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SHU HOOPS Thoughts

2009-02-06T15:33:00.004-05:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Last night, the Hall was able to come away with a win at over over the Johnnies of Queens, 91-81. Fans saw an impressive effort by Hazell, who had 31, as well as Robert Mitchell and Eugene Harvey. Garcia looked good, with no signs of the mid-season fatigued that seemed to plague him. One moment of worry came in the second half, when off a layup, Paul Gause came down limping, having to leave the game temporarily.

However, he would return. Gause is certainly one of the teams spark-plugs and thankfully for fans and teammates alike, it seems, at least for now, he'll be ok. But a scary moment nonetheless. Another scary moment was the eventual end of the game---seeing a padded Pirate lead be shaved down to 10 points by a young St. John's team itching for another 'W'.

Three full court passes led to only one shot made and one turnover. Had there been a little more time on the clock in regulation, this one could have ended very differently. With three wins in the Big East now, Pirate fans know the taste of victory. One win charged by fond memories of a magical team coming together for one more time, and two others by rivalries.

And how about that bottle being tossed onto the court? Although it seemed that the Pru Center security squad was unable to identify the person responsible for sending the item airborne, why did it even end up out there in the first place?

Up next for the Pirates is another match-up with Rutgers...this time down in New Brunswick. To make last week's win even sweeter, and pad their conference standings, SHU will look to pull this one out, even if it is in the heart of enemy territory.

I'm keeping my pre-season pick of 1-15 overall, 7-11 in the conference. I'd love to be proven wrong.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

The Key to Victory

2009-01-26T11:30:00.002-05:00

By Tim LeCras

What is the key to victory for the Seton Hall Pirates? With the number 12 ranked Georgertown coming to the Rock, the Pirates faced the idea of starting the Big East season off 0-7. However, that was not the case. The Pirates shocked the nation by defeating the Hoyas in a low scoring game at the Rock. We have already seen throughout the 2008/2009 Big East season that the Pirates cannot rely on the three-point shot. It seems as if when the team plays to shoot the “three ball” they always come up empty. Today, much to the amazement Jeremy Hazell, the team shot 0 for 13 from beyond the arc. Hazell, who was responsible for ten of those misses, claimed that this lack of three-point offense had never happened before, in fact, it has been 504 games since the last time the Pirates didn’t convert on a three-pointer in a game. Earlier in the year while I was listening to the Seton Hall and Syracuse game, it seemed like all the team did was shoot threes and they never made a high percentage of them either.

Don’t quote me on this but it seemed like the whole Syracuse game, all Steve Faulks from WSOU kept saying was, “Hazell takes the inbound. Hazell past halfcourt, pulls up, three pointer, No GOOD. Devendorf gets the rebound to the corner for three, GOOD! You can insert any of the three Pirates who consistently take the three-pointers, whether it be Hazell, Harvey, and even some of “Stix” Mitchell. The Pirates only made 2 three-point baskets the whole game at Syracuse, while attempting 27 of them. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking three pointers, the problem with the Seton Hall way, is that they continued to just shoot the ball through traffic, and not pass the ball around trying to get the open three.
They also cannot truly rely on all 5 starters being around for all 20 minutes. Every Pirate fan knows that the team will end up in foul trouble at some point in the game. Today’s Georgetown game wasn’t as bad as the previous have been, but it is still not perfect. The Pirates found themselves in the double-bonus during both halves, luckily for them, it was only John Garcia who fouled out (I should note that his third foul was a very questionable hack call, followed immediately by a technical foul, where Garcia got into a shouting match with Georgetown’s Jessie Sapp.) Georgetown, also found them in foul trouble today, actually committing more fouls than Seton Hall did, with 22. In past games, specifically Providence and Notre Dame, the fouls and free throw differential was the difference in the game.

On Thursday against Providence, the Friars shot twenty more free throws than Seton Hall did, adding 19 more points to their score. In the game, Seton Hall committed 27 personal fouls, resulting in 42 free throw opportunities for Providence. Should I even mention that the last 24 points for the Friars were all off free throws, the team did not make a basket after the 7:00 mark of the second half? On top of all of this, the Pirates had three of their starters foul out. Take away three or four of the fouls and the score is either tied or a Seton Hall win. Against Notre Dame, it was the same deal. Notre Dame shot twice the amount of free throws than the Pirates did, with the Irish’s Luke Harangady attempting more free throws than the whole Pirates team did.

So I bring back the question asked in the beginning, what is the key to victory for the Pirates? The answer: Defense. When you look at the box score, in their win against Georgetown and even their overtime loss to Providence last week, the Pirates defense is what kept them in the game. Georgetown only shot 32.7 percent from the floor and 13.6 percent from beyond the arc. Providence, who just barely got by the Pirates, shot only 40 percent from the floor but the difference maker was the 57 percent from beyond the arc for the Friars. Defense, just like in every other sport, is the key to a championship. Offense is something that comes and goes, but if you have a consistent defense you will be able to go far.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Pirate Primetime INTV with Anthony 'Fooch' Fucilli

2008-12-15T16:49:00.002-05:00

Here is our interview with Anthony 'Fooch' Fucilli of MSG Network. Listen in as we talk a multitude of topics surrounding SHU Hoops.

Pirate Primetime INTV with: Jerry Carino

2008-12-08T20:15:00.004-05:00

Hey Pirate fans If you couldn't catch it live, here is a copy of the interview we aired during the 12/7/08 Pirate Primetime. Enjoy and be sure to leave your comments below!

Christmas Time for Pirate Fans

2008-12-08T16:06:00.007-05:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

With the word in the midst of the holiday season, and the first hint of winter arriving via snow flurries and chilling temperatures, Pirate fans know that there is a fast approaching date on the calendar

DECEMBER 30TH
The Hall will pack their bags on the last days of 2008 and head to the Carrier Dome to take on an impressive Syracuse team. The Pirates, who will be without Head coach Booby Gonzalez due to terms of a previous suspension, will be playing their first BIG EAST conference game of the season on the road. Looking at their schedule, coming into the match-up, the men could retain either an 11-1, or a 10-2 record when they take the court versus the Orange.

To date, games against Cal Baptist, ST. Peter's, IUPUI, JMU and Fairleigh Dickinson remain on the calendar prior to conference play. As the season has progressed, it seems that the JMU games is what may prove to be the last roadblock the Pirates could face in non-conference play. Just several days removed from finals, and right before Christmas, the Hall will have to hop on the bus and drive on down to the middle of Virginia to face off with Madison.

This is also the same Madison team that gave the Pirates oh-so-much trouble at home last year, so don't be fooled; it can happen again. The rest of the match-ups prior to Dec. 30th, the Pirates should win with ease,

And be thankful Pirate fans, you've got a team currently with six wins on the year, knocking off a then-ranked 19th USC, hanging tough with a powerhouse in Memphis, and coming in 3rd place in Puerto Rico. Plus you're seeing the emergence of a great player in Theodore, the growth of Jeremy Hazell and the feeling out process of just what Robert Mitchell can bring to the court.

Don't lose sight of several other factors as well....the possibility for an Oliver or Lawrence addition still remain; however slim it may be.

Look for this team to post 7 wins during conference play. Stick with them because the beginning of BIG EAST play will be tough early on with the opponents the Pirates have on the schedule.

QUESTIONS
Will John Garcia be able to sustain these monster minutes?
Will we see more of Mike Davis to ease the demands on Garcia?
Do BIG EAST defenders have Jeremy Hazell figured out just yet?
Will there be a 1-2 punch at the point in Harvey/Theodore all season?
Is there any help for these Pirates on th way? Is it Lawrence? Perhaps Oliver?

Fact of the matter is, only time will tell.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Pirate Primetime: Quick Hits with Adam Zagoria

2008-11-11T14:48:00.004-05:00

As transcribed by Brian Wisowaty

Interview: Adam Zagoria
Hosts: Jeremiah Sullivan, Steve Faulks, Brian Wisowaty

WSOU: Regarding the team’s performance against Molloy College:

AZ: Well, they looked good. They were playing a Division II opponent with no one taller than 6’7. So, it’s not like they’re playing Louisville or Pitt in the middle of Big East season. But I think they had to come out of there feeling good about themselves. Obviously, Jordan Theodore and Brandon Walters…I feel they were the bright spots of the night. Brandon, I feel, was probably motivated by some of the comments Coach Gonzalez made at media day. And I think Jordan Theodore, a kid I got to follow at Patterson Catholic, played very well in pushing the tempo.

WSOU: Is Mike Davis overrated?

AZ: Well, I think it’s too early to tell just after one preseason game. I think we need to revisit that five, eight, or ten games into the season. I will say he definitely looks physically a lot better than he did last year. His body looks better. But this team needs a power forward. They desperately tried to get Herb Pope eligible and they’re going to need a lot of contributions from John Garcia and Mike Davis down low, rebounding and blocking shots - doing the dirty work that every team needs. And I think Coach is hopeful that Brandon Walters can contribute and play that role a little bit. And they’re going to need (Robert) “Stix” Mitchell to do some of those things too. He can’t just hang by the perimeter and shoot three’s all day.

WSOU: On Davis fouling out versus the Lions:

AZ: Again, it’s one game. It’s not a big sample. But, sure, it’s not good. He didn’t play like John Garcia. And Coach did mention Mike fouling out after the game, so I’m sure he is probably a bit concerned.

WSOU: On the play of Jordan Theodore:

AZ: There’s no question that having Jordan Theodore on the team will help them. He’s a tremendously competitive kid. He wants to win. He won a county championship with Patterson Catholic last year. He spent last summer (summer of ’07) at the Steve Nash Academy and the LeBron James academy. And I watched him go up to those guys (Nash and James) and ask them questions, (such as) how to become a better leader. This is a kid who wants to develop himself and become the best player he can be. And he’s very excited to be at Seton Hall. Combine that with the performance on Friday night, it’s nothing but a plus for Seton Hall. And he had a few turnovers, but was the first to go to the media and say “I can’t have two turnovers.” Obviously, with him there, Eugene doesn’t have to play the whole game at the point. He can breathe for a few minutes or play the two.

WSOU: Recruiting news about Dominic Cheek, and where the local schools stand:

AZ: With Cheek, it was a rough week for Seton Hall, with St. Anthony’s announcing he is no longer considering Seton Hall plus he’s taking a visit to Rutgers. I know there’s a lot of rivalry and intensity between the two schools, especially on the message boards. I know also that Coach Gonzalez felt he had a pretty good chance at Cheek. You got to give him credit for going after players like that. But for all three of these teams (Rutgers, Seton Hall, and St. John’s), you have to be able to recruit well in this area. There are a ton of talented high school teams in New York and New Jersey, and you have to get players out of these schools. Seton Hall has been able to do that to some extent, with Theodore from Patterson Catholic and “Nu-Nu” (Eugene Harvey) from St. Benedict’s. So I think they need to continue to do that. Rutgers has shown an ability to do that with Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique. If you’re these three schools, you just can’t sit here and let Louisville, UConn, and West Virginia continue to come in here and raid these players.

WSOU: Out of the three local schools, who is currently ahead?

AZ: I think, to be frank, you have to give Rutgers the edge. Seton Hall doesn’t have any players committed for ’09. That’s a concern. I believe they’re the only team in the Big East with no commits for ’09. Rutgers has two more coming in for ’09. St. John’s has two coming in for ’09. And I think St. John’s has a shot for Lance Stephenson. Coach Gonzalez has said he has a different strategy for recruiting. He wants to go after transfers, JUCO’s, foreign players – because that’s who he believes can immediately turn around the team. And he’s gotten some good transfers, (in) Herb Pope and Keon Lawrence. But you have to have a relationship with the local high school coaches and players.

WSOU: On Melvyn Oliver and the attempt to get him cleared:

AZ: I honestly couldn’t tell you about Melvyn Oliver. I know they’re hopeful, and that by all indications he’s done well (academically) in school (at Seton Hall). I honestly don’t have a feeling one way or the other. It would be a big help if they could get him, because to go through a full season with eight guys is going to be tough. In a best case scenario, everyone stays healthy and one of the walk-ons is able to contribute a little bit, and the team bonds together with eight guys – maybe that’s a positive. But, worse case scenario, one or two guys gets hurt, like what happened with Paul Gause last year… guys are going to get hurt. And you can’t play a Big East season with six or seven guys. I think they really need Melvyn Oliver and no one to get hurt.

WSOU: Regarding the walk-ons:

AZ: The only thing I know is what Coach Gonzalez told us after the game Friday is that they’re going to take four guys, one of whom is Matt Cajuste. He’s 6’7, went to Jericho High School in Long Island, has experience playing. I’m not sure if he chose not to play in college or just didn’t get the offer he wanted, but it should be an interesting story going forward. But, I know Coach Gonzalez is high on him. Again, in a best case scenario, he comes out and is able to practice, work out Garcia and the big guys in practice, and may become a “Rudy” type situation, as someone mentioned on the message boards. Maybe he goes in and hits a big shot. I don’t know who the other three guys are, and Coach said he’s going to rotate how many of them travel for various games.

WSOU: On why Seton Hall was placed 15th in the Zagsblog Big East Preseason Poll:

AZ: The main element of putting them (15th in the Big East) is that they have eight guys. Again, I think for all three local schools – they’re in an absolutely loaded conference with perhaps nine or ten teams going to the (NCAA) Tournament. I don’t see any of the local teams cracking the upper eight-nine-ten, which leaves them to fill out the 11-16 spots. And if you talk to the coaches, they will tell you that the first goal over the next two years is to get to the 8-10 spot, where Providence is and West Virginia is. And once you get there, you can think about potentially getting in the top eight. Look, I hope Seton Hall does well. I wish them the best. But I think it’s going to be tough with eight guys. They need a lot of things to go right. They need no one to get hurt, to rebound the basketball, and it would help to get Melvyn Oliver eligible and possibly even Keon in the second half.

WSOU: Is the Big East the best conference in the nation?

AZ: I don’t think there’s any doubt. I wrote several preview stories and talked to many coaches and analysts, and it’s the best league in the country. I think you have eight automatic NCAA teams and possibly 10. There’s no real night off. Maybe South Florida is a night off, but who knows. Even the 12-15 teams are going to be tough. It’s just a brutal league. The key that everyone talks about is that there are a lot of returning players with experience. UConn is loaded. Pitt is loaded. Louisville is loaded. It’s going to be very tough for the local teams.

WSOU: Who is the best in the Big East?

AZ: I think that Connecticut on paper has the potential to be the best team. As Coach Gonzalez mentioned at media day, they essentially have an NBA front line with Hasheem Thabeet, who is 7’3…he alters the game and prevents you from driving into the lane because he’s going to block shots…and they have Jeff Adrien, who’s 6’7. And they’re going to get back Stanley Robinson. They have four big guys. Plus they have experienced guards in A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson. And by all accounts, Kemba Walker is a star on the rise from Rice High School in Manhattan. So, I think if they stay healthy, they have a shot to go as far as possible. Then I think Pitt and Louisville have brought back a lot, and added some good pieces…they are going to be tough to beat. I’d guess I would say UConn is my favorite to win the league and the tournament, but it wouldn’t shock me if Pitt, Louisville, or even Notre Dame went on a run at Madison Square Garden.

WSOU: On whether or not Robert Mitchell can be “the scorer” for Seton Hall:

AZ: I think that’s a terrific question. And, to some extent, Seton Hall’s season will be determined five months from now by how much he can score. He and Hazell will be asked to do a bulk of the scoring, supported by Nu-Nu and a few other guys. And Coach is on record as saying Stix Mitchell is going to come in and get Brian Laing’s points back plus a few more. So, that’s asking a lot for a kid who has never played a Big East game…coming in from Duquesne and play the four, which isn’t his natural position, and score 16-18-20 points a night. Does he have the potential to do it? It looks like he does. But he’s playing in the toughest league in the country. He can’t just sit on the perimeter and look for jump shots. He’s going to have to bang and rebound… unless they’re going to get outrebounded by the front lines of Connecticut, Pitt, and Louisville. It will be interesting to see.

WSOU: Will Mitchell take away shot attempts and maybe points from Jeremy Hazell?

AZ: I don’t know about that. I think you can never have enough guys who can score the basketball. And I haven’t seen them play enough games together. That’s a tough question to ask since they haven’t played a single regular season game together. We’ll have to see them play a few regular season games together first. But I definitely think they have guys who can score. Stix, Hazell, Nu-Nu, and I think Jordan can score a little bit. John Garcia can give you 8 or 10 points a game. Their problem is going to be more so defensively like it was last year. Can they contain other teams from scoring in transition? Can they rebound and play hard under the basket? And that was a major problem most of last year, that they weren’t playing effective defense. Now, I know Coach has a number of strategies for that, such as pushing the tempo. But the best teams in the league in any sport are the ones that play tremendous defense. That’s what this team has to do to move up, I think.

WSOU: On this team having chemistry:

AZ: From the little I’ve seen, they do have a lot of chemistry. They spend a lot of time together. I know Jordan and Eugene are roommates. Theoretically, Jordan can challenge Eugene for the (point guard) spot simply because they play the same position, but they seem to get along. I think that because they only have eight guys, they realize they all need to bond and contribute to have any success. I think John Garcia is always the quiet, stoic leader. But I also think Jordan and Nu-Nu have to be the leaders, because they are the point guards. Jordan can really inject some energy into this team. He’s the only true freshman and the only eligible recruit thus far. From everything I know about that kid, he wants to win. So, I think that can be a positive impact.

