Xavier

Inside The Enemy Ship: Butler Bulldogs – Home Edition

A fine career.

Welcome to the the latest edition of Inside the Enemy Ship, your exclusive look into the upcoming Seton Hall game through the lenses on the opponnet! This time, we have had the pleasure of talking to Grant Anschuetz! Check below for what he thinks about the upcoming game! [EDITOR’S NOTE: The following interview took place before #1 Villanova was upset by Marquette late last night, hence why they are referred to as undefeated in the interview]

BBA: What do you think of the team’s 17-3 record and #11 national ranking? Does it accurately reflect the team?
Anschuetz: Overall, I would say it does accurately reflect this team. Butler has proven time and time again this year they can win against solid opponents. They are 5-1 against ranked teams this year, including wins over Arizona and Villanova.

BBA: How did it feel going into overtime against DePaul after two straight wins?
Anschuetz: That game was the epitome of the saying that there are no off games in a conference like the Big East. The Bulldogs got off to such a poor start in the first half that I think there was a feeling of relief to make it to overtime and have a fresh five minutes after trailing for the majority of the game.

BBA: Who do you consider Butler’s biggest Big East rival?
Anschuetz: To me, Butler’s biggest Big East rival is Xavier. That answer is solely based off of how hostile the arena becomes whenever those two teams hit the floor, especially between fans.

BBA: Do you think the Big East has been a good home for Butler compared to the Horizon League?
Anschuetz: Yes. Although the change has led to tougher competition, the national exposure and ability to attract higher ranked recruits is a positive thing for the program.

BBA: How far do you now expect Butler to go into the NCAA Tournament?
Anschuetz: In this year’s NCAA Tournament, I believe Butler can realistically make it to the Elite Eight. With that being said, based on 2010-2011, a trip to the National Championship is not out of the question.

BBA: After last season’s early exit during the Big East tournament, what do you see the Bulldogs doing this year?
Anschuetz: I could see Butler making it at least one more round deeper into the Big East tournament. It is always hard to predict how hot a team is going to be down the stretch, but they should make it farther than last year.

BBA: Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham played huge roles in making sure that Butler was the only Big East team that Seton Hall didn’t beat last season. Who is going to fill their roles?
Anschuetz: Kelan Martin, Kamar Baldwin and Kethan Savage have all performed well for the Bulldogs as of late. Senior Andrew Chrabascz is a crafty player down low and is also a great facilitator.

BBA: Which player should the Seton Hall Pirates be the most worried about meeting on the court? Why?
Anschuetz: The Pirates should be most worried about Kamar Baldwin. Specifically, the guards for Seton Hall because Baldwin is known for making big steals in big moments. His defensive presence is just as strong as his offensive presence.

BBA: Who do you consider the biggest challenge to Nova in the Big East this season? How about nationally? Butler is still the only team to beat them so far!*
Anschuetz:The biggest challenge to Villanova before the injury to Maurice Watson was Creighton. Now, I have to go with Butler since they are the highest ranked Big East team who has beaten them.

BBA: Which teams from the Big East will ultimately end up making the NCAA tournament?
Anschuetz: From the Big East, I believe Villanova, Butler, Creighton are basically locks at this point. Marquette, Xavier and Seton Hall all have a realistic chance to make it.

BBA: Final Score Prediction for the upcoming game?
Anschuetz: Final Score Prediction = Butler 72 Seton Hall 65

Once again, thanks to our new friend Grant Anschuetz for taking the time to talk to us! He can be found on twitter @Granschuetz and on Slump Sports!

Tip-off is tonight at The Rock at 8:30 PM! If you can’t make it there in person, it will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Be sure to check by later for the game recap, and as always Go Pirates and Hazard Zet Forward!

Advertisement
0 CommentsLeave a comment

Finals Bound

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action yesterday in the semifinals of the Big East tournament as they took on the Xavier Musketeers. The Pirates were looking to advance to their first Big East final in 23 years. They would ultimately accomplish that by beating Xavier 87-83.

The Musketeers came out hot and took a quick 5-0 lead after a three pointer from Trevon Bluiett. The teams would then fight back and forth for the next few minutes of the game. With 12:21 to go in the half, a Derrick Gordon layup would give the Pirates the lead. The Pirates would then begin to capitalize on some sloppy turnovers from Xavier. A Veer Singh jumper with 6:01 remaining in the half would give the Hall a 17 point lead. The Musketeers would fight back and cut the lead down though. Two James Farr free throws would cut the lead to 11 as the two teams headed to the locker room. At halftime the Pirates led Xavier 41-30.

The Musketeers were led by Edmond Sumner who had 9 points and 2 rebounds in the first half. Jalen Reynolds added 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. J.P. Macura chipped in 5 points and Trevon Bluiett and Myles Davis each had 2 assists. The Musketeers shot 30% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Pirates were led by Khadeen Carrington in the first half. He had 14 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds. Isaiah Whitehead chipped in 9 points and 4 assists in the first half. Derrick Gordon added 9 points and 3 rebounds. Michael Nzei and Angel Delgado each had 4 rebounds in the first half. Seton Hall shot 47.2% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc in the first half.

The second half opened with the big men from both teams dominating. Ismael Sanogo and Angel Delgado led the way for the Hall. Jalen Reynolds and James Farr led the way for Xavier. The Musketeers chipped away at the Seton Hall lead and with 10:43 remaining, J.P. Macura hit two free throws to cut the lead to 4. From there the Pirates would increase the lead again to as much as 15 points. Things got sloppy in the final minute for the Pirates. Seton Hall would keep their composure down the stretch and would defeat Xavier 87-83.

