Three endless wins over lower ranked opponents. One embarrassing loss in a high major.
As the Seton Hall basketball team hits the road for the first time, Femi Odukale reports on Iowa’s 16-point blowout.
“We know it wasn’t us that day,” said the junior guard. “We know who we are.”
Who are these pirates? Over the next few days, the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando will be a proving ground. There are no heavyweights in the eight-team, three-round competition. There is parity. You can make a case for at least five teams going for the title, including the Pirates, whose quarterfinal matchup against a talented Memphis team on Thursday in perhaps the best game of the tournament (7:30 p.m., ESPN News) .
“Honestly, we can’t wait,” Odukale said. “That’s what college basketball is all about.”
Recent history of the holiday week
In 12 years under previous head coach Kevin Willard, Hall went 18-11 during the Holiday Week, winning Paradise Jam 2014 and Wooden Legacy 2018. Neither field was as good as this one.
The best Fest Week win under Willard was either the opening win over an Alabama team that finished 25-12 in 2010-11 (a blowout win as Jeremy Hazell suffered a broken wrist) or a 2011 verdict over VCU , which went on to win 29 games and advance to the round of 16 of the NCAA tournament.
A triumph over Memphis could be at least as impactful as those because the Tigers project to win the American Athletic Conference.
Rating of applicants
Here’s a look at the field, ordered by team rankings on analytics site Kenpom.com:
Memphis (2-1, Kenpom 27): The Tigers are loaded with transfers and the early results are mixed, with wins over VCU and Vanderbilt and a loss to St. Louis. They are shooting just 29 percent from deep and giving up 20 points per game in turnovers. Leading the way is dynamic point guard Kendrick Davis (20 points, 5.7 ppg).
Seton Hall (3-1, Kenpom 35): Can the Pirates hit better than they did against Iowa? Holloway said he’s worried about the 298th-ranked offensethousand in the country in the ratio of aid to staff turnover (0.78). On the other hand, Hall ranks seventh in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.212).
Oklahoma (3-1, Kenpom 49): The Sooners have a potent inside-outside combo in point guard Grant Sherfield (15.5 rpg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-foot-10 shin Tanner Grove (10 rpg, 10 rpg). They didn’t beat anyone and lost to Sam Houston.
Mississippi (4-0, Kenpom 51): The Rebels got a quality win over Florida Atlantic (Kenpom: 77), which beat Florida. They average 16 offensive boards per game. Guard Matthew Murrell (17.8 ppg) is a terrific shooter.
Stanford (2-2, Kenpom 60): The Cardinal was tested, with losses coming to San Diego State and Wisconsin. They have experience playing together, with four starters from last year. They average 15.5 turnovers per game.
Florida State (1-4, Kenpom 108): The Seminoles have been stunningly bad, getting crushed on the glass (-10.2) and giving up 76 points per game in losses to Stetson, UCF, Troy and Florida.
Nebraska (3-1, Kenpom 112): The Huskers continue to disappoint under Fred Hoiberg. They won three bowl games and lost at St. John’s by 20. They are shooting just .299 from deep and .621 from the free throw line.
Siena (2-2, Kenpom 249): Of course, ESPN paired the lone mid-major with a home state team. Unlike the Seminoles, the Saints have a few wins (over Holy Cross and Albany). They also have a good point guard in Florida’s Javion McCollum.
Another elbow from ESPN?
Many people who believe that ESPN is tying itself to the Big East at every opportunity have a lot to chew on here. Not only are the two top-ranked teams paired up in the quarterfinals, but that quarterfinal is carried on a smaller ESPN News, while the sizzling games of Florida State vs. Siena (ESPN 2) and Oklahoma vs. Nebraska (ESPN) are televised. on higher platforms.
Of course, no one knew things would be this bad at Florida State, but the Seminoles didn’t deserve the red carpet at 17-14 last season (the matchups were announced in July). Then again, ESPN has a fat contract with the ACC, while the Big East broke with the network a decade ago and has been getting sharp elbows from the self-proclaimed world leader ever since.
During last year’s Holiday Week, Seton Hall opened with a game against Ohio State, while Florida defeated lowly Cal in a four-team Fort Myers matchup. A year earlier, 13thousand– the hall is rated 11thousand-defeated Oregon in the Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals. The last time the Pirates played in this particular event, winning the Big East Tournament title in 2016, they opened against a loaded Florida team. ESPN carries all of these tournaments.
You could fill a documentary with the network’s grievances against the Big East and its disinterested parties in general. Anyone interested in the Seton Hall-Memphis pairing doesn’t have to worry too much.
Schedule
Quarter-finals, November 24: Florida State vs. Siena, 11 a.m.; Ole Miss vs. Stanford, 1:30 p.m.; Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, 5 p.m.; Seton Hall vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m
Semifinals and consolation matches, November 25: Seton Hall/Memphis winner vs. Oklahoma/Nebraska winner, 8 p.m. on ESPN2; losers, 5:30 p.m. on ESPN News.
Final and comforting, November 27: Final at 13.30, third place match at 17.00, fifth place match at 19.30, seventh place match at 11.00.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and college basketball since 2003. He is a top 25 pick by the Associated Press. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
