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Preview: Pirates Travel to MSG for Big East Clash vs. St. John's

Date: January 21, 2022

By: Jonathan Heite

Seton Hall men's basketball's Ike Obiagu blocks a player from UConn during a home game.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU Sports

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team is finally back at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

In a pivotal middle-of-season matchup between two conference rivals, the Pirates (11-5, 2-4 conference) will take on the St. John’s Red Storm (10-6, 2-3 conference) at Madison Square Garden.

It has been a week since Seton Hall last played, and the team is looking to get back on the right track after two devastating road losses to DePaul on Jan. 13 (96-92) and Marquette on Jan. 15 (73-72). This is also the first time the squad has not been ranked since the beginning of the season, and they need a good showing from this upcoming two-game set against their tri-state foe.

Because of this past Tuesday’s Providence home game postponement, the Pirates are heading straight into this game with much-needed rest, and the Walsh Gymnasium home game on Monday, Jan. 24 is another rescheduled contest from Dec. 20.

There were a few reasons for the DePaul and Marquette losses, but one area that needs to be a major focus for the remainder of conference play is sharpening the defense, especially from the perimeter. This was a strength throughout the non-conference schedule, but once the COVID pauses and Big East slate began, it has become an issue, as shown by the Blue Demons’ 45% field goal percentage and the Golden Eagles’ 50% (11/22) shooting from three.

Today’s clash with the Johnnies will be star-studded as always, and the Pirates will need their biggest names to step up in the next two games. Jared Rhoden is fourth in the Big East and leads the team in scoring with 16.6 points-per-game, and Bryce Aiken is right behind him with 14.5 points-per-game and 44.8% shooting from the field.

Rhoden scored 19 points and a career-best 16 rebounds in Seton Hall’s Big East Tournament quarterfinal victory over St. John’s from last March (77-69).

Alexis Yetna, Tyrese Samuel, and Ike Obiagu will also have to be key contributors today in the frontcourt, as Yetna scores a solid 9.7 points and 7.5 rebounds-per-game and is also averaging 11.2 points and 10 rebounds in conference play alone. Samuel was one of the Pirates who missed a few games during the end of December-early January COVID pause, but is still tallying 9.0 points and 6.0 boards-per-game.

Obiagu also has recorded at least one block in 25 straight games since last season (longest in Division I) and has an impressive 44 on the year. The center is also averaging 3.8 rebounds-per-night and along with Yetna and Samuel, the trio will try to dominate in and around the paint.

Lastly, Brooklyn, N.Y.’s own Kadary Richmond will be playing in his home state for the first time as a Pirate, and the dynamic sophomore is averaging 8.3 points. 3.8 rebounds and has already collected a team-best 25 steals. After his 27-point performance in the UConn overtime victory from Jan. 8, the Syracuse transfer has found his offensive touch and has the capability to score at will.

Looking at the Red Storm, another Brooklyn, N.Y. native and sophomore guard who will most likely be matched up with Richmond in the backcourt is Posh Alexander, who is eighth in the conference in scoring (15.5). He’s also second in the Big East and 41st in the country in offensive rebounding (3.1), tied for the team-lead in assists (74) and first on the squad in steals (38).

The superstar of St. John’s, Julian Champagnie, is having another spectacular season in Queens, N.Y., as he’s averaging a Big East and team-best 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds-per-game. The junior has scored double digits in a staggering 46 consecutive regular season games and also needs three more rebounds to become the 46th player in program history to hit 500.

Other key members of the team include Dylan Addae-Wusu, who is averaging 10.4 points-per-game on 42.9% shooting from behind the arc, and Montez Mathis, who is fourth on the team in points with 8.9 points-per-contest and is tied for eighth in the conference in steals (1.5).

The Red Storm are coming off an MSG win vs. Georgetown, 88-69, and a 87-64 loss to Creighton on the road. The second contest saw Champagnie finishing with 17 points and Aaron Wheeler scoring a career-high 16 on 7/10 from the field.

Wheeler, a Purdue transfer, is averaging 11.8 points-per-game and is shooting 10/18 from three during conference play.

The stakes are as high as ever for both teams looking to get back in the win column in the always-difficult Big East, and be sure to listen to 89.5 FM WSOU at noon for all the gameday coverage. Liam Plate and Wilnir Louis will have the call from the Garden, and Jorie Mickens and Jimmy Bliss will be on air for pregame, halftime, and Hall Line.

Jonathan Heite is the Web Editor for WSOU Sports and can be reached at wsousportswebeditor@gmail.com.

Posted in: Game Previews, Men's Basketball, Sports

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