Last Tuesday, for the first time in years, I was able to experience Seton Hall men’s basketball as a fan in person. The atmosphere for their game vs. UConn was electric. Two ranked teams battling it out in a rivalry that many in the Big East and around college basketball have enjoyed for years.
Yet, for the first time since 2021, UConn prevailed at the Prudential Center. Since Seton Hall’s loss to one of the best teams in the nation, they have dropped two more games. Last Saturday, the Pirates fell to Butler and then on Tuesday night, they lost again, this time to their rivals from Queens in St. John’s.
Now on a three-game losing streak, the Pirates have hit a slump. But, let’s be clear for a second, there is no need to panic at this moment if you’re a Seton Hall diehard.
Obviously, winning these games would have been so much better. Honestly, losing to the best team in the conference and the number two team in the country in UConn isn’t bad. Heck, on Tuesday night against St. John’s, the Pirates did well against one of the best players in the conference, Zuby Ejiofor.
I will say, though, the loss to Butler was unacceptable.
Defensively, during this losing stretch, the Pirates have made it tough for their opponents. As of Wednesday, the three aforementioned teams are all top-five in the BIG EAST in points per game. On Tuesday night, St John’s was held to 65 points. Last Tuesday at “The Rock,” Seton Hall held the Huskies to only 69 points.
Even after their teams won against Seton Hall, UConn head coach Dan Hurley and St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino gave credit to Shaheen Holloway’s squad.
“That’s a team that’s going to be right there for the BIG EAST regular season, BIG EAST Tournament, and that’s going to be a tough team to be in the NCAA Tournament,” Hurley said last Tuesday.
“Seton Hall’s a tough ass team to play against,” Pitino said after Tuesday’s contest.
Currently, amidst their recent struggles, the Pirates are second in points allowed in the conference with 63.9 points per game. Holloway demands excellent defense from his squads, so that hasn’t been an issue. Offensively, that’s where most of the problems have surfaced during this stretch.
From the perimeter, they can’t shoot the three-ball. Seton Hall has been shooting close to 20 percent from beyond the arc. This has clearly become one of the worst aspects of the squad this season.
Free throws have been an issue as well for the team as of late. Even with a top-five unit at the line in the conference currently, the Pirates have struggled to hit their opportunities consistently. In the past three games, the Pirates have been shooting 61.4% from the charity stripe.
After the UConn game, Holloway noted that his team was able to shoot better in their practice facility.
Individually, Seton Hall’s point guard Adam “Budd” Clark should have played better as of late. Yes, prior to the ongoing three-game losing streak, the Merrimack transfer scored a season-high 22 points on the road vs Georgetown. When he’s on as a passer and scorer, he’s incredible.
The issue lately for Clark has been his getting into foul trouble. In January alone, he’s accumulated 19 fouls, fouling out in two of the last three contests. Holloway did say Clark suffered an injured quad vs Butler on Saturday, which could be why he shot 0-of-7 from the field on Tuesday night. It also didn’t help that Clark didn’t practice on Sunday or Monday, according to Holloway.
Still, this is an NCAA Tournament team and teams will go through a tough period like this. For Seton Hall’s sake, however, they need to bounce back quickly. Next up for the Hall is a DePaul team that isn’t a pushover, unlike years past. If Seton Hall can end their losing streak in Chicago on Saturday, it’ll be back on track.
Fans have hope they can get it done, unlike what transpired last season.
