Hazell, Pirates Catch Bad Break

Seton Hall now faces more adversity as leading scorer Jeremy Hazell will miss next 4-6 weeks with broken left wrist. (Photo courtesy of New York Daily News)

If you know anything about Seton Hall basketball, you can tell someone right away that a large part of the Pirates' success under first-year coach Kevin Willard depends upon the productivity of senior guard Jeremy Hazell, who entered this season with a chance to become the leading scorer in school history. Unfortunately, Seton Hall will now look to other options to pick up the slack after Hazell broke his left (non-shooting) wrist in the Pirates' Paradise Jam win against Alabama. The injury will sideline him for approximately four to six weeks.

Hazell lit up the Crimson Tide for 27 points before departing, and was averaging 24 points per contest while taking only 38 shots this season. With their primary option out of the lineup, expectations are that Jamel Jackson and Fuquan Edwin could be the first choices to pick up the slack until Hazell comes back.

Yesterday, I tweeted that Hazell's injury was a "good news/bad news" situation, (you can follow me on Twitter by going to twitter.com/jadendaly by the way) with the bad news being Hazell's scoring would be vacated from the lineup. However, the good news (if there is any in South Orange) is that Hazell should be ready to go for the Pirates' Big East opener against South Florida on December 28th.

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Postgame Shootaround: Tournament Edition

As the in-season tournaments heat up, we'll share some insights from the 2K Sports Classic and Puerto Rico Tip-Off as we prepare for the next round highlighted by the Great Alaska Shootout and Maui Invitational.

• The Big East already has a rookie of the year frontrunner.

The name at the top of that list is Pitt forward Talib Zanna. In our recap of the Panthers' season-opening win over Rhode Island, we mentioned how everyone held the redshirt freshman in high regard before even playing a game; and after an ankle injury sidelined him last year, Zanna is making up for lost time and cementing himself as the long-awaited replacement for DeJuan Blair in the process.

• Texas may not be a crazy pick to win the Big 12.

That's because the Longhorns are more talented than they let on, with freshmen Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson maturing far beyond their years. The loss of Damion James and Dexter Pittman will only be felt stronger as the season progresses, but Rick Barnes clearly has a lot to look forward to based on his performance at Madison Square Garden, especially from swingman Jordan Hamilton.

• Demetri McCamey made the right decision to stay in school.

That is unless you're a Big Ten school other than Illinois, as McCamey has raised the bar in his senior season. Under his floor leadership, Bruce Weber has his most talented team in Champaign since 2005, when Deron Williams and Dee Brown quarterbacked the Illini into the national championship game. Big Ten fans (and college basketball fans in general) will be eagerly anticipating Illinois squaring off against Michigan State to see McCamey match up against All-American Kalin Lucas.

• Maryland is a work in progress.

Gary Williams knew losing Greivis Vasquez would be hard to overcome heading into the 2010-11 campaign, but the Terps showed flashes of veteran brilliance against both Pitt and Illinois. However, Jordan Williams can't do it all himself. The 6-10 sophomore is playing like a young Blake Griffin (he looks a little like him too) when he doesn't get into foul trouble, and the whole team is deadly with their willingness to take open mid-range shots.

• Don't expect the world from Harrison Barnes.

Just because the freshman superstar didn't make a shot against Minnesota doesn't mean Chapel Hill needs to be up in arms, but of course the Carolina fans have a different perception of reality. Barnes will develop at his own pace, and already he has demonstrated the ability to make the players around him better, with sophomore John Henson the primary example, averaging a double-double every game.

• Is West Virginia better than last year?

The answer to that question may very well be yes, as Bob Huggins has managed to retool the Mountaineers and turn them into a solid all-around unit despite losing his two leading scorers. One name to keep an eye on this season will be Casey Mitchell. Not one of Huggins' preferred options last season, Mitchell made the coach rethink his strategy with 31 points against Vanderbilt, including the game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.

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Postgame Shootaround: St. John's vs. St. Mary's

The Steve Lavin era finally reached its much-anticipated debut, and unfortunately for the Johnnies, it was not a winning one; as St. Mary's rode the sharp shooting of junior Clint Steindl to a 76-71 victory. Even in a game loaded with moments that would have WFAN's Joe Benigno going on a rant for the ages if he were a Red Storm fan, there are many more positives to take from Lavin's return as St. John's returns home tomorrow night for their Carnesecca Arena opener against Columbia. On a side note, since I brought up Benigno, I would also like to mention that tomorrow night's game will also be a battle of update anchors at "The Fan." Not only does midday anchor John Minko serve as the radio voice of the Johnnies, but morning man Jerry Recco provides play-by-play for the visiting Lions.

