Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside the Enemy Ship”! Looking for their fifth straight Big East win, the Seton Hall Pirates take on the Butler Bulldogs at the Prudential Center, with both teams trying to strengthen their NCAA tournament resume. We had the pleasure of talking to Marisa Miller, the Sports Co-Editor for The Butler Collegian! Check bellow to see her thoughts on the upcoming game!

BBA: When the season started, where did you see the Bulldogs going?
MILLER: I saw the Bulldogs being a very serious threat in the Big East and highly ranked throughout the entire season. With the senior duo of Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones, I thought that was a very fair prediction. But the rest of the talent in the Big East finally caught up to them after their spectacular non-conference run.

BBA: How hard was the tragic loss of former Bulldog, Andrew Smith, on the Butler community?
MILLER: The loss of Andrew Smith was incredibly hard on the entire Butler community from the players to the students to the staff. His influence was so instrumental in everything that the Butler Way stands for. The campus and community are both still heavily grieving his passing.

BBA: Do you think the Big East is a good fit for Butler?
MILLER: I definitely believe the Big East is a good fit for Butler. I consider the Big East conference to be a conference full of teams that are considered underdogs and with something to prove to the rest of the NCAA. Being an underdog is a situation in which Butler thrives, and I believe the competition in the Big East is only getting higher and better.

BBA: Butler was 11-1* headed into Big East play, but have struggled with conference games, with an overall 5-6 record. What was the cause of the rapid decline?
MILLER: I think Butler underestimated how good their Big East opponents were looking this year. The hard-fought wins against Cincinnati and Purdue were good starting off points for Butler as an insight to what they would face in the Big East. The amount of tragedy the team has faced as well off the court since Big East play began cannot be overlooked either as a possible cause and distraction as well.

BBA: Do you think, when push comes to shove, that Butler will make the NCAA Tournament?
MILLER: I do still believe Butler has a shot of making the NCAA Tournament. If they finish the Big East season only losing 2-3 more games and making a deep Big East Tournament run, I believe the selection committee will have to consider them. I currently see them at a play-in game as an 11 seed. But anywhere from seeds 9 to 12 is probable.

BBA: Which players should Seton Hall be most worried about meeting in the court?
MILLER: Seton Hall should be most worried about Kelan Martin as they prepare for Wednesday’s game. He is a very difficult match-up for every team in the Big East based on his size and scoring abilities all over the floor. Dunham and Jones should not be overlooked either. With Dunham’s long range and Jones’ ability to drive the paint, those match-ups will be tough as well.

BBA: Final Score Prediction?
MILLER: 73-68 BU

Once again, a big thanks to Ms. Miller for taking the time to talk to us. Be sure to follow her on twitter @marisanmiller! Tip-off is tonight at 6:30 at the Rock! The Blue Beard Army staff will be there (just look for the retro New Jersey NETS jerseys), and we hope you will be too! As always, Hazard Zet Forward!

* Editor’s Note: The original question mistakenly listed Butler as 11-0 going into Big East play, before we were corrected by Ms. Miller about the loss to Miami FL in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game, giving them an 11-1 record.

Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside the Enemy Ship”, once again featuring the Marquette Golden Eagles and insight from our good friend, Jack Goods! With the Pirates looking for their third straight Big East win, the Golden Eagles can play a huge role in deciding which side of the NCAA Tournament bubble they end up on. Check out the interview below for a fantastic preview of the upcoming game!

BBA: Since their loss to Seton Hall, the Golden Eagles have gone 5-4. How accurately does their record reflect how the team has played?
GOODS: It’s been very up and down, as any slate would be when you beat Providence and Butler and lose to DePaul. Marquette shows flashes, but also plays down to opponents like they did against Stetson last week.

BBA: This is a huge game for both teams, who are both trying to end up on the right side of the NCAA bubble. Ultimately, do you think Marquette will make the NCAA tournament?
GOODS: It will be a very tough hill to climb for Marquette to make it into the tournament, especially after losing to DePaul. They’ll need to beat Seton Hall, DePaul and Creighton twice and steal one or two from the Villanova, Providence and Butler. I don’t think this team is consistent enough to do that.

BBA: Now that almost 10 games have passed, do you think Henry Ellenson is closer or further away from winning Big East POTY?
GOODS: I don’t think Henry has much of a chance to win BIG EAST Player of the Year because the incredible talent at the top. There’s no way the conference is passing on Kris Dunn or Ben Bentil to give Ellenson the award. BIG EAST Rookie of the Year is definitely a possibility though.

BBA: What will Marquette have to do differently to beat Seton Hall this time around?
GOODS: Marquette can’t let all of Seton Hall’s scorers be successful. The Pirates were able to get double digit points from Desi Rodriguez (19), Khadeen Carrington (17) and Isaiah Whitehead (16). Marquette would do well in shutting down at least one of the three.

BBA: In this match-up, where Marquette looks to learn from the previous game, who do you think Seton Hall should be most worried about meeting in the court?
GOODS: Henry Ellenson is coming off his best performance of the year, scoring 32 points, grabbing 10 boards and blocking six shots. He wasn’t much of a factor the first go-around. If he plays anything like he did against Butler, Marquette should win this game.