The Musketeers were led by Edmond Sumner who had 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. James Farr had a double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Trevon Bluiett chipped in 15 points and 2 assists. J.P. Macura scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Xavier shot 34.9% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Khadeen Carrington who had 23 points and 7 rebounds. Isaiah Whitehead added 20 points and 8 assists. Angel Delgado chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds. Derrick Gordon had 10 points and Desi Rodriguez grabbed 7 rebounds. The Hall shot 51.8% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc.

With the win the Pirates advance to the Big East tournament finals for the first time in 23 years. They will take on the top seeded Villanova Wildcats. Check out the PPI below to see which Pirates excelled. The game will be on Fox at 5:30 p.m. tonight. We will have full coverage of the game. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs Xavier Big East Tournament

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Shot Down in Cincinnati

Photo Provided Courtesy Of Madeline Wilson

The Seton Hall Pirates were back in action today at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Xavier Musketeers. Before the game we had the privilege of having Shannon Russell from The Cincinnati Enquirer answer some of our questions. She is a great journalist and can be found on twitter @slrussell. Her answers can be found in our previous post and we want to thank her for all of her terrific insight. The Pirates would ultimately be handed an 84-76 defeat.

The first half started with the Pirates leading for the first few minutes of the game. Isaiah Whitehead kicked off the scoring with a three pointer and from there the Pirates would hold the lead until the 14:01 mark of the first half. From there the two teams would exchange leads for much of the half. With 5:55 remaining in the first half, J.P. Macura would knock down a three pointer and give the Musketeers a 6 point lead. The Pirates would eventually trim the lead down and ultimately take the lead with 2:28 left in the half. The Musketeers would ultimately retake the lead and go into halftime with a 40-36 lead.

The Musketeers were led in the first half by James Farr with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Myles Davis hit 2 three pointers and tallied 8 points in the first half. J.P. Macura chipped in 7 points and Edmond Sumner dished out 3 assists.

The Pirates were led by Desi Rodriguez in the first half with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Ismael Sanogo tied Rodriguez for the lead in rebounds with 6 boards in the first half. Isaiah Whitehead, Khadeen Carrington, and Derrick Gordon each had 5 points in the first half. Derrick Gordon also grabbed 5 boards.

Xavier came out hot to start the second half. A dunk from Edmond Sumner and a bucket from James Farr increased the Musketeer lead to 9. The Pirates would fight back and cut the lead to 1 with 15:57 to go in the second half. Xavier had an answer for the Pirates though. The Musketeers would build a lead as large as 15. The Musketeers would protect that lead throughout the second half. The second half didn’t feel very close, and Xavier would cruise to an 84-76 victory over Seton Hall.

The Musketeers were led by James Farr. Farr was an animal this afternoon. He posted 24 points and 15 rebounds. He continuously gave Angel Delgado, Michael Nzei, and Ismael Sanogo fits down low. Trevon Bluiett added 15 points and 5 rebounds. Edmond Sumner chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. Myles Davis led the Musketeers with 5 assists. Xavier held the Pirates to just 22.2% from beyond the arc.

The Pirates were led by Desi Rodriguez with 21 points and 8 rebounds. The 21 points are a career high for Desi Rodriguez. Ismael Sanogo also grabbed 8 rebounds for the Pirates. Khadeen Carrington posted 19 points, and Isaiah Whitehead added 17. Angel Deglado grabbed 7 rebounds, and Derrick Gordon added 6. Whitehead led the Pirates with 5 assists.

With the victory the Musketeers improve to 17-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big East play. With the loss the Pirates fall to 13-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big East. Xavier will now head to Providence to take on the Friars on Tuesday night. The Pirates will return home to the Prudential Center to take on St. John’s on Wednesday night.

We would like to thank Shannon Russell for all of her help. She is a great follow on twitter, and is an incredibly talented journalist. Check out the PPI to see which Pirates stood out today. We will have full coverage of the St. John’s game on Wednesday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

PPI vs Xavier

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Pirates End Musketeers’ Streak

Once again, after a close defeat to first-time opponent Butler, Fuquan took to Twitter to make another promise:

And once again, bounce back they did. Seton Hall jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a close game. Xaiver rallied back, lead by Junior C Matt Stainbrook, even gaining a one point lead by half-time. The Pirates pulled off an 68-60 win, sitting comfortably in 5th place in the Big East standings. Surprising no one, Fuquan lead the Pirates in scoring with 18 points, building an even bigger resume for the upcoming NBA Draft.

In what was a strange turn of events, there seems to be some confusion on what exactly is going on with Senior star PG Brian Oliver. While it was clear he was not court-side, there were conflicting reports on if he even made the trip to Cincinnati with the team, or remained back in South Orange. Even as of the writing of this article, the whereabouts of Brian Oliver are unknown to the general public. Hopefully more details will emerge shortly. Either way, despite the win, the team still needs Oliver to succeed.

The Xaiver Musketeers previous won 13 straight games at home, boasting one of the best home court advantages (185-26 all time at home) in all of the NCAA. In what has become a fantastic trend, the Pirates ended their third opponents’ extended home winning streak this season, with the others being against Providence (13 games) and Georgetown (16 games). Seton Hall will need more of this upset magic when they take on #9 Villanova at the Pavilion in Philadelphia next Friday. Until then, Hazard Zet Forward.

0 CommentsLeave a comment