Okay, I digress. Back to reality, and some of the nuggets that stand out from this morning's (unless you're still on the West Coast, then it's last night's) battle.

• The tale of two halves lives on.

After holding a 31-28 intermission lead, the Johnnies unfortunately reprised their Dickens-esque play from last season with their inability to score early in the final stanza; paving the way for a 14-0 St. Mary's run that put the Gaels up by 13.

• No Samhan, no problem.

St. Mary's proved there is life without their big man, with Clint Steindl leading all scorers with 22 points while Matthew Dellavedova added 15 off the bench. Steindl scored all but one of his 22 from beyond the arc with seven trifectas, effectively beating the 2-3 zone Lavin employed defensively.

• Dwayne Polee is one special player.

If you read one of my recent pieces on JohnnyJungle.com, you'll find that I compared Polee's quiet confidence to my own when I started doing play-by-play for WSJU Radio when I was still in school at St. John's. With 16 points and an impressive dunk in the first half, Polee lived up to his own expectations, and everyone is saying the same thing about him that was said about me: "This kid's really good!" Those who know me well know that I'm much more humble when it comes to compliments if you're scoring at home.

• These aren't the Johnnies of years past.

Under the defensive-minded style of Norm Roberts, St. John's wasn't a candidate to light up the scoreboard. Under Lavin, however, their style is much more uptempo. Aside from their 100-point exhibition outburst last week, the Red Storm turned a defensive chess match midway through the second half (44-40 with under eight minutes to go) into a track meet down the stretch, ultimately staying within reach all night before coming up just short.

• Double your pleasure, double your fun.

Two guards named Malik, two guards that post career-high scoring totals while reaching double figures. Malik Boothe turned back the clock to his Christ the King days with 15, while Malik Stith added 13 off the bench and was especially vital to the Johnnies' survival late in the game with an impressive effort on both sides of the ball.

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Postgame Shootaround: Seton Hall

After about a week away, it's time to continue our "Postgame Shootaround" with the now 1-1 Seton Hall Pirates. Despite opening with a loss to Temple this past Friday, the Pirates righted the ship with a thoroughly convincing drubbing of reigning Ivy League champ Cornell. Below are some of the things you can take from each game, starting with the first one against the Owls; and what Seton Hall can do to improve as the season moves on:

• Shot selection is more important than who takes the shots.

Midway through the first half against Temple, the Pirates couldn't buy a basket; and most of their scoring drought was fueled by players rushing their attempts as opposed to thinking shots through. The Cornell win could not be more different, as everything clicked for Seton Hall en route to a 92-68 demolition of the Big Red.

• As the Pirates' Big Three go, so too goes the team.

With the exception of Jeremy Hazell, Jeff Robinson and Herb Pope had games they would like to forget against Temple, Pope in particular going 2-for-10 in a night filled with missed chip shots. Yesterday afternoon against Cornell, Robinson added ten rebounds while Pope drained his second 3-pointer in as many games. If nothing else, at least Pope has added an outside element to his game similar to Justin Burrell during his sophomore season two years ago at St. John's.

• Jordan Theodore looks like he's living up to the hype.

Only those close to the game know how good Theodore really is, and my colleague and college basketball insider Jon Rothstein of 1050 ESPN Radio in New York believes the Paterson Catholic product is the "most underrated guard in the Big East" as he enters his junior season. Theodore validated Rothstein's faith yesterday with a well-rounded 10 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and has admittedly spoken about "being ready for the challenge" of leading this team under new head coach Kevin Willard.

• The Pirates still need contributions from a number of others.

Ferrakohn Hall has only managed just nine points in the first two contests, while transfer Eniel Polynice has opened his debut campaign in the Garden State 1-for-12 from the field. Moreover, Fuquan Edwin, Theodore's high school teammate who surprisingly got the start in each game this past weekend, is only averaging three points a night; while Keon Lawrence has still yet to return to the form he once showed consistently at the University of Missouri.

• The Paradise Jam could be deceptively helpful to this team.

