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Preview: No. 8 Seton Hall Takes On No. 9 TCU in NCAA Tournament First Round Matchup

Date: March 18, 2022

By: Ryan Henry

Members of the Seton Hall men's basketball team sit on the bench during pregame of a home matchup.

Kayla Fonseca/WSOU Sports

For the fifth time in the last seven seasons, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team under head coach Kevin Willard have the Pirates dancing in March, as they earned the No. 8 seed in the South Region and will be taking on the 20-12 TCU Horned Frogs in the 8-9 seed matchup.

While the Pirates have yet to take on the Horned Frogs in their program’s history, the man on their bench is a familiar face to Seton Hall fans: Jamie Dixon, who coached the Pittsburgh Panthers from 2003-2016.

Like his dominant Pitt squads, this TCU team bolsters a stifling defense. TCU is 24th in the country in Adjusted Defense Efficiency at 93.3 according to KenPom. On the season, TCU held its opponents to 65 points-per-game on just 31.5% shooting from behind the arc.

During the season, the Horned Frogs had a four-game stretch in conference play in which they allowed under 60 points, including a 59-44 rout against tournament team Iowa State.

The team is led by All-Big 12 Second Team Selection Mike Miles Jr. Miles is the Horned Frog’s leading scorer at 15.0 points-per-game (fifth in the Big 12) while averaging 3.9 assists (sixth in the Big 12). Miles led TCU in scoring in 17 of the 28 games he played and scored under double figures in only five games.

While Miles’s efficiency isn’t the greatest, he’s aggressive attacking the rim and shoots almost five free throws-per-game. He will be tough out for Kadary Richmond, who has had a tendency this season to get into foul trouble.

Miles’s backcourt partner is Memphis transfer Damion Baugh. The change of scenery has helped the junior guard as he has taken a leap in the 2021-22 season. His scoring doubled from 3.4 points-per-game last season to 10.7 points-per-game this season en route to an All-Big 12 honorable mention.

He also serves as the team’s leading playmaker, averaging 4.4 assists-per-game, which is fourth in the conference. His best outing this year was a 23-point, seven-steal game in their win over then No. 15 ranked Iowa State on the road.

The last of the three double-digit scorers for the Horned Frogs is Texas A&M transfer Emanuel Miller. The 6-foot-7 forward also earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Member selection, averaging 10.3 points-per-game and 6.3 rebounds-per-game.

Miller’s biggest strength as a player is his rebounding ability. He leads the Horned Frogs in rebounds-per-game and averages nearly three offensive boards-per-game.

To round out their starting five, redshirt-senior Chuck O’Bannon leads the team in three-pointers made at 41 and freshman Eddie Lampkin Jr. averages six points and six rebounds while shooting a team-best 59.9% from the field.

As a team, TCU was third in conference games in rebounding, averaging 35.8 rebounds while holding their opponents to a conference-best 29.8 rebounds-per-game. They also rebounded 40% of their misses, which is the best in the country.

Another plus for this Horned Frogs squad is their strength of schedule. Playing in the best conference this year has physically and mentally prepared TCU for March basketball. They have played 10 games against ranked opponents this season where they went 5-5, beating Iowa State, LSU, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Texas.

The two biggest weaknesses for this Horned Frogs squad are their youth and their shooting. The Horned Frogs have one of the youngest squads in all of the country with an average age of 20.86 years old.

The only player with tournament experience on this team is Texas Tech transfer Micah Peavy, who played 32 minutes last tournament. This is a stark contrast to the Pirates who are one of the oldest teams in the country featuring six seniors/graduate students.

The shooting ability of this TCU team is probably their biggest weakness. They were second-worst in the Big 12 in three-point percentage, shooting just 30.4% from behind the arc all season.

For the Pirates, they have been led by First Team All-Big East Selection wing Jared Rhoden. While Rhoden may have not taken that next leap following Sandro Mamukelasvhili’s departure to the NBA, the senior has been a reliable presence who has come up clutch time-and-time again.

He led the Pirates in scoring at 15.9 points-per-game, scoring in double figures in all but four contests. Whenever the Pirates need a bucket, they will be calling Rhoden to deliver.

Seton Hall stalwarts Myles Cale and Ike Obiagu are here for one last ride. Cale, who broke the record for most games played as a Pirate this season, has continued to be one of the best three-and-D players in the Big East. His length and defensive versatility makes life difficult for opposing ball handlers and will be a tough matchup for whoever has to go up against him.

The biggest x-factor for the Pirates tomorrow is going to be Obiagu. You generally know the type of play you’ll get from Seton Hall’s starting five, but Obiagu can either change the entire dynamic of the game or make a lesser impact.

We know of his excellent shot blocking abilities (his 3.25 blocks-per-game ranked fifth in the whole country) and even when doesn’t swat the ball, his length can alter shots inside the paint. Against a TCU squad notorious for getting their damage inside the paint and drawing fouls, Obiagu’s defensive presence can win a game all by himself.

On the other hand, Obiagu is a notoriously weaker rebounder, especially for his size. I mentioned earlier the damage the Horned Frogs do on the glass, so if he gives up second chance opportunities, which he has been known to do, the extra possessions TCU gets from offensive boards can decide this game.

It doesn’t matter if Rhoden and Yetna do the heavy lifting on the glass, Obiagu needs to get more than his season average of four rebounds if the Pirates want to win.

Richmond has been a game-changer for the Pirates especially as of late. While the Syracuse transfer struggled to find his flow in the Pirates system early in the year, he has really stepped up in the absence of Bryce Aiken the past couple of months.

He is a playmaker in the purest sense. His passing vision in the half court is a thing of beauty. Not only does he make jaw-dropping dimes, but he always knows where the open man is. His combination of size, speed and basketball intellect is something every coach would die for in a point guard.

On the defensive end, he is a pest. He plays with an aggression unmatched by most players in college. He can single-handedly lock up an opposing player and eliminate him from the offensive game plan. There’s a reason why he averages 1.6 steals-per-game and is regarded as a potential first round NBA prospect.

Richmond is currently dealing with an ankle injury, but Coach Willard isn’t too concerned as he said in a press conference today, “Kadary is good. He took three days off after the Big East Tournament. He’s got more mobility and he’s shooting the ball better.”

The biggest strength the Pirates have going for them is their depth. Even without Aiken, they are one of the deepest teams in the country with a rotation featuring eight starting caliber players.

Jamir Harris and Tray Jackson have pop-off potential as elite snipers who can go on scoring runs themselves, and Tyrese Samuel is the perfect backup big to Obiagu who provides excellent rim protection with versatility on the offensive and defensive end.

According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, this is truly a 50/50 game. Both teams have their notable strengths and weaknesses, but not one team dominates over the other. The possession battle is going to be huge in this contest.

This game is going to be a grueling matchup that will be decided by a few key plays. Whoever grabs the key rebounds, out-hustles their opponent and hits the big shots down the clutch will be victorious. This game can truly go either way, but regardless, us fans of college basketball are going to be in for a treat. As college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein often says, “Grab your nitroglycerin pills!”

Be sure to tune into 89.5 FM WSOU at 9:57 p.m., where Heaven Hill and Wilnir Louis will be on the call.

Ryan Henry can be reached at ryan.henry@student.shu.edu.

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

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