UConn’s latest Final Four run a product of March letdown and trademark Hurley intensity

Dan Hurley cuts down net after UConn won East Regional and returned to Final Four Saturday. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

BOSTON — March 17, 2022. Buffalo, New York.

It was on that night, in that locale, in an auxiliary locker room in the bowels of KeyBank Center, that the foundation was laid for perhaps the greatest two-year run of any college basketball program this century.

After UConn suffered a second consecutive first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, this setback coming to a No. 12 seed in New Mexico State, Dan Hurley was at a loss for words after Teddy Allen had strafed the Huskies for 37 points in a 70-63 upset.

March 30, 2024. Boston, Massachusetts.

Fresh off a 77-52 decimation of Illinois in the East Regional final, Hurley looks back at that seminal moment in Husky history for the benefits it afforded, a Dr. Frankenstein of sorts marveling at the chaos his monster hath wrought as it now measures Alabama in its crosshairs as the next potential victim.

“I think sometimes the best things that happen to you are to see those blind spots, the areas you’ve gotta improve (that) are getting exposed,” he recalled as UConn advanced to its second straight Final Four Saturday, and seventh overall. “Getting exposed in that game in Buffalo, by Teddy Allen in that brutal rock fight game, it changed the way we put together our roster, the personalities, the skill sets.”

“(It was) a long look in the mirror at me as an offensive coach. I’ve always done a lot of things right, but there were blind spots for this program to become elite. That sucked, man. That was some deep, dark depression for a week, 10 days, two weeks, but coming out of that, we made all the right moves. We’ve been the best program in the country, really, since that moment.”

What UConn has done in the 744 days following the early exit to New Mexico State has captured the heart and attention of the sport. The Huskies’ return to college basketball’s upper echelon has propelled the 51-year-old Hurley into the rarified air occupied by recent luminaries of the game such as Roy Williams, Jay Wright, Mike Krzyzewski, and even the patron saint of Connecticut basketball, Jim Calhoun. Hurley may have had basketball in his bloodstream before he said his first word, but when asked if he viewed himself among the game’s elite, he offered his customarily candid appraisal of himself.

“I think if I am one of those people, I’m probably a good one because I’m authentic,” Hurley admitted. “I am who I am. I’m basically a high school coach that’s like, masquerading up at this college level. I don’t really care what people necessarily think of my intensity or my passion. It obviously shows up the right way with my team…we don’t cheat, we don’t lie, I think we’re about all the right things. I’m just, at times, an asshole.”

Someone very close to the UConn coach saw things in a similar lens, dispelling the notion that he had still lived in the shadow of his surname and family, giving credence to the masterful stroke of the paintbrush that has yielded a championship mural.

“That shadow stuff is long gone,” the person conceded. “He’s an outstanding coach, and I’m humble in his presence. What he does at the college level, the culture and everything about it, it’s just amazing. I thought last year, what was accomplished was unbelievable, and then five of the top eight scorers are gone. This is a different team, and they’re playing so well again. They’re really good, but in a different way.”

“Who said that?” Hurley shot back, almost refusing to believe the source.

When informed a second time that the praise came from his father, Bob, a Hall of Fame mentor in his own right, the younger Hurley was visibly overcome with emotion, speaking in equal tones of pride and reverence.

“He’s turning it on for you guys, man!” Dan exclaimed. “My dad has never said that to me. He doesn’t throw compliments around very frequently. I’ve gotten more recently. My dad’s one of the best coaches of his generation. If he did the career thing and went for the money, went for the climb up the mountain, he’d be up there with the best…Coach K, Coach Knight, Phil Jackson, all the giants of the game. To hear that from him is incredible.”

After making short work of a turnaround in his first collegiate job at Wagner College, where he won 38 games in two years, Hurley took over a more daunting challenge at the University of Rhode Island in 2012, a move he justified at the time as wanting to step outside his comfort zone. Six seasons, an Atlantic 10 championship, and two NCAA Tournament appearances later, the same results he delivered on Staten Island followed him up the New England Thruway, and attracted a suitor at a higher level. In March 2018, after an acrimonious divorce with former player and national champion coach Kevin Ollie, UConn athletic director Dave Benedict hired Hurley, who stood out almost instantly for not just his track record, but an intensity and edge about him that was reminiscent of Calhoun.

“I just think Dave Benedict saw something in me as a mid-major coach that was having some success,” Hurley said. “He just felt like I had the perfect combination of, you know, just being a Hurley — so I’d have the thick enough skin to deal with the comparisons — and then (that) I had the fiery personality that’s perfect for this fan base. You can’t have an empty suit over there with these people. You better have a monster on the sideline.”

The monster of which Hurley speaks is self-sustaining more often than not, but the coach adds his own fuel to the fire when necessary. In various walks of life, some people tend to become complacent after reaching the summit of their chosen professions, adopting a more nonchalant approach to their livelihood.

Dan Hurley is not some people. In fact, he admitted to placing more pressure on himself after leading UConn to a national championship last year.

“It was important for me to show my fan base and my players that they’re not gonna get some guy that’s gonna rest on his laurels after winning one, and he’s just gonna go and ring the bell at the (New York) Stock Exchange and go hang out with (President) Biden, and then he’s gonna take a year off and do the honeymoon shit,” he declared. “I’m an obsessed coach, and I’m gonna be more maniacal the next couple days than I was in the ones leading up to this, I promise you. And when this season’s over, it’s gonna get worse.”

Hurley said at this season’s Big East media day that he felt unfulfilled shortly after the national title, wanting to go back to work right away to begin the process of defending the hardware. That vision is still paramount, but on Saturday, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment for a brief minute more, reaffirming the ethos that was crafted from the bones of defeat two years ago.

“You never see us complacent, and that’s why we have the results that we have,” he said. “We’re just gonna play every possession like we’ve won nothing, but we also come into these games with the confidence of champions that expect to win.”

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: UConn manhandles Illinois with 30-0 run to reach 7th Final Four

Dan Hurley and UConn celebrate East Regional championship Saturday, as Huskies thumped Illinois to return to Final Four. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

BOSTON — Many times during his 26-year tenure at the University of Connecticut, Jim Calhoun referred to the 1989-90 campaign, which ended in a regional final appearance, as the program’s dream season.

Two years after winning the NIT, UConn reached the final eight for the first time in program history, ushering a new era of success hardly anyone thought possible in the far outreaches of the Nutmeg State.

Nearly three-and-a-half decades later, that fabled 1990 postseason run may have some competition. What UConn has done in the past 12 months has bordered on surreal, otherworldly, and unprecedented, all at the same time.

“I didn’t expect that,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood deadpanned after the Huskies defeated his Illini Saturday night, 77-52, to reach the program’s seventh Final Four.

