Sandro Mamukelashvili set career-high point total for second time in three games as Seton Hall defeated St. John’s Friday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
Kevin Willard is a firm believer in not only Sandro Mamukelashvili’s abilities, but also that his 6-foot-11 senior is perhaps the best college basketball player in the country.
Friday saw the Georgian live up to his potential, and then some.
In Seton Hall’s Big East Conference opener against a rescheduled opponent in St. John’s after the Pirates’ original foe, DePaul, was sidelined for a second COVID-19-related pause this season, Mamukelashvili was the beginning and end for the hosts, scoring 32 points and complementing his offense with nine rebounds in a 77-68 victory over the Red Storm, the third straight win for Seton Hall after its ambitious non-conference road trip began with a pair of setbacks against Rhode Island and Oregon.
The Pirates (4-3, 1-0 Big East) never trailed against the tenacious Red Storm, but were also challenged by Mike Anderson’s trademark pressure defense, which made a valiant effort to remain within earshot throughout the night despite Mamukelashvili being utilized in a myriad of ways against the likes of Julian Champagnie and Isaih Moore, the latter of whom was rendered ineffective due to foul trouble.
Seton Hall’s next test will come on Thursday on the road against Marquette after its Tuesday evening contest with Xavier was postponed Friday morning upon confirmation of a positive COVID test within the Musketeers’ program. In the meantime, help yourself to a trio of thoughts in the wake of the maiden Big East voyage of 2020-21 washing ashore in triumph:
1) Mamu
Quite honestly, where else should we begin? Mamukelashvili eclipsed his personal best point total for the second time in three games, bettering a 30-point effort still fresh in everyone’s minds Sunday against Penn State with his 32 markers Friday.
“We had no answer for Sandro, even as we made runs in the second half,” Anderson assessed. “He played like a senior’s supposed to, a guy that has those kinds of talents. They do a good job of utilizing him.”
“I came in with him, and you just see how his game patterns, how much confidence he’s getting,” Myles Cale said of his senior classmate. “It’s just crazy to me.”
Yes, Mamukelashvili’s offense is what stands out to the casual fan — he already had 15 points and seven boards at halftime — but it was the ball handling ability of the potential NBA prospect that turned heads Friday. Willard gushed about using him as a point forward, so to speak, as it showcases a skill set that proves difficult to solve.
“The great thing about Sandro is he can bring it up and he can create,” the coach proclaimed. “And when he gets a head of steam downhill, he’s really tough. I just think as he’s getting in shape now and he’s getting comfortable with the role I’m asking him to do, I think he’s just growing into that player I knew he would be.”
His wingman was more succinct in his analysis.
“Having Sandro as a four man — a point forward who can handle the ball — is a weapon that every other team doesn’t have,” said Cale.
And also a weapon that was meticulously crafted into a sharp equalizer ever since returning from a broken wrist suffered a year ago this week.
“I’ve worked on that since I was in high school, when I was 14-15,” Mamu proudly declared. “When everybody trusts me so much, it’s like my confidence is sky-high. They’ve invested so much in me these past three years, just building me up for moments like this.”
“I feel like ever since I came back from my injury, my mindset has changed. I want to be more aggressive, more present. I think I can be an All-American, I have the talents to be an All-American. Right now, I just have to show that I can be that guy.”
2) Molson
With Mamukelashvili’s brilliance came the continued emergence of Takal Molson, as the Canisius transfer tallied 14 points and used his attacking nature to draw 12 free throw attempts in a high-energy, two-way display of what he can truly be when he regains his full health.
“I have a lot of confidence in Tak making plays,” Willard opined. “He’s a guy I have confidence in bringing the ball up the court, but at the same time if I need to get a foul, he’s got a great knack of how to get fouled.”
“He’s not nearly the player that I had seen last year when he was sitting out, so I think as he gets in shape, you’re going to see someone that’s even better.”
3) Maintenance
After Sunday’s come-from-behind overtime win to erase a 19-point first-half deficit, the Penn State game is already being looked at as a potential turning point in Seton Hall’s young season. The Pirates’ two most recent efforts — against Wagner and St. John’s — were more about upholding the positive momentum that has found this group at the right time while the merry-go-round nature of an ever-changing conference schedule operates around the orbit in South Orange.
“Absolutely,” Willard echoed when the New York Post’s Zach Braziller asked him if stability in the current stretch of games was a point of emphasis as Seton Hall still navigates life without the injured Bryce Aiken. “We were depending on Bryce to be a 20-25-minute per game guy at this point, giving Shavar (Reynolds) a chance to move to the two guard spot a little bit at times. So to be 4-3, to play the schedule we’ve had to play and being without one of the better players in the league, I’m ecstatic at the way we’re developing, ecstatic at the way we’re continuing to grow and get better.”
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