WSOU: Regarding what it is like to be a reporter around Bobby Gonzalez:

AZ: He’s a great guy to interview if you’re a reporter, because he tells you what is on his mind. He gives you a lot of great quotes. Sometimes, they are a bit controversial. But he doesn’t back off of them. He definitely made some comments last year about landing a player they weren’t supposed to get, then being accused of cheating, and the comments about Brandon this year. As a reporter, he fills up your notebook. He’s very engaging with reporters, and has always been good to me. But he’s clearly a controversial personality. And he’s going to have to produce some results here at Seton Hall in the next couple of years. As are Norm Roberts at St. John’s and Freddy (Fred Hill at Rutgers)…well, Freddy has the extension, but all these guys need to prove that they can win.

WSOU: On Seton Hall in the recruiting scene:

AZ: This is the one area where, quite frankly, I would be a bit concerned. I am not aware of them going to sign anyone. Signing day starts Wednesday, November 12th to the 19th. I not aware that they are going to get any players during that period. And again, they would be the only Big East team without an ’09 commit at that point. They had some high hopes for a couple of kids, including Arsalan Kazemi. He came for an official visit recently and I know Coach Gonzalez and (Assistant) Coach (Dermon) Player had high hopes that he would commit. He committed to Rice, and I think that was a bit of a blow for them. They’re involved with this kid Jarrid Famous, who’s a seven footer from Westchester Community College, who told me he wasn’t going to commit until the spring signing period. He’s also going to visit UConn, West Virginia, and Missouri. So Seton Hall feels they have a shot at him, but the season has to play out and the kid is visiting some high powered schools in UConn and West Virginia. Again, they’re looking at transfers. I know they’re looking at some of the Arizona kids who de-committed after Lute Olson stepped down. That’s fine, but I think you also need to recruit some of the local kids. Unfortunately, with Dominic Check saying he is not going to Seton Hall and with Kazemi declaring for Rice, I think they lost out on two guys they were hopeful for. I honestly don’t know who the next kid is that they will bring in, but they need to bring in some players.

WSOU: Can Seton Hall upset anyone this season, similar to last season’s home win vs. Louisville?

AZ: Well, look, any given night – anyone can beat anyone. Seton Hall beat Louisville. Rutgers only won three or four Big East games last year, but beat Pitt and Villanova in back to back games. In the Louisville game, Jeremy Hazell was just on fire. He was shooting from the parking lot, he was just unstoppable. There will probably be some games like that this year, but I can’t say who it will be against. There are a bunch of teams in the league that Seton Hall or Coach Gonzalez hasn’t beaten – UConn, possibly Pitt – that Seton Hall gets at home this year. So I’m sure there will be a focus on those games. And in any given game, Stix Mitchell and Hazell can go off for 50 points between them and can win any game. Over the long haul, it will be a tough road to hoe in the Big East.

Adam, thanks for joining us. We'd love to ahve you back again some time during the season.

Pirate Primetime INTV with Coach Bobby Gonzalez (pt. 2)

2008-11-09T00:28:00.001-05:00

Hey Pirate fans If you couldn't catch it live, here is a copy of the second half of the interview we aired during the 11/2/08 Pirate Primetime. Enjoy and be sure to leave your comments below!

Pirate Primetime INTV with: Coach Bobby Gonzalez

2008-11-08T23:16:00.000-05:00

Hey Pirate fans If you couldn't catch it live, here is a copy of the first half of the interview we aired during the 11/2/08 Pirate Primetime. Enjoy and be sure to leave your comments below!

The Bobby Gonzalez Interview: Full Transcription

2008-11-08T12:57:00.010-05:00

As transcribed by Pat McCabe

The following is the transcript of an interview aired on Pirate Primetime by 89.5 FM WSOU.

Guest: Bobby Gonzalez
Host: Jeremiah Sullivan and Steve Faulks
Time: 60 Mins.

WSOU: Well Bobby, welcome to the studios, how are you doing today?

BG: I appreciate it you guys having me, Jerry and Steve, and I also want to apologize for our recruiting stuff that was going on the night I was supposed to be on the show a week or so ago, but better late than never.

WSOU: Alright, well we appreciate it. Today was a busy day for you guys, Meet the Team Party, great turnout, had a scrimmage yesterday against Fordham, so a lot of things going on for Seton Hall basketball, moving those wheels to the kick off of the 08-09 season.

BG: Well that’s right. Its been a busy 48 hours. We had our first scrimmage yesterday at 1 o’clock a closed scrimmage against Fordham. We were very happy with our effort. I think we ended up winning by lets say 17 or something like that. Coaches don’t care too early in the year about winning and losing in scrimmages, but you just want to work on stuff, get better, and to come back to back. Today we had the blue/white game along with the Meet the Team day, so its really been a whirlwind for the kids and I think that, uh, considering we had 8 guys yesterday and 10 guys today, they really played hard both days, and I liked what I saw.

WSOU: Now me and Steve were talking about this earlier, but what do you think you’ve seen out of this team today, exposure to the fans letting them see what is to come, how did you feel about the effort on the court today, good, bad, indifference?

BG: Well I think first of all, I got to believe, I didn’t get to talk to all the fans who were there, but I got to believe they saw the talent and the promise not only for this season, but the future. When you see a guy like Keon Lawrence and Herb Pope, you know, its got to be pretty obvious that they are special players and they are going to be big time, big time players. Then, when you look at the rest of the team, I think you got to see that a lot of guys have improved a lot, like a Mike Davis, uh, just different things jump out at you. And you know, a new guy like Jordan Theodore, I think is going to be terrific. And then I think that the team has a lot of heart, a lot of spirit, a lot of quickness, I think we’re talented. I think we’re going to be a dangerous team.

WSOU: Well before we start with basketball, since basketball obviously isn’t the full part of your life, earlier last season you had a daughter, so how is she? How are you adjusting to the role of being a father?

BG: I appreciate you asking. She uh, its now November so we are about 27 or 26 days away from her being one [year] old. She’s doing great, she is a little cutie, uh she is starting to be just about ready to walk and just about ready to talk. My wife is doing a fantastic job. She deserves all the credit, because, you know, I can only spend a little time with her in the morning, and sometimes by the time I get home at night she is already sleeping. But, it’s really fascinating just like everybody says. It really does change your life, it’s not just something people say.

WSOU: Now basketball, being a head coach in the Big East, brings a lot of work in general but do you lose a little bit of sleep with the new one running around?

BG: Well, I’ll tell you what, I never slept much anyway. You know, coaches don’t sleep a lot during the season especially when the games start. You know I once heard a couple of coaches, you know, who said, and it’s a great line, they said its [being a coach] is a great job until the games start. Once the game starts all heck breaks loose. I mean, coaches during the season, you know their stomachs are in knots, you come off a win. You see the toughest part about it is when the games get going, you win a game, you want to enjoy it, but you can’t really take too much time to enjoy it, because you got another game right around the corner. You lose a game, and you can’t hang on to it too long because you got another game right around the corner. So, win or lose, during the season, coaches don’t sleep a lot anyway.

WSOU: Well there you go, the nature of being a Big East coach. Now when you were hired, just about 3 years ago to take over for Louis Orr, what expectations have you set out for yourself, and which do you think you have accomplished, and which still remain ahead of you?

BG: Well I think first of all, from a standpoint of non-tangible goals, like not talking about how many games you want to win, or getting to the post season or things like that. Non-tangible goals like that, we had a lot of them, and we’ve reached a decent amount of them. And some of those would be like, we had to revamp the roster. You know, we didn’t have a lot of toughness, we didn’t have a lot of quickness, we didn’t have a lot of athleticism, we didn’t feel like we had a lot of guys who fit our style of play, like our system. And I think in the last two, two and a half years we’ve had to take a lot of chances and make some changes. You know, we took the job late, so, the first recruiting class was really a wash. You’re grabbing some guys, you’re trying to take some chances on what is available. Then the next recruiting class, you’re still behind the 8-ball because you’re playing catch-up So, its really taken us almost two full years and then some to sort of get 8, 9, 10 guys that are kind of comparably, like the way I want to play, with athleticism, toughness, quickness, uh, mobility, things we would look for. So I think those, they were some of things that were goals for us.
Some other things would be winning mindset, a defensive mindset, discipline, structure, getting in great shape, you know that’s always been a staple of mine, of me as a coach. I want to have great conditioning and I think that a lot of that stuff now, is established, kind of like, our style of play, our conditioning, the roster, the changes, so now its, ok, what are some tangible goals. One was, alright win as many games as you can, be competitive. I think we did that. Then we moved to the Prudential Center. Last year we wanted to get a couple of big wins, maybe have some sellouts, pump up the student body, uh improve the attendance. We beat Louisville, you know we won 17 games, we wanted to get to the Big East Tournament, we did that. So, I think that we wanted to over-achieve. We got picked 13th, we went to 11th. We got picked 15th, we went to 13th, we got picked 13th we went to 11th. Now I think that we have to take that next step. Now are we going to be able to do that this year? Maybe, maybe not. They kept us in the same spot, they picked us 13th. The way I see it is, we don’t have a lot of pressure, because their expectations aren’t high. I think they are underestimating this team, but we have to prove that on the court, and I do think that I’m not playing for next year because of our roster, so I’m not saying that the future is bright, or fans need to wait, you know, until we get Melvyn Oliver or Michael Glover, or Herb Pope or Keon Lawrence. What I’m saying is that in the next year, to year and a half to two years, we think we are not only going to be moving into the top 8, but could be one of the better teams, who knows, maybe even in the country, maybe we can move up into the top 40. This roster, to me, we have some scary possibilities with the future of this team.

WSOU: Commissioner Mike Trangehse during the off season, you guys sat down, had a nice conversation about a multitude of things. Coming out of that, his quotes saying that he loves your passion, and he said, you know you are basically learning how to coach within your passion, how does that, getting support from the commissioner to you, basically just knowing that he understands what you are trying to do and set out and accomplish, and that you have his support?

BG: Well, I think it’s a huge, I think it’s a great thing. What I think it did was, especially for the media members and anyone that was negative, and kind of just, there was such publicity this spring and summer. Different negative connotations and negative publicity that happened and I think he shut a lot of people up. And I think he sent a message loud and clear. Let me go back for a second, and maybe give you guys some history and hopefully I can freelance, I hope its ok, just take these,

WSOU: By all means.

BG: By all means, I don’t know if there is a certain amount of time, you know me, I’m dangerous, so you might have to stop me, I can give a long answer. But, I want to just give a little bit of history here. First, I was an assistant coach at Providence College, so I go way back with Mike Tranghese, I know Mike Tranghese you know, when he, before he became the commissioner, when Dave Gavett, just about when he was becoming, getting into office. Ok, and the other thing is, uh, I am very friendly with his wife, Susan, she is a part owner of a restaurant in Manhatten. She know myself and my wife very well, so I had a great relationship with Mike Tranghese’s wife, Mike was very instrumental when I was in Manhatten, the 7 years I was at Manhatten, he was very instrumental in me being involved with the Big East, people calling me about Big East jobs, talking with me about the Seton Hall job, being in my corner for me to be hired at Seton Hall. So Mike, believe it or not, behind the scenes, he doesn’t get involved, you know, in telling the school who to hire, but her certainly is a guy they, you know, whenever there is a job open in the conference, here’s a brain trust of a brilliant man who has been an incredible commissioner, that Presidents or ADs bounce things off of him. So you know, I was in touch with him a lot when I took the Seton Hall job, and we talked about the history of the program, and what I’ve accomplished before I got here, things like that. So that’s the first thing. I think there was a lot of, a lot of misunderstanding that people thought, well Mike Tranghese doesn’t like Bobby because he is young, he is cocky, he is coming into the league, he is too emotional, too passionate, he is too this, or too that. The media, I think there was a wrong perception out there and that’s the first thing. I also think that what happened was, that going into my second year, as you know, I think you guys are aware of this, not only Mike Tranghese and the conference, but everybody in the NCAA made a big thing about bench decorum, box rule, coaches behavior, everything being a big deal, going into my second season. And that was very well documented, well talked about, it was in the tapes that everyone had to watch at the beginning of the year. All the coaches had to listen in the meetings down in Florida, so I think that it was a combination of a lot of things. I think that it was the timing of everything, it was me going into my second year, and then when I think that me and Mike Tranghese finally talked, what we talked a lot about was, he wanted me to understand that I was no different, that Willy Macerino, Lou Carnaseca, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun. When they came into the conference 10, 12, 15, 20, 30 years ago, they all felt the same way. That the favorites are getting all the calls, that the guys who have been around the longest are getting hooked up, that the young guys get the toughest, you know a tough draw, that, you know, you know you’re fighting against the stream. So basically he was trying to say, Bobby, everyone knows you can coach, everyone knows you can recruit, you know, don’t feel like, you know you have to fight, scratch and crawl and battle, everything is life and death, you know, do your thing ,you’re doing great, and that was basically his message. You know that he was supportive of me and Seton Hall, he knew that Monsignor [Sheeran] was in my corner, that the administration hired me because they knew what I was about, they knew I was aggressive, they knew what they were getting when they hired me, and that was really what we talked about. The suspension was really just something, I made a mistake, I said the wrong things at the wrong time at the end of the year, and in a highly uh, highly emotional state after the Rutgers rivalry game, senior day, 3 tough losses in a row at the buzzer, St. Johns, Rutgers, the one before that was Villanova. So I think I was just very frustrated, we didn’t make the NIT, we didn’t make the NCAA, we had Paul hurt, we had John hurt, and I went into the press conference, and I just made a mistake, bad judgment, and I think Mike wanted to make it clear that Bobby, you had to get reprimanded because it’s the right thing for you, for the league, for everybody. And then I had to kind of take a step back and be humble and say, he is the commissioner, whatever the administration wants, I’ll do, I’ll take the blame, I made a mistake, I’m a young coach, I’ll be different in the future. And then from that point on, we all felt like it went away, but I think because of Lenny Robinson’s article in the spring from the [New York] Post, and from rival schools that wanted to use things against you in recruiting, they wanted to perpetuate and keep things going, and then all of a sudden you have such negative publicity that when Mike Tranghese finally came in this year, he shut a lot of people up by his statement, so, sorry for the long answer, but its important to me,

WSOU: No, its an important answer. It was a good answer.

BG: Ever since the Big East Media Day, every single time I read an article, they never really have the full story. They think Mike said something he had to say, or I said something I had to say, it’s not like that at all. I had a great relationship with Mike Tranghese, I respect him, I don’t know how they are going to replace the guy, I think he is brilliant, I think he kept the league together at a tough time, when the league could have gone south, when they lost Miami and Boston College to the ACC, and I think the guy is brilliant. So he has been helpful to me, he loves coaches, I think he is always in a coach’s corner, he would stick up and fight for any of the 16 coaches, and uh, I think he feels I am going to be successful here, that I’m going to win here, so uh, you know I’m looking forward to the whole situation. I think the suspension is going to be a blip on the radar screen more than it’s going to be something that will last very long.

WSOU: We appreciate you being so forth coming and honest in your answer and helping us understand.

BG: Well maybe it well help other people understand. Maybe it will help some of the media members can listen to this show and it will help them.

WSOU: Well there you go, hopefully they will tune in and hear how it all really went down. Another question for you, the in state rivalry between Seton Hall and Rutgers was dormant, prior to really you and Fred Hill both coming on. How has that changed? How is it on the recruiting scene? How is it to try to keep these guys in state, how difficult is it to keep these players within the state? Your thoughts?

BG: Well it’s a great question you know, because I don’t want to knock Gary Waters, who you know I certainly have a lot of respect for, we once shared the same agent, Louis Orr, good guys, both from Ohio, uh, different personalities from a guy like Freddy or myself. But when I got here, everybody kind of told me the same thing, that you kind of got two guys who are from the Midwest that aren’t really recruiting a lot of local New York/New Jersey kids, and for whatever reason the rivalry has kind of lost its luster, lost its flavor, lost its east coast. You know, at least guys like Gene Halloway and Jerry Walker, guys who, you know, guys that were telling me about Seton Hall were kind of telling me this, that, you know coach, I think Seton Hall/Rutgers rivalry has changed a lot just because the coaching staffs and the recruiting philosophies. Now, all of a sudden, Freddy Hill gets hired at Rutgers, he is an aggressive east coast recruiter, he is a Jersey guy, he was born and raised in the state of New Jersey, so he is going after all these guys. He got the job there before I got the job here at Seton Hall. He had a year under his belt with Gary Waters and then of course, he got the job before I got to Seton Hall so he is going after Randy Foy, I mean, I’m sorry, Cory Chandler and all these other guys. So he gets the job and we’re trying to recruit in New York and Jersey, so I think what has happened over the last two years is that, first of all you have two young, well I don’t know how young, aggressive recruiters, east coast style of recruiters. He might be a little more in Jersey, I might be a little more in New York, but you have two aggressive east coast recruiters. Then what you have are kids who have grown up playing against each other, ever since they were in 8th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, AAU circuit, a guy like Keon Lawrence grew up with Cory Chandler from Newark. A guy like Jordan Theodore, yesterday we scrimmaged against Fordham, he played against Gio Fontana, from St. Anthony’s. So what’s going to start happening is, the longer I’m at Seton Hall, the longer Freddy Hill is at Rutgers, and the more east coast kids we recruit, the more heated, and the more flavor, and the more excitement because there kids have all played against each other, the know each other, they grew up together, they battled in high school, they battled in AAU, so that’s the major thing, that’s the first big part of it. I think the next big part of it is that we’re both in the state of New Jersey, and we’re both fighting to get good in a Big East Conference with 16 teams, where the league is so darn good, where we grab Eugene Harvey and we really split the last two years. Last year people thought we were better than Rutgers and we beat them at their place and then at our place we are up by 17 but then we lost to them at the buzzer, so were we better? We had a better year, we had 17 wins, we got to the Big East Tournament, they didn’t, but we split when we played them. The year before that, they got picked ahead of us, and we split when we played them. So what happens in a rivalry sometimes, rivalry games, you might think one team is better than the other, but once you play them, each other, you might split, or one team might go 0-2. So I think that its just the better they get and the better we get the better it is for the state of New Jersey, both schools, and I think the better it is for the conference, because I think now, maybe we can convince more kids from New York/New Jersey that they don’t have to go to the Pittsburghs, the Louisvilles, the Syracuses the Connecticuts in order to be good. Hopefully Seton Hall and Rutgers can continue to move up. Now I think we got picked 13th, and Rutgers got picked 12, I believe, so right now we’re still a work in progress, and they are supposed to be better than us this year, but it goes in cycles. See we’re waiting on guys, the brought in Gregory Echinique, and Mike Rosario, they got some seniors this year, which we don’t have, and then next year, maybe we are supposed to be a little bit better than them. Its going to go back and forth, the key I think is, if we can both get good, and we can move up into the top 8 in the conference, now you’re talking, cause now its really a rivalry if we’re both in the top 8 of the Big East out of 16 teams.

