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Recap: No. 8 Seton Hall's Season Ends in NCAA Tournament First Round vs. No. 9 TCU, 69-42

Date: March 19, 2022

By: Ryan Henry

Members of the Seton Hall men's basketball team walk off the floor during a NCAA Tournament game vs. TCU.

USA TODAY Sports

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team ended their season on a somber note in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as they fell to the TCU Horned Frogs, 69-42.

Everything seemed to have gone wrong for the Pirates tonight and they were simply outclassed by the Horned Frogs.

Going into tonight’s matchup, the biggest concern for this Pirates team was the stifling Horned Frogs defense. They came in with a top-25 defense according to KenPom, and it seemed to stump the Pirates the entire night.

Seton Hall, which struggled offensively at times this season, looked lost. Their heavy reliance on iso-ball played right into TCU’s game plan. On the night, the Pirates committed 16 turnovers and shot under 30% from both the field and behind the arc.

The Pirates only had two double-digit scorers tonight in Jamir Harris and Myles Cale, who both finished with 11 points. Harris provided a spark off the bench, hitting a couple of threes but shot an unimpressive 28% from the field.

Cale shot a measly 4/15 from the field, but surprisingly shot 50% from three. While not the most efficient night, he hit some tough threes and played with a heart unmatched by the rest of the Pirates tonight. He knew this could potentially be his last game tonight, and he went out with some dignity.

Another issue for the Pirates was that they found themselves in foul trouble. Jared Rhoden fouled out, Ike Obiagu committed four fouls and they finished the night overall with 17 fouls.

Speaking of Rhoden, he finishes his illustrious Seton Hall career on a sad note. He ended the night with a season-low five points on 2/7 shooting, fouling out with almost 12 minutes left on a controversial charge call.

Obiagu, the program’s leading shot blocker, also ends his tenure as a Pirate with a subpar performance, scoring just three points and grabbing five rebounds, finishing with a plus-minus of -16 in 21 minutes.

TCU had dominated the glass the entire season and tonight was no exception. They out-rebounded Seton Hall, 39-26, with four different Horned Frogs grabbing five-plus rebounds. Eddie Lampkin especially made life difficult for the Pirates, as he grabbed three offensive rebounds.

For the Horned Frogs, Second Team All-Big 12 Selection Mike Miles Jr. had a statement game tonight, scoring 21 points on 50% shooting. He got to the paint at will, creating easy looks for himself and others. On the defensive end, he suffocated Seton Hall ball handlers.

Miles’ partner in crime, Damion Baugh, also had a stellar all-around performance in his NCAA Tournament debut. He finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, finishing with a team-high +25.

Following the loss, reports have come out that Kevin Willard may have coached his final game for the Pirates.

The rumors had been circulating for the past season that Willard may leave Seton Hall, but his post-game press conference was very puzzling. “When I get home tomorrow I will discuss things with my agent. I'll be honest: If I'm not here next year, if Shaheen Holloway is here, that would be the happiest thing that ever happened to me.”

If Willard did coach his final game, his legacy as a Seton Hall Pirate should be viewed in a positive light. To take a team that was in the doldrums for almost a decade and turn them into a perennial tournament team is commendable.

To put this plain and simple, this game was an embarrassing loss for the Pirates. Their 42 points was lowest this season and the lowest ever for the Pirates in an NCAA Tournament game. The TCU Horned Frogs outplayed the Pirates in every aspect, and it looked like they wanted to win it more. For their efforts, they won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1987.

The 2021-22 season was a bounce-back year for the Pirates. They won 20-plus games, securing two non-conference wins against top-10 ranked opponents in the process. After seeing what happened tonight, it’s hard not to think that this team could have accomplished so much more.

To Rhoden, Cale, Obiagu, Bryce Aiken, and Alexis Yetna, thank you for a great season and great career at the Hall. To Kevin Willard, if this is truly your last game, you have revitalized a once weak program into a household name in the college basketball landscape. We here at WSOU Sports wish all of you guys the best of luck on your next endeavor.

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

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU

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