Grace Bellefeuille

How Far Will Seton Hall Go?

            Although Seton Hall is ranked 5^th in the Big East tournament, we know they have the power to beat the bigger teams like Butler (No.12), but also has lost to St. Johns (No. 8 in ACC) by eight points. This inconsistency could be their flaw going into it. But with players like Myles Powell who has one of the highest 3-point percentages on the team, and was the clutch against Butler making a three with 35 seconds left to give Seton a 70-64 win. You could say Seton is an underdog team with a lot of resilience.

            If wins are something Seton can’t carry consistently then what they need to carry is that toughness. In the Big East tourney the first team they face is the No. 4 Marquette who they have beaten 69-66 and have lost 89-86 to in an OT. Marcus Howard, the teams backbone, needs to show that all of the 6-4, 195 of him can do better than a 45% FGM against a characterized opponent like Marquette. The downside to being right in the middle of the pack like this is who ever wins the Seton – Marquette game has to play the No. 1 seed Villanova, who is also the NCAA No. 2 seed and last years National Champions. The odds of winning that game are so slim, with previous games played against them this season are both over 20 point loses.

            One thing Seton lacks compared to a lot of other teams is experience. Over half the team are underclassmen, the leading scorer being a junior. Could this hurt Seton chances? No, but, playing teams like Villanova who stand over Seton with over half the team being upperclassmen, they know what it’s like under more pressure.

            Although I’ve been talking a lot of crap about Seton and their chances. We do know what they are made of. They have a 12-2 record at home, have beaten two teams above them in the rankings, and all their starters average 20 points or more a game. “Our motto is never quit,” junior guard Khadeen Carrington, says after beating Butler. This teams determination and grit is what could give them a chance throughout the tourney. They have what any college team is looking for, but other teams just do it better. They lack depth and experience, but lets see if the resilience can over come what they lack.