WSOU: Talk about replacing the guys that left. Shaheen left, Steve Sowers left. You brought in Denis Kazimir and Roderick Rhodes, talk about why they fit into Seton Hall University and to your program, and what else they can bring themselves into the program?

BG: Definitely, I think first of all, we’ve had some great assistants so far, and I think the only problem is when you get guys at the lower level spots. When I say that, I mean, Administrative Assistant, Director of Basketball Operations, they tend to be young, single guys who work hard and don’t make a lot of money, so they’re real good, cause we’re at a place like Seton Hall were they are visible, so the only bad part about that is that their upward mobility is very high. So I hire a guy like Jeff Billet, and he gets snatched up at his dream school, at CBA where he played. A guy like Sheen Halloway who is in the 5th spot here at Seton Hall and all of a sudden he is full time at Iona after one year, so those guys were great for like a year. Then you turn around and you hire Steve Sowers and Elvis, Steve did a great job, and Elivs did a great job, all of a sudden Steve gets hired as a top guy at Iona, Elvis goes to the NBA, 26 years old, he is the Phoenix Suns video coordinator. So, that’s the only problem with having good guys, is that sometimes you lose them quick, but now you replace those guys with two more guys who I think are quality guys, Denis Kazimir, who went to Seton Hall, he is from the Seton Hall family, he is from around Jersey, he loves Seton Hall, he has worked here for 3 years. He has done the Hoop Group for Rob Kennedy for 5 years, he knows like every high school coach, AAU coach, he knows a lot of kids. He got about 30 kids in the house today for our blue/white game. So he is just a hard working, kind of a bull dog, a pit-bull kind of guy that is going to come into the office everyday and chip away and be a lot like Steve Sowers and Elvis. Then you get a guy like Rhodes. Its kind of like, you know you don’t even have to talk about it. A guy like Roderick Rhodes who is a 6-7 guy, was a number one player in the country at St. Anthony’s 3 years in a row, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade on the number one team in the nation. He goes to Kentucky to play for Rick Petino, but then he ends up playing for Henry Bibby at USC he makes the the NBA for like 5 years, ends up playing for Rudy Tomjanovich and Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets, I think he was with the Grizzlies, he played overseas. He has a long and illustrious career, 10 or 12 years, making a lot of money. Last year he was with Travis Ford at UMass, you get a kid like Roderick Rhodes who is 35 years old, he comes back to Jersey City. He was a huge name in the state of New Jersey who was recruited heavily by PJ Carlesimo back when they had Jerry Walker and Terry Dehere. They tried very hard to get Roderick, but Roderick went to Kentucky. Now all of a sudden Roderick is here on the staff and he is just an unbelievable role model for our players. I mean if you want a guy that the players can look up to, here is an African American guy who came from Jersey City, got his degree, made the NBA, I mean if our players can’t relate to that, plus he is just a classy guy, well spoken, just if you ever meet him he is a sweet heart of a guy. So I just think he brings a lot to the table and the fans are going to love him.

WSOU: Not considering Keon or Herb Pope, this recruiting class, is this the most talent you have on his roster?

BG: Without question this is the most talented team. I know the fans out there, there is a little [anxiety], and they are frustrated, and I understand that, with hey, we’re all holding our breath, we’re waiting to see what happens with Melvyn Oliver, we are confident that he will be cleared, we know its taken a long time. To educate some of the fans out there, by the way with some of these things, is that there is a new eligibility center, it used to be different than in the past when they went about getting kids to be eligible. There was two separate things with the NCAA. There was an area that dealt with, a clearinghouse that dealt with courses, and another part that dealt with SATs and ACTs and things like that. They moved it all under one roof now, out in Indianapolis, it’s a whole new things starting this year, and its called the eligibility center, and I’m not saying it was easier to get guys cleared in the past, because maybe they weren’t in the same building, but its hard to kind of explain that, but what is happening now because there is a whole new situation set up, is that they are a lot more thorough, and its takes a lot more time, I think they break everything down now, its just a whole different system than it used to be. So I just want to throw that out there for fans who are thinking why is it taking so long and what happened last year with Michael Glover, and why is it taking so long for Melvyn Oliver. Its not that you can really predict or project that. People said, well coach didn’t you know that this could happen when you took these guys? But you have to understand that these guys on paper and in writing are eligible, so when we bring them here, we expect them to be cleared. Now if it takes longer than we expected its because you can’t know all the time which cases the NCAA is going grab and see, well these guys went to multiple high schools, this young man I need to look at over here, this guy I need to check this out, this guy has a learning disability, this guy doesn’t. So I just want to throw that out there to educate our fans. I don’t want to go off too much and get to your original question. I want to say I am confident in this roster. I have concerns, yeah I have questions, are we ever going to get Michael Glover on the court, is Melvyn Oliver going to get cleared, if so, when? What is going to happen with Keon Lawrence, is he going to play in December. Yes we have questions, but the coaches job at the end of the day, when I look at the team, everyday in practice, when I look at the future of the program, I walk away saying, this is the most talent I have had here at Seton Hall, it’s the most comfortable I have felt with the roster since I took the job, I know what it take to build a program because I was at Xavier with Pete Gillan, I was at Providence and we got to the Elite 8 at Providence, when Rick Barns left we were kind of down at the bottom. When I left Providence and went to Virginia, we took over for Jeff Jones and started at the bottom and helped Pete build that up. When I came to Manhattan they were picked at the bottom of the league and we built that up. When I came to Seton Hall and we were picked 15 out of 16, I had already been through 5 or 6 rebuilding jobs. So when I say that this roster has the most talent that I’ve seen, I mean that in the next couple of years, this team could be a Sweet 16 type team with some breaks. You need some luck, you have to keep everybody healthy, make sure they are eligible, you have to get a couple of pieces to go with what we got, but I know I’m probably putting pressure on myself by saying something like that and the fans out there might think that is a bold prediction but I’ve been to the Elite 8 at Providence, and almost to the Sweet 16 at Manhattan, so I’m telling you that this team is going to be terrific in the next year to two years.

WSOU: Now coach this team you are talking at has three captains this year. These captains, how did you pick these players, you look at them, what do you expect from them, how did you pick these players?

BG: Well I think that’s another good question. Paul Gause, natural leader. 4 years, senior, fan favorite, energy guy, toughness, battle back from the ACL injury, he looks tremendous to me, you can’t even tell he was ever hurt. He has got that football mentality, and I think he’ll be a great captain. John Garcia, the reason why we went with him even though he is not a pure senior is that he is another 4 year guy. He has battled through some surgeries, just a hard working guy. Eugene might have been a little bit of a surprise pick for a couple of people, but the reason why I did it is he is a junior now, he has played a lot minutes. He was a big recruit who took a leap of faith in believing in me when I first got the job. I wanted to sort of reward his loyalty. He has grown up a lot and has matured on and off the court. And I always like to put a junior with the two seniors because I always like to have the junior coming back as a captain for the future. So we wanted to reward Eugene a little bit, and I think he has responded to that. The other thing I think it forces you to do when you are picked as a captain is then all of a sudden you are forced to be a little more verbal, and the more verbal he gets, I think that will make our team better.

WSOU: Now with the short roster, and a couple of situations waiting to be worked out, you made the choice to take walk-ons. What went into the thought process of whether we should, and now that you are taking a look at walk-ons, how many do you expect to add or at least hope to add, and then once they are on the team, what are you expecting from them?

BG: I am ready to answer all of those things. First and foremost, it wasn’t that I was against coaching and picking walk-ons, in my lifetime, its just the problem is being at small schools at a place like Manhattan or Seton Hall, its not like a big school where there are a lot more kids around who are willing to sacrifice that kind of time to be apart of a team even though they are not on scholarship. A lot of kids get academic money so they have to keep their grades up to a certain level to keep that money. Its not easy to take a kid who is not on scholarship and say look, we want you to practice 3 or 4 hours a night, 6 or 7 days a week, you know maybe not get into a lot of games, maybe not get into a lot of practice and half a big part in the drills. When kids want to be managers, you know they really want to be around the team. When kids want to be walk ons, you know they want to be a part of the team, and it’s a big sacrifice. Though I almost feel a little guilty, that its unfair that you’re not giving them a lot, you can give them some gear, they can travel, they can go on some trips, get some food here and there, but you can’t do that much for them. So I found that its hard to keep walk ons because its hard for them to stick with it. It’s a five or six month season, sometimes guys want to do it at first but they quit because they can’t stay with it and I don’t like to take guys on and then they don’t last. Its not that I’ve ever been against walk ons, its just that I’ve always felt that its so important to take care of the guys, the young guys who are coming off the bench, and making sure they get a spot in drills, and making sure that you don’t just coach the top 7 or 8 guys, but that you coach all 12. So in the past, I have kind of shied away from it. But this year, we need the help in practice, we need the help off the bench, in terms of the camraderie. We need a couple extra bodies to help us in terms of the scout team, things like that in order to get ready for the games. So what we are planning on for this Tuesday [November 4th] we are expecting a great turnout. We sent out a flyer and advertisements on the internet, and we actually got 19 kids who signed up, which I’m shocked about, because I thought we would only get about 5 or 6 kids to show up. And of those 19 kids we’ve already gotten some phone calls and done some research and we are certainly aware of a young man who came out of Long Island who was a 6-5 Division I recruit that could have gone to some D-I schools but came to Seton Hall again, because he got some academic money, he came here for a certain major, and he is going to try out, he filled out his paper work. We are pretty excited about him, because he is a 6-6 kid who if not a Big East player he is at least a D-I player who could have gone on scholarship to some Division I schools. Then there is a young guy who apparently transferred here from Canisus who I heard is a pretty good guard. Then there is another kid who apparently came here from Holy Cross. So there are going to be some kids that my staff is going to put through some workouts and the number that we’re looking for, you know we though that 2 might be too little, 4 might be too many, so I’m looking in the neighborhood of 3 guys who we feel that if we feel comfortable with, that is a pretty good number. Now you never know we could get surprised and say wow there are more than 3 really good guys here or we could say that it only makes sense to take 2, but what we’re going to do is to let everyone know, we wanted to get through the first 6 or 7 weeks of the preseason so that it wasn’t unfair to these guys to go through the boot camp like stuff so when we do bring them in and they have to get in shape and learn some of the plays we will be closer to the games so it will be more fair that they didn’t have to go through all the stuff the scholarship guys went through. But what we are going to do is, the tryouts are Tuesday night, we are going to try to move quick we are going to try to settle on 3 or 4 guys, do some interviews, check with their high school coaches, check what kind of character they have we want to make sure their parents are ok with it. We certainly don’t want them to be distractions to the team, so its things like that. If we find the right two or three guys we will have them join the team, and hopefully the student body can relate to that, and come to the games and cheer for some of the guys that are on the bench, and some of the walk ons. And hopefully we will have a couple games where we are up and they will be yelling for me to put them in, because that means, when they are yelling for the walk ons they are either up 20 or down 20, and I like to be up 20 rather than down 20

WSOU: Just to clarify in the rules, is there a limit on how many kids you are allowed to have on the bench?

BG: Boy that’s a very good question, I have to check that. I know that like there is a certain number you can travel with, say, right now you might not be able to travel with more than 15 guys, so we have to find out how many guys are in the travel party, and as you say how many can sit on the bench and suit up. But most likely, we won’t go over that number. We have 9 healthy eligible guys until we find out about Keon, and then you throw another 3 in there, so we want to be close to the 14-15 guy range and the reason we want that is, in practice, you always want to have 2 teams, even if a guy is a little banged up or injured or banged up, so you can sit them on the side, but you can still prep 5 guys, and you want what is called the scout team, and you can take the walk ons, and maybe a guy that sits out and a young guy and have them run the other teams’ offense, or Saint Francis’s defense, or Columbia’s offense, or USC’s stuff. And that is why you need the bodies, because you need to be able to prep for the games. But I want there to be a down to earth kind of guy, I don’t want them to think I’m some guy sitting up in an Ivory tower and you know they never see me, except for at games, you know I want to be a coach where the student body comes and they are at the games and I’m high-fiving them and they’re high-fiving me, and getting me pumped out and we’re getting them pumped up and we all win, and they are connected with our players, and that means a lot to me. And the more we get this arena going, and I think the more energy we get down there, I think the better it is for our program and our team and I think that starts with the student body.

WSOU: Was the win over Louisville really the pinnacle of what that building can become with a force in there like that?

BG: Absolutely, I mean in the last 3 minutes of that game when we were down by 14, when Jeremy Hazell just got in the zone and starting hitting threes, and the student body got going, and I think they rushed the court when the game ended. It was just a shot in the arm to your program when you beat a top team at home I mean them and Georgetown were the top teams last year that fought all the way down to the last regular season game to see who was going to win the league going into the Big East Tournament, and being an epic coach like Rick Petino and I just though that the student body was our 6th man, the fans were just tremendous, and our players, every time a game comes up from last season, the first thing people bring up is the Louisville game from last season.

WSOU: The next set of questions is going to break down the in game strategy especially since you are going to be going with probably only 8 guys on scholarship, and a short bench. How do your offensive and defensive strategies change from years past, if you even consider changing them?

BG: No I think those are very fair questions, and I think that what you do is you still want to be who you are the core of what you do remains the same in terms of pressure D, up and down the court offense toughness, you know, fight, scratch crawl, but I think the place we have to be a little different is we have to be a little judicial about how much we are going to press, maybe turn it on like a light switch, maybe you are going to play a little more zone, maybe you are going to use two big guys with 3 guys, and then play smalls. Sometimes be big, sometimes be small. In other words, be creative. Use new substitution patterns, use things that aren’t traditional you know. The thing is, I’ve never had to, I’ve always had to coach that way anyway, and that’s how I’ve coached all my life, so I’m comfortable with it. Like, I’m not that worried about what’s going to happen. Obviously everyone would love to have a 12 or 13 all healthy, eligible roster with 2 shooters, 2 big guys, 2 this, 2 that, like Kansas, they’re like Noah’s arc, they have two of everything. We would love to be like that, but I think most of the time, at a place like Seton Hall if the 8 guys you have are tough, if they are mentally tough and willing to go to war and play hard I think they can win games.

WSOU: You answered it a little in the last question, but how are you going to use the big men? John Garcia, Mike Davis, and Brandon Walters, even Robert Mitchell. Are we going to see 20-25 minutes at the 4 for Robert Mitchell, kind of like Brian Liang? Or are you going to try to use two of the traditional big men, Mike Davis, John Garcia on the court most of the time?

BG: I think what you just said, and what I said are both. We are going to do both. Early in the year like when we play the St. Francis’s and Columbias of the world we are going to play Sticks [Robert Mitchell] at the four and go quick and play 4 in, 1 out, and play John Garcia inside and Melvyn Oliver if he is eligible and Mike Davis and at times when we get against the USC and the Big East that start two big guys, we are going to try Garcia and Mike Davis, John Garcia and Brandon Walters, Mike Davis and Brandon Walters, you know different combinations of bigs along with different, the other thing we can do is that is kind of interesting is you can play Jordan and Eugene together, you know two guards, times that we can play Eugene, Jordan and Paul, I’m sorry, three little, quick guards. There will be times when we can put Jeremy at the 2 and Robert Mitchell at the 3, which means we have big wings, two 6-5 wings that can really score with a point guard and two big guys. So even though we will only have 8 guys until we find out about Melvyn and Keon, and maybe Glover can join the December thing. But whats going is they are pretty interchangeable and pretty reversible so we can kind of use a lot of combinations within that 8, so obviously the big thing is going to be foul trouble, and keeping an eye on foul trouble.

WSOU: Coach, next month when the team heads down to Puerto Rico, you have a big tournament coming up down there at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Tip Off Classic, what do you expect from your guys suiting up against the likes of USC, Memphis, Tennessee-Chattanooga, stuff like that on the docket that is coming up for you guys, what do you expect?

BG: Well, I’ll tell you what. I think my team’s tradition is like last year when we played down at the Polestra when we surprised everybody and beat Virginia when they were number 23 in the country. I’m not going to come and say we’re going to beat USC or beat Memphis, I’m aware you know with the suspension of Robert Mitchell and its been a little bit of a controversial thing. You know we’ll be concerned with how many bodies we have going into the tournament and we’re going to play the best teams in the country, best coaches in the country, I think that our kids are going to be excited to be there, excited to play against the top 25 teams in the country, uh national TV, uh ESPN, we are going to see Ramon Ramos, a kid who played on the ’89 championship team and the 20th anniversary I think there is going to be a lot of motivation, and we are going to be pumped up to be there. I think we are going to get our kids to over achieve and play great basketball. You know its not easy, do you make predictions on wins and losses? Its tough because you know the bracket can go a lot of ways. You know the Chattanooga team is actually picked to win their league this year, I was just studying the magazine and they are picked to win their conference, so Memphis doesn’t have a walk in the park in the other game, and we’re playing USC, which obviously they are picked 2nd in the PAC-10 behind UCLA and then you look on the other side and you got Virginia Tech who is a top 25 team in the country, you got Xavier who is picked top 20th in the country, and then you have Fairfield, they are a MAC team, that is supposed to be one of the easier games, but you know sometimes there are never easy games when you are at a neutral site and you’re pumped up and you’re either up or you’re down. And the last team I left out was, um, Missouri, who is from the Big 12, so you know there are 6 out of 8 teams that are from power conferences, BCS schools, and then two teams, Chattanooga is not easy, so you have 3 tough tough games, so anything can happen in those games, but that’s what its all about. You get challenged early in the year and that will help you learn a lot about yourself.