As UConn has shown on any given night, one should always expect the unexpected to some extent. On this night, it was the manner in which the Huskies dominated that turned heads and set jaws heading toward the floor in the open position. A 30-0 run, spanning nearly nine minutes of action between the end of the first half and start of the second, broke a 23-all tie and set in motion the latest masterclass from a team fast becoming an historic outfit among the sport’s titans.

“Really in the second half, the way we were moving the ball on offense and how we were playing for one another really just opened up opportunities to dominate in the post, find cutters cutting, and get open shots,” said Donovan Clingan, who was named the East Regional’s most outstanding player after carving up the Illini for 22 points and 10 rebounds as UConn set a program record with its 35th win of the year.

“We obviously came out in the second half and got blitzed,” Underwood lamented as Illinois did not score its first points after halftime until 12:41 remained in regulation, by which point the Illini found itself staring down an insurmountable 53-23 deficit. “(UConn did) what they do. They got out in transition, turned some of those blocks, turned a few turnovers into layups.”

For the second time in three games, Stephon Castle was at the center of the defensive efforts for the Huskies. The Big East Freshman of the Year, who rendered Boo Buie into a 2-for-15 shooting night in UConn’s second-round victory over Northwestern, was tasked with neutralizing another first team all-Big Ten point guard in Illinois’ Terrence Shannon, Jr., who had scored 25 or more points in seven straight games entering Saturday’s contest. The rookie reprised his role as the Huskies’ stopper, limiting Shannon to just eight markers and holding the fifth-year senior to a meager 2-of-12 showing from the floor.

“Steph just made it really, really tough on (Shannon),” Dan Hurley reflected. “He chased him off the (3-point) line, then whenever he did get the edge, we had rim protection there. You had Donovan there, you had Samson (Johnson) there.”

“There’s a reason why, in the basketball world, people are as high on Steph as they are. He’s a winning player.”

UConn has a collection of winning players that stretches 14-deep when its entire complement is utilized. And as the Huskies set their sights on Arizona, where they will face Alabama in the Final Four a week from Saturday, the talent — coupled with its coach’s trademark edge — makes this group more formidable than ever.

“We heard the things that players were saying in the leadup to this one,” Hurley said. “As defending national champs and what we’ve done since February, and how we’ve played in this tournament, we feel like we’ve earned a certain level of respect from media and opposing players when they face us right now, because we’ve been that good.”

UConn’s offensive rebounding identity highlights Sweet 16 win over San Diego State

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

BOSTON — Twenty-six years ago, Richard Hamilton rescued a tipped ball from Khalid El-Amin and put the ball in the basket, falling back as time expired to send UConn to just its fourth-ever Elite Eight.

While that 1998 team lost its regional final, there was no better way for it to win than with an offensive rebound, and the legend has only grown.

The Huskies’ 1999 championship team, with many of the same players, was the 17th-best offensive rebounding team in the country en route to a 34-2 record and its first of five national championships.

Following that, in Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun’s final 13 seasons as the UConn coach, the Huskies placed among the nation’s top 10 teams in offensive rebounding nine times. Fast forward to Thursday night, where just ten miles from Calhoun’s hometown of Braintree, Massachusetts, Dan Hurley’s team penned its latest masterpiece.

Top-seeded UConn moved within just one win of back-to-back Final Four appearances with an 82-52 victory over 5th-seeded San Diego State. In the group’s program record-tying 34th victory, the Huskies had 21 offensive rebounds, and finished plus-21 on the glass.

The lone thread that connects the UConn staffs under Calhoun to the one that Hurley and others have called the best in the nation is Tom Moore. The Millbury, Massachusetts native spent 13 years on Calhoun’s bench before becoming the head coach at Quinnipiac, a gig he held for ten seasons. During his time in Hamden, the Bobcats were a top 3 offensive rebounding team six years in a row, and top 10 for eight consecutive seasons.

It’s no coincidence that after ranking in the top 100 just twice in his first seven years as a head coach, Hurley’s teams have finished in the top 100 each season since Moore joined his staff for the final season at Rhode Island in 2017-18, and in the top 25 in each of the last five seasons at UConn.

“Tom is Mr. Rebound,” Hurley told reporters after the game. “He begs for it in the practice plan, and he takes his share of credit for it, and rightfully so.”

While the intricacy of the offense has gotten much of the press over the last two seasons, the offensive glass has been a hallmark of Hurley and Moore’s entire tenure in Storrs. Over their first four seasons, when UConn ranked outside the top 150 in effective field goal percentage, it was the offensive rebounding that made up the conversation around the teams. Just because they’ve now shot the ball at a high level over the last two seasons does not mean that that has gone away.

“We have good size, we have guys who are locked into the scout,” Moore said after the game of his team’s tenacity on the glass. “And Dan pushes all the right buttons when we’re playing a team that we think will be a challenge on the glass. No one is better than him at emphasizing it and stressing it for like four or five days in a row in advance.”

After the best game of his UConn career, scoring 14 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and swatting eight shots against Northwestern on Sunday, Donovan Clingan couldn’t find a rhythm Thursday.

SDSU’s Jaedon LeDee used his strength to keep the 7-foot-2 sophomore away from the basket, and he finished with just eight points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. In the first half, he made just one of six, missing a few layups, but still gave UConn three second chances on the offensive glass.

“We were boxing each other out of bounds in practice the past two days,” Clingan said. “We were just really realizing that that was a key point to this game, and if we wanted to win this game, we have to out-rebound them, so we did that tonight.”

He credits Moore with instilling the rebounding mentality of this group.

“He’s always yelling at us to rebound,” the Bristol native said. “He’s always under the basket in practice, just making sure that we get our box-out techniques right.”

As UConn’s offense ground to a halt towards the end of the first half, and it wasn’t even able to score second-chance points off its rebounds, the tenacity provided another positive. San Diego State wasn’t able to create a ton of easy offense itself, and limiting the Aztecs' transition opportunities was a major key for the Huskies holding a nine-point lead at the break.

The only two fastbreak baskets for SDSU all game came from a Reese Waters mid-range jumper, and a Micah Parrish triple, neither of which truly ended up mattering in the long run.

“We send as many guys to the glass as we can,” Clingan said. “We just try to get extra shots, and realizing that that can break a team as well, we’re always trying to be the most aggressive team on the floor.”

UConn’s mystique lies not in results, but how it gets them

Alex Karaban (11) leads cheers from bench as UConn locked down San Diego State after halftime to advance to Elite 8. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

BOSTON — At this point, nothing about the University of Connecticut and how it has gone about its business on the floor should come as any surprise to anyone.

Now three wins away from successfully defending its national championship, the only mystery surrounding UConn on any given night is not the final result, but rather one of what it will do and how it will attack to get there.

Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Stetson was the expected big win over a No. 16 seed. Sunday’s follow-up against Northwestern was defined more by how the Huskies masked an uncharacteristic lackluster shooting night with its power. Thursday’s Sweet 16 romp over San Diego State showcased the relentlessness on the glass by a UConn team that amassed 50 rebounds, 21 of which came on the offensive glass.

“We have killer instincts,” Dan Hurley said after his Huskies turned an intense first half into an 82-52 drubbing of the same Aztec squad it defeated a year ago in Houston for UConn’s fifth national title. “We play every possession with great desperation. We just have people that are just desperate to win more. We have winners. We have ‘we’ guys.”

“These guys right now are leaving a legacy in a place that’s hard to leave a legacy. It’s been a historical season in a tough place to make history. They’re galvanized by that. It’s special.”

What also was special was UConn’s defensive effort after a first half in which San Diego State was unfazed by the opponent standing in its way, leading on several brief occasions early before the Huskies gained the initiative for good. Only ahead by a 40-31 count at the intermission, Hurley adjusted and doubled down on Aztec big man Jaedon LeDee, using the size of Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson to shut him down. LeDee was held to just three points over the final 20 minutes after the fifth-year senior was the best player on the floor for either side, recording 15 markers in the opening stanza.

“Donovan made it hard on him,” Hurley reflected. “Samson made it hard on him. Guys who were helping off the right people on the perimeter just showed them a lot of bodies and played much better one-on-one defense.”

“We’re a top 10 defensive team as well, so again, that’s the best way to keep yourself from being vulnerable in this tournament, by guarding at a high level. We’re very comfortable in tournament play. We’re hard to prepare for.”

UConn’s last nine NCAA Tournament games — the six from last year’s title run and three within the past seven days — have been won by a margin of nearly 23 points. That average is higher than North Carolina’s 2008-09 and Villanova’s 2017-18 championship units, which won their tournament games by averages of 20 and almost 18 points, respectively. Those Tar Heel and Wildcat squads are also widely considered to be two of the best teams in the sport this century.

When asked if he had a hard time believing the mathematical dominance, Hurley lightened the mood somewhat before declaring the level on which his program operates.

“We suck at winning close games,” he quipped, “so you gotta go with the alternative.”

“I don’t think we feel tremendous pressure going into these round of 32 or Sweet 16 games. I know as a staff, we don’t, because we feel like the position that we’re in right now is going to be our level and that we’re going to be able to maintain it because we’ve got the formula. This team has defied what past champions have done, and taken this program to a completely different level. This is just where our program is at right now. This is where our program is going to be.”

3 Thoughts: Seton Hall demolishes UNLV, advances to NIT semis

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — Almost exactly 35 years ago, in 1989, Seton Hall beat UNLV in the quarterfinals of a national tournament to advance to the Final Four of said tournament. The margin was 23 points, and wouldn’t you know it? History repeated itself.

For the first time in 71 years, since they won the whole tournament when it was considered even more prestigious than the NCAA Tournament, the Seton Hall Pirates are in the NIT semifinals after an absolutely dominant thrashing of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at Walsh Gymnasium by a final score of 91-68. 

Here are the 3 Thoughts from the final home game Seton Hall will play this season:

1. South Orange Smackdown

This game was never in doubt, and almost the whole way, too. The Pirates came out focused on defense, with UNLV taken out of its rhythm right away. On offense, Seton Hall fed Jaden Bediako for seven early points, and with its cutting and screening, generally got whatever it wanted: Layups, open looks from both two-point range and three-point range, etc. The Pirates didn’t hit many outside shots early, but the effort led them to a 13-4 lead at the first media timeout.

“I watched (UNLV) against Princeton, and to go down there and win at Princeton is impressive,” head coach Shaheen Holloway said in the postgame press conference. “Then I watched them against Boston College and the way they played defense, the way they got after it, I was like, ‘wow, this team is really good.’ They’ve got good size, they’re athletic, they get in the lanes. So we watched a lot of film but we really couldn’t do too much on the court because we had limited guys. We watched a lot of film of what was going to be open. I thought early, Kadary came out and set the tone.”

The skipper was spot-on. Kadary Richmond was in his bag, putting up 13 points, four rebounds, and six assists in the opening 20 minutes. At one point, he either scored or assisted on 21 straight Pirates points, and finished with 16 points, 10 assists and four rebounds, controlling the entire tempo of the game when he was on the floor. It was a virtuoso performance in what might be his last home game for the Hall. 

The Pirates’ defense also didn't quit, and UNLV looked at times like it was uncomfortable even shooting the ball outside of 15 feet. All but four of UNLV’s 26 points in the first half were in the paint, and the Runnin’ Rebels went 0-for-9 from three, and just 4-7 at the free throw line. 

Fittingly, the half ended with defense. After Dylan Addae-Wusu got a steal and a transition slam at the buzzer, Seton Hall was up 18 at the break. Then, in the second half, Al-Amir Dawes came alive for three straight threes, pushing the lead out to 27 points, and that was essentially that. 

All told, the entire starting five not only finished in double figures in scoring, but also had a plus-minus of 20 or better. Dawes ended up with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists along with a 4-for-7 mark from three. Dre Davis had a well-rounded 14-point, seven-rebound, four-assist game. Addae-Wusu had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists to go along with a couple positively Davis-esque fadeaways. And Bediako ended up with 11 points, four boards, and four blocked shots, while critically being able to stay on the floor and avoid foul trouble (more on this in a second).

It was one heck of a way for the group to go out in front of yet another packed, loud house at Walsh Gym.

“I’m super impressed with these guys,” Holloway said. “It’s been a long year — some ups, some downs — but the way these guys came out and handled themselves and didn’t cry, didn’t worry about things, stuck to the game plan…to play like we played tonight for this to be our last game at home was unbelievable. Unbelievable. I’m super proud of these guys and the fans came out big-time, so it was a great night overall.”

2. Deep Bench Diving

Word came down shortly before the game that the Pirates’ best subs, Isaiah Coleman and Elijah Hutchins-Everett, would both be out due to the flu and an upper-body injury, respectively. That put the Pirates in a bit of a bind. They couldn’t get in foul trouble, especially with Bediako or Davis, because there wasn’t really anywhere Holloway could go on paper.

Enter Sadraque Nganga and David Tubek. The little-used subs were both called upon to give the Pirates’ forwards a spell, and both responded by having some good moments. Nganga even ended up with seven points overall, including a three-pointer. 

Jaquan Sanders, who has given the Pirates some pretty solid minutes in spurts lately, also hit a pair of threes in the second half and had six points along with a plus-14 rating off the pine. You have to applaud the reserves for being able to contribute at a moment’s notice tonight, applause that is seconded by the Pirates’ starters. It kept momentum in the Hall’s favor.

