Game facts
Seton Hall (21-11 overall, 10-8 Big East) vs. NC State (21-11 overall, 11-7 ACC)
Game time: Thursday, March 15, 4:30 p.m. — INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan.
Television: TBS
Probable starters
NC State
PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 165, So., 8.8 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 7.4 apg, 1.7 spg.)
PG — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Fr., 9.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg.)
SG — 12 Allerik Freeman (6-3, 210, 5th-Sr, 15.4 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 2.6 apg., 1.2 spg.)
SF — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, R-Jr, 13.8 ppg., 6.1 rpg., 1.3 apg., 1.0 spg.)
C — 14 Omer Yurtseven (7-0, 245, So., 13.8 ppg., 6.9 rpg., 0.5 apg., 1.9 bpg.)
Seton Hall
PG — 0 Khadeen Carrington (6-4, 195, Sr., 14.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 4.5 apg., 1.1 spg.)
SG — 13 Myles Powell (6-2, 195, So., 15.4 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 2.9 apg., 1.0 spg.)
SF — 20 Desi Rodriguez (6-6, 220, Sr., 17.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.1 apg., 1.0 spg.)
PF — 14 Ismael Sanogo (6-8, 215, Sr., 5.5 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 1.0 apg., 1.0 spg.)
C — 31 Angel Delgado (6-10, 245, Sr., 13.3 ppg., 11.6 rpg., 2.7 apg.)
Seton Hall
Location: South Orange, N.J.
Nickname: Pirates
2016-17 record: 21-12 overall, 10-8 Big East
2017 postseason: Lost 77-71 to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
Coach: Kevin Willard 10th year overall (194-162) and seventh at Seton Hall (149-113)
Notes
Seton Hall season overview: The Pirates have reached the NCAA Tournament three years in a row thanks to their dynamic group of seniors. Point guard Khadeen Carrington, small forward Desi Rodriguez, power forward Ismael Sanogo and center Angel Delgado have carried the program the last few years.
Rodriguez has been nursing an ankle injury, which affected him in the Big East Tournament. He was limited to 16 minutes played in the 75-74 loss versus Butler in the quarterfinals March 8.
Seton Hall posted non-conference wins over Indiana, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Louisville and VCU.
Seton Hall tendencies: The Pirates have been streaky this season, losing six out of eight games from Jan. 17 to Feb. 14. However, they bounced back by winning four of their last six contests entering the NCAA Tournament.
Seton Hall has 12 victories over nine teams in the KenPom.com top 100 this season. The Pirates have a 17-4 record when they have more free throw attempts than their opponent.
Seton Hall has only played three NCAA Tournament games against an ACC opponent, and they all were against Duke — 1989, 1992 and 1994. The Pirates went 1-2 against the Blue Devils. NC State topped Seton Hall 79-73 in the last meeting between the two schools Dec. 27, 2007, in Newark, N.J. Gavin Grant had 23 points in the victory.
Perimeter: Seton Hall relies heavily on the perimeter trio of Rodriguez, Carrington and sophomore shooting guard Myles Powell, who are the Pirates’ top three scorers.
Rodriguez is coming off an ankle injury that caused him to miss three game, and limited him in two others. He leads Seton Hall with 17.8 points per game, which is an increase of 2.1 points per contest from last year. He is shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 37.9 percent on three-pointers.
Rodriguez tallied 33 points, made 4 of 9 three-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds in an 82-77 win over DePaul Feb. 18. He also had 29 points and eight boards in a 79-77 win over Louisville Dec. 3.
He has also improved his outside shooting, and has hit at least three three-pointers in eight games.
The improvement of Rodriguez and Powell has led to a slight decline in Carrington’s scoring this season. He has gone from 17.1 points per game last year to 14.9 this season. He is shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 34.4 percent on three-pointers.
Carrington enters the NCAA Tournament on a roll, though, scoring at least 22 points in four of his last five games. He had a season-high 29 points, knocked down 7 of 11 three-pointers and dished out six assists in a 90-87 win over Butler Jan. 6. All told, he has scored at least 20 points in eight games.
Powell has shed 45 pounds over the last two years and jumped from 10.7 points per game last year to 15.4 this season. He is a quality outside shooter, connecting on 38.5 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
He had a season-high 30 points and went 5 of 12 on three-pointers in the 102-90 loss at Xavier Feb. 14. He has dished out at least five assists in six games this season.
Freshman wing Myles Cale is averaging 4.4 points in 17.0 minutes per game, and he’s shooting 47.4 percent from the field. The 6-5, 200-pounder has cracked double figures in three games. He had a Big East-best 10 points in a 81-74 overtime victory at St. John’s Feb. 24.
Frontcourt: Delgado currently ranks 10th on the NCAA’s all-time rebounding list with 1,432 boards, and he is 18th with 71 career double-doubles for points and rebounds.
Rivals.com ranked Delgado No. 53 overall nationally in the class of 2014, and he has been a four-year starter. He broke out last year to average 15.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field.
Delgado’s numbers have fallen off a smidge, but he has cracked double figures in all but five games, and he has 21 double-doubles. Delgado had a season-high 28 points, 15 boards, six assists and three blocks in a 90-87 win at Butler Jan. 6. He grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds in a 71-65 loss at Rutgers Dec. 16, and he pulled down 19 boards in both meetings against DePaul.
Sanogo and redshirt junior Michael Nzei have rotated with Delgado in the post.
Sanogo is shooting 54.3 percent from the field, but just 56.9 percent at the free throw line. He enters the NCAA Tournament with some momentum, scoring at least 10 points in three of the last four games he played. Sanogo had a season-high 14 points plus six rebounds in a 84-64 loss at Marquette Jan. 9, and he scored 12 points in the Big East Tournament loss to Butler.
The 6-8, 205-pound Nzei is averaging 4.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game this season. He is shooting 56.8 percent from the field and has reached double figures in four games. He posted a season-high 14 points in a 90-67 win against VCU Dec. 9, and he had seven points and 14 rebounds in a 90-84 win over Creighton Dec. 28.
Freshman center Sandro Mamukelashvili, who is from the country of Georgia, is averaging 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game. The 6-10, 230-pounder exploded for 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a 102-90 setback at Xavier Feb. 14.
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