Inside the Enemy Ship: Xavier Musketeers

Welcome to another edition of Inside the Enemy Ship! We spoke to Shannon Russell of the Cincinnati Enquirer who is a tremendous journalist. Give her a follow on twitter @slrussell. Here are her responses to our questions:

BBA: Xavier is coming off of a big win over the Villanova, do you think there is a chance of a letdown in this game?

Russell: Perhaps, but it’s doubtful. Xavier players have been pretty unflappable this season, meaning they haven’t been swayed by their highest highs or lowest lows. They approach each game in a very business-like manner, and they know how big of a challenge Seton Hall is.

BBA: Xavier has an impressive resume. Do you believe they will be a #1 seed when all is said and done?

Russell: I think Xavier would have to win out the Big East tournament for the No. 1 seed. They took a step forward with Wednesday’s defeat of Villanova. If they met and defeated the Wildcats in the conference tournament final, then I think they would land a top seed.

BBA: Do you believe Isaiah Whitehead deserves some attention for Big East player of the year?

Russell: Isaiah Whitehead certainly is one of the best players in the league and in my opinion a contender. His play in the last five to six games, plus his importance to the Pirates, makes him immensely valuable. That said, the player of the year likely will come from a league-leading team and I wouldn’t count out Kris Dunn of Providence, either.

BBA: Is Xavier at its best when it is in its 1-3-1 zone?

Russell: Xavier is at its best when it plays man-to-man defense. That’s its bread and butter. The 1-3-1 is a curveball the Musketeers use and it has been immensely effective in spurts. But the 1-3-1 at times wears out its welcome and teams facing XU a second time in league play tend to find seams against it.

BBA: What player should Seton Hall be most concerned about facing on Sunday?

Russell: Xavier’s balance makes it difficult to pinpoint one person. Trevon Bluiett leads the team in scoring but Edmond Sumner, J.P. Macura and Jalen Reynolds have been playing very well lately. James Farr had 24 points and 15 rebounds last time out against Seton Hall, so he perhaps is a focal point heading into the rematch.

BBA: What do you think is Xavier’s ceiling, final four, elite eight?

Russell: Hard to say. The ultimate goal is a Final Four but if this team keeps playing as well as it has been lately, there’s no ceiling.

BBA: Final Score Prediction?

Russell: Xavier, 78-68

We would again like to extend a big thank you to Shannon Russell. She is a must follow on twitter and provide a vast amount of information. We will have full coverage of the Xavier game tomorrow. Game time is 12:30 p.m and can be found on FS1. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

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Pirates Take Down Friars

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action today at the Prudential Center as they took on the Providence College Friars. The Pirates were looking to get to the 20 win mark and solidify their place in the NCAA tournament field. The Pirates were coming off of a tight win over St. John’s and the Pirates were coming off of a loss to Xavier. The Pirates ultimately blew out the Friars in a 72-50 victory.

The Friars got on the board first on a Kris Dunn layup. The 2-0 lead was the only lead Providence would have in this game. A layup from Angel Delgado gave the Hall a 4-2 lead and they would never relinquish it. The Pirates never stretched the lead to double digits in the first half. A Ben Bentil layup cut the Seton Hall lead to 3 with 3:14 remaining in the first half. The Pirates increased the lead to 6, but the Friars would again cut the lead down to 4. However, with the clock winding down in the half, Isaiah Whitehead hit a three pointer to give the Pirates a 30-23 lead heading into halftime.

The Friars were led in the first half by Ben Bentil who had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Kyron Cartwright added 5 points and 2 rebounds. Jalen Lindsey chipped in 2 points and led Providence with 6 rebounds. Kris Dunn was held to 4 points on 2-7 shooting while committing 3 turnovers. The Friars shot 27.% from the floor and did not make a 3 pointer.