3. Party Like It’s 1953

With the win, Seton Hall advances to the national semifinals of the NIT for the fifth time in program history, where it will take on Georgia on Tuesday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It will be a homecoming for Dre Davis, and a fitting way for him to (perhaps) cap his college career. And with six days separating the Pirates from their next game, hopefully that gives them enough time to get both Coleman and Hutchins-Everett back in the lineup.

When the Pirates were among the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, it was devastating to the team and the fans. When news came out immediately after Selection Sunday that Rick Pitino and St. John’s would be rejecting a bid to the NIT, and that fellow first-four-outers Oklahoma and Pitt would do the same, there was speculation on whether the Pirates would join them, having come even closer and suffered even more of a snub. 

Having watched this team all season, however, I had a hunch they would do nothing of the sort. This was a team, after all, that was made in Shaheen Holloway’s image, and I knew if Sha was a player in this spot, that he’d want to come back and prove the universe wrong.

So to see Seton Hall a) not thumb its nose at the lesser tournament, and b) really come together on the court to be playing this well speaks volumes about the group as a whole. They’ve hit their stride, with the last two games against North Texas and UNLV not even really being close, and have had Walsh Gym loud and proud throughout the postseason.

“Our fans are very passionate, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not in a good way,” Holloway said. “But I think they appreciate the way this team responded all year long, starting the year off a little rough, coming back, playing well. I think they just appreciate this team and the way they play, and the way they’ve carried themselves all year long.”

“It’s always special, man. Playing here, playing at Walsh, it’s always different than playing down in Newark at the Pru,” the head coach added. “The Pru is great, but it’s a different type of atmosphere here, right? They’re on top of you, they’re loud, they’re after it. Our fans were into it from the St. Joe’s game all the way until now, and I think our guys fed off of it. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure we’d be playing like this if we played at the Pru, because the Pru’s a little bigger, it’s kind of spaced out. These fans got these guys going all three games. There’s no doubt about that.”

The feeling is mutual. The players have gotten the fans going, which has gotten the players going, and onward and onward. It’s the kind of concurrent fuel that makes college basketball, and particularly postseason college basketball, the incredible thing that it is.

So for a final thought this season, I’ll say this to the Pirate faithful. Even if things go sideways on Seton Hall in Indianapolis, I think this season will be remembered fondly when the final buzzer sounds because of how these players fought all season long, and how when the going got tough, their own toughness shone through. They collectively made the sting of Selection Sunday fade away into ancient history, drowned out by a sea of blue at a historic gym that truly roared once more.

Sha Sounds Off: UNLV

On Seton Hall’s performance:

“I’m super impressed with these guys. It’s been a long year, right? It’s been a long year — some ups, some downs — but the way these guys came out and handled themselves and didn’t cry, didn’t worry about things, stuck to the game plan…to play like we played tonight for this to be our last game at home was unbelievable. Unbelievable. I’m super proud of these guys and the fans came out big-time, so it was a great night overall.”

On Seton Hall being locked in:

“It was tough the last couple days, right? We had Zay sick and Elijah got his injury, so we couldn’t do some things and some of the other guys were coming off being sick. So it was a tricky week, couple days, for us to try to get ready, but I think for the most part, these guys came in and understood the game plan. I think that’s when you have good senior leadership. I’ve got five guys that are older. These guys understand the mission and the goal. I thought we played well. I thought we shared the basketball, that was the biggest thing I was happy about. Having 22 assists was really big.”

On Seton Hall’s defense:

“I watched (UNLV) against Princeton, and to go down there and win at Princeton is impressive, right? Then I watched them against Boston College and the way they played defense, the way they got after it, I was like, ‘wow, this team is really good.’ They’ve got good size, they’re athletic, they get in the lanes. So we watched a lot of film but we really couldn’t do too much on the court because we had limited guys. We watched a lot of film of what was going to be open. I thought early, Kadary set the tone, came out and set the tone. The second half. I thought Al got open on those three threes, and from there, it was off to the races. But that’s a really good team, it is.”

On Tuesday’s NIT semifinal against Georgia:

“I’ll be honest with you, I’m just in the moment right now. I’m in the moment right now, happy for these guys, happy that we get to go to Indy and play in front of Dre’s hometown, get a chance to play in the final four of the NIT. Like I told these guys, basketball is basketball this time of year. You’ve gotta be real appreciative of being out there. We had a moment of silence yesterday for the stuff that’s going on in Baltimore with the bridge, and I told these guys, you can’t take nothing for granted. Anything can happen at any given time, so when you’re out there, don’t cheat the game. I think these guys came out and played tonight.”

On preparing his team since Selection Sunday:

“I just told these guys, be selfish. You’re playing in front of a different audience, ESPN, it’s a different audience than Fox. You get a chance to keep improving your individual brand, which all these guys care about, but you also get a chance to keep representing the school and keep playing basketball. And also, playing with your brothers that you’ve spent 11 months — from when we first got here to now — with, these friendships and this stuff won’t last forever. These guys understand the mission, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”

On how fans have embraced the team:

“It’s good, right? It’s funny, it’s Seton Hall. Our fans are very passionate, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not in a good way. But I think they appreciate the way this team responded all year long, starting the year off a little rough, coming back, playing well. I think they just appreciate this team and the way they play, and the way they’ve carried themselves all year long. It’s always special, man. Playing here, playing at Walsh, it’s always different than playing down in Newark at the Pru. The Pru is great, but it’s a different type of atmosphere here, right? They’re on top of you, they’re loud, they’re after it. Our fans were into it from the St. Joe’s game all the way until now, and I think our guys fed off of it. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure we’d be playing like this if we played at the Pru, because the Pru’s a little bigger, it’s kind of spaced out. These fans got these guys going all three games. There’s no doubt about that.”

On rumors of his interview with Louisville:

“Listen, man: What’s understood don’t need to be said, brother. That’s all I’m gonna say. I’m the coach of Seton Hall. Period.”

On his experience making postseason runs:

“I’ll be honest with you: Tonight, I’m just gonna try to enjoy this, enjoy the moment, enjoy what these young men just accomplished — it’s history for the school — and tomorrow, try to get ready for Georgia. I don’t want to talk about what I did with Saint Peter’s, because it’s not fair to these guys. This is their journey. So my thing to them is, just keep playing. Keep wanting to play. These guys built a bond. You want to go far and you want to try to win every game you play, and the goal is to win a championship. We have an opportunity to try to win a championship.”

On Al-Amir Dawes:

“Al is different, right? Me and Al have a relationship that goes back 12 years, 15 years. I’m proud of him and the way he handled himself coming back home, because it’s not easy. Going to Clemson, had a good career there for three years, started, came back here and last year was kind of rocky. He got a raw deal with a lot of fans, a lot of fans didn’t understand him and his game. I thought he came in this summer super focused, with a chip on his shoulder, with something to prove. I thought he came out and had an unbelievable senior year, so I’m super proud of him, I’m proud of the way he handled himself, I’m proud of the young man he’s becoming, and I’m proud of him because he’s a great father to his son as well.” 

Jeremy Luther looks to lead Runnin’ Bulldog reformation

Seen here on the sideline as Gardner-Webb visited Duke, Jeremy Luther now helms Runnin’ Bulldogs after he was named as Tim Craft’s successor Wednesday. (Photo by Gardner-Webb University)

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

Gardner-Webb conducted a national search for its next head coach, but in the end, did not have to look that far to find one.

Jeremy Luther, who had been Tim Craft’s assistant for the past 11 seasons in Boiling Springs, was named as his replacement at a press conference on campus Wednesday.

“We did not give Jeremy Luther this job because it was the comfortable choice or the easy choice,” Gardner-Webb president Dr. William Downs said. “Jeremy Luther earned this job because he is the right man to lead Gardner-Webb basketball into a new era.”

“In my flesh, I got angry that I could not just slide in and have the job,” Luther admitted. “I started questioning God why it was taking so long. But now looking back on it, I’m thankful for the process. It really strengthened my faith.”

According to athletic director Dr. Andrew Goodrich, there was a deep pool of qualified candidates who were interviewed for the position, but Luther stood out from the group.

“We had candidates from all over the country that wanted to be the next head basketball coach at Gardner-Webb University, from the SEC to the ACC,” Goodrich said. “Coach Luther has the full complement of skill, ability, experience and passion. He was able to articulate a plan to build on the tremendous foundation left by Tim Craft and he is going to have success immediately.”

For his part, Craft also feels as if Luther is ready to take the reigns of the GWU program.

“Jeremy Luther is the perfect fit to lead GW to future success,” Craft, now at Western Carolina, said. “He is a man of faith and family. He was vital to every decision we made at G-W over the last 11 seasons. He is an outstanding recruiter, relationship builder, teacher and has a long history of helping our players maximize their potential. He will be the total package as Gardner-Webb's new head basketball coach.”

Former GWU standout Jose Perez also shared his congratulations to Luther in a tweet Wednesday afternoon:

LETS GOOOOOO!!! FIRST PERSON TO REALLY BELIEVE IN ME WOW WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS FIRST DAY I WALKED ON CAMPUS PROUD FOR YOU AND THE FAM ❤️💯 https://t.co/Np9lwfwxdO

— Jose Perez (@showout_zayy0) March 27, 2024

Before looking forward to the future of GWU basketball, Luther took time to thank Craft for the time they have spent together.

“I would not be where I am at today without Tim Craft,” an emotional Luther said. “We have been friends since high school. My goal was to work as hard as I could to have a great team so Tim would have wonderful opportunities when the time came. Now, after 11 years, it’s my turn. I’ve had opportunities to be a head coach at other places, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to be the head coach at Gardner-Webb University. It’s like a dream come true.”

While Luther and Craft are close friends, their coaching styles are different. While Craft was laid-back and relaxed, Luther admits he has a little bit of Bob Knight in him.

“I wasn’t hired to do things exactly the same way,” he said with a smile. “Tim was stoic. He never let anything bother him. I’ve got a fire in my belly. I get emotional. I told the team that we were going to have fun and that I’m not afraid to flip a chair every once in a while. I’ve seen some things over the years that if we tweak we can finish first or second in the league instead of third or fourth. If we don’t win the league by the time my contract runs out, I will shake Dr. Downs’ hand and resign because I did not hold up my end of the deal.”

So what are Luther’s top priorities on day one as Gardner-Webb’s new head coach?

“Priority number one is to get the staff put together and then start recruiting or re-recruiting,” he said. “We had some great talent coming in. Now we have to get out there and assure them that those offers still stand. Finally, when we hit the court in November, we are going to play fast and we are going to play hard. It’s the most physical team that sets the tone for everyone else. We are going to have a team everyone in this community can be proud of.”

JAKE’S TAKE: Hiring Jeremy Luther was a smart move from the powers that be at my alma mater. Sure, there were plenty of other well-qualified candidates for the job, but Luther is well-loved by his players and the GWU community as a whole. My guess is Luther’s coaching staff will be filled with GWU connections as well. Having someone that is so closely associated with the previous coach is not always a good thing, but in this case, it is. Luther is a strong recruiter and can build on the solid foundation of Coach Craft. If memory serves (I could be wrong), the Runnin’ Bulldogs and Catamounts still have at least one game to play in their home-and-home series. Seeing the two friends square off from opposite sidelines will be worth the price of admission.

UConn’s winning culture continues to be secret sauce as Huskies converge on Sweet 16

On doorstep on Sweet 16, UConn’s championship culture has taken center stage in national championship defense. (Photo by UConn’s Men’s Basketball)

NEW YORK — When Dan Hurley took the reins at the University of Connecticut six years ago, he did so with the same objectives and mentality that carried him through the high school ranks at St. Benedict’s Prep and mid-major stepping stones at Wagner and Rhode Island.

As the son of Bob Hurley, Dan's rough-hewn intensity and trademark toughness was hereditary. The method of building a winning culture, where each of his players sacrifices something in his respective skill set to better serve the collective machine, was developed over time.

The progressive outpouring of energy over the past half-dozen years has now evolved into the behemoth that descends upon Boston this weekend, when UConn embarks on the next chapter in its quest to repeat as national champions, starting Thursday in the East Regional semifinals against San Diego State in a rematch of last year’s title game, which the Huskies won convincingly to ascend the sport’s summit a fifth time.

In some ways, the build to this season began a year ago with the transfer portal additions of Nahiem Alleyne and Hassan Diarra to a core anchored by Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo. Those three have since moved on to the professional world, with Alleyne opting to use his final year of eligibility at St. John’s, but Diarra stayed to shepherd a new crop of hungry Huskies to the promised land. The Texas A&M transfer was rewarded for his contributions with recognition as the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year, but for Hurley, his imprint on the team has been indispensable for both his junkyard dog mentality and his role in maintaining UConn’s trademark depth.

“I just think it takes a special guy to play or coach at UConn, because there’s pressure all the time,” Hurley reiterated. “We knew we had a guy with the stomach for it. You could see what the starters looked like, that wasn’t too hard to project. But the unknown would be the depth part. Could we get to eight-deep, nine-deep, with quality to keep us bulletproof?”