WSOU: How does it feel to be representing the Big East in this tournament?

BG: I think its great, it is a compliment that they called us this year. Providence went last year, and they called us to do it this year, and we could have waited and hemmed and hawed about waiting for the Legends Classic right here in the Prudential Center in Newark, we were talking about some other things that were going on, but you know we said, chance to go to Puerto Rico, national TV, early in the year, represent the Big East, I said yes, lets do it, and I don’t regret it even though there are some concerns I think it’s a great challenge and I think when you coach against the best you want to play against the best and I think our kids will get pumped up for the game.

WSOU: Alright, lets take a look at some individual players. I’m going to put you on the spot and see, starting five, do you have a starting five that you feel comfortable with? And who are those players?

BG: Well, it’s a little early, but lets say we had a non-conference game tomorrow and I thought we could get away with playing Sticks at the four, if I thought that I would probably go with John Garcia at the 5, Robert Mitchell at the 4, Jeremy Hazell at the 3, Paul Gauze at the 2, and Eugene Harvey at the 1. Just because they are all experienced. Even though Robert did sit out last year, the other four guys were here last year they played, and you have uh less uncertainty. Now, yes, you have to worry about rebounding because that team is kind of small, but its quick and its also a tough team to match up with offensively, because now you have Eugene and Paul who can dribble-drive, you got Jeremy and Sticks who can shoot it, and John who can be a beast inside. Then you have Jordan and Mike Davis and Brandon Walters who can come off the bench and you can go big right from the start. You can sub someone in at the four, so that’s probably what I would do if we had a game tomorrow.

WSOU: Can you rank your bench? Where you would go, you are the first off, if everything is going normal, and say John Garcia is not in foul trouble or Eugene Harvey or Paul Gause, sometimes in a rare game they pick up a couple fouls. If everything goes normal, who is the first guy off the bench.

BG: Well right now its pretty simple since we don’t have a big bench. Mike Davis would be our first big man sub, and Jordan would be our first small guy sub. And what I’m really happy about is in the last two days I played Jordan Theodore 40 minutes against Fordham, and I have to find out what his line was in the game, but I thought he was outstanding. I mean I threw him into the fire against Gio Fontana from St. Anthony’s who is also a great freshmen at Fordham, and uh Jordan really responded. And Jordan played 40 minutes today in the blue/white game cause we didn’t have any subs and I think Mike Davis has shown the fans that he is one of the most improved players in the program that he dropped a lot of weight, he is playing harder and he is doing a lot of things better so I think they would probably be our top 7, with the names we mentioned, again depending on what happens. Because Melvyn Oliver is a very talented guy and if he gets eligible he will change some things.

WSOU: You had mentioned Mike Davis, some say he could be the catalyst for this team and could push the envelope one way or another, what have you seen over the summer and what are your real expectations for him, and where is the ceiling for a player like that?

BG: Well what I think what everyone get excited about with a player like Mike is that he has flashes of real talent and promise. Here is a big kid with long arms and long legs like Sam Perkins, reminds me of a long lefty, he steps up big in the Louisville game and blocks Earl Clark’s dunk and hits a base-line jumper with 10 seconds to go, and he can make some plays now, Mike Davis. And I think that what we did in the off season, where we saw the big strides and changes he made since last year where he didn’t understand how hard you had to practice, how hard you had to play, he was not in the condition to be able to run the floor like he had to like we wanted him to when he was playing the 5 or the 4. Offensively he is big enough to play some big 4 men. The question is, it’s a challenge defensively, cause if he is guarding a mobile 4 man, can he move his feet quick enough to guard a guy out on the floor, or do we have to play zone when he is at the 4. So those are some of the challenges for him. I like that he is in better shape that he is playing harder, he, I, here is how I would say it in a nutshell. Last year I think he was going to come in and roll hook shots and shoot jumpers and run around and be kind of a big finesse guy, but now he understands he has to do a lot of the dirty work, like block a shot, rebound, run the floor, be an energy guy, be like a 6-10 Paul Gause. And if he can do some of those things that he did today in the blue/white game, I think they caught some of the fans attention and said wow, Mike Davis really looks good. So I think if he can really do some of those things he will be a big part of the team.

WSOU: Are there any players you see that could, like Jeremy Hazell, come out of nowhere and explodes, opens eyes, anyone on the roster?

BG: I think probably Robert Mitchell, even though some people probably know that he has a lot of talent and he was rookie of the year in the Atlantic-10. I just think its going to take him a little while, he’ll have the rust on him early from sitting out last year, and I also think that Justin Theodore, he is not just a back up point guard to Eugene Harvey, he is going to be an impact guy. His on the ball defense is fantastic and I think he is just going to be, again he is like a point guard version of Paul Gauze, so I am very excited about him.

WSOU: John Garcia, how is the knee? He looked real good in the scrimmage today, will he be able to hold up for a full season, and also what do you expect from him in general?

BG: I think that John is at the lightest he has been, 250 255 it’s the best weight he has been since I’ve been here now for 4 or rather 3 years. I’m talking to him a lot about where I want him to play at and he is finally right there. I think he is running better and he is healthier than I have ever seen him, so and he played both days back to back without even blinking so he has had a tremendous pre season, hasn’t missed a practice hasn’t had any swelling, he really looks good now, knock on wood, because I think he is going to have a great year, and what we want from him is pretty much what we got yesterday in the second half against Fordham. We want him to assert himself and he just came out on fire and he was like a walking double-double in the second half, and he was a brute yesterday. And that’s what we want him to do is be an aggressive guy in the paint and assert himself and give us a sold threat inside. He has great soft touch inside, uh soft hands, and he is rebounding the ball better and is running the floor better so I think he is in better shape, and uh, again I think if John has a good year and if Paul Gauze has a good year that they kind of have to be the guys that when we get screwed up they have to step in and steady the ship and be staples for us.

WSOU: Eugene Harvey, had a different season then his first season here. A lot has been talked about here and there about why, what went wrong. What has he done this summer to right the ship, as you were saying and what do you expect from him, you know being your junior captain, he will be here senior year, the long term for Eugene Harvey?

BG: Well first and foremost I think last year was, it was his second year and I’m certainly not going to make excuses for him, but it was his second year in a row without having a back-up point guard and I think mentally he got, it was more mental than physical, you know people say well coach you just played him too many minutes he got beat up and hit the wall, but to me it wasn’t so much physical, to me, physically he was alright, but mentally he got worn down because he got frustrated he was thinking do I want to make people around me better or when do I shoot, when do I pass, I think Eugene is the kind of kid who has to play off instinct and I think his freshmen year he played wide open, guns blazing with nothing to lose and he was just playing with a lot of freedom and green light. I think when people last year adjusted to him with scouting they played off him and he struggled and I think he had a little bit of the sophomore jinx, but I think this summer was he went to the gym and lifted weights and put on 15 or 20 pounds of muscle so he is a lot stronger. He worked on his outside shot a lot, and I think he is going to be a better outside shooter when people play off him this year, and I think all around he has just matured and grown up a lot and he understands that hey, you know what, I don’t have to get the stats I got as a freshmen, that I can play less minutes and still be an effective player. And the last thing is Jordan Theodore, because now Eugene gets a shot in the arm because he doesn’t have to play 38 minutes, he can play 28 minutes and be more effective.

WSOU: Where do you see Theodore topping out in terms of minutes off that bench for you?

BG: I’ll tell you what, I think he could play anywhere from 8 to 12 to 15 minutes a game, and then as things progress if we have confidence in him, we could play him up to 18-20 minutes, so you just never know. You’re reading combinations and obviously you’re reading the Keon Lawrence thing and Keon could change the equation for a lot of people because he is a special player.

WSOU: Lets talk about Brandon Walters. From his first year through the off season, how has he progressed? And also what does he need to do to continue to continue the progression into where Mike Davis and John Garcia are at?

BG: Well here is what I think , I think last year, Brandon Walters is probably a guy we should have red shirted and we didn’t and that was our fault because we went though the Michael Glover thing and we weren’t sure and we were worried about bodies and insurance and how many guys we had and did we have the depth and this and that. But I think it was still a good learning experience year for him, but its kind of a general rule in college basketball and college coaches, an im not saying that everyone subscribes to this, but a guy is not going to play 8 to 10 minutes a game as a freshman, especially when he is a big guy because they sometimes develop late, and especially a guy like Brandon who is kind of a project because he didn’t get the ball a lot at Lance High School when he is playing with guys like Lance Stevenson and he is a guy who, you know needs to get stronger, you know he is a shot blocker, a rebounder, but he needs to develop the rest of his game and we probably should have redshirted him and we didn’t. So that was one thing that happened. I still think that this summer he went out, worked really hard on his body, worked hard on his game, and has made some major strides. He has improved, and he has gotten a lot better than he was last year. I have a lot more faith and trust and confidence in him now than I did a year ago. Now he still has to come a ways. I still think he will make some mental mistakes that I think are more of an experience thing. He is a kid who does not have a lot of game experience, and then I think he also has to figure out his role, and I think the more we can make that clear for him, if he can bring rebounding, running the floor, keeping it simple and again like Mike Davis doing some of the dirty work, I think Brandon can help us because Brandon is 6-9 and he has some attributes that can help us and he is talented.

WSOU: What besides Jeremy Hazell’s shot, because I’m sure he works tirelessy to improve his consistency, in his game, do you feel he needs to do for him to be a top guard or small forward in the Big East, what else does he need to work on?

BG: Well what we told him this spring and summer was that now you are going to be circled and you are going to be scouted and on their scouting report so they are going to try to beat you up, to double team you, to chase you off screens, you are going to have to stronger, you know get your legs stronger and you’re upper body stronger so you can continue to improve your body so people can’t wear you down physically. Secondly, was obviously, driving to the room, and working on making him confident to take it to the rack and get fouled and go to the free throw line. And then the last thing is, the stronger he gets at the mid-range pull up, the in between game, the better he will be. I think he is getting better in a lot of areas, and might be ready for a break out campaign.

WSOU: Now former Pirate Brian Laing, minute eater, 1000 point player, now in Europe. Can Sticks Mitchell fill that role? He is a smaller player than Laing was overall in terms of size, is it possible?

BG: Well, I think here is what is going to happen. Its going to be a work in progress. Brian was a four year guy that was forged and etched over time. I got the job he was averaging six a game, then 16 a game, then 19 a game, you know what I mean? It was built over a course of two years with Louis Orr, two years with myself with our style, our style of play, him benefitting from more touches up and down, more minutes, more shots, you know, being a 4 man, being a 3 man playing in the 4 was a matchup problem for some people, us giving him confidence to step out and shoot threes. I think it was a process with Brian, whereas Sticks, what is going to happen with Sticks is that he will be different than Brian Liang, different body type 6-6 thin guy, whereas Brian was 6-5 tough, high jumping jack guy to go inside, but where I think Robert will be similar to Brian is that Robert can score, in a variety of ways. And Brian got points, and Robert gets points, Robert gets points a little differently than Brian Liang got them, but he gets points. So I do think that Robert Mitchell with be different, but we do hope that he can get back some of those 19 points on a given night once we get into Big East play.

WSOU: The process of trying to get Herb Pope his transfer request approves now looks like its going to enter its 2nd stage of appeal after the first initial request was denied. If through all the resources, if he is not granted eligibility and he has to sit out the entire year, is there any concern or a feel that Herb might take the leap to Europe? And do what Brandon Jennings who was going to go to Arizona did, go play professional in Europe before trying to get in the NBA? Is there any concern of that?

BG: No, we have no concern on that, and let me tell you why, and I had this discussion with a bunch of writers and with his guardian, a guy who has been very instrumental in his life. See Brandon Jennings came out of high school, and wasn’t eligible for Arizona and he is a lottery number pick, he will be a lottery pick, and he didn’t want to wait till he was 19 to go to prep school, he had already been in prep so he opened new doors and new avenues by going to Europe. Where Herb Pope is different is he is an older kid who was already eligible in college, in other words, he could have stayed at New Mexico State and played this year, he didn’t have to leave. He could have waited and played, he was up for player of the year in that conference. He easily could have stayed there, played, and gotten drafted in the second round or go to Europe. He could have done that stuff before he came here, so when he came here, he came because one, he wanted to be closer to home, his family, uh, he has a baby, he wants to be on the east coast. The second is, he wants to have a chance to make the NBA, and he felt that, in order to get to the NBA and maybe be a first round draft pick, and if he stays at New Mexico State, and I am certainly not going to knock their conference but he knows to get the major exposure you need to play against the best, and to prove himself. If he comes to Seton Hall, he knows there is a chance he might not win that appeal. Sitting out is going to be tough for him, but at the same time, if he waits a year, works on his body and works on his game, and gets through it and he comes out the following year at Seton Hall playing against Pittsburgh, Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticut, on national TV, night in and night out with the Nets, the Knicks, the scouts, the NBA people watching him in the Big East conference, he knows he has a chance to be in the NBA whereas he knows that Europe is probably there for him at anytime. He probably knows that he could have gone to Europe literally out of high school and made some money, but I don’t think he’ll get frustrated and leave and pull up the plug, he has been through too much, uh, he is too committed to making the NBA and I think that if he was going to do it, he would have did it before he got here and even if it, uh uh, basketball is his motivating force, and its not going to be easy to not play in the games this year, and its going to be tough for him to watch the team and practice when he is not playing, I still think the fact that he came here for a reason, and there is something he wants to get and he is not going to be lured to go to Europe because he is not, he is not a guy that would go play in Europe and then get drafted in the first round next year or the year later, he is not a can’t miss guy. Brandon Jennings is probably going to go into the lottery no matter where he goes this year in Europe and that is just a different situation.

WSOU: Coach, our final question of the sit down today, and I want to thank you for stopping by, pretty self-explanatory, foul trouble was a big question mark last year at times, how will that be remedied going into this year?

BG: Well I think that what we did, what we did was, we kind of had this mentality that our first year, we just got kind of beat up, and we just didn’t have any size, we just didn’t have any bodies, so we said look, lets have a 3-headed center, lets use our 15 fouls we don’t want to just run around hacking people and put them on the free throw line too much, but lets make sure we are a little more physical, that we don’t give up easy lay-ups and easy dunks, and lets try to be a little bit more of a physical team, and we kind of got thrown around and beat up and thrown around like a rag doll last year. So last year we fouled more because we were trying to be a little more physical, now what we have to do this year, not just because the shortage of our players, a good defensive team, the difference between a good defensive team and a great defensive team is a great defensive team doesn’t foul, and a good defensive team plays good defense, but they may foul too much. And we need to get to the point where we learn how to play good defense without fouling too much, and the way we are going to do that is by constant drilling. You know, people think that its like the Mike D’Antoni thing like that little bit, because Mike D’Antoni was in Phoenix and he cared about offense and now he is with the Knicks and they think he is just trying to outscore people, but when he was with the Suns he got to a Western Conference Final and then some guys got suspended, you remember some guys got in some fights, and he was very close to winning a world title and when people knocked him he said, look, we won 55 games, alright. Last year, people said to me, coach, you guys were third in the conference in scoring at 77 a game, but you were last in the conference in points given up, so you know you are the worst defensive team in the league. Well here is the thing people need to understand, we led the conference in shot attempts per game. So when you play a faster game, there are more shots going up which means there are more possessions and more points scored which means the games are going to be higher, so some of it is style of play, but don’t get me wrong, we still have to a better job on the defensive boards, we still need to guard in the defense, half-court defense better, and we have to foul a little less. So there are things we know we have to work on, and we fell we are going to spend a lot of time on them this year, and uh, but I like where we are at, because I think we will be a tough out for people.

WSOU: Coach, I want to thank you for coming today, good luck on the rest of the season, one we will be looking forward to.

BG: I appreciate it, I just want to continue to insist that the best way to say it is, my belief is stronger than anybody’s doubts, so that’s probably the best way to say it.

WSOU: Coach, thank you and good luck on the rest of the season. And that will do it Pirate fans for this addition of Pirate Primetime. Be sure to check us out next week, for round robin picks, how we think your Seton Hall Pirates will do, and an interview with Adam Zagoria of zagblogs.net, part of the SNY blog network checking in to see what he thinks the Pirates can do in 08-09. I want to thank Bobby Gonzalez for coming on the air, and hopefully we will see you sometime mid season on air, you never know. Until next time guys take care.

Pirate Primetime Back with an Interview

2008-10-29T18:25:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Pirate Primetime will be airing its interview with Seton Hall Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez. For those of you that wish to tune-in, please do so Sunday evening from 7-8 p.m. Unlike last weekend, this interview will be pre-recorded. No callers will be entertained during this hour-long broadcast.

WSOU Sports will also be attending the Meet the Team event this weekend on the campus of Seton Hall University and extends the invite to everyone in attendance to stop by and catch some free promotional items,or, talk SHU Hoops with representatives from our staff. Also, be sure to catch us on the concourse of the Prudential Center during every men's home game for another chance at great take-home promos.

Don't forget, From the Stands, our professional sports talk-show, airs right before Primetime on Sunday evenings from 6-7 p.m.