BBA: Final Score Prediction?
GOODS: 78-74 MU

As always, a huge thank you goes out to Jack Goods (@GoodsOnSports) for taking the time to share his knowledge and talk with us. With #11 Providence falling to DePaul last night, the Pirates have a chance to claim the #3 spot in the Big East with a win against Marquette tonight. Tip-off at the Prudential Center is at 8:30, and if you can’t make it, it will be broadcast live on FS1. Before we can turn our heads towards Selection Sunday, lets hope the Pirates win today. As always, Hazard Zet Forward my friends.

Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside The Enemy Ship”, where we will be talking about our Hudson River Rival, St. John’s Red Storm, or as we like to call them, the Johnnies. This time, we had the distinct pleasure of talking to Carmine Carcieri, a contributor to the St. John’s SB Nation page Rumble in the Garden! Check below to see his thoughts on the upcoming game!

BBA: When the season started, what was your expectations for the Johnnies? How did you see the season going?
CARCIERI: With a new head coach and nine new players, it was clear that St. John’s was getting set for a long rebuilding year. Two of those players, center Yankuba Sima (Spain) and point guard Federico Mussini (Italy), were getting set to play American basketball for the first time while small forward Durand Johnson and guard Ron Mvouika were coming off major injuries. The Johnnies had to deal with the eligibility question marks regarding Marcus LoVett and Kassoum Yakwe. Also, all three returning players from last year’s NCAA tournament team combined to average just five points per game so they came into Chris Mullin’s first year with plenty of inexperience. I expected this team to finish in the bottom two positions in the Big East, but this year should not be measured upon wins and losses. Instead, the improvements and the development of coaching staff and players is the most important aspect for this program moving forward.

BBA: What do you think the biggest problem was with former coach Steve Lavin that lead to his firing?
CARCIERI: Steve Lavin did not recruit the New York area successfully and certainly didn’t win enough games with the talent he had on his roster. His last two seasons on the job, the Red Storm had enough shooting, shot blocking ability and desire to be a top 25 team throughout the season. That did not come to fruition in part because of poor coaching and a lack of discipline. There were too many off the court incidents/suspensions and too much drama surrounding the program.

BBA: How big was it for St. John’s when they hired Hall of Fame player and St. John’s alum Chris Mullin?
CARCIERI: It was a terrific hire and has been a great start to bringing the program back to being a consistent contender in the Big East. Mullin brought in a fantastic staff and his Hall of Fame credentials is a huge plus in terms of recruiting.

BBA: How high do you think Chris Mullins can take this team? I have to imagine he can do wonders for recruiting, especially in the NYC area?
CARCIERI: Absolutely, Mullin and his staff have already reeled in some excellent recruits for their 2016 class: four-star combo guard Shamorie Ponds and one of the best JUCO players in the country Bashir Ahmed. While it will take patience and plenty of frustrating losses (especially for the rest of this year), St. John’s is heading in the proper direction.

BBA: How big of a win was it against Syracuse? Conversely, how bad was the loss the following game to Incarnate Word?
CARCIERI: The Syracuse game is likely going to be the high point of this season for the Johnnies. And while loses to Incarnate Word and NJIT were brutal, inconsistency was and is expected with a young team trying to mesh together on the court.

BBA: I know this team is almost entirely different than the one on the court from last season; how big is this team’s upside?
CARCIERI: This is a very promising group of guys because of their heart, work ethic and desire to be great. The results haven’t shown in terms of wins and losses but Sima was coming on strong in conference play before his hand injury and Mussini is a crafty guard who will be even better next year when he can slide off the ball. Malik Ellison can attack the basket and nail outside shots, LoVett is a flashy guard with great vision (ineligible this year) and Yakwe is an impressive shot blocker who is working on his offensive game. Bring in transfer Tariq Owens (from Tennessee), Ahmed, Ponds and possibly Rawle Alkins, Thon Maker or Richard Freudenberg and this team will be pointing upwards.

BBA: Looking at their schedule, when do you think they will get their first Big East win?
CARCIERI: The schedule is very difficult and every night is going to be a challenge. The first game I can see them winning is DePaul on February 17th. It’s at home and the Blue Demons aren’t playing particularly great basketball.

BBA: Which players should Seton Hall be the most worried about meeting on the court? Why?
CARCIERI: Mussini and Yakwe. If Mussini is in rhythm, he has the potential to knock down shots from anywhere on the court and can impact the game with his scoring ability. Yakwe is a terrific defender who alters and blocks shots at the rim. He also draws a ton of fouls on the offensive end of the floor.

BBA: Final Score Prediction?
CARCIERI: Seton Hall 68 St. John’s 56

There you have it folks! Once again, a big thank you to our friend Carmine Carcieri (@carminecsju) for taking the time to talk with us today! Tip-off is at the Prudential Center at 7 PM! If you’d like to meet up with the BlueBeardArmy staff before the game, just check the Chipotle right next door. As always, Hazard Zet Forward