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Preview: Seton Hall Plays No. 4 Michigan in Gavitt Tipoff Games Showdown

Date: November 15, 2021

By: Jimmy Bliss

Two Seton Hall men's basketball teammates help another one stand up during a home game.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU Sports

A controversial ending to the 1989 NCAA men’s basketball National Championship game will forever interlock the Seton Hall and Michigan basketball programs.

32 years later, they meet for the first time since. Pirates fans need no reminding of that bitter, cold night in Seattle. Now, it’s time for Seton Hall to avenge that epic 80-79 overtime loss.

Seton Hall heads to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Tuesday evening to take on the No. 4 Wolverines. Both sides enter this affair at 2-0, with Seton Hall defeating Fairleigh Dickinson and Yale, whereas Michigan took down Buffalo and Prairie View A&M.

The Associated Press must have been impressed with the Wolverines play over the past week, as they were elevated two spots from number six in the nation this week.

Seton Hall is riding on a wave of confidence as of recent, defeating their two opponents by 80 points combined. In their most recent game against the Yale Bulldogs, five Pirates scored eight or more points over the 40 minutes.

Forward Alexis Yetna led the Pirates in scoring, contributing 15 points on 5/9 shooting from the field, including 3/5 from behind the arc. Guard Kadary Richmond added 13, guard Myles Cale secured 11 points, guard Bryce Aiken put up nine and forward Jared Rhoden recorded eight points. This was Rhoden’s first action of the season, as he missed the game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson with an ankle injury.

Thus far on the year, Seton Hall has four players that average double-digit points, along with another two that average 9.5 points-per-game. Cale and forward Tyrese Samuel average the most points-per-game with 13, followed closely by Aiken’s 12.

Right on his coattails is Yetna registering 11 points-per-game, with guard Jamir Harris and forward Tray Jackson both averaging 9.5 points-per-game. This is a team with exceptional depth, which will force Michigan to account for every Pirate on the floor at any given time.

As for the Wolverines, they possess four players that average at least 11 points-per-game. Center Hunter Dickinson has been a dominant force for the maize and blue, averaging 19 points-per-game. Eli Brooks provides scoring from the guard position, averaging 13 points over the first two games.

Joining these two in double figures are forwards Caleb Houstan and Terrance Williams, putting up 12 and 11.5 points-per-game, respectively.

Expect to see a high scoring affair in Crisler Center on Tuesday evening, with both teams averaging over 80 points-per-game. The Pirates have the talent to defeat the “Goliath” that is Michigan, but only time will tell if they are successful or not.

Tune into 89.5 FM WSOU at 8:30 p.m. for pregame coverage of Seton Hall vs. Michigan, before the main event gets underway at 9 p.m. Jorie Mickens and Heaven Hill will be on the call from the “Great Lakes State.” This is a game you won’t want to miss.

Jimmy Bliss can be reached at james.bliss@student.shu.edu.

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

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