Go pirates!

Best,
Jeremiah Sullivan
WSOU Sports Director
wsou.sports@gmail.com

Regarding the Oct. 26th Edition of Pirate Primetime

2008-10-27T11:30:00.004-04:00

To All,

First and foremost, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time out to tune into our program yesterday to catch our highly anticipated sit-down with Seton Hall Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez. We at WSOU Sports greatly appreciate our listeners and do apologize for not being able to come through on our scheduled interview. Unfortunately, the situation was out of our control. For those of you that submitted your questions to our department via e-mail or Piratecrew.com. I want to thank you for your time and effort.

As the season quickly approaches, please note that that in the next two weeks, we will have our official WSOU Sports Men's Basketball Preview show complete with student-staff picks on Nov. 2nd, as well as an interview with Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.net and SNY on Nov. 9th. Both will be airing from 7-8 p.m. on Pirate Primetime.

Please be aware that at this time, there is no rescheduled date for yesterday's missed interview. If one becomes available, I will personally post all necessary information both here and on Piratecrew.com. Please check these resources at your leisure for updates. Again, thank you for tuning in and to those of you who called in to voice your opinions. Don't forget to tune into Pirate Primetime throughout the season to SHU Hoops. Our number, as always, is (973)-761-9768....don't hesitate to call.

Best,
Jeremiah Sullivan
WSOU Sports Director

The Last Game At Shea: How A Marlins Fan Saw It

2008-10-14T18:11:00.002-04:00

By Pat McCabe

Let me start this post by saying that I bleed Marlins’ turquoise and silver, and have being proudly doing so since 1993. Sure, I was just a little kid who liked the team because the logo was really cool, but the connection I have with the Marlins quickly developed, and I have been locked in for the entire ride. I’ve seen the best and worst of times, and as any true Rays fan can tell you, seeing your team on the brink of the World Series after having the worst record in baseball a couple of years ago gives true meaning to the phrase “die-hard fan.”

Now, all that being said, this die-hard Marlins fan has to confess that for one day (and one day only!) I had to go against my Marlins. I needed time since September 28, 2008 to decide why I was rooting against the Marlins, but finally, I’ve got it. Now, its not my extreme hatred of those Philadelphia Phillies, nor is it the fact that roughly seven of the Marlins on the field during that game won’t be back next season, but it comes down to the fact that, because I live in New Jersey, Shea Stadium is the stadium I’ve called home. For my entire life.

The last game at Shea was certainly an example of the hardnosed, spikes up approach that the Marlins have played the Mets since they came into the league. The games are close, high intensity, and always end with a bang. Sure, I loved seeing Wes Helms and Dan Uggla club back-to-back jacks and take the lead, but when Matt Lindstrom retired the last Mets' batter, I realized that the stadium I have been to the most in my life is now...gone.

Now, a Mets victory wouldn’t have kept the stadium open for more seasons, but had the Mets made the playoffs, Shea would have received a fitting end to its long run. This idea holds true for the Yankees as well...both New York teams deserved to retire their stadiums after one final season of October baseball

Next year, when the Mets open their beloved Citi Field, I hope the Marlins come into town and win the game 10-0. But for one game, that last game at Shea, hearing the phrase, “Goodbye Shea,” will stay with me much, much longer than a Gary Cohen letting “the Marlins win" close out SNY's last ever broadcast from Shea.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Coach Gonzalez to Appear as Guest on Pirate Primetime

2008-10-13T12:31:00.003-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

On Oct. 26th, Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez will be appearing on WSOU's Pirate Primetime, which airs every Sunday night from 7-8 p.m. Known as your home for all things SHU Athletics, Primetime will be kicking off its preseason look at the upcoming 2008-2009 SHU Hoops season with this special broadcast.

Although callers will not be accepted due to time constraints, hope is not lost. We want to hear from you the fans! You the students! You the alumni! and You the station and University staff.

All questions can be emailed to our department email address, wsou.sports@gmail.com until Oct. 24th. After that date, ALL questions will be compiled and the tops will be directed during our Q&A session LIVE on the air. Please include your name and where you are from with each question sent.

Be sure to tune into 89.5 FM'S Pirate Primetime on Oct. 26th to catch all the action.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

College Football: Week 5 and Week 6 Round-Up with Da' Whiz

2008-10-10T14:23:00.002-04:00

By Brian Wisowaty

I wrote only two short weeks ago that this college football season was becoming bland.

Then, the Beavers struck.

Perhaps Oregon State read the WSOU Sports Blog and thought it was absurd to declare Southern Cal the runaway national title favorites after only five short weeks. Their stunning upset of the (at the time No. 1) Trojans, 27-21, has opened up the door for many programs across the land.

The problem with USC may not be that they have been overrated or overhyped, but rather that the Beavers play them extremely close in Oregon State. Consider the two most recent scores for Beavers/Trojans matchups in Corvallis, excluding this year:

Oct. 28, 2006: OSU 33, No. 3 USC 31
Nov. 6, 2004: No. 1 USC 28, OSU 20

Aside from the win/loss split, the Beavers rose to the occasion against the Trojans in both meetings, despite being big underdogs against a highly-ranked team. Impressive to say the least. So, here we are in early October with Southern Cal playing catch-up. Oklahoma will prove whether or not they are for real with Saturday’s Red River Rivalry game versus Texas.

And, if the Longhorns follow suit like Oregon State, my two “solid” predictions may be shattered.

Time to restore some credibility around here and reexamine the national title picture. In doing so, we’ll be able to see how exciting of a college football ride is coming up.

The contenders:

Missouri
The Tigers have stars all over the offense and an easy end to regular season play. I still get worried about the Big 12 Title game, let alone the Oct. 18 date with Texas. Essentially, the fate of Missouri may lie with the Longhorns. If UT can beat Oklahoma on Saturday, they’ll be among the top in the nation and ready for Mizzou come the 18th. But if the Longhorns fall to the Sooners, they might be just in position for the “angry upset”. Regardless, I’ll go with Texas to get it done versus the Tigers.

Texas
As to not rehash the above, the Longhorns have two key tests coming up. Look for UT to split. (That essentially gives my Saturday pick away – I like OU to win the Red River Rivalry.)

Penn State/Ohio State
I combine both here because of their Big Ten status. The Nittany Lions may be for real, but the Buckeyes are not. Terelle Pryor has done a nice job under center for OSU, however the ground game has not been the same since Chris Wells was hit with injury. Penn State will be the best in the Big Ten at the end of November, and should avoid upset through the next two months. It won’t be easy though, at Joe Paterno’s squad will meet Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio State consecutively in October.

The SEC field
Florida proved they can be beat, as I mentioned, when QB Tim Tebow is pressured on defense and a coverage unit can lock down the speedy receivers for the Gators. Nicely played by Ole Miss.

Georgia looked like they left their poise on the team bus when Alabama drubbed them with over four touchdowns in the first half en route to a 41-30 win. You cannot take a national title with an effort like that, or lack thereof.

Alabama escaped by three over Kentucky last week. That’s a legit problem, but the Crimson Tide look defensively ready to be a national title and BCS player. They’re the best in the SEC overall and should win the conference.

LSU, too, has taken care of business despite a scare or two (see:Auburn).

Again, I cannot see one of these teams running the table completely in such a rough conference. The Gators and Bulldogs have fallen, and I see Alabama (at LSU on Nov. 8) and LSU (within the three game stretch of at Florida, at South Carolina, and vs. Georgia) picking up the proverbial “L”. Though the Crimson Tide might win the SEC with only one loss, that might not be enough to hoist the glass football in early 2009.

Brigham Young
They don’t deserve to be in the national title hunt because they play in the Mountain West. Going to Utah on Nov. 22 should make it official.

To reevaluate, I’ll take Penn State running the table of the Big Ten to be undefeated at year’s end. I’ll keep with Oklahoma, also without a loss, to meet them and win it all.

Then again, this weekend (for a second time) could change all that. The joys of college football: every week counts.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

2008 Regular Season MLB Stat Leaders

2008-10-03T10:12:00.016-04:00

Although the 2008 postseason is well underway, here's a look at who finished tops in the Big Leagues this year during the regular season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Batting Average: Joe Mauer, Minnesota, .330
Hits (tie): Dustin Pedroia, Boston, 213
Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, 213
Home Runs: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit, 37
RBI: Josh Hamilton, Texas, 130
Stolen Bases: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston, 50
Wins: Cliff Lee, Cleveland, 22
ERA: Cliff Lee, Cleveland, 2.54
Strikeouts: A.J. Burnett, Toronto, 231
Saves: Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles, 62

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Batting Average: Chipper Jones, Atlanta, .364
Hits: Jose Reyes, New York, 204
Home Runs: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia, 48
RBI: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia, 146
Stolen Bases: Willy Taveras, Colorado, 68
Wins: Brandon Webb, Arizona, 22
ERA: Johan Santana, New York, 2.53
Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco, 265
Saves: Jose Valverde, Houston, 44

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now ?

2008-09-30T10:29:00.004-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Mets fans in and around the tri-state area are probably left asking themselves that question after an abysmal end to 2008. However, the one bright side of the weekend was Santana. Johan, thank you for that.

I checked my calendar three times during the latter part of the Mets'4-2 season-ending loss to the Florida Marlins on Sunday...just to make sure I was reliving a 'groundhog day' in 2007. There was no aging southpaw trying to paint the corners to no avail. Or an eight run deficit for a team to climb out of. Rather, it was a close game until the eighth, when the ball was handed over to the bullpen. Yikes.

The Mets have dropped the ball for a second year in a row. A new stadium is already being transitioned for next season; the former house being picked a part by wrecking-balls and scavengers. What's left of the '08 season is a bunch of...'overachievers'?

C'mon now, an organization calling such a large market home, combined with a hefty payroll and bills to pay thanks to the brandy-new Citi Field is going to call themselves overachievers ? For Mets fans across the country, that...is a slap in the face. Piece by piece, the Mets farm system has been depleted and necessary role players have been traded away in hopes of improving this team. However, far too often do the Mets find themselves in a position saying, 'Well if only we hadn't done that deal...'

A little late for that.

Does frustration begin to describe the feeling of Mets fans after the last game at Shea. How deflating an experience to splurge on tickets for the game, get the family out there, root your heart out...for a season-ending loss to a third-place team. The same team that beat you last year. In the same fashion. On almost the same day. Sure fans got to sit back afterwards and watch some of the Mets greats dance across the field. tipping their final cap to Shea before it comes crashing down.

But could they really, actually enjoy that type of ceremony? I know I watched it out of respect but did little to enjoy the moment. The sting of a deflating defeat after a promising season did enough damage. Hopefully SNY will replay the ceremony later in the week. Or later in the month. Or later in the year.

Why? Because quite frankly few actually know how long it's going to take to get over this one.

Your 2009 New York Mets
Ramon Castro
Brian Schneider
Jose Reyes
David Wright
Carlos Beltran
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Nick Evans
Daniel Murphy
Jerry Manuel
Joe Smith

The rest are anyone's guess...

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Catchin' Up with Gordon Klejstan on PPT

2008-09-30T10:16:00.005-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Hey Pirate fans! This weekend on Pirate Primetime, be sure to tune in from 7- 8 P.M. to catch our analysts breaking down the wide-world of SHU Sports. Men's and women's soccer are both looking to get back to their winning ways as the teams battle neck-and-neck with the rest of the BIG EAST conference. Don't forget about Volleyball, Golf, as well as Track and Field.

This week, we catch up with former SHU men's soccer standout Gordon Klejstan,who now calls the New York Red Bulls home. To find out what Gordon's been up to, and his thoughts on his days here at the Hall, be sure to check it out right here on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Make Pirate Primetime your one stop for checking up on the blue and white. Don't forget to dial us up at (973)-761-9768 and get your opinions on the air!

The surprises are just about over – it’ll be USC and Oklahoma

2008-09-23T19:27:00.006-04:00

By Brian Wisowaty

Has the 2008 college football season begun to lose its luster?

The feel-good story of my last post, East Carolina, seems to be no more. A dramatic 30-24 defeat in overtime at North Carolina State bumped the Pirates all the way out of the USA Today poll. Seemingly, a pretty harsh response to the team’s first loss of the season.

Now the eyes of the nation can shift to Brigham Young, the No. 11 team in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today poll. That victory for the Cougars over Washington on the heels of Jake Locker’s “excessive celebration” (and I use that term loosely) is now key as BYU preps for Utah State, New Mexico, and TCU in October.
In other words, we’re left with a BYU team that, at best, is questionably undefeated at this point.

Meanwhile, on the national title hunt, an injury and conference quality has almost trimmed the “legitimate contender” field down to two or three. Consider Ohio State, the clear class of the Big Ten. While that matchup at Southern California two weeks back would have been difficult no matter what, the loss of Chris Wells at halfback for the game made it a blowout.

Moving up and down the AP’s top ten teams, it can only be expected for LSU and Alabama to find out the hard way that the SEC is the toughest conference in the land. As happens every year, these teams will catch a hungry rival this fall, probably on the road, and get beat for the first time. In fact, it nearly happened to the Tigers the past week, just escaping Auburn with the 26-21 win.

I’m also not a big believer in the back end of that top ten, Wisconsin (No. 9) and Texas Tech (No. 10). The Red Raiders can score a ton, but do not belong defensively on the same field as many of the programs in front of them in the polls. And, the Badgers have not played anyone yet. Let’s see them get past back-to-back home contests versus Ohio State and Penn State in early October without a loss.

We are then left with the top tier of a few select programs and the teams chasing them.

Can Missouri stay on the field and compete with Oklahoma?

Will Texas be able to take their annual meeting with the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game?

Again, I stand by the Sooners explosive offense and physical defense. The answer to both those questions: a resounding no.

Moving forward, can Georgia and Florida run the table in the SEC?

I really don’t think anyone can survive the overall top-to-bottom talent in that league. Florida is very good, but Miami (FL) proved that an effective blitz scheme can stop Tim Tebow in his tracks for a bit. The Gators can be beat. I’d go out on a limb and say it will be Georgia getting it done against the Gators with their November 1 matchup “between in hedges” in Athens.

In regards to the Bulldogs, the SEC Title game can be what hurts their national title hopes most. It’s a tough spot, especially if Georgia goes in undefeated against a one-loss, angry conference foe trying to play spoiler. Nonetheless, prior to postseason play, I’d keep an eye out for Bulldogs’ November 15 game at Auburn as a legit chance for a regular season loss. We’ll learn a lot about Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and company on that day. I’m not confident enough in the Tigers that late in the season to call the upset, but it will be close no matter what.

That leaves the Trojans all alone at the top. Enjoy the Pac 10, no conference title game, and talent far better than Oregon has. They will cruise to the BCS Championship Game.

The Sooners will also have enough to join them there. No national title “BCS-busters” this year. For better or for worse, a big element of this college football season is simply waiting for the SEC to catch up with Georgia and Florida, respectively.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Last Weekend for At the Ballpark

2008-09-16T17:55:00.004-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Thanks for the memories Bears fans. This summer, WSOU Sports launched a brand new show focusing on the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Tracking every step of the 2007 Champs' campaign in 2008, At the Ballpark brought listeners interviews with the 2008 Bewark Bears All-Stars, as well as multiple players past and present.

The last show will air the Sunday following the last game of the Newark Bears 2008 season. To date, the team is 2.5 games short of a playoff spot in the Liberty Division, chasing the York Revolution. There are six games left in the regular season. Tune in this Sunday at 7 p.m. for At the Ballpark followed by Pirate Primetime at 7:30 p.m.

Petrone Powers SHU Men's Team

2008-09-15T11:06:00.003-04:00

By Pat McCabe

If you hear a loud rumbling on the campus of Seton Hall University this coming Friday around four in the afternoon, don’t be alarmed. The noise is probably the roar of the crowd that will be gathered to watch the men’s soccer team take on their first Big East opponent, DePaul. After suffering a 3-1 loss at the hands of Princeton, and a 2-0 setback to Penn earlier, the Pirates look to rebound against the Blue Demons as Big East Conference play begins and get back to their winning. If the Pirates hope to make a statement when they open conference play, they will surely be relying on sophomore-transfer Samuel Petrone to lead them.

Petrone, a Glen Rock, New Jersey native and transfer from Clemson University, has scored eight goals and racked up a ridiculous total of 17 points in just six games thus far. Petrone has been the spark for this Pirate team, as he scored four goals against St. Peter’s, one goal against Richmond, and a hat trick against Virginia Commonwealth University. This amazing week did not go unnoticed, as Petrone scored not only the honor of Big East Offensive Player of the Week, but College Soccer News named the 5’9” forward National Player of the Week. Oh yeah, Petrone was also named Most Valuable Player of the tournament hosted by VCU.

After a disappointing 2007 3-8 in-conference record, the Pirates will face DePaul, who they did not play last season. Coming into Friday’s match up, DePaul is 1-2-2 and looks to get back on track after playing to a 0-0 tie against Butler on September 14. Looking ahead the Pirates will face a tough USF team in South Orange on Sunday, September 21st, before hitting the road and taking on Villanova next week.

So this Friday when the Pirates take on DePaul, don’t be surprised to see the stands of Owen T. Carroll Field filled to capacity. The Seton Hall fans are coming out in great numbers to support this men’s team, and the players seem to be feeding of their enthusiasm. And if things continue the way they have, Samuel Petrone will give the fans plenty to cheer about.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

SHU Baseball Involved in Groundbreaking Tourney this February

2008-09-08T16:17:00.006-04:00

Courtesy of Chuck Sullivan, Big East Communications

Two of the nation’s most prominent collegiate athletic conferences have come to an agreement to participate in a unique and ground-breaking season-opening baseball tournament in Florida. The inaugural BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, will feature 27 games February 20-22, 2009, at various spring training venues in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, API Marketing announced today.

All 10 of the Big Ten’s baseball-playing institutions will compete in the inaugural event, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue. Eight BIG EAST representatives will participate, including South Florida, Connecticut, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Notre Dame.

The BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge will be similar in format to the popular conference collegiate basketball challenges that have emerged during the past decade, with participating teams competing against schools from the opposing conference. However, this tournament is unique in that it provides teams from two northern-based conferences with an opportunity to travel to Florida and compete against one another in outstanding, professional-quality venues located in a warm climate.

The tournament is scheduled for the same week that major league pitchers and catchers report to spring training, which will add to the buzz surrounding the event. Games will be played in the various major league spring training venues in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, including Bright House Field, Knology Park and Progress Energy Park/Al Lang Field, with marquee matchups scheduled as part of nightly doubleheaders. There will be eight inter-conference contests daily, with the two extra Big Ten teams competing against each other in non-league games.

BIG EAST/BIG TEN CHALLENGE MATCHUPS
February 20-22, 2009

Day 1 – Friday, February 20
Minnesota vs. Seton Hall

Day 2 – Saturday, February 21
Michigan State vs. Seton Hall

Day 3 – Sunday, February 22
Penn State vs. Seton Hall

The State of the Men's Basketball Team

2008-09-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

The men’s basketball season is still several months away, but judging from the buzz surrounding the program you would think the Pirates were in mid-season.

In what has been a wild off-season, the men’s basketball program graduated two players in Laing and Nutter that surpassed the 1,000 career points plateau as Pirates. The team also said adios to two others in Larry Davis and Augustine Okuson via transfer opportunities, and, learned that they will be without Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez for the first game of conference play due to suspension. Despite an already lengthy list of change, there was more to come. Highly touted Patterson Catholic standout Jordan Theodore will finally be suiting up for The Hall this year, along with Robert Mitchell, a former Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year who spent last year on the bench after transferring from Duquesne.

Also donning the blue and white this year will be shooting guard Jamel Jackson, a former Junior College Division I Third Team All-American that could replace the outside presence left vacant in Nutter’s absence. In a quest to add power and size to a team that was beaten up down low at times last season, Coach Gonzalez will also be bringing in former Mississippi Elite Christian Academy center Melvyn Oliver. According to the team’s roster, the freshman from Long Beach, Ca. comes in at 6’11 weighing 340 lbs. Oliver will offer Gonzalez a sizeable force to be used against larger teams. The only question is how many minutes Oliver can play and how refined his basketball fundamentals are.

Returning for the squad will be three-point machine Jeremy Hazell, turnover enforcer Paul Gause, the size combination of John Garcia and Mike Davis, Eugene Harvey, who looks to rebound after an off year in '07-'08, and Brandon Walters who will need top play more this year.

There is no doubt about it; the 2008-2009 Pirates are a lock to be a mix of new faces and seasoned veterans. Question is, how will they gel?

But all of this came before the Pirates spent the early part of the fall semester stealing the headlines. In an interesting twist, during the first week of September, Coach Gonzalez didn’t announce just one, but two acceptances of transfers from outside programs to Seton Hall. First came local legend Keon Lawrence from the University of Missouri on September 2. Two days later, perhaps even more surprisingly, came the announcement that the Pirates would be welcoming transfer Herb Pope from New Mexico State to the program as well. There had been buzz surrounding the welcoming of Theodore for quite some time, and the siging of the a player with the size of Oliver was necessary, but the additions of Lawrence and Pope certainly come as a welcomed surprise.

However, according to published reports,neither Lawrence or Pope will be hitting the court for the Pirates at the Prudential Center this season due to NCAA transfer restrictions. Keon Lawrence, from Newark, N.J., starred at Weequahic High School prior to beginning his college basketball career at Missouri. While a member of the Tigers, his two-year averages were 10.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.1apg respectively. The 6’2, 175 pound guard also boasted a 43 percent mark from beyond the arc and was nicknamed the ‘Human Pogo Stick’ for his stylish dunks and pure athleticism on the court.

“Keon is an incredible recruit for us,” Gonzalez said. “He has a huge name in the state of New Jersey and he’s coming back home to Newark. When he decided to transfer, everyone in the country wanted him, but he chose us. I think that really says something about where we’re headed as a program.”

In the case of Herb Pope, the team will be filling a long-standing void at power forward. While at New Mexico State, the 6’8, 235 pound Pope averaged 11.1 ppg, along with 6.8 rebounds while starting 12 of the 16 games he appeared in. As a senior at Aliquippa High School in Pennsylvania, Pope was ranked by Scout.com as the #16 best recruit in the country, coming in as the sixth best power forward overall. Both Pope and Lawrence will be able to practice with the team this season. Come next year, when both can actually play, Lawrence will have junior status while Pope will be considered a sophomore.

“Herb is a special recruit and a talented young man,” Gonzalez said. “He’s looking forward to a new start at Seton Hall. We believe he has a very bright future with unlimited potential.”

So where does his leave the Pirates? For the 2008-2009 season, the team will be looking at the continued development of players like Davis and Oliver to help create a combination to pair Garcia with against more sizeable teams in the Big East. The resurgence of Eugene Harvey will also be something to watch for after his down year last season. Look for Theodore to make an immediate impact upon joining the Pirates this year, and don’t forget about Robert Mitchell. If he can come close to duplicating the season he had at Duquesne, The Hall should be pleased. The fact of the matter is though, this team still has a logjam at the guard position.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Pirate Primetime is Back at The Hall on WSOU

2008-09-08T12:39:00.007-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Hey Pirate fans! Hopefully the summer wasn't too long of a wait for you. Now that the fall semester is here Pirate Sports are back on at WSOU. From now until the end of the 2008-2009 academic year, tune in every Sunday from 7-8 P.M. to catch top-notch analysis from the WSOU Sports team as we break down everything blue and white. Every University team in season will be discussed during our broadcast, with in-depth analysis and interviews.

And of course, there will be lots and lots of basketball banter.

Pirate fans are encouraged to give us a shout on our hotline at(973)-761-9768 and get their opinions and concerns on the air! Students, alumni, all are welcome. If you can't be near a radio, log onto www.wsou.net to stream our broadcast live.

Make 89.5FM your sports home every Sunday night. And remember, 'WSOU Sports, Your Leader in Coverage of Seton Hall Athletics.'

*At the Ballpark, a comprehensive look at the NWK Bears season, will air from 7-7:30 P.M. Sunday nights until the completion of the team's 2008 campaign, which is scheduled to conclude on Sept. 21 barring any playoff appearance. Pirate Primetime will return to a full-hour thereafter.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Guess What? I'm Still Picking the Yanks

2008-09-08T12:03:00.003-04:00

By Pat McCabe

The last time the New York Yankees did not make the playoffs, Bill Clinton was in the 5th year of his presidency, OJ Simpson was trying on gloves in a courtroom, and the first DVD was released.

Now with just 19 games remaining, the Yankees sit 8.5 games behind division rival Boston for the AL Wild Card spot. What does this mean? Well for the first time since I have followed baseball in my life, I may not see the Yankees playing in October. However, for as long as I have followed baseball, I can't recall so much buzz surrounding a team almost 9 games out of the playoff hunt. So, as baseball fans we must ask, “can they do it?”

Now my answer may seem odd to a lot of Yankee fans, but when responding to this question, the Yankees should look to their crosstown rival Mets for the answer: “Ya Gotta’ Believe.” Looking up and down the Yankees roster there I see baseball greats capable of making the seemingly impossible...possible.

I cannot say that the Yankees will ride the arms of Sidney Ponson or Carl Pavano to the postseason. However, I can say that Jeter, Giambi, Rodriguez, Damon, and Abreu have the potential to spark this team to the greatest September comeback story in baseball history.

Really?

Yes. Really.

This road to the postseason will be tough for the Yankees. With games against Anaheim, Boston, Toronto, and the Chicago White Sox, this is clearly no walk in the park. Anaheim has the youngest player ever to reach 200 career saves lurking in their bullpen in K-Rod. Rodriguez will be looking to pick up at least two saves to tie Bobby Thigpen for most in a season all time and sure-up the AL West when the Yanks are in town. Boston is only a game out of the top spot in the AL and will be itching to beat-up their favorite rival in an effort to surpass the Rays. Toronto just swept Tampa and would love to finish ahead of the Yanks. As for Chicago, their potential AL MVP candidate Carlos Quntin is now out for the season with a broken wrist, but that team sure can still hit some homers.

However, when I was coming up with how I would predict the Yankees to finish, I thought, if this feat was to be accomplished by a baseball team, this Yankee team is the one to do it.

As the Yankees move into their three game series tonight in Anaheim, it is clear that this is crunch time. Now for my bold prediction for you readers to hate or love: the New York Yankees will win two out of the three games against the Angels and begin a run that will catapult them into the wild card spot.

Yes. There will be baseball in Yankee Stadium come October

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

College Football Week 2: Lets Go ECU Pirates!

2008-09-08T11:58:00.002-04:00

By Brian Wisowaty

By virtue of team nickname, maybe Seton Hall fans can jump on the red-hot East Carolina bandwagon. After stunning the Virginia Tech Hokies on the first Saturday of the college football season, the Pirates put a beat-down on Pat White and the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers, 24-3.

Keep in mind, West Virginia came into the game as the number eight team in the nation.

Is this a case of a hot start, or perhaps was ECU just underrated from the start? Consider the leader on the field for the Pirates, quarterback Patrick Pinkney. His father was under center at QB for the team way back when, thus giving us a nice father-to-son overture in this story. Statistically, younger Pinkney went 22 of 28 against West Virginia, including a touchdown and 236 passing yards.

Against the Hokies on August 30: 19 of 23 for 211 yards and a TD. Looking at the line scores for him, he has two individual quarterback ratings above the 160.0 mark to start a season. Not bad for a player that not many people even knew about three weeks ago.

And for East Carolina, the road gets a bit easier as the year goes on. A trip to Tulane is on the radar for next Saturday, with contests at Virginia, at UCF, and versus UTEP later on this season. Other than those, the schedule isn’t too daunting.

It can get rough if the Pirates stay hot, simply because the lower-level teams on the schedule will circle the upcoming match-up against them and try to play spoiler. Plus, the emotional drop-off after beating two ranked major-conference teams might keep need week’s game “closer than the experts think”.

But, I’d trust Pinkney and the Pirates to keep it rolling. East Carolina should hit the polls this week ranked somewhere between 15 and 25. But, most importantly, it’s way too early to mention BCS talk for these kids.

Quick hits:

• Gosh, did Notre Dame ever give its fans a scare at home versus San Diego State. Quarterback Jimmy Claussen bailed the Fighting Irish out of a loss that could have set things back painfully for the team. It could be a long season in South Bend if this keeps up.

• The personal foul for excessive celebration assessed to Washington quarterback Jake Locker was absolute ludicrous in their game versus Brigham Young. In case you missed it, a last second scramble run by Locker brought the Huskies within one point, but the penalty pushed the PAT attempt back 15 yards. Of course, BYU blocked the kick and escaped with a one point win. The foul came, as the officials said, because Locker flipped the ball over his shoulder, or “tossed it into the air” (not to the official or near the line of scrimmage). Give me a break. Interpret the rules to keep the game in the players’ hands. On a related note, kudos to the Washington coaches and players in staying respectful of the atrocious decision by the Pac 10 officiating crew.

• USC and Ohio State have survived weeks one and two. Now, we have a week three showdown in The Coliseum to shake up the national title mix. The injury to Buckeyes HB Chris Wells in week one hurt them versus Ohio in game two, but he should return against the Trojans.

• Pitt, after embarrassing themselves last weekend and proving head coach Dave Wannstadt may be on his way out, picked up a redemption win against Buffalo. Though the Bulls aren’t a conference foe, a loss to them would have sent the Panthers into an early tailspin.

• The Rutgers loss to Fresno State in week one showed (a) HB Ray Rice will be greatly missed and (b) QB Mike Teel still has work to do. The problem is that we’ve been saying this about Teel for years.

• Miami hung tough with Florida, despite the final score not indicating such. Aside being disgusted with UF coach Urban Meyer in seemingly trying to run up the score late (QB Tim Tebow was launching deep passes for no reason in the fourth quarter), I leave the game as a Hurricanes fan very optimistic about the future. It’s also worth noting that a questionable and controversial overturned call gave the Gators a red zone visit that broke the 9-3 barrier down and started the scoring. Had the call stood, and it probably should have in my opinion, “The U” would have forced a punt and maybe kept the upset brewing at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Nevertheless, it’s onto Texas A&M for Miami in two weeks, while Florida preps for a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee and an SEC showdown with the Vols.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Looking in on Women's Soccer

2008-09-06T21:04:00.005-04:00

By Tim Dooley

The beginning of a new school year and the end of August brings back another men’s and women’s soccer season to Owen T. Carroll field. In particular, the women’s team is looking to rebound from a tough campaign last year in which they failed to make the playoffs.

This year’s team has a plethora of young talent with only six players on the team having junior or senior status. One of the young leaders is sophomore Elizabeth Bond, who has started all three games this year as goalkeeper. Her role is extremely vital as she fills in for Amanda Becker, who was a former mainstay at the position, starting 55 games in the past three years for the Pirates. Taylor Wilson, Ashley Beamish, and Lauren Lehman are three freshman who have started in all three games this year for the Pirates. Nicki Gross, a sophomore, is another young player who has contributed much to the team already, having the second most goals and points on the team while starting in 17 games last season.

Katie Andreski, a junior, started in 15 games last season, and so far has been a major factor in the Pirates’ recent success. In the 2008 campaign, Andreski scored two goals in 6-0 win over Sacred Heart and provided the only goal in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis. Megan Mills, a junior who started in sixteen games last year, returns to the team as a defender. Anne Anders and Cassie Gioia, return as the Pirates’ only two seniors.

The team has showed success in the early 2008 campaign. After opening the season with a tough loss to Saint Louis, the team, lead by second year coach Kazbek Tambi, has pulled off two straight wins. After stomping Sacred Heart the Pirates defeated Marist 2-1. Tomorrow they will be playing Fairfield University before taking on Quinnipiac and Columbia in the Saint John’s tournament.

The biggest test for this young squad will be their Big East schedule. Tough opponents this year will be last year’s Big East Champion, West Virginia. and National Division Champion, Notre Dame. The team should fair pretty well in the conference if players like Andreski and Gross have good years combined with a significant contribution from the younger players.

Special thanks to Joseph Montefusco for providing information for this article.

Just what is in a name?

2008-08-31T12:39:00.004-04:00

By Jim McCabe

I remember the days when Cincinnati Bengals fans were so embarrassed of their team, the fans who actually showed up to the games would often wear paper bags over their head. Break out the lunch bags once again Bengals fans, but this time, don’t bother cutting eye-holes.

You don’t want to see this. Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco.

Great. I, as a self-respecting sports fan, refuse to acknowledge this and thus, “Ocho Cinco” is still “Johnson”, Brett Farve is still a Packer, and Hank Aaron is still home-run king. More so than an act of humor, Johnson, a player who was out of the national headlines last season, is looking to inject himself into the spotlight this year with more antics that simply derive from the game of football.

Yes, of course we all enjoy the over-the-top touchdown celebrations, who doesn’t? But who do you, as a sports fan, respect more? The guy who scores a touchdown and begins to dance in the fashion of a seizure victim? Or the player who scores, tosses the ball to the ref, and returns to the huddle to get the extra point?

Mr. Johnson, if by some means you happen to read this (and I pray you do), you are single-handily ruining the game of football. Well, there’s a few of you that are ruining the game of football. The Chad Johnsons and Ray Lewises of the game would rather do something so outlandish that they make headlines, rather than win games.

Case in point: numerous times, Johnson has been slapped with a fine for excessive celebration after scoring a touchdown. While seemingly harmless, this distracts people from the game. It distracts the fans, distracts the coaches, and certainly distracts the players. Head Coach Marvin Lewis has expressed on several occasions his disdain for Johnson’s stunts. If you don’t listen or respect your Head Coach, I don’t care how good you are. You aren’t worth the number on the back of your jersey.

Mr. Johnson, a few truths for you:
No one, outside the city of Cincinnati, cares.
Let’s be real, people inside the city of Cincinnati probably don’t care.
“Ocho Cinco” does NOT mean “Eighty Five” in Spanish.

I have compiled a list of other athletes who should change their name or number to more accurately represent their personality or playing style.

Brett Farve – Change his age to 62 (the retirement age). Get him off of my TV.
Jeff Cirilo – Change his number to his current trade value: 00
John Rocker – Change his middle name to “Isoffhis”
Alex Rodriguez – Change his last name to “Clutch”
The New Orleans Saints – Change team name to “New Orleans Aint’s”
Baltimore Orioles – Change team name to “Can’t Play Ball”
Chad Ocho Cinco – Change his last name to “Johnson”

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

WSOU Sports Bringing Back SHU Soccer

2008-08-28T11:29:00.005-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Ok Pirate fans, school is just about back in session and the exhibition season for fall sports at the Hall is already underway. It's time to get ready to head back out to Owen T. Carroll field to catch another year of blue and white soccer.

Can't catch the game from the stands? Be sure to tune into 89.5 FM WSOU for your SHU soccer action.

Don't have the radio handy at home? Be sure to log onto www.wsou.net to catch all the action streaming on the web.

It's recommended you download the most up to date version of Mozilla Firefox if you plan to catch us online.

