Seton Hall Nonconference Schedule Analysis With John Fanta

Earlier today, Seton Hall released their nonconference schedule, a 12-game slate in which Kevin Willard presents the most challenging ledger that he has comprised for the Pirates as a prelude to Big East play as he enters his fifth season as the captain of the ship in South Orange. Included on the appetizer platter before league contests are a trip to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, as well as the December 9 headliner at Koch Arena against Gregg Marshall and Wichita State, not to mention the resumption of Seton Hall's annual in-state rivalries against Rutgers and Saint Peter's. The Hall also welcomes reigning NCAA Tournament participants such as Mercer, George Washington and Mount St. Mary's to the Prudential Center, while hitting the road to take on South Florida and Georgia just before Christmas.

As we did last season and will continue to do during this offseason, we will provide complimentary analysis of each schedule release to break down every team just a little further. Pinch-hitting for Kevin Willard in this instance is the omnipresent and all-knowing John Fanta, whose meteoric rise has seen him cover the Pirates for a multitude of outlets, including WSOU, the Setonian, and the Pirate Sports Network. A contributor to our companion site College Hoops Digest as well, John was gracious enough to help us build a realistic set of expectations for Seton Hall as the mounds of hype laid upon the Pirates converge with the most highly touted recruiting class to walk out to the strains of "Onward Setonia" since Andre Barrett and the late Eddie Griffin took the floor at Continental Airlines Arena. You can listen to our own Jaden Daly's interview with John below: