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After their lopsided win to start the year against Wagner, the Seton Hall Pirates looked the part of the preseason favorite to win the Big East Conference.
The Pirates (1-0) will look to build off of that 105-71 win when they take on the Stony Brook Seawolves (0-1).
As for the Seawolves, they’re looking to bounce back from a 74-69 overtime loss.
How To watch, listen, and stream
Game Time: Saturday, November 9, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: YES Network/FSN
RADIO: AM970 The Answer (Seton Hall)
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (where available)
All-Time Series
Seton Hall hasn’t lost against Stony Brook since their first meeting in 1999, leading the all-time series, 4-0. However, the last time they met it was a close game, with the Pirates winning by one point back in 2012.
What to Watch For
The Supporting Cast
A big game performance should pretty much be expected from Myles Powell, night in and night out, at this point. The preseason Big East Player of the Year started off with a solid 27-point showing against Wagner in the Pirates’ season opener. While no other Pirate came close to his game-high mark, it was highly encouraging to see Seton Hall get balanced contributions across the board. With five other players chipping in at least nine points each (four in double figures), the Pirates have demonstrated early on that it’s far from a one-man show.
Sandro Mamukelashvili and Florida State transfer Ike Obiagu are looking like a formidable one-two punch in the frontcourt. Mamukelashvili does have the ability to stretch the floor, but both were making their mark inside. Mamukelashvili had 11 points, while Obiagu had 12 points and three blocks. Quincy McKnight only took six shots for the whole game, but had 10 points, seven assists, and just one turnover. Jared Rhoden, Anthony Nelson, Shavar Reynolds, and Romaro Gill each provided quality minutes off the bench. It was only one game, and it was against Wagner, but consistently getting solid contributions from a variety of different players outside of Powell will help the Pirates show that they’re for real once the competition heats up.
A Better Impression?
In Stony Brook’s season-opening loss against Yale, the Seawolves shot just 30.8 percent overall and an ugly 26.1 percent from long range. Despite these poor shooting numbers, the Seawolves were right there with the Bulldogs, before falling in overtime. The Seawolves struggled with scoring and taking care of the ball, but still had a chance to snatch the game from Yale.
Stony Brook will look for a better showing, but it won’t be easy. The Seawolves couldn’t buy a basket, as their shots from outside of the arc and in close range attempts. Stony Brook can’t afford the same type of performance, or it’ll be buried early by a Seton Hall team that has hung over 100 points on its last two opponents (one preseason exhibition and the season opener).
Running It Back
Former head coach Jeff Boals may have left the Seawolves after a 24-9 season to go to Ohio, but a majority of the Seawolves top players from last season stayed around for the introduction to the Geno Ford era. The Seawolves did lose their top scorer from last season, Akwasi Yeboah, who transferred to Rutgers, but other double-digit scoring guards Miles Latimer and Elijah Olanyi have stuck around. The Seawolves primarily play through them, as well as Chattanooga transfer Makale Coleman--who also stayed around after a redshirt year last season. Foreman and Olanyi both have another year left after this season, while Latimer is a sophomore this year, so Ford should have a solid formation to build around for the future.
For now, Stony Brook has some early bumps to navigate in getting itself going offensively, and it won’t be easy facing off against a ranked team in Seton Hall.