The following select games will be offered to our listeners this upcoming season:

MON Sept. 1
Men's Soccer vs. St. Peter's at 1:00 PM

FRI Sept. 19
Women's Soccer vs. Rutgers at 7:00 PM

SUN Sept. 28
Men's Soccer @ Rutger at 5:00 PM

SAT Oct. 4
Men's Soccer vs. Providence at 7:00 PM

SUN Oct. 5
Women's Soccer vs. Pittsburgh at 1:00 PM

SUN Oct. 12
Women's Soccer vs. Louisville at 7:00 PM

SUN Oct. 19
Women's Soccer @ St. John's at 7:00 PM

SAT Oct. 25
Men's Soccer vs. Pittsburgh at 3:00 PM

Also offered this year for Pirate sports fans will be Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Baseball and Softball broadcasts!

Checkin' In on the NL East

2008-08-27T11:31:00.007-04:00

By Timothy Dooley

With a little more than one month to go in the regular season, the NL East remains up for grabs. The New York Mets, who had an murky and unpredictable first half of the season, have since been on fire after picking up a new manager just before the All-Star break. Since Jerry Manuel has come on board, the Mets have amassed a 38-28 record, ripping of a 10-game winning streak prior to July 15th. Intended staff ace Johann Santana looks like he'll earn his $16.9 million a year, by having a 2.64 ERA and winning his last five games. (where he was given a decision). However, it's sure to bet that the Mets still have last year’s collapse on their mind, as well as a shaky bullpen and a starting rotation with a hole. There's no doubt about it though; these Mets will look to finish strong and make the playoffs in their last year at Shea Stadium.

The Philadelphia Phillies have run a little hot, and a little cold in the month of August, but at the time of this post, have taken the NL East lead with a 13-inning slaying of New York. The Phillies’ biggest concern has been a lack of run support for their starting pitchers. However, the Phils have displayed an explosive offense with recent 8-1 and 9-2 shellackings of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and with that a sense of determination with a 5-2 win in extras after coming behind in the bottom of the ninth. If the Phillies want to defend their NL East title, they have do go through the rest of the division, with 8 out of their last 10 series against NL East opponents.

The biggest surprise of the division has been the Florida Marlins. The Fish don't have a single player making over $5 million in 2008 (Paul Lo Duca makes exactly that, and he was a National to start with) However, they play with the tenacity of a team with a payroll of 20 times that. Hanley Ramirez, the 24 year old shortstop, leads the team in average, homeruns, hits, runs and stolen bases. It goes without saying that he has played extremely well this year and is a major reason why the Marlins have done well this year. Lack of strong starting pitching, however, looks to be the Fish’s biggest concern and will probably keep them out of the playoffs. Don't you wish it was 2003?

The Braves have had a tough year. That also goes without saying. Despite having a strong lineup with Chipper Jones and Brian McCann, pitching and injuries have derailed the Braves’ hopes for a playoff berth this year. Combine the team's ERA of 4.60, and the injuries to future Hall of Famers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine as you begin to comprehend what has happened down in Hot-lanta. With the trading of Mark Teixeira, it wouldn’t be surprising if Bobby Cox is let go after this season and a total revamping of this squad begins. This just in: Mark Kotsay, a playing chip the Braves were reported to keep has in fact been shipped to Boston.

Finally, in last place is the Washington Nationals. The team hasn’t finished above fourth in the division since their move to the nation’s capital. With an extraordinary lack of talent, a lackluster GM and trouble selling seats, the team needs an ace and potentially a major offensive player to complement current players like Aaron Boone, Christian Guzman, and Ryan Zimmerman if they want to compete in the NL East next year.

THE BOTTOMLINE

With the Marlins fading, the division will come down to the Mets and Phillies. Expect only one of these teams to make the playoffs with the other falling short of the Wildcard spot. While the Mets have an arguably better starting staff, the Phillies have a stronger bullpen with Brad Lidge as the closer. If the Phillies can give good run support for their starters, than they will repeat as NL East Champs.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Who is Keon Lawrence?

2008-08-26T22:37:00.006-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

After the 2007-2008 season came to an end at the hands of a loss to Marquette in the first round of the Big East Tournament at MSG, the Pirates turned their sights away from 2007-2008, and began looking towards 2008-2009. So what has changed since?

Gone are two players who recorded 1,000 points in their SHU careers in Laing and Nutter. Also departed is big man Augustine Okuson, lost to transfer opportunities. Say adios to Larry Davis, another former Pirate who’s transferred too.

Who’s still around? Three-point machine Jeremy Hazell, the mix of raw-talent and foul –friendliness that is Mike Davis, as well as Eugene Harvey, who has to become a leader and break out of his sophomore slump this year. John Garcia will be manning the boards, though always trying to regain the form lost due to previous injuries. Don’t forget turnover forcing machine Paul Gause either; he'll be there. Wonder if we'll see him more on defense or offense this season...

New faces: Jamel Jackson, Melvyn Oliver, Robert Mitchell, and the highly touted Jordan Theodore. Oh and don’t worry, you will actually see Brandon Walters get some minutes this year.

But Keon Lawrence? Sure there is no doubt Coach Gonzalez prioritized his team's needs going into the recruiting process this offseason, but did even he, the man with a master rep for snagging kids in the metropolitan area, know that Lawrence was itching for a Mizzou divorce?

On Monday July 7th, Lawrence made his decision to leave Mizzou for a return to his East Coast roots official. According to The Star Ledger, the former Weequahic High hoops star decided his run with the Tigers ended "a while ago," but finished out the 2007-2008 campaign mainly because he didn't want to desert his teammates halfway through the season.

According to the same publication, Lawrence said after he got his release from Missouri, schools like Villanova, Louisville, Memphis, Georgetown, UCLA, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Pittsburgh and Rutgers all tried to bring him to their campuses. However, for Keon it always remained true that he wanted to play in either the Big East or the ACC. For him, it seems, Seton Hall was a natural fit because of the up-tempo style of play Coach Gonzalez promotes.

Perhaps last year's birth of a brand-new arena in his hometown might have helped a bit too?

So why did the standout player leave after only his sophomore season? Some reports have claimed that Lawrence felt snubbed after loosing his starting role mid-way through last season, only to regain it later on in the year after a former teammate was knocked from the Tiger starting five upon his dismissal from the University.

“The well-being of our student-athletes is always a chief concern for us, and with that, I have always wanted my players to be happy,” Mizzou Head Coach Anderson said in a statement released regarding Lawrence's departure.

“I feel by granting Keon his release it’s in the best interest of both him and our program. We appreciate Keon’s efforts at Missouri and wish him nothing but the best.”

However, for Lawrence, his version of the ordeal was slightly different.

“It’s not my teammates, and it’s not the fans,” Lawrence told The Columbia Daily Tribune in a story published Friday afternoon. “That should tell you something

Despite the current itch Lawrence has to return home to his roots, it appears that wasn’t always the case. The 6 foot 2, 175 pound guard from the Brick City said about his initial choice to play at Mizzou, “"I was trying to get away from home at that time," Lawrence said. "I felt I needed to grow up. Now it's time to come back."

So what are the Pirates getting out of the junior guard? Last season he averaged 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, and led the Tigers with 29.2 minutes per game. His two year averages for the Tigers were 10.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.1apg. Oh yeah, by the way he shot 43.3 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from 3-point range.

And get this Pirate fans: there is a chance that Lawrence doesn’t sit out this season like most other transfers are obligated to. Why? Well, according to published reports, Alif Muhammad, a close adviosr to Lawrence, the transfer student is currently seeking a hardship ruling from the NCAA. The request for the ruling comes as several members of Lawrence’s family are battling serious illness, and, it is rumored that Lawrence will address the NCAA with these concerns to help illustrate the need for his move back to N.J. from Mizzou.

If the ruling goes in his favor, he’ll be able to suit up for the blue and white this season. According to The Columbia Daily Tribune, Lawrence was expected to sign his scholarship agreement on Aug. 13th, having formally been admitted into the University three days prior. Muhammad said Lawrence planned to apply for his hardship with the NCAA by Aug. 16th.

So if Lawrence does suit up for the Pirates this season, he won’t have to wait long to show off his new ‘digs to his former Tiger temmates. Both teams are scheduled to partake in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November, although they start on different sides of the brackets.

Stay tuned you SHU-diehards.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2008-08-25T21:37:00.008-04:00

By Paul Roper

During my last year as a student at Seton Hall, I broadcasted many a game and witnessed the ups and downs of the University's sports teams as a fan. Unfortunately, the downs were more frequent than the ups my senior year, with some of SHU's marquee sports stumbling towards the ends of their respective seasons, leaving only a questionable future ahead of them in 2008-2009.

However, there were a few bright spots, and it’s only right that I point out the good before I point out the shortcomnigs.

THE GOOD:

Baseball – Although it took six years, Coach Rob Sheppard finally built his own legacy within the SHU Program, aside from the one left by his father, and guided Seton Hall to a Big East tournament berth. The last time the Pirates were there, in 2001, they won the Big East Title with a 31-25 record, thanks to a great mix of terrific starting pitching and an improving offense (Rob Sheppard was Interim Coach). The talent has gotten better thanks to Sheppard’s tireless recruiting within New Jersey, which has long been considered a baseball hotbed in the Northeast. The team produced two first-day picks in the 2008 MLB amateur draft , lefty pitcher Corey Young(TEX) and right-handed hurler Greg Miller (MIL). Returnees like A.J. Rusbarsky, Chris Spagnuolo, Chris Affinito and Sean Black will lead a Pirates team in 2009 that should end up in the middle of the pack in the Big East.

Sacha Kljestan – He may not be on the Pirates anymore, but Sacha is doing Seton Hall proud with his performances on the field for Chivas USA as well as for the United States National Team. Kljestian is considered to be one of the best midfielders in MLS and it was argued that he might have been the best player for the United States in the Olympics. Sooner than later, Sacha will go overseas where his popularity will increase but one thing is for sure, he should figure into the plans of the United States National Team as they qualify for the 2010 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa.

Prudential Center – The new building in Newark is the first step towards improving the men’s basketball program. The closer proximity to South Orange, better convenience and atmosphere make the previous experience at Continental Airlines Arena a mere afterthought, even though the Pirates played basketball there for nearly a quarter-century. The intimate atmosphere provided by the perfectly placed curtain-drapes generates a home-court advantage not seen since the early-1990’s. The one knock on “The Rock” is it's location and the bad conotation put on 'Newark, N.J.'. Having worked within the city of Newark for most of the summer, it is my opinion that the media have blown the “Newark is unsafe” mantra out of proportion. Couple that lack of open mindedness with the narrow-minded who are dead-set against stepping foot in the Brick City, and you get the uneccessary perception that the Prudential Center carries a bad rap. In fact. it is just the opposite. Go see a Pirates game at the brand new jewel of Newark and I guarantee you will walk away a satisfied fan.

Golf – One complaint I heard throughout my time as a Seton Hall sports journalist and broadcaster was that the “minor sports” never got credit. The linksmen of Seton Hall deserve some press for their third-place finish at the Big East Championship, one of the better finishes for a Pirates team this season. To add to the success, Kyle Morris performed well off the green, earning a prestigious post-graduate scholarship en route to continuing his education.

THE BAD

Women’s Basketball – The several season long hot-and-cold stretch for the women’s team continued, with a poor season following a WNIT second round appearance in 2006-2007. They came on strong out of the gate in 2007-2008 but lack of experience, along with key injuries, led to the Pirates struggling through much of their conference play. The team lost their final ten games of the season. With a promising freshman class and most of the core players returning, their trend of hot-and-cold luck should have the Pirates on the warmer end of the spectrum this year. Expect better things in 2008-2009.

Volleyball – Probably unfair to put them in the bad category, but their struggles at the start of conference play did cost them a Big East Tournament berth. The team does deserve credit for a great run at the end of the season but fans who aren't satisfied with almosts will continue to wonder what could have been. The Pirates do have one of the best middle blockers in the conference with Tricia Meyers and won’t have lost many players going into 2008, but the pundits have placed Seton Hall 10th in the pre-season poll, perhaps painting a bleak picture for the season. Hopefully they are wrong. I personally think the team can still improve their size to compete with the height of the Big East.

THE UGLY

Men’s Basketball – While I didn’t expect a great season, the lack of improvement in certain areas should be of concern to fans. Certain players have transferred out, others have not yet found their eligibility confirmed and the team defense could be an issue; there doesn't appear to be an answer to the Pirates' post problems. The sophomore slump of Eugene Harvey? The departure of two 1,000 point machines in Laing and Nutter? Will John Garcia be able to handle another season with his weary knees? Who leads this team now?

Softball – The once dominant program of the Big East had a 20-33 season in 2007-2008, losing all but six of their games on the road. It’s a somewhat unsettling situation over at Ivy Hill because the team was back-to-back champions just two years ago, but since then, they have had two of the worst seasons in program history. Kealan Waldron will try to make sure she brings the team back some respect for the 2009 season, especially since their baseball counterparts are on their way up.

Where’s Eliseo? – Like the Baltimore Colts leaving for Indianapolis in 1983, Eliseo Guisfredi disappeared in the middle of the night as well. The marquee player of Seton Hall’s men’s soccer team vanished from campus life, and rumors began to swirl about overseas signings with a foreign teams. However, nothing has surfaced to date on where Eliseo is and whether his soccer career will in fact continue, making him New Jersey’s most-sought after missing person since Jimmy Hoffa (at least to Seton Hall soccer fans). Don't worry though...he certainly isn't hiding under the 'turf at Giants Stadium.

Despite these lukewarm times, there has been success:

The move to Prudential Center

The Field Turf installation at Owen T. Carroll Field

The great fund-raising efforts by Pirate Blue
(though Bryan Felt deserves most of the credit there)

I offer two pieces of advice: “Be careful what you wish for” and “Give the man some time.”

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Who is for real?

2008-08-24T07:48:00.005-04:00

By Brian Wisowaty

I suppose this is part two of the previous post, and the time to get into who may emerge as a BCS contender this year.

Preseason rankings have been set for a few weeks, and the bowl projections are starting to trickle in. It can be clearly seen that a few programs are expected to run through their respective conferences and head into the national championship game.

But, even the casual sports fan knows this doesn't work anymore. The BCS system, amid annual controversy, and the strength of dangerous conferences (SEC fans, be prepared for a wild ride) can assure a fun filled fall until December and the plethora of bowl games. Until then, all we can do is analyze the top 25 and figure out who has some "staying power".

The top five and "cream of the crop": Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, Georgia

Florida has quarterback gem Tim Tebow who may be enough, along with ultra-athletic Percy Harvin, to propel the Gators back into the title game. I am not convinced, however, that UF can survive a tough conference schedule including a four-week span featuring at Tennessee, at Arkansas, and vs. LSU. Oklahoma is my dark horse pick to take the championship, mainly because of they seem much better than fellow Big 12 competition. And, on a local note, stay cognizant of Georgia HB Knowshon Moreno of Middletown South (Middletown, NJ) High School. He's may already be the nation's best running back in his second year as a Bulldog. Most overrated in this group is USC, as per to an untested quarterback core of Mark Sanchez and Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. But, playing in the Pac 10 will help them out greatly. Ohio State stays the perennial power with a talented defense and definite home-field advantage.

Rest of the top ten: Missouri, Clemson, West Virginia, LSU, Auburn

Clemson has the best running back duo in the ACC, with James Davis and C.J. Spiller. They are the class of the conference, and anything but the conference title would be a letdown. Food for thought: the next ACC team in the top polls in Virginia Tech, pegged in the 20-25 range. West Virginia can benefit from a Big East in limbo, with teams like Lousiville suffering a setback. Pat White and Noel Devine are just a more talented QB/HB tandem than Rutgers or South Florida have to offer. Louisiana State opens its title defense in 2008 with three easy contests before traveling to Auburn, a Sept. 20 showdown and marquee game for both squads. Missouri, once again due in part to a shaky conference, can emerge similar to Oklahoma. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin form a quarterback/wide out team that can put up points quick.

It's expected that your national champion will come from this top ten group. I'll go with the Sooners to take it all in early 2009.

Meanwhile, the Heisman watch never stops. In a short but brief analysis, keep an eye out for:

Pat White, West Virginia (favorite; will torch lower-level Big East teams)

Tim Tebow, Florida

Matt Stafford, Georgia (at quarterback, his numbers might be down if Moreno eats up TD's and stats)

Dark horse: Joe McKnight, Southern California (if the quarterbacks are shaky, and Sanchez cannot recover fully from a recent dislocated kneecap, this halfback can put up some big numbers)

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

College Football from a Student Perspective

2008-08-24T07:18:00.012-04:00

By Brian Wisowaty

There will always be those who wish and hope that Seton Hall University will develop a football program (again) in the future. In the meantime, and with realistic views in mind, there is no reason to ignore NCAA Football throughout the upcoming fall.

First and foremost, I am of the strong belief that New Jersey residence does not mandate required cheering and rooting for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have certaintly turned things around from where they stood five or ten years back, but there are many teams that can draw local interest.

You have the perennial national powerhouses that can draw fans from around the nation: Florida, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State to name a few. Some college football die hards, such as myself, live for programs who have been up and down in the last decade but remained popular overall: Miami (FL), Florida State, Alabama, Penn State, and "everyone's favorite" Notre Dame.

As a Hurricanes fan, I have seen Miami go from back-to-back national championship berths (record in them: a controversy-filled 1-1) to a team that failed to qualify for a bowl game in 2007. Nevertheless, I rank them amongst my "top teams" that I follow, perhaps on par with my dedication to the New York Mets. That's saying much for a college student at a school with (a) the aforementioned lack of a football team and (b) a thick rivalry (and I daresay dislike) for that university in Piscataway.

My following of the 'Canes is just a simple example that college football can matter to anyone who loves the sport. The NFL may have become a 365, 24/7 industry, but the enthusiasm, historic rivalries, and intensity of the college game is calling out to sports fans everywhere. Especially if they do not have a team where they attend classes.

