse guard Charles Pride, who turned down St. Bonaventure to play for the Bulldogs, as well as high-scoring Bronx guard Mike Green out of Mount St. Michael and Benson Lin, a Taiwanese import who decommitted from Manhattan to sign with Bryant, something Grasso also experienced at Iona when Rickey McGill did the same thing before winning four Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships in New Rochelle. All told, the core and its supporting cast adds up to a program that, despite its sixth-place standing in the NEC preseason poll, is certainly able to break down the door and deliver a championship to the Ocean State for the first time at the Division I level.

"I love our character," Grasso proclaimed. "I love the kids we have, I enjoy being around them. I think eventually, we're going to be good. How long it's going to take, I don't know, but we're going to work our tails off to be great by November 5. I'm going to play a little differently than we did last year, but we love our character, our work ethic and competitiveness, and I think I like our talent level so far. I do know that we have really good character and really good kids who are committed to the things I want, so now there's sixteen guys in our locker room who know what they signed up for. I think we have guys who want to be held to that standard, so that's the most important thing to me."

5 questions for Seton Hall

Kevin Willard brings his deepest and most talented team back to Seton Hall in a season where Pirates are trendy pick to reach second weekend of NCAA Tournament behind senior Myles Powell. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

The chatter has been seemingly endless since the moment the final buzzer went off on a mid-March night in Jacksonville.

Seton Hall, fresh off its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, would be a force to be reckoned with in the Big East Conference during the 2019-20 season, and that was before Myles Powell announced his intent to finish what he started four years ago in South Orange.

Now, everyone minus graduated fifth-year senior Michael Nzei is back for an encore in the Garden State, resulting in Kevin Willard's Pirates not only being picked as the consensus Big East favorite, but also as the 12th-ranked team in the nation in advance of a campaign that looks to be -- on paper at least -- potentially the most promising since Terry Dehere's 1992-93 swan song.

Seton Hall raises the curtain on its season Tuesday night at Walsh Gymnasium, when Wagner makes the journey across the Hudson River, and before the ball is tipped, there remains a handful of questions the Pirates need to answer in order to fulfill the sky-high expectations placed before the program:

1) How does this team handle the hype?

Such lofty prognostications are uncharted territory for Seton Hall, a team picked eighth of ten in the Big East preseason poll one year ago, a slight that Powell and Co. turned into a near-improbable postseason berth and No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But just as this group has thrived off silencing the naysayers, so too does it embrace pressure, with this past month being no exception.

"You know how Coach Willard is," Powell reiterated at Big East media day last month. "He expects nothing less than championships and hard work, but for us, we were picked eighth last year and we wound up finishing second. Honestly, the preseason polls don't mean anything, because when it starts, we're all going to be 0-0. The conference is so close and the players are so good, anything can happen on any given night and we've just got to be ready. We're No. 1, so that means we've got the biggest target on our back."

2) What was the reasoning behind the non-conference schedule?

Over the past several years, no one has scheduled as ambitiously or as meticulously as Willard, who has eschewed favorable matchups designed to rack up easy wins in favor of a more hardened test for his teams, one that features the likes of Michigan State, Oregon, Iowa State and Maryland this season, with perhaps appearances from Gonzaga and North Carolina as well, contingent upon how the bracket in the Battle 4 Atlantis plays out.

"We have a brutal non-conference schedule, and I think it's going to give us opportunities to really see and be more prepared than we have been in the past," Willard assessed. "You have a schedule where you have Maryland, who's Top 10, coming in (December 19), you have Michigan State, who's No. 1, coming in, (November 14) the Battle 4 Atlantis, where you have Oregon and maybe Gonzaga. The schedule really kind of adds to that flavor."

3) Who steps up alongside Powell?

The supporting cast has become more of a concern the past two seasons, especially with the youth around Powell last year in the wake of Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo having graduated 18 months ago. Sandro Mamukelashvili and Myles Cale took great strides last season in being the Robin to Powell's Batman, as did Quincy McKnight, but the Pirates still need to find the consistent second and third options behind No. 13.

"The different thing about this team is we have some balance in our classes," Willard revealed. "Our juniors, Myles Cale and Sandro, had great years last year and it's now their turn to take another step, and our sophomores, Anthony Nelson and Jared Rhoden, I'm really excited about those two. I think they've taken the same jump that Myles Powell did when he was a freshman to his sophomore year, so we have great balance in our classes, and everyone's ready to take a big jump."

4) What do the two newcomers bring to the table?