The Pirates were led in the first half by Isaiah Whitehead with 16 points and 3 assists. Khadeen Carrington had 5 points and 2 rebounds. Angel Delgado and Michael Nzei each had 4 rebounds in the first half. Desi Rodriguez led the Pirates with 6 rebounds in the first half. The Pirates shot 37.9% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates came out red hot to start the second half. Khadeen Carrington scored the first 5 points of the half to increase the lead to 12. Isaiah Whitehead would hit a three pointer a few minutes later to give the Pirates a 19 point lead. The Friars would go on a 6-0 run to cut the Pirates lead to 13. The Pirates would respond with a run of their own. With 11:16 to go in the half an Isaiah Whitehead free throw would give the Pirates a 53-32 lead. The Friars would storm back to cut the deficit to 7 with 4:56 remaining in the game. However, Ben Bentil would pick up a flagrant 2 and get ejected from the game. The Pirates would ultimately increase the lead and win 70-52.

The Friars were led in this one by Ben Bentil. He scored a game high 31 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Kris Dunn added 8 points and 4 rebounds. Kyron Cartwright had a solid game with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ryan Fazekas chipped in 4 rebounds for the Friars while Jalen Lindsey grabbed 7 boards. Providence shot 28.4% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Isaiah Whitehead who scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 9 assists. He also added 4 blocks and a steal. Angel Delgado added a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Khadeen Carrington chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Desi Rodriguez also scored in double figures with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Seton Hall shot 45.6% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc.

With the loss the Friars fall to 19-9 overall and 7-8 in the Big East. With the victory the Pirates improve to 20-7 and 10-5 in Big East play. The Friars will now head home to take on the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday. The Pirates will take on the Xavier Musketeers at the Prudential Center on Sunday.

We will talk to our friend Shannon Russell before the game on Sunday. The Musketeers are coming off of a huge win over #1 ranked Villanova. Check out the PPI below to see which players stood out in the big win. We will have full coverage of the Xavier game on Sunday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs Providence (2)

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Pirates Survive The Red Storm

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action today as they took on the St. John’s Red Storm at Madison Square Garden. Before the game we spoke with Carmine Carcieri of Rumble in the Garden. Carmine provided some great info and predicted that the Pirates would beat St. John’s 68-65. The Pirates struggled mightily in the second half and nearly blew this game that they had to win. The Pirates would ultimately defeat the Johnnies though 62-61.

The Pirates came out of the gate very fast to start this one. They scored the first 13 points of the game. Desi Rodriguez had 11 of the Pirates 13 points to start the game. With 7:10 remaining in the first half, Khadeen Carrington hit a three pointer to give the Hall a 19 point lead. The Johnnies would ultimately trim the lead down to 14 before the half. The Pirates ended up leading 36-22 at the half.

St. John’s was led in the first half by Felix Balamou with 7 points. Kassoum Yakwe added 5 points and 5 rebounds. Malik Ellison chipped in 4 points and 2 rebounds. The Johnnies shot 42.9% from the field and was 0-5 from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Pirates were led by Desi Rodriguez with 19 points. Khadeen Carrington added 5 points and 3 rebounds. Derrick Gordon chipped in 5 points and Michael Nzei led the Pirates with 4 rebounds in the first half. The Pirates shot 50% from the field and 54.5% from beyond the arc in the first half.

St. John’s came out hot to start the second half. Baskets from Durand Johnson and Amar Alibegovic cut the Pirates lead to 6 to start the half. The Pirates would increase the lead to 13 but the Red Storm would cut it down again. With 7:17 remaining in the second half, Ron Mvouika would hit a three pointer to cut the lead down to 1. A layup from Yankuba Sima would give the Red Storm a 1 point lead. Kassoum Yakwe would give the Johnnies a 3 point lead with 58 seconds remaining. Khadeen Carrington would hit a jumper to cut the lead to 1 and then Isaiah Whitehead would knock down a pair of free throws to give the Pirates a 1 point lead. The Pirates would hang on and beat the Red Storm 62-61.

The Red Storm were led by Kassoum Yakwe with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Felix Balamou and Durand Johnson each added 9 points. Ron Mvouika chipped in 6 points and 8 rebounds. Christian Jones posted 6 points and 4 rebounds for St. John’s. The Red Storm shot 44.2% from the field and 26.3% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Desi Rodriguez who scored a career high 24 points. Khadeen Carrington added 12 points and 4 rebounds. Isaiah Whitehead struggled but still managed to score 10 points and dish out 3 assists. Michael Nzei led the Hall with 8 rebounds. The Pirates shot 36.5% from the floor and 40% from beyond the arc.

With the loss the Red Storm fall to 8-20 on the season and 1-14 in the Big East. With the win the Pirates improve to 19-7 overall and 9-5 in the Big East. The Johnnies will now head to Chicago on Thursday to take on the DePaul Blue Demons. The Pirates head home to take on the Providence Friars on Thursday.

We would again like to thank Carmine Carcieri for his insight. He is a great journalist and can be found on twitter @carminecsju. Check out the PPI below to see who excelled today for the Pirates. We will have full coverage of the Providence game on Thursday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs St. John's (2)

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Inside The Enemy Ship: St. John’s Red Storm, Away Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of “Inside the Enemy Ship”, once again featuring our rivals from across the river, St. John’s Red Storm! Our friend Carmine Carcieri was generous enough to share his thoughts on the upcoming game with us; keep on reading below!

BBA: How big was it for the team to get their first Big East win earlier this week? Does it matter that it was against DePaul?
CARCIERI: It was a very big win just for this young team to gain confidence down the stretch and build momentum for what should be a more competitive season next year. Even though DePaul is only ninth in the Big East, the Johnnies had to be pleased with their performance. They won by 15, played strong defense for the majority of the night, moved the ball successfully offensively and hit the glass. The Red Storm held Tommy Hamilton IV and Myke Henry to just 10 points and Billy Garrett Jr. struggled against the likes of Malik Ellison and Felix Balamou.

BBA: Does their one win during Big East play match your expectations for this team when the season started?
CARCIERI: At the beginning of the year, I knew this was going to be a rebuilding year and I certainly knew that playing a balanced league schedule would be too difficult for the Red Storm to be higher than ninth in the standings. But I did expect them to earn more than one conference victory and I still believe they will achieve that. St. John’s has Seton Hall (MSG), DePaul (on the road), Creighton (on the road) and Providence (MSG) to close out the season and honestly none of those teams are unbeatable. I’m not expecting the Red Storm to go on a winning streak but I do think they get at least one more victory.

BBA: Clearly the last game against Seton Hall didn’t go as the Johnnies planned. What went wrong?
CARCIERI: Seton Hall dominated the interior. Angel Delgado and Ismael Sanogo were unstoppable. The Johnnies don’t have physical big men to match up with those two. Kassoum Yakwe is developing his strength, Christian Jones is undersized and Yankuba Sima didn’t play in the first match-up due to a broken hand.

BBA: What will St. John’s have to do differently this time around?
CARCIERI: St. John’s fell apart after halftime at the Prudential Center so this time around they must focus on playing a full 40 minutes. They will have to knock down some perimeter shots, move the ball (similar to how they did against DePaul), get easy buckets in transition and most importantly, gang rebound.

BBA: This time around, who should Seton Hall be most worried about meeting on the court? Why?
CARCIERI: I think it’s either Kassoum Yakwe or Malik Ellison. Both players have improved drastically during conference play. Yakwe has always been an excellent shot blocker but he’s gaining feel around the rim and playing better offensively. Ellison is playing with aggressiveness/confidence, doing a better job of finishing around the rim and his size has been a huge plus for the Red Storm. His steady ball handling and shooting touch from the perimeter gives the Johnnies a better option at lead guard than Federico Mussini.

BBA: What kind of crowd are you expecting at MSG for the game against Seton Hall? Will the recent win help?
CARCIERI: The crowd has been surprisingly excellent all season long. The last two games at Carnesecca Arena were near sell-outs and while I don’t expect that to be the case tomorrow at MSG, there should be a solid presence of St. John’s fans in the house. There should also be a good amount of Seton Hall fans in attendance as well with this being a very important game for their NCAA Tournament hopes (basically they cannot afford to lose).

BBA: Final score prediction?
CARCIERI: Seton Hall 68 St. John’s 65. I’m expecting this to be a lot closer than the first meeting.

Once again, we’d like to thank Mr. Carcieri for taking the time to talk to us; his insight is always appreciated! Tip-off is Noon at MSG, and you can bet Blue Beard Army will be there. As always, Hazard Zet Forward.

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