“We wouldn’t be where we are now without how (Diarra has) played for us, without Samson Johnson, without the emergence of (Jaylin) Stewart and what Solo Ball has done for us throughout the year. To be able to go eight or nine-deep with quality, you’re able to survive a bad night from some of your better players because of that depth.”

UConn’s most recent outing, Sunday’s win over Northwestern, was indicative of the aforementioned bad night Hurley referenced. The Huskies missed 19 of 22 attempts from the 3-point line as a team, but still managed to win comfortably, in large part due to the efficiency of point guard Tristen Newton. In his two NCAA Tournament games last weekend, Newton was a team-best plus-58, meaning UConn was 58 points better than its opposition when Newton was on the floor, a stat that elicited a combination of pride and surprise from Hurley, the latter most likely attributed to the sheer stature of the figure.

“When you look at most efficient players in the country, I think Tristen ends up somewhere (in the) top five in a lot of things in terms of his impact,” the coach said of Newton. “A lot of teams value him a lot more than these mock drafts do. He’s a first team all-American, he’s a guy that obviously was up for Big East Player of the Year and didn’t get it, but he’s 6’5, he rebounds, he facilitates and shoots NBA threes with pretty good efficiency. And he’s a champion. I think he’s going to play in the NBA for 12-15 years.”

“Everybody knows their role and everybody knows what each other is capable of,” said Newton, highlighting the Huskies’ unselfish tendencies. “Nobody’s going to go out there and try to score 30. They’re going to stick to the script and play defense, get rebounds and move the ball. Nobody’s selfish. Everybody just does what they can do to win the game.”

UConn’s obsession with winning was one of the most appealing factors to Stephon Castle when the freshman from Georgia opted to attend college in Storrs, the self-proclaimed basketball capital of the world according to the UConn program and its rabid fan base. Hurley has been effusive in his praise of Castle and how he has adapted from high school to one of the elite Division I programs in the sport in a short amount of time, calling him the “anti-entitled” five-star prospect. The feeling is mutual for Castle toward his coach, to whom he credits an endless trust in him to produce in helping expedite his emergence.

“It’s had a big impact on my confidence,” Castle said. “Just knowing that (Hurley) believes in me to make an impact for our team. I feel like, as a freshman, that’s big-time, and it gives you a lot of confidence going into games like this.”

“He’s just such a unique player in the way that he guards,” Donovan Clingan echoed with regard to Castle. “And on the offensive end, he’s setting ball screens, coming off ball screens, getting to the rim, finishing strong. He’s just an all-around team player. He’s just willing to make multiple efforts and he’s a really big part to this team.”

Hurley has mentioned the basketball campaign among what he refers to as “we season” for the need to stress team goals ahead of individual accolades and personal matters. The mantra has played itself out on the court just as meticulously, with its intrinsic and external effects noticeable to almost anyone at first blush.

“You can kind of sense the culture,” Castle admitted. “It’s not really a selfish culture, so it really wasn’t for me to come in and really think about my own stats, or think about how well I played. It was just doing whatever I can to come in and help the team win, and I feel like everybody else had the same kind of approach.”

“If you stand out and try to be selfish, you’ll stand out for the wrong reason.”

UConn shipping up to Boston after win over Northwestern brings Huskies back to Sweet 16

Tristen Newton puts finishing touches on UConn’s rout of Northwestern, sending Huskies back to Sweet 16. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

NEW YORK — As the theme song to the legendary NBC sitcom Cheers famously posited for over a decade, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

The University of Connecticut will be doing just that this coming week in the home of the fictitious, yet iconic, Boston bar after yet another NCAA Tournament victory that seemed almost academic from the start.

Needing only to overcome Northwestern to reach the East Regional semifinals and earn a second straight Sweet 16 appearance a mere 90-minute drive from Gampel Pavilion, the top-seeded Huskies made short work of their opposition Sunday, opening their matchup with the Wildcats on a 17-4 run and overpowering their way to a 75-58 victory at Barclays Center, improving to 9-0 this season under a New York City backdrop that has long been one of UConn’s adopted home outposts.

“I think it’s going to double in Boston for us,” head coach Dan Hurley said of the groundswell of fan support. “I guess you could add Brooklyn to Storrs South. I didn’t know it was part of Storrs South, but I guess it extends from Manhattan to Brooklyn.”

What will also traverse the New England Thruway this weekend on its way to Beantown is a fully-engaged unit that now appears to be playing at its unquestioned best, with its opposition offering little, if any, resistance.

Northwestern had few answers for UConn (33-3) and its combination of size and suffocating defense, a one-two punch that was evident from the opening tip. While Donovan Clingan was a one-man wrecking crew in the paint, Stephon Castle took on the challenge of guarding Boo Buie, the Wildcats’ leading scorer, and shut the all-Big Ten point guard down. The freshman phenom rendered Buie into a non-factor, limiting him to just nine points on 2-for-15 shooting.

“Steph caused problems,” Hurley said of Castle’s impact defensively. “Just the size, the foot speed, the strength. (Castle) is the anti-entitled five-star freshman, he does nothing but help his team win.”

The same can be said of Clingan, who racked up a double-double in the first half alone and finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and a career-best eight blocked shots in the latest tour de force from the 7-foot-2 sophomore.

“I feel healthier and lighter than I’ve ever felt,” the big man declared. “I really got my confidence back, and I’m just trying to fly around the court and do whatever my team needs me to do to win.”

“It’s amazing,” Alex Karaban said of Clingan’s latest effort. “He continues to prove why he’s the best center in the country. I firmly believe that (with) what he does defensively for us, and just creating everything so much easier on the offensive end for us, he’s a special player.”

After Friday’s equally impressive opening-round win over Stetson, Karaban spoke about the need to create and uphold momentum as UConn attempts to become the first team since 2007 to successfully defend its national championship. Despite being outscored by five points after halftime on Sunday, the Huskies managed to conserve the boost and not sustain too much of a lull, something Hassan Diarra attributed to the burgeoning self-confidence he and his teammates possess.

“We have ultra confidence in ourselves,” Diarra said. “We’re playing very well right now (and) we just have to continue to do that. Just some minor things, but ultimately, we’re riding a lot of momentum right now. We feel like we have as good a chance as anybody in this tournament.”

Karaban, however, cited Northwestern cutting into a 30-point deficit in the second half as a sign that UConn still needs to improve if it is to enjoy the same fate it did last April.

“Last year’s team didn’t have any of the slipups where teams would come back and start to gain hope again,” the sophomore forward intimated. “This year’s team, we’re letting teams come back. We gave (Northwestern) some hope, we got their fans back into the game. Last year’s team wouldn’t do that.”