First of all, size. Ike Obiagu, the 7-foot-1 Florida State transfer who sat out last season, will be able to team with Romaro Gill to give Seton Hall a twin tower look up front that will allow for Mamukelashvili to stretch the floor more and contribute from his natural position, while 6-foot-10 Canadian import Tyrese Samuel is more of a pick-and-pop shooter that can serve as an X-factor off the bench.

"I think Tyrese is really going to help us out at the power forward spot," said Willard. "He's got a 7-foot-2 wingspan, he could shoot it. I think he's going to take a lot of pressure off of Sandro at that spot. He's got a great basketball feel for a kid his age, and then Ike gives us something that we haven't had in a long time, which is a monster of a defensive presence, someone that's 7-1, 260, can change the game defensively. He's given us something that we didn't have last year, and that's defensive presence."

5) Is the sky the limit for Powell?

Willard, who likened his superstar guard to the third son he never had, has been effusive in his praise of the Trenton native since he recruited him, and has gushed even further leading into a year in which Powell is just 831 points away from becoming Seton Hall's all-time leading scorer, a number that -- provided the Pirates' season goes according to plan -- is easily within reach.

"I'm excited for Myles Powell," Willard recounted. "I think he's got an opportunity to show everybody that he's the best player in college basketball, he's got an opportunity to get drafted, because I think he's going to have a monster year. He had a great year last year, but I think he's going to have a monster year this year because he's got better players now, more experienced players around, that are going to help his game."

Life after JWF begins for CAA favorite Hofstra

Joe Mihalich and Hofstra, despite loss of Justin Wright-Foreman, enter first season without school’s second-leading scorer as favorites to win CAA. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Sometimes the little guys make it.

On June 20, Justin Wright-Foreman became just the third Hofstra player in the last 25 years to be selected in the NBA Draft, and the first since Charles Jenkins in 2011. The Queens native saw his dream realized deep into that summer night when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum called his name on behalf of the Utah Jazz, who drafted Wright-Foreman in the second round, 53rd overall.

“I was by myself at home and I jumped out of my chair,” Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich recalled of the draft night experience. “I got the chills. It was the most incredible thing, all the emotions and thoughts that run through you. When his dream comes true, our dream comes true, too.”

Wright-Foreman leaves behind in Hempstead a legacy that includes back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year honors in each of the past two seasons and a regular-season CAA championship in 2018-19. He also finished among the top five scorers in the nation in his junior (24.4 PPG) and senior (27.0 PPG) seasons. However, his legacy lacked the most coveted jewel of all, a conference championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth. Instead, that duty falls upon the 2019-20 iteration of the Pride to try and end the drought, and bring Hofstra to its first NCAA Tournament since 2001, when Jay Wright was at the helm on Long Island.

Despite losing a NBA-caliber talent, this year’s Hofstra team is once again poised to compete for the top spot in the CAA, having been selected first in the league’s preseason poll while seniors Eli Pemberton and Desure Buie were named to the conference’s first and second preseason all-league teams, respectively. Pemberton made his way onto the all-CAA second team last season, averaging 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. The Middletown, Connecticut native is expected to transition into the lead role occupied by Wright-Foreman a season ago, but will have plenty of friends around the perimeter.

“It just changes the dynamic of our team,” Pemberton said of losing Wright-Foreman. “Anybody can get 25 on the team.”

Senior Tareq Coburn, incoming transfer Omar Silverio, and junior Jalen Ray are all expected to play major roles in the backcourt alongside Pemberton and Buie, with incoming freshmen Caleb Burgess and Jermaine Miranda providing depth behind the arc.

“I hope we’re more dangerous,” Mihalich said of this year’s team. “We’re definitely more balanced. Justin was an absolutely special scoring talent, and now we’ll have a bunch of guys who can score. On any given night, any one of the guys can be the leading scorer.”

Buie may be the most integral piece of all. As a fifth-year point guard, no one on the floor understands Hofstra’s system as thoroughly as he does, experience that proves invaluable for an offensive-minded coach such as Mihalich.

“Desure just empowers you,” he added. “He’s a coach on the floor, he finishes the sentence for you. He’s exceptional, he really is.”

The one question Mihalich must answer early in the season is how the frontcourt will shape up. Graduate transfers Jacquil Taylor and Dan Dwyer held down the paint with aplomb last season, but a new duo must emerge if the Pride hopes to make a run at a conference title. Redshirt sophomore Isaac Kante is expected to shoulder the load from the start. The 6-foot-7 Brooklyn product played in just ten games at Georgia during the 2017-18 season before sitting out all of last year due to transfer rules. Redshirt freshman Hal Hughes, redshirt sophomore Kevin Schutte, and senior wing Stafford Trueheart will also factor into the rotation.

