Seton Hall Postgame Links

I'm not sure what game Lenn was watching...winnable?


Since arriving at St. John’s some 11 months ago, Steve Lavin has been all things to all Red Storm people.

He assembled an impressive staff, recruited an elite class, motivated donors to dig deep, inspired his players to believe, and most of all, got St. John’s back on the winning track.

His mantra was “Hammer to Rock.”

Last night the rock cracked at The Rock in Newark.

With 1:55 left in what was still a winnable game, Lavin, incensed by the officiating, drew a double technical foul and was ejected. Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell of Harlem converted 2-of-4 free throws giving the Pirates an insurmountable 79-68 en route to an 84-70 win over the No. 15 Red Storm.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/johnnies_lose_composure_game_and_Q8KYSeYJ95WKXpnC42jLuJ#ixzz1FdTh4am0

St. John's and Seton Hall were both at the crossroads at the start of this season and looking for brighter futures with new coaches.

The Johnnies brought in high-profile Steve Lavin, the former UCLA coach who had spent the previous seven years with ESPN, to replace Norm Roberts and revive a stagnant program that had drifted out of the mainstream and had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2002.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/03/04/2011-03-04_seton_hall_makes_kevin_willard_proud_reminds_st_johns_there_are_no_special_days_.html#ixzz1FdTzFy4v

AP story

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The list of surprising things that happened in the Prudential Center on Thursday night was long and interesting.

It starts with Seton Hall, the worst 3-point shooting team in the Big East, having its best game of the season from long range.

Then there was the Pirates taking a second-half hit and not only retaking the lead against No. 15 St. John's but pulling away over the final 4 minutes.

Read more: http://www.greenwichtime.com/sports/article/Hazell-leads-Seton-Hall-past-No-15-St-John-s-1041240.php#ixzz1FdUgrINo

Newsday through the Republic  website

The text messages bounce across the continent with every improbable St. John's victory, every upset of a ranked opponent, every move up the Top 25.

ESPN personnel resist rooting for teams they cover, but there is no rule against rooting for people, and no one has more people there rooting for him than Steve Lavin.

"Within our group, everyone is good friends with him and so happy for him," Erin Andrews said. "It'll be like, 'How about Lav?' or 'What about Lav?'

"A producer wrote me the other day, 'This is just getting downright ridiculous.' My dad even texts me about him."

So it has gone for Lavin's former colleagues, who are enjoying the St. John's coach's success as much as the Red Storm's long-suffering fans are.


http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/TV-BKC-BEST-COLUMN_4559655/TV-BKC-BEST-COLUMN_4559655/

The locker room felt blissful for the Seton Hall players in the minutes after their 84-70 victory over No. 15 St. John’s became one of the highlights of the Kevin Willard’s first season in New Jersey.

It will feel better this summer, when they run into the Red Storm players in leagues and at parks throughout the metropolitan area.

“Listen, man, we’re going to see these guys all year long,” Herb Pope said. “Other games that we lose, you’re not going to see some of those guys unless they’re from up here.”

http://www.nj.com/setonhall/index.ssf/2011/03/seton_hall_upsets_no_15_st_joh.html

- You can't win 'em all.

- 65% from the field; 12 for 18 from downtown.  Statistically one of the worst shooting teams in the nation scorching hot against us.  They missed a grand total of FIFTEEN shots from the floor the entire evening.  My goodness.

- A freshmen named, I kid you not,  Fuquan summons his inner Jon Jaques and Clint Steindl and explodes for his career night from deep, 5 for 6, against us.  I don't understand it.

- Hazel is amazing.  Off-balance, bad angles, 30 feet out, drawing contact and acting like he drew contact?  Makes no difference.  It was like watching an Ncaa version of Reggie Miller against the Knicks.

- We didn't play well as Mullin pointed out multiple times on the broadcast.  THREE assists on the night confirms it.  Not for a player,  but for the entire team.

- Our fan base travelled better to Philly than Newark.  I guess midweek vs. weekend makes all the difference.

- GREAT hard foul by JB1 late to prevent the last basket.  If you try to dunk on us with 7 seconds left up by 14 instead of simply dribbling out the clock like you're supposed to do than you get what you deserve.

- They don't let you take your seat at the Pru center while the ball is in play.  I quess the ushers thought the game was a NYC ballet performance.

- When the Pirate faithful came out with the perfunctory "overrated" chant I so wanted to come back with the appropriate in this case modern take on the ole "Nit...Nit" chant - "CBI...CBI...CBI"