How Far Can the Pirate Ship Sail in March?
By SEAN BRENNAN
Special to
BIGEAST.com
We're coming up on the midway point of the BIG EAST conference schedule and through the season's first month only the Seton Hall Pirates remain unscathed in league play with their 7-0 record.
Sitting atop the BIG EAST standings heading into this week's action, the Pirates have already posted four road wins in the conference with victories at DePaul, Xavier, Butler and St. John's. And more comforting news for the Pirates - seven of their remaining 11 conference games will be played at home.
So Seton Hall, currently the No. 10 team in the country in the latest AP Top 25 poll, is obviously in tremendous shape for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Same goes for Villanova, the No. 8 team in the nation, as well as No. 16 Butler and its superb defense, Creighton and its explosive offense and Marquette and the Markus Howard Show.
But as the Pirates prepare to host DePaul Wednesday night in the middle game of a three-game homestand, the question was posed to league coaches: Does Seton Hall have the look of a special team ready to make a ride to the Final Four or beyond?
Villanova head coach Jay Wright knows a thing or two about what it takes to guide a team to a national championship, having done so twice in the past four seasons. And the long-time Wildcats' coach likes what he sees coming out of South Orange, N.J.
"I really do think they are a Final Four contender and they're playing without one of their best players," Wright said, referring to injured Pirates' sophomore Sandro Mamukelashvili. "And they've been dominant. They've already beaten top teams with their injuries. They have great depth, size (and) experience. So yeah, I definitely think they are one of the best teams in the country."
Wright pointed to the experience the Pirates gained last season, when they reached the BIG EAST Tournament championship game before losing to Villanova, as a key reason for a possible title run this season.
"All those guys played on an outstanding team last year and they've been through everything," Wright said. "They've been through the tough grind of a BIG EAST season. They've played against top teams in the country. They've played through injuries. They've done it all and they're all back. And in Myles Powell I think they also have one of the best players in the country. (And) it's not just that guy, it's that guy with that talent around him and that's usually what it takes to be a Final Four type of team."
Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing, who won a national championship during his playing days with the Hoyas and played in two other NCAA title games, was a little more guarded, noting that anything can happen in a one-and-done scenario.
"We still have a lot of games to go (before) we start thinking about the Final Four," Ewing said. "But they are a very good team. They're balanced, they have shot blocking in the middle, they have two guys (Romaro Gill and Ike Obiagu) who can protect the rim. Powell is an elite scorer and they have other guys who are stepping up and getting the job done on both the offensive and defensive end. And they're a very good defensive team. So if you look at them in all phases of the game, they're very good. But as everyone knows this is not the NBA. It's not the best-out-of-seven. It's one game and once you make (the NCAA Tournament) any team can go on a run. But I think they have the quality of a team (where) that can happen."
Providence head coach Ed Cooley likes the makeup of Seton Hall's roster and he believes a deep tournament run could be in the cards for the Pirates. But there are a lot of things that need to fall into place in order for them to reach the Final Four in Atlanta.
"I think they have all the pieces in place to have a good run," Cooley said. "When you talk about those level of teams, you have to have the right seed, you have to have the right opponent. So there is a lot of luck that goes into that. But they have a lot of pieces in place to be successful. They have probably the best college basketball player in the country (in Myles Powell) and they're still missing an important piece in Mamu. They're long, they cover ground really quickly and (head coach) Kevin (Willard) has done a phenomenal job with that group. Right now, for them to be undefeated in our league at this point in time, there's something to be said about that."
Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, who has the Bluejays sitting in third place in the BIG EAST with a 5-3 record and just outside the latest AP Top 25 poll while receiving 59 votes, thinks even before Mamukelashvili returns from his fractured wrist the Pirates have the necessary ingredients for a deep March run.
"They're extremely talented. Myles Powell is terrific and I think he's if not the best player in the country he certainly has to be in the conversation," McDermott said. "But their complimentary pieces have gotten so much better. Quincy McKnight is playing at a high level and obviously Gill inside just changes a game defensively. I think they got through a period of time where they suffered some injuries and they're going to get some of those guys back. I think to make a run in the NCAA Tournament you need to be healthy and you need to have the depth to be able to go through that grind and Kevin certainly has that now."
Butler coach LaVall Jordan has his Bulldogs ranked 16th in the nation currently and he got an up-close look at Seton Hall on Jan. 15 when the Pirates knocked off Butler 78-70 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. And he points to the rigors of BIG EAST play with having a team battle-tested for a run at the national title, much the way Villanova did twice in the past four seasons.
"I think they're really good. I thought that watching them on film before we played them," Jordan said. "I think their backcourt is great and has great poise. They have the big fellas inside blocking shots, they have a great defensive presence and they got a ton of guys who understand their roles. They're ahead a bit now early in the conference season, but if you win this conference or you're at the top of this conference you're going to have a chance to be playing for a national title."