The Pride has been no stranger to high-profile games in recent years, and this season will be no different. After taking on national powerhouses the likes of Kentucky and Villanova in the past, Hofstra will travel to California for the first time in nearly two decades for a road trip starting with a game at UCLA, the first time in which Hofstra will face the Bruins since the 2001 NCAA Tournament, the Pride’s last appearance in the then-64-team event.

Just as Wright-Foreman realized his dream, the 2019-20 Hofstra squad has the pieces in place to realize its own dream of dancing in March.

Growing pains will hit Panthers hard

By Richard Martin
Special To Daly Dose Of Hoops

Georgia State Panthers 2019-2020 Basketball Preview

Growing Pains Will Hit Panthers Hard

2018-19 Recap

24-10 (13-5 Sun Belt) Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Champions

Lost 84-55 to Houston in NCAA Second Round

Big Wins

74-68 over ETSU

75-65 over St. Bonaventure

91-67 over Georgia

83-80 over Alabama

Three wins over UT-Arlington (63-58 in Arlington, 77-71 in Atlanta, 73-64 in Sun Belt Championship)

The Coach

Despite the strange and unfortunate circumstances that lead to his departure for Tulane, Ron Hunter will probably go down as the greatest coach in Georgia State Men’s Basketball history. In his time in Atlanta, Hunter finished with a record of 171-95, winning three Sun Belt Championships and leading the Panthers to a magical run to the Sweet 16 in 2015.

The Panthers are not without a trusted leader. Rob Lanier was the Associate Head Coach at Tennessee for the past few seasons, including last year when the Vols went 31-6 and made their own run to the Sweet 16. 

Lanier also does have head coaching experience as he was the head man from 2001-2005 at Siena, leading the Saints to a 2002 MAAC Championship and a first round win over Alcorn State in the NCAA Tournament. 

One should hope Lanier’s tenure at Georgia State ends better than the last Panther coach that came after a hall of famer. After Lefty Driesell retired from GSU in 2003, finishing with a 103-49 record and a win over Wisconsin in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, successor Michael Perry went just 62-75 in four seasons and made the NIT once.

The Roster

The cupboard was left bare with Ron Hunter leaving. The top four scorers for Georgia State all left, including D’Marcus Simonds, a member of the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team and a 1,000 point scorer. Simonds lead the team with 18.2 points per game last season.

Devin Mitchell, Mark Benlevi, and Jeff Thomas have all left Atlanta after each member of the trio averaged roughly 12 points per game last season. 

Kane Williams is the leading scorer for the Panthers. as the Douglasville, Georgia native averaged 11.1 points last season. Williams was efficient from the floor, shooting 51% and an astonishing 40% from three. Williams was also fourth in the Sun Belt in steals, averaging almost two steals a game.

The big name on campus this season is freshman Joe Jones III. The Buffalo, New York native played last season at Orangeville Prep in Canada, averaging 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Jones also blocked 11 shots in one game. Jones will look to impress the nation like his older brother, Ohio State star and former first overall draft pick Greg Oden. 

The Key Games

You have to give credit to Georgia State for going out and scheduling tough opponents at both the mid major and P5 level. 

After what should be an easy game against NAIA Brewton-Parker, the Panthers aren’t home again until the end of the November, playing road games at College of Charleston, Duke and Georgetown, and in the 2K Empire Classic in Riverside, California against Prairie View A&M.

GSU will return home to the Sports Arena for a couple of intriguing games against Charlotte and Dartmouth, before traveling down the road to take on Mercer. 

The Panthers will open up conference play against the two teams they beat in the 2019 Sun Belt Tournament, UT Arlington and Texas State at home, before heading to the Lone Star State themselves to face AAC stalwart SMU.

After Christmas, the Panthers return to the ATL for one last non conference game against NAIA Middle Georgia State before diving deep into Sun Belt play with three straight road games played in a five day span.

The other matchups on everyone’s mind are the annual GSU rivalry against Georgia Southern, played January 25 in Statesboro and February 29 in Atlanta, and against preseason favorite South Alabama, January 16 in Mobile and at home just two weeks later on January 30.

Outlook

The Sun Belt landscape has changed drastically, with teams like South Alabama, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina all showing improvement, and UTA, Texas State and Louisiana all should continue to be mainstays in the conference. GSU is very young, but if they can get some of the close games to go their way and make a run in the Sun Belt Tournament, look out for the Panthers in March.