So, whether you support a school so popular that they have merchandise in Jersey sporting good stores, or pick the obscure program that you can boast sole "fanship" over, I implore you to keep in mind: some excellent football is played on Saturdays.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Men’s Soccer Opens Up 2008 Season with Exhibition Tie

2008-08-23T21:38:00.003-04:00

By Steven A. Faulks

Seton Hall University Men’s Soccer got the 2008 season started with a 1-1 tie against Lehigh in an exhibition contest last Tuesday at Owen T. Carroll Field.

For Seton Hall fans this has to be exciting news as, at least, this means that the regular season is about to start. However, at the end of last season, expectations and hopes for a return to the NCAA tournament were very realistic. Seton Hall had an emerging, playmaking freshman in Brayan Martinez, who dominated New Jersey High School Soccer while studying in West Orange, NJ. The Pirates squad also had a goalkeeper who was establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. Seton Hall also had one of the most prolific goal scorers in the nation in the very energetic Eliseo Guisfredi.

Guisfredi, in three years, at Seton Hall had scored 29 goals as a Pirate. His ten scores last season, was 33 percent of the team's overall offense. However, in early February rumors started to circle around the international soccer scene that Guisfredi might be taking his skills overseas to play professionally in Europe.

And then the dreadful news for the Pirates became official. Eliseo Guisfredi, one of the best offensive players in the Big East, had signed a deal to join Spartak Moscow of the Russian Premier League. Suddenly the Pirates were missing a third of their offense. Suddenly, a team that at times struggled to score goals last year was now lacking even more punch.

With Guisfredi departed for whereabouts unknown, head coach Manfred Schellsheidt, entering his 23rd season leading the blue and white, will have to look to two sophomore forwards to make up for Guisfredi’s absence. Andrew Welker, from Cumberland Valley, PA, scored five goals last year as a freshman. Dritan Sela, the other sophomore, comes from Wayne High School. Sela has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. He had four last year as a first year player at Seton Hall. In high school, Sela scored 17 goals in 17 games, so be tween the two the offense is in young, but the potential for some punch is there.

Also in his second season at Seton Hall is Brayan Martinez, who was a Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year in his senior season at West Orange High School. Last year as a freshman, Martinez had 4 goals and 4 assists. Not bad for a first year starter, who is the best attacking midfielder the Pirates have seen since Olympian Sacha Klejstan left for Major League Soccer after the 2005 season.

Between the three, the Pirates should be able to generate enough opportunities to get shots at the opposition’s target.

A very young defense yielded 2 goals a game last year. Now with each having a season under their belts, the defense should definitely improve. The defense will also get an upgrade when the lone senior on the back line, Yomar Gonzalez, makes his return. Gonzalez only saw action in three games last year, due to season ending injury. He will join sophomore Kurt Cameron as the anchors on Schellsheidt’s back line.

Goalkeeper Paul McHenry is now an upperclassman. McHenry from Ephrata, Pa., went 7-9-1 last year as the main goalie for Seton Hall. He will have to improve on his 1.82 goals against average, if the Pirates want to compete at the top of the Big East Standings.

Highly regarded net minder, Michael Kuzan, from Union High School is waiting in the wings, but this year it is McHenry’s team. Sean Carr, got in 8 games last year for the Pirates, but McHenry is the one who will have to carry the Pirates, if they want to get back to the NCAA tournament, which they haven’t done since the 2005 season.

If Dritan Sela and Andrew Welker can replace the offense left by the departure of Eliseo Guisfredi, then the Pirates can compete. Brayan Martinez will continue his development, and will put on a show for fans during games, displaying the skills that make him one of the best up and coming attacking midfielders in NCAA soccer. If a young defense can continue to grow and improve and McHenry can become even tougher in the net, the Pirates are set up to have a promising season in South Orange.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Reflecting on My Night as a Rollergirl

2008-08-21T22:00:00.006-04:00

By Joe Murray

I was putting on roller blades for the first time since fifth grade except, this wasn’t an elementary school skating party. I was lacing up the skates, putting on the pads and preparing myself to step on the rink with the Garden State Rollergirls.

How did I get myself into this unlikely position?

Well, a few weeks before this ‘Punchy Brewster’, a skater, and ‘Thrillhouse’, a league referee, appeared on From the Stands and I happened to suggest that I would welcome an invite to experience a practice. When I got the call a week later that this was actually going to happen, I was both excited…and a little nervous. The whole car ride there I was trying to psych myself up and pretend that I could actually roller skate; and I was not going to make a fool of myself. After a few wrong turns, we stumbled upon the rink. After trudging through warm-ups, it was finally time to put the skates on. Then, it was time to really start the practice.

To my surprise, I only fell three times, although I was being consistently lapped by a rollergirl every time I went around the rink. Finally it was time for me to do some hitting drills, which was arguably the part I was most worried about. To my dismay, it did not matter how much football I played in my life or how athletic I was, I had no chance when it came to the hitting.
I was knocked into the cement walls as well as the unforgiving wood floors, luckily not breaking any bones. This went on for a good half hour, and by the end, I felt like I was hit by a train.

To say I was glad that the practice was over is an understatement; if it had gone on any longer I feel as though I would have just collapsed. When I was finally able to take my skates off and relax, I realized just how tough a practice it was. While it was definitely a great experience taking part in a roller derby practice, I can safely say that I am going to retire from the sport.

* Check out the videos of Joe's trip to Branch Brook Park right here under the WSOU Sports Video Link List!

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Shea's New Face in the Crowd

2008-08-21T13:53:00.005-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Want to guess who currently has the highest batting average among his New York Mets teammates? Better yet, how about who has a higher slugging percentage than David Wright, Carlos Delgado or Fernando Tatis? If you haven’t been paying attention to life after the July 31st trade deadline, than you might have missed the emergence of a diamond in the rough. Daniel Murphy, the Mets’ newest call-up is on fire. Who said the Mets’ farm system was left for dead after the Santana deal went down this past winter?

On Aug. 2nd, Mets brass made the decision to pluck the left-handed hitting outfielder from his Minor League roots and thrust him into the New York limelight. The move was namely done because manager Jerry Manuel grew tired of relying on Marlon Anderson, who was playing injured and out of position in left field. Anderson headed to the DL after the move was made.

And where was Murphy before all this? Believe it or not, he had just completed his one and only game at the Triple-A level before he got the call to the Show. After finding his way through the Mets farm system, it was in Binghamton where Murphy switched from his natural third base position to give second base a try. Let’s face it, David Wright isn’t going any where. Kudos to Murphy for making the best of the situation.

Despite the work he put in at his new spot, the 23-year-old prospect has seen time solely in a platoon role along current and former teammate Nick Evans. This says a lot for a guy like Murphy, considering the Mets’ most prized prospect, F-Mart, is still toiling in the Minors awaiting his shot. Heck, Martinez was invited to Spring Training with the big club this summer. Evans and Murphy were still on the learning curve in the Minors.

Murphy joined the team against Houston. Prior to that, he had a stat line that looked a lot like this: .308 average with 13 home runs in 95 games played. The Mets’ prized prospect in Fernando Martinez? Well, he was stuck idle hitting at the .277 mark with only seven homers in 74 games played. The fact of the matter is, numbers don’t lie. Team officials definitely made the right move in giving Murphy his shot.

Since joining the team, his performance has been nothing short of fantastic. Disciplined at the plate, Murphy has posted a .419 batting average with two homers, two doubles, a triple and nine runs scored. He’s even knocked in nine runs on his own. Oh, and let’s not forget in 43 at-bats, he’s only struck out six times. That’ll leave his OBP % right at .510---impressive. And the slugging percentage rests quite comfortably at .651 on the still young Major League campaign.

So where is the ceiling for a player like Murphy? Well, let’s take that question piece by piece. He’s a natural third baseman, having played the spot for at least 15+ years. In the Minors, he stopped to learn a new position in second base, but at the Major League level it’s been all outfield for the kid. To be the 12th pick in the 2006 Draft, Murphy certainly had to have some skills at third---in the Minors he had a career .919 fielding % in 196 games played. Overall, he’s only played 17 games at second base in his career.

The Mets have Damion Easley, Argenis Reyes, and an oft-injured Luis Castillo currently manning the second base slot. Could they one day use Murphy in the same way? It seems with only 17 games under his belt at the position it’s just too early to tell. So the outfield is where he will remain for now, under the guidance of Carlos Beltran who seems more and more like a teacher than a student of the game with such young corner outfielders alongside of him. But Murphy will learn…they all do.

For all the Shane Spencers, there are Daniel Murphys. However, which player the 23-year-old will become is yet to be seen. Not even the Mets GM Omar Minaya has a crystal ball that could see that far into the future. Though, for all the criticism he receives on a daily basis, for all the moves that haven’t helped much. This one is paying off great dividends.

Perhaps the real kicker in all of this is that there is a strong belief Nick Evans is actually the better of the two, with more pop in his bat expected to come. At the moment, he’s sporting a .277 average with 21 hits and five RBI in 76 at-bats. Of those 76, he as struck out 18 times and is still in the hunt for his first Major League longball. Could you imagine if both players really blossomed and turned up the heat down this division race stretch? Combined, both are hitting .300 from the LF spot to date.

That could very easily spell bye-bye Phils in 2008…and adios to the Mets’ abysmal nightmares of 2007.

And that’s my two sense.

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

The Tale of Instant Replay

2008-08-21T13:52:00.007-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Word on the street is that MLB all ready has a deal in place to flip the switch on its intended plan to integrate instant replay before the end of this season. According to ESPN.com, two baseball officials told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that as of last Thursday morning, instant replay was a done deal, with all of the issues with the umpires union being settled, and replay will happen "soon."

A replay report was given to MLB owners by Jimmie Lee Solomon, an executive vice president in the commissioner's office, a person at the meeting said. According to ESPN.com, the source spoke on condition of anonymity because Selig's remarks were the only ones that were authorized. Condition of anonymity…isn’t that just the most overrated word in sports today. However, thanks to the power of persuasion these facts slipped through the cracks.

Operations for the new instant replay system will play out as follows:

o Multiple monitors and phones will be installed near the field of every Major League ballpark to be used for instant replay purposes

o Video feeds would be collected and reviewed by officials who will then consult with umpiring crew chiefs before making their final call

o All analysis of video feeds will take place in New York at MLB’s Advanced Media offices in what is being dubbed ‘the war room’

To date, all of the replay systems that would be installed would only be used to either a) determine if a homerun ball was foul or fair, or if b) longballs that appear to just barley make it out of the stadium in fact do beat the friendly confines of your favorite ballpark.. Currently, officials are saying that it will NOT be used to call balls and strikes, nor will it be used to determine bang-bang plays. Isn’t it just a little too good to be true?

C’mon people, do you actually believe that? Let’s not forget that only several years ago, most of the league umpires went on strike, and a lot of the better ones have yet to return to the game. Take a look at the level of officiating before the strike and compare it to today; I bet you’ll notice a lot more manager ejections and blown calls with the latter.

Temptation is just that; temptation. In time, instant replay will become the game’s one and only umpire; there is no question about it. Only question is, how far off is it? Today’s fan wants perfectly officiated games and won’t accept ‘human error’ as a viable excuse for anything less. To have the type of resource that instant replay can offer, and a command center of experts at your service, it’s only a matter of time until lame-duck umpires start taking the field at a ballpark near you. Don’t think they’ll be out there to perform the YMCA during the seventh-inning stretch in place of their usual officiating duties either.

And let’s not forget QuesTec either. In 2001, the Deer Park, N.Y. company signed a five year deal with baseball to use pitch-tracking technology it developed to act as a report card for home plate umpires. Going into this season the contract for QuesTec was extended after the system had already been used to review 4,000 since its inception.

So stop for a minute and take stock of things. There was an uproar over the fluctuating size of the strike zone, and the consistent stress over the differential in called balls and strikes in between at-bats. The world saw the advent of QuesTec.

This year, the game saw an unusual number of blown home run calls or questionable rulings once balls got closer to the foul poles that mark the warning tracks of ballparks across the country. Or maybe perhaps we were just looking a bit more closely. Now, the world is awaiting the inevitable birth of instant replay.

So what’s next? If history serves as a guideline, soon a catcher’s throw down to second on a steal attempt or a pitcher’s pick-off move will come under a technologically advanced microscope. And then it’ll be the amount of pine tar used. And then it will be the dirt on a pitcher’s hand. We’ve already started to lose the human element of the nation’s pastime by relying on programmable machines rather than those paid to know the rules and call it as they see it, to get the ruling right on the field.

Fans and critics complain that games are currently taking too long. Just imagine how long it’ll take for a play to happen at a ballpark, and fall into question. Next, the umpires will gather together and hold conference on the third base bag. Then, it’ll be off to the review room in New York, then sent back to the ballfield for a review by the umpiring crew. Finally, the umpiring crew will hop on the phone with an expert in video analysis to get their take on the play. And then maybe, just maybe…we get to play ball again.

And then there is eight innings left to play, chock-full of manager trips to the mound, righty-lefty match-ups, pinch-hitters and t-shirt tosses to boot.

Let umpires do their job; that’s why you hire them, that’s why you have agreements with their union and that’s why they’ve been a part of every contest in the game’s existence.

Think they are happy about it? A report hit SI.com today claiming that the governing board of the Umpire’s Association voted yesterday to boycott a conference call with management intended to discuss implementing replay, angry that their concerns aren't being addressed. However, baseball reps claim the cancellation of the call rested solely on the lack of a replay agreement with the union.

But wait…as of last Thursday didn’t they? It’s a mess. That much is assured. I’ll certainly turn into a he-said she-said classic moment if enough fuel is added to the fire. The fact of the matter is, instant replay equipment is being installed into Big League parks across the U.S. as we speak. The umpires will be taking the field. And questionable calls will be continuing to grace the highlight reel.

And that’s my two sense.

*Since the posting of this article, MLB and the Umpires' Union have reached an agreement

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

The Enigma of C.C. Sabathia

2008-08-21T13:51:00.003-04:00

By Jeremiah Sullivan

So just what is going on with the former Cleveland ace turned Brew-Crew phenomenon?

The power-pitching southpaw form Vallejo, CA got shipped to the Milwaukee Brewers in a pre-deadline deal for prospect Matt LaPorta and two others.

Just in case anyone was wondering, LaPorta is in his second year as a Minor Leaguer and boasts a .284 career average with 33 bombs and 104 RBI. He’s sure to make the Show eventually, and will offer Cleveland a great glove (career .987 fielding %) and versatility. In the Minors, LaPorta has played left, right, first and DH.

But back to C.C. Since joining the Brewers in beer town, Sabathia has gone 7-0 with a miniscule 1.55 ERA while striking out 60 in 64 innings pitched. On top of that, the lefty has tossed four complete games and two shutouts, giving up only 13 runs overall.

And this guy never even played in the National League. Ever.

So that begs me to ask the question; what did happen to the former Indian? Dominant last year alongside fellow hurler Fausto Carmona, he helped pitch his team to within a game of the World Series. However, Sabathia was 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 18 games for Cleveland prior to the deal this year. To make matters worse, C.C. kicked of ’08 with a puzzling 3-6 mark.

This is last year’s AL CY Young Award winner we’re talking about.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget Sabathia’s teammate Cliff Lee, who was sent to the minors to work on his mechanics and was left off last year’s postseason roster, started the last All-Star game ever at Yankee Stadium and is the leading candidate for this year’s
AL CY Young nod.

Although in his first start with Milwaukee he struggled with command of his pitches, C.C. battled through six-innings of work to pick up the W. In his most recent start, (8/14) the southpaw was dominant in helping Milwaukee secure their eighth straight win.

So was it the change in scenery? Perhaps maybe the switch from a clubhouse with a ‘we’ll get ‘em next year’ mentality to one in the middle of a division race did the trick?

Or maybe, just maybe, the odd food-related relationship between Fielder and C.C. was what got the ball rolling.

Who knows.

The point being made is that with the addition of C.C Sabathia to the Brewers’ rotation, the club has a legitimate 1-2 punch at the top for the first time in years. If they can retain that look next year, really depends on how far this playoff push will take them.

Currently behind the Cubs by 4.5 games in their division, and leading the NL Wild Card by three games over St. Louis, the Brew Crew can see the October light at the end of a 162-game tunnel.

Sabathia will drive the bus no doubt.

Here’ the real catch. C.C. Sabathia could become the first player to ever win the C.Y. Young Award in two different leagues in back-to-back years. Fact is fact; the only guy Sabathia would really be competing against is Brandon Webb of Arizona. Fans may argue Aaron Cook out of Colorado as another prime candidate.

Face it, in the NL this season Volquez has hit a plateau, Dempster doesn’t have a shot unless the Cubbies make the postseason, Haren is stuck behind Webb, and Lincecum is young and still learning on a bad team who can’t secure the wins.

Overall, Webb leads the majors in wins. Against the rest of the NL, he’s fourth in ERA, third in innings pitched and ninth in strikeouts. Cook is currently the NL’s second-best in wins, 19th in ERA, second in innings pitched and doesn’t even rank in the top 50 for strikeouts.

Sabathia is the current MLB king in strikeouts with 183. Overall, he is 13-8 with a 3.04 ERA in 186.3 innings pitched. That ERA would rank ninth in the NL behind teammate Ben Sheets and his amount of innings pitched blows both Webb and Cook away.

With the games remaining on the schedule, it is feasible to assume C.C. would make roughly 10 more starts. Out of those, if he were to win six of them, it would put his record at 19-12 on the year…one victory shy of a 20-win year.

As for Sabathia’s running mates; The D-Backs have faltered with offensive production all year and the Rockies are not going anywhere fast.

What’s more impressive than starting off your season horrendously and then dominating in a whole other league and falling one shy of 20 wins?

Answer: Not much

The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator