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Since we last checked in, Seton Hall has gotten a small bump in the win column thanks to a victory over Eastern Washington. Beating the Eagles moved the Pirates up to 8-4 on the season as a game against Lafayette looms just a few days after Christmas.
Story of the Week
Fuquan Edwin returned to the lineup against EWU, and played moderately well. The senior star had 11 points and eight -- yes, eight -- steals on Sunday after essentially missing four games with a sprained ankle that he suffered just one minute into SHU’s showdown with LIU Brooklyn.
With Sterling Gibbs (knee) on the mend for potentially another week, Seton Hall needs Edwin to return to his NBA prospect form. Kevin Willard’s team has struggled to develop any sort of rhythm through the season’s first 12 games, but a player like Edwin has the ability to carry the Pirates even when the offense goes stagnant.
Patrik Auda also returned to the floor for the first time in nearly a month, and his presence will give Seton Hall a huge boost offensively once he gets back to full strength.
Player of the Week
Since there was only one game to work with here in the past week, the Player of the Week award goes to Jaren Sina.
The freshmen guard orchestrated the offense brilliantly against Eastern Washington, going off for 14 points (4-8 FG) and eight assists. Even more impressive was the fact that Sina did not turn the ball over once in 35 minutes at the helm.
It was Sina’s first game without Gibbs in the backcourt with him, and he showed the ability to handle the rock with great poise. While Eastern Washington is no powerhouse -- no offense, Eagle nation -- it was encouraging to see such a strong performance from Sina.
Upcoming Attractions
After taking on Lafayette on December 27 and Providence on New Year’s Eve, the Hall is slated for games against Big East foes Creighton, #8 Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown and St. John’s in succession.
It’s hard to see Seton Hall winning even one of those games, though Gibbs’ return to the lineup could spark the Pirates to an upset.
Still, any games scheduled in the New Year don’t look great for Seton Hall. Expect the team to win out in December, but get walloped a few times to break in 2014.
