Pirates Begin Hawaii Trip With Nationally Ranked Battle Against NC State

Published: Monday, November 24, 2025

by Jack Pine

LAHAINA, H.I. - The Seton Hall Pirates are set to take on the No. 25 North Carolina State Wolfpack on Monday afternoon in the opening round of the 2025 Maui Invitational. The Pirates have started the season undefeated thus far, but they will face their toughest test to this point.

The Pirates are riding high heading into this in-season tournament, as they have started the season 5-0 for the first time in over a decade. So far, the team has looked vastly improved, compared to last year, where they only won seven games.

Seton Hall has unexpectedly been led by Tajuan Simpkins, who has been the team’s offensive pace setter, averaging 13.2 points per game. Simpkins has led the team in scoring in each of the past two games, putting up a total of 32 points in that span.

Another player that has burst onto the scene for the Pirates has been Stephon Payne, who had his best game as a Pirate against New Haven, securing a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Alongside Najai Hines, The Hall has built a two headed monster at the center position this season, as the Pirates average 8.4 blocks per game as a team, good for second in the country.

This will be the first time that NC State and Seton Hall have faced off since their first-round matchup in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The Pirates would go on to win, earning a 94-83 victory. The Pirates have not won an NCAA Tournament game since then, losing their last three.

As for the Wolfpack, they have been led by senior guard Darrion Williams, who was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year and Second-Team All-American by The Athletic. Williams’ 93 points through the first four games of the season are the most for an NC State player since Rodney Monroe in the 1990-91 season.

Tre Holloman has also been another consistent scorer, putting up 13.5 points per game so far in his first season with the Wolfpack. The Michigan State transfer had his best outing against VCU, putting up a career-high 25 points alongside Williams.

Of course, NC State’s offense is among the best in the nation, averaging triple digits on the scoreboard and converting over 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc. Overall, KenPom ranks their offense inside the top-20 nationally.

Seton Hall’s 25th ranked defense according to KenPom will be looking to secure their sixth straight win, and would be the most consecutive wins by Coach Shaheen Holloway in his tenure with the Pirates.

In what would be a major upset, The Hall will be looking for their first win against a top-25 opponent since March of 2024, when they beat No. 19 Providence. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. with Ryan Nelke and Nick DiBlasi on the call, with all the action live on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Jack Pine is an Assistant Sports Director and can be reached at john.pine@student.shu.edu.

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