The small degree of difficulty, to this point in the tournament, has already drawn comparisons to how the Huskies demolished any team that stood in their way on this stage a year ago. But with four more games to play before cutting down a net in Arizona, the message remains the same, keeping in line with Hurley’s foot-on-the-gas approach.

“It’s hard to tell,” Diarra said of the similarities and differences to last year’s championship run. “Kind of the same, but maybe a little bit better. But, man, we’re not done. We gotta keep it rolling.”

North Carolina staggers early, then powers past Michigan State to Sweet 16

 

North Carolina's RJ Davis floats a runner over Michigan State's Tyson Walker in Saturday's victory over the Spartans. (Photo:  North Carolina Athletics)

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CHARLOTTE – For much of its history, North Carolina has been one of the heavyweight champions of college basketball.  For the first 12 minutes Saturday night, it was arguably not even an effective sparring partner.

Michigan State made shot after shot. Following a Malik Hall bucket at the 8:08 mark, the Spartans had hit 11-of-17 tries and built an 11-point lead.

“They were just playing better than us,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “We came into the huddle and said, ‘Look, we can't talk about any basketball stuff until we join the fight.’ Once that started, the level of play in terms of the energy and effort, the attention to detail rose. Then that's when things started to change.”

Change, they did.

UNC (28-7) charged out of its corner and hit Michigan State with a flurry. Before the Spartans realized what had hit them, Armando Bacot had tallied eight of 17 points in a Tar Heel run that went unanswered for nearly six minutes. The burst marked a 23-3 stretch to close the first half that, despite a brief second-half rally, knocked out ninth-seeded Michigan State in an 85-69 decision at Spectrum Center.

“We played so well the first 12 minutes, and then I don't know, the ball just stuck,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “We didn't move it as well. Give them credit. We played a good team.”

Many explanations exist for how the ball stuck. Spartan guard Tyson Walker had 11 points in the first nine minutes of the game, then struggled to find open looks. The Spartans assisted just four times on 12 first-half baskets – six on 26 for the entire game. The defense of reserve guard Seth Trimble also played a key role, despite a small tally of minutes.

“Seth is the best defender in the ACC and one of the best defenders in the country,” UNC guard RJ Davis said. “Just his impact on the defensive end has been huge for us all year, especially today's game. I know there were a couple times where, because we had Tyson Walker out there, Seth had the challenge to go out there and guard him. I think he did a great of making it hard for him, being physical on the catch, getting over screens.”

Michigan State (20-14) wasn’t done just yet. Jaden Akins provided the secondary scorer the Spartans sought, largely slicing an 11-point Tar Heel advantage to a single bucket. Akins scored seven of the nine points in the stretch, taking a lot of the air out of the blue-clad side. The Spartans hung around, seemingly ready to land an answering blow.

Instead, North Carolina knocked the Spartans to the mat.

The Tar Heels used a balanced attack to snap off a 16-4 run that mostly finished the proceedings. Seven Carolina players tallied over five minutes of game action, preventing Michigan State from getting back inside single digits and helping the Tar Heels advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

“I'd have to say probably like around the eight-minute mark (is where it got away),” Hall said. “I think we were just talking about it in the second half. We had cut it pretty close, and then we just had some mistakes, offensive rebounds. They made some tough shots. Then after that, we couldn't get anything to go on offense, I don't think really. That's just kind of where I felt like it went.”

For UNC, it started to look a lot more like the 2022 version of the Tar Heels than the 2023 edition.

“We always talk about how do you react and how do you respond? And these guys, the whole team reacted and responded the right way after going down 14 in the first half,” Davis said.

Following last year’s 20-13 season, the Tar Heels retooled, adding Harrison Ingram, James Okonkwo, Cormac Ryan, Jae’lyn Withers, and Paxson Wojcik out of the portal and Elliot Cadeau as a first-year player. This left Davis with a much more experienced and skilled group, which showed as it battled back Saturday.

“I felt good about the pieces when we got the pieces. You never really know until they step foot on campus, but as soon as they got on campus from the start — and I told this, and I tell this to everybody. From the start, this team has wanted — and has enjoyed — being a team. They just genuinely enjoy being together.”

“I don't know if that, how that translates to wins and losses, but I think it helps. I think we have really good chemistry. We'll see how much further we can go.”

For forward Armando Bacot, his being a part of both the national championship runners-up from two seasons ago and last year’s disappointment has helped build a bond with both his teammates and coach.

“It's just so special for us when we’ve got a coach that just has so much belief in us, even sometimes when we may not even believe in ourselves,” Bacot said. “I think just all year, just how he's pushed us, but also nurtured us and made sure we were okay and instilled that confidence in us.”

“When it comes to times like this and we go down 12, just knowing that our coaches believe in us, but also are hard on us, it just makes a huge difference.”

Davis paced UNC on the night, booking 20 on 7-for-15 from the deck and hitting a trio of triples. Three Tar Heels joined him in double figures, with Bacot adding 18 and Ingram 17 on a combined 11-for-21 while hauling in a combined 14 boards. Ryan contributed 14, finishing perfect on six tries from the stripe.

Carolina shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) from the deck, despite just 38.5 percent (10-for-26) of its threes finding the net. The Tar Heels put home 19-of-23 from the line to help seal the victory.

Three Spartans finished in double figures. Walker went for 24 on a 9-for-16 shooting effort. Hall added 17 and finished a board shy of a double-double, while Akins tallied 11. Michigan State shot 44.1 percent (26-for-59) but hit just 37.5 percent (6-for-16) from distance. The Spartans hit 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) from the line.

Carolina advances to its 14th Sweet 16 in the last 20 seasons and for the 16th time overall as a top regional seed. The Tar Heels will now do battle against either Grand Canyon or Alabama in Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Thursday evening. Game times and television coverage will be announced after Sunday night’s Round of 32 contests.

5 Thoughts: Seton Hall rips Mean Green to move on in NIT

Al-Amir Dawes exhorts Walsh Gym crowd as Seton Hall moved into NIT quarterfinals Saturday with win over North Texas. (Photo by Seton Hall Athletics) 

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. — After squeaking by Saint Joseph’s in the first round, Seton Hall welcomed the reigning NIT champion North Texas Mean Green to Walsh Gymnasium.

And just like the weather outside, the Pirates drowned the visitors with several big runs, putting them under a deluge of noise from the home faithful and rolling to a 72-58 victory to move on to the quarterfinals.

Here are the thoughts from South Orange:

1. Bringing The Thunder

Facing an early tip time is never an easy thing, especially on a miserably rainy day like today. But Seton Hall fans clearly had their morning coffee. They filled Walsh, particularly the upper levels, and they were into the game from the tip, cheering everything the Pirates did well, roaring during a pair of 10-0 runs that staked the Hall to a 33-24 halftime lead, and even hounding the referees for every call. It got so loud in the first half that the North Texas players had trouble communicating on the floor after their solid start.

