4 Thoughts: Pirates blitz Wagner in second half to improve to 6-1

Kadary Richmond posted 10 points and nine assists as Seton Hall ran away from Wagner Wednesday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, N.J. — After a slow start that saw Seton Hall lead drastically shorthanded Wagner by just two points at the break, the Pirates turned up the dial in the second half and shot 61 percent in the final stanza, scoring 50 points and pulling away for an 85-63 win Wednesday night at Prudential Center. 

Here are the four thoughts:

1. (Kadary) Richmond County

Staten Island, where Wagner College is located, is also its own county in New York State.

Richmond County, to be precise.

Except tonight, that stood for Kadary Richmond. The Syracuse transfer had his best game as a Pirate, with 10 points, six rebounds, and a season-high nine assists, including some of the dazzling variety. On one particular occasion, he was posting up a smaller guard, turned the corner over his left shoulder into the paint, then threw a behind-the-head backdoor pass to Tyrese Samuel for a dunk.

"Magnificent," said Jared Rhoden on Richmond's game against the Seahawks. "This is the game I've been waiting for Kadary to have. He's probably the best passer I've ever seen, and his potential is amazing."

"Those times where you see that split second where (you say) 'oh, he could pass it to me,' and he's able to make that pass, it's amazing," Samuel said after the game. "Not a lot of people can do that, where the things you see, he can see it as well."

His head coach also spoke about Richmond's progression as his first season in South Orange has gone along.

"He's starting to practice the way he needs to to sustain a level where he has the ball in his hands that much,” Kevin Willard said. “He's worked hard the last three weeks sustaining practice, and I think he's getting more confidence in what we're doing and what we're looking for."

2. Slow Starts, And How To Fix Them

Seton Hall got out to a quick start in the immediate beginning of the game, opening up a nice cushion as Wagner struggled to find its footing without three of its best players, as well as head coach Bashir Mason and a top assistant due to COVID protocols. But once the Seahawks did, that lead was whittled down to just a basket at halftime. Coupled with several unforced turnovers from some poor passes, and there was plenty to go over in the locker room.

"This is our second game in a row that we played poorly in the first half," Rhoden said. "We had a good conversation in the locker room about how important it is to perform in (both) halves. I think everyone came out with a chip on their shoulder."

And Seton Hall did just that. Led by Richmond, the Pirates were able to punch right back in the second half, and this time, run away with the game. When asked about how to avoid the slow starts, the players chimed in with defensive effort from the opening tip as a way to get themselves going.

Willard mentioned a different tack.

"I think the biggest thing is that I shortened the rotation," he said. "I knew we were going to struggle in the first half playing nine guys as many minutes as I'm playing them. It's hard to play that many guys that many minutes and expect them to be in rhythm."

The Pirates' skipper did mention that he really needs to see certain lineups and certain plays out on the floor in real game action, which may be a reason for the substitution pattern, but based on that comment, there appears to be a fine line between wanting to see those things and a long rotation being detrimental to rhythm on the court. We'll see how it plays out in future games.

3. The Comeback Cale?

Myles Cale missed his third game in a row with a groin injury, but reports say that he's close to returning, with Willard saying that he should be back for next week's gauntlet against top-10 Texas and rival Rutgers. 

Willard wouldn't commit to whether he will play on Saturday against Division II Nyack at Walsh Gym, but Cale remains an integral part of the team, something that isn't lost on his teammates.

"I think we've really missed him on the defensive side, and as a leader in general," Rhoden said. "And also how (he) recovers for all of us. I think we've all seen that throughout the years where he's always picking us up where we lack, and I think that's going to make a difference in these games."

Coupled with Rhoden's earlier comment about defense getting them going to avoid slow starts in games, getting Cale back on the floor could be huge for the Pirates.

4. Balance Bonanza

I don't think I've seen a box score like this one tonight in a long time. Seton Hall had no players with more than five points at halftime, but six players had exactly five. That balance held up throughout the contest, with six players eventually finishing in double figures, led by Rhoden's double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Samuel's 15 points and six boards. Alexis Yetna also had a nice game with 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots, while Jamir Harris (12 points) and Tray Jackson (10) each had their moments. It's indicative of a team that may not need one player to go off for 20-plus points every night to be successful.