NEW YORK, NY – The Seton Hall Pirates have been selected by the league’s coaches minus Kevin Willard to win the Big East Conference for the first time since 1992-93. The 2019-20 season, up to date has been a whirlwind for players and the remainder of the league to take in the fact, that this team is for real, and will be a lock on the Associated Press’s Top 25 listing for to start the campaign.
The Pirates got a preview at what it’s like to be on top of the world before play even began. How will the players handle all the pressure?
The Hall, was selected as the team to take home the Big East Conference trophy in the preseason polls for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The selection by the coaches snapped a five-year streak of Villanova taking home the prestigious accolade, as they enter a “rebuilding” year of sorts with not one senior on their roster. For the Pirates, head coach Kevin Willard returns his core in senior guards Myles Powell and Quincy McKnight. Senior center Romaro Gill, along with 7’2” sophomore center Ike Obiagu to form one of the biggest combos of rim defenders in the nation. In addition to the two big men down low, junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is returning for a third year in South Orange. Also returning to Seton Hall is junior guard Myles Cale, who averaged 10.2 points-per-game, and would average 30.2 minutes per contest as well.
Primed for a run at their sixth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Seton Hall Pirates have a guaranteed two games at their second home, Madison Square Garden, as they will face the St. John’s Red Storm once, along with one definite contest in the 2020 Big East Tournament. The significance this season in the Big Apple includes the 2020 NCAA March Madness East Regional returning to 34th Street for the first time in three seasons.
Star senior guard in Myles Powell was named as the Big East’s Preseason Player of the Year, that was previously held by St. John’s’ Shamorie Ponds a season ago. Powell, a Trenton, NJ native garnered numerous awards that included the Haggerty Award, which is awarded to the best player in the New York region by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. The then-junior guard made his mark during last season’s campaign by registering 23.1 points-per-game in notable contests that included the come from behind overtime thriller Citi Hoops Classic vs. Kentucky at Madison Square Garden.
The Pirates are in for one of the toughest non-conference slates the Willard-era has seen in South Orange. Seton Hall will prepare for the first game this season at the Prudential Center against Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. Other marquee matchups for the Pirates include Maryland, Stony Brook, and Iowa State. The Battle 4 Atlantis trip in the Bahamas features a set of foes that could include the North Carolina Tar Heels and Gonzaga depending on the tournament bracket.
Seton Hall will have a target on their back. It will now be a matter of the leaders stepping up to the plate and handling it like professionals. Can Myles Powell lead an all-but-guaranteed Top 25 team to the promised land? Stay Tuned, and get your popcorn ready. November 14th and beyond at the Prudential Center will be the main attraction in Newark.