“I thought it was huge,” Dre Davis said. “I can only speak for myself, but it provided me with a lot of energy. I thought the atmosphere was great, you could feel the energy. It’s a lot different from the (Prudential Center). You can really feel (the fans) on top of us. We really appreciate the fans.”

“To pick up what Dre said, when I see a big crowd, the energy just pours down,” Isaiah Coleman added. “When they’re in it, we're in it.”

In the NIT, players and teams can take one of two tacks: One, be sorry for yourselves that you didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, or two, come out with a chip on your shoulder the size of North Texas.

It's the same for fans. I can recall when the Pirates ended up in the NIT in 2010 (my sophomore year at the Hall). They had their first-round game against Texas Tech at the Prudential Center, and the energy was never there (we’re not going to discuss what also happened in that game that led to Bobby Gonzalez’s ouster shortly thereafter). 

In 2012, my senior year, the games were at Walsh, and the atmosphere was a total 180. The first two rounds of this year’s tournament have been the same, and you hope that it keeps up as long as Seton Hall advances. 

“After the timeout (when) we were down 14-8, and I got the five guys together at halfcourt,” head coach Shaheen Holloway said. “Some things were said — some good things — and I thought after that moment, I thought we came back out and started doing what we do. But I thought it was a big thing that the crowd got these guys up, got them going, and stayed with us the whole game, so I want to thank everybody for that, for coming out, especially on a rainy day like this.”

2. Bench Mob?!

Seton Hall’s bench has been maligned at times for not giving enough production to the veteran starting five. The Pirate reserves rank near the bottom of the nation on KenPom in minutes played as a unit as a result. This afternoon, they brought it. It was the freshman Coleman who led Seton Hall with nine points in the first half, including five in a 10-0 run to close the half and a three-pointer at the buzzer. 

He wasn't alone. Elijah Hutchins-Everett also played well with Jaden Bediako in foul trouble, scoring four points with a pair of boards and solid interior defense before having to leave the game after a second-half rebound battle, and Jaquan Sanders also had one of his better games lately.

“We’ve got a lot of our main guys banged up, so I knew I had to get some guys in there,” Holloway said. “Jaquan Sanders — I’m going to give him a lot of credit. He’s been out the last two days sick. He didn't practice yesterday, we just did individual (work). I wasn’t sure if he would be able to play, but he came in and gave us some big minutes in the first half and made a big shot.”

“(Isaiah) and I had a good talk this week about a couple things,” the skipper added. “I thought he came out and stepped up to the challenge, and so did Elijah before he got hurt, so it was good to see guys get in there, because we needed it.”

The Pirates’ starting five is tough enough to go against with their experience at this time of year, but when they get effort off the bench as well, it takes a huge weight off the starters’ shoulders, and at a time of year when, as Sha said, everyone’s dinged up at least a little bit.

3. Kooks Makes Lunch

Kadary Richmond had a slow game against St. Joe’s on Wednesday night in the first round, but after an extended rest in the first half today, he looked like he was back to his normal self. The first team all-Big East guard put up a huge double-double of 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, adding six assists. He used his size to bully the smaller North Texas backcourt on several occasions, and his efforts on the glass led the Pirates.

“I used him today a little differently,” Holloway said. “I used him more as a post-up (player). They were doubling, so we could get some movement off of it. He made the right plays. He impacted the game differently, which is what good players do. Whether it's rebounding, assists, scoring, he impacted the game differently. And I thought everybody did. We had really good balance. The last couple of days, I didn't know what was going to happen. We were only able to go 3-on-3 or 4-on-4, but I’m proud of them. I thought it was a gutty performance.”

In March, you need your best players to be your best players, and Richmond was certainly one of the Pirates’ best today on a day where everyone ate offensively. Davis finished with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Al-Amir Dawes came alive in the second half to put up 14 points, five boards and five assists, while Coleman ended up with 14 points in one of his best games as a Pirate.

4. Three-ton Hall

It’s been one of the Thoughts before, but down the stretch of the season, the Pirates were successful the final week in particular because they shot the ball well. They did that again today, knocking down nine threes and shooting 45 percent from there (9-for-20). It opens up the floor for players like Richmond and Davis to drive the basketball, get inside, and do their thing. 

It was especially notable today, however, because North Texas came in as one of the top 15 teams in the nation shooting the basketball from deep, at 38 percent overall with a couple players over the 40 percent mark. The Mean Green was limited to 32 percent in the game (8-for-25) by the Seton Hall defense. 

If you would have told me coming into the game that Seton Hall would outscore North Texas from three given their profiles this season, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but also would have figured it would end up as an easy victory for the Hall, which it was. The visitors had to finish the game on a 12-2 run to even get to the final margin of 14 points.

“That’s been one of our Achilles’ heels,” Holloway said of the three-point line. “Especially early in the season. I thought in Big East play, we got better with it. But personnel is important when it comes to this time of year, understanding who does what and trying to take it away, but also contain it because you're not going to take it away (all the time), especially when they have a guy like (Jason) Edwards. He’s really good, he takes a lot of shots. So you have to make sure you contain his shots, and make him take tough ones, and I thought we did that.”

5. Next Up

Seton Hall has advanced to the NIT quarterfinals for the first time since 1956, and the first time playing a third-round game in the tournament since winning it all in 1953 (there were fewer rounds back then, so the third game in ’53 was actually the final, while the quarterfinal in ’56 was the second game of that postseason). It's the Pirates’ first time playing in the third round of any postseason tournament since the Sweet 16 in 2000, Holloway’s senior season as a player.

The Pirates will now host either Boston College or UNLV on Wednesday night at Walsh Gym. The former matchup would be a juicy one, an old-school Big East battle with lots of history to speak of, while the latter would pit two of the most successful teams from the late ’80s and early ’90s against one another for the first time since both of their heydays, not to mention a rematch at Walsh from a game earlier this year when the Pirates women’s team trounced the Runnin’ Rebels.

Regardless of who they play, if Seton Hall brings it like it did today, the Pirates will be in great shape. Holloway and his team appear to be fully invested now into continuing their season after the sting of Selection Sunday.

“They were all still in their feelings, their emotions, about what happened last Sunday,” Holloway said of the Pirates’ first game against the Hawks in the NIT. “So we kind of got that out of the way. It still stings, but now we understand there's something bigger there. It’s still basketball, it’s still March, this is a major tournament, there are a lot of good teams in this tournament. But what I’ve told these guys is it's a different audience. It’s ESPN, not Fox, so now a different audience gets a chance to see you. It gives a chance to help us as a school and them as individuals, and that’s kind of been my message to them.”