Dan Gioseffi of PirateCrew.com, Rivals.com’s Seton Hall site, took time to answer some questions for The Wolfpacker leading up to Thursday’s first round NCAA Tournament game.
What’s the health status of Seton Hall, particularly leading scorer Desi Rordiguez and forward Ishmael Sanogo?
“Desi Rodriquez slipped on a wet floor against Providence Feb. 21 and only came back in limited action at the Big East Tournament, where he was partially effective. Desi is an explosive athlete and the injury robs him of that.
“He should be 80 percent for the NC State game according to Coach [Kevin] Willard. His ankle/foot [tendon] will need time to properly heal.
“Ish Sanogo is the best defender — able to guard anyone on the court. He sprained his ankle Feb. 28 in a one-point OT loss to Villanova. But he’s now just about 100 percent.
“Backup point guard Jordan Walker needs surgery on his hand and has just been ruled out for the rest of the season. Walker is erratic as most young point guards are, but he is by far the best ball handler.”
What is the perception of Seton Hall’s season compared to preseason expectaions?
“Most expected the Hall to be a top 15-20 team this year with three senior, 1,000-point scorers in [Angel] Delgado, Rodriquez and [Khadeen] Carrington all back. After a good start to the season, the team played very uneven ball in conference, finishing a distant third to Xavier and Villanova.
“The conference coaches picked Seton Hall second preseason behind Nova. Despite finishing third in the league, the Pirates did not come close to playing as well as expected. That said, down the stretch they played their best ball, going 4-2 with two one-point losses despite two starters being out for all or parts of the games.”
What are Seton Hall’s expectations going into the NCAA Tournament?
“Seton Hall feels the game against NC State will be a very tough challenge. Depending on the play of Rodriquez, Seton Hall might have issues matching up against a deep NC State bench. Rodriquez is not only the best offensive player, but in most close games he goes 38-39 minutes.
“Same with Carrington, who is really a two guard forced to play the point this season. He, too, plays a lot of minutes, and the fear is that fatigue might be a problem against NC State.
“The rest of the roster will play without any minute issues. That includes [Myles] Powell at the two guard who is a sniper but has been off in his shooting the last 4-5 games. Sanogo who will be backed by 6-8, athletic Mike Nzei who is a garbage man on offense with a high motor.
“[Myles] Cale, a freshman who is going to be a star, is backing up Rodriquez and [Sandro] Mamukelashvilli, a 6-10 freshmen stretch four backs up Delgado.
“With Walker injured, Seton Hall will use Eron Gordon, brother of Eric Gordon in the NBA, as the backup to Carrington. Gordon is a high-IQ player, but does not have nearly the same ability as his older brother. He plays it safe and stays within himself, but he can have problems with defensive pressure.”
What teams presented matchup issues for Seton Hall, and what are the type of teams that Seton Hall does well against?
“Seton Hall has issues on defense — particularly with dribble penetration and rim protection. Delgado is a bull on the boards but not a great defender, especially against the pick and roll.
“Just like NC State, the Hall wants to play up-tempo basketball and thrives in the open court. But it has only played one team this season, Texas Tech, who presses a good portion of the game. It played them in December and beat them by 10, although with a minute to go and walk-ons in the game the lead was up to 15.
“That said, I think the three keys to this game from a SHU standpoint besides being healthy are handling the backcourt pressure, matching up against the NC State bench and Powell breaking out of his severe shooting slump.”
What are some of the telltale signs that Seton Hall will have a good game versus a bad game?
“Complacency has been an issue all season long, and that has led to many losses. Right now, the team is understandably sky high for the game, especially if Rodriquez is healthy. But this group of players has never won a NCAA game. Jump on the Hall early and you might get them down as long as you stay consistent.
“Otherwise I expect a close game with highs and lows from both teams.”
Prediction?
“I expect a close victory for the Pirates, but would not be surprised if NC State pulls it out late. Seton Hall 79, NC State 77.”
——
• Talk about it inside The State of Basketball
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolfpacker
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolfpacker
• Like us on Facebook