Matchups against Alabama and either Iowa or Xavier aren't exactly the most favorable for a team this time of year, but they will provide experience against NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, as Anthony Grant is now starting to prepare the Tide as he did VCU a few years back; and Xavier is always a force to be reckoned with. Should Seton Hall face Iowa, it would be an interesting battle as the Pirates face new Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery, who was long rumored to be the man who would replace Bobby Gonzalez in New Jersey before leaving Siena for the Midwest.

Just remember: If you can't get to the Pirates on TV or WABC, (770 AM) you can also listen to every Pirate basketball contest (men's and women's) on WSOU-FM, (89.5 FM or www.wsou.net) with Jason Guerette one of the many announcers on the on-campus student radio station of Seton Hall University.

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Postgame Shootaround: Pitt vs. Rhode Island

This is the debut of a new feature, one where we'll recap a game and what you can take from it going forward through the season. First impressions are huge in college basketball, and last night's matchup between No. 4 Pittsburgh and Rhode Island went a long way in determining not just what to watch for, but what both teams are made of. In last night's battle, Rhode Island came to play early and demonstrated a knack for hitting outside shots before falling to the Panthers 83-75 at the Petersen Center. If you didn't see the game, you missed a really good one; but hopefully this will get you caught up and help prepare you for what lies ahead.

• Brad Wanamaker is an elite player.

Don't believe anything that says otherwise as Jamie Dixon's senior guard has made a name for himself one too many times. Last night proved his clutch ability once again, as he made several huge plays that won't show up in the box score that sealed Pitt's victory down the stretch. What does show up in the stat lines is 24 points, 8 assists and 10-of-13 from the free throw line.

• Remember this name: Talib Zanna.

Everyone raved about this kid a year ago before he even played a game. Now a redshirt freshman, Zanna showed that he could potentially be the heir apparent to DeJuan Blair with nine points and eleven rebounds. It will be interesting to see how Dixon uses his young forward as the season progresses.

• Don't be afraid to go outside against Pitt.

This applies primarily to Big East teams like Villanova, Syracuse and even St. John's among others, teams that rely on long-range shooting to win games. Rhode Island shot 44% from beyond the arc last night (14-for-32) and seemed to will one 3 after another into the basket to keep the game within reach. For the Panthers, guarding against triple threats the likes of Corey Stokes, Brandon Triche and Dwight Hardy will need to become a greater priority in conference play.

• Rick Pitino hit the nail on the head at Big East media day.

The Louisville coach told me last month that there was "no lock at the top" of the conference. After watching Rhode Island expose the Panthers and battle them throughout, Pitino was either prophetic or just simply knows what he's talking about, and it's definitely the latter. Rhode Island's efforts will be on the minds of mid-majors and fringe Top 25 teams that are playing the Big East during the season, and the chance of an upset is always there.

• The Atlantic 10 isn't a two-team league this year.

Looking at all the predictions, it seems like Temple and Xavier were the only A-10 programs getting a great deal of hype. Add Rhode Island into that mix after what they gave you for forty minutes last night, and don't forget reigning NIT champion Dayton and NCAA Tournament participant Richmond, whose matchups against Seton Hall later in the year are now more appetizing than they originally were.

• Both teams walk away winners in the grand scheme of things.

Even though it was Pitt who moved to 1-0 in the books, both teams were given the gift of being battle-tested early in the season. Jamie Dixon even said in his postgame press conference that Rhode Island was "too good to play this early on" in the season. The Panthers don't get it any easier as they head to Madison Square Garden next week to play Maryland and then either Texas or Illinois, while the Rams can use their back class in winnable nonconference games against Davidson, Providence and Boston College. Rhode Island also gets Florida later on in the year in Gainesville in a game that should be very similar to this one.

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Champagne Super 'Nova

Despite losing his best player, Jay Wright has reloaded Villanova enough to the point where Wildcats remain Big East favorites. (Photo courtesy of Boston Globe)

After being a top 10 team for most of the season, Villanova's sensational run came to a startling halt at the hands of St. Mary's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Seven months following that shocking defeat, I had the privilege of speaking with Jay Wright (a privilege that I am always grateful for) at last month's Big East media day. Being somewhat of a 'Nova fan in addition to my media status, I look forward to my engagements with Wright; and naturally the first question that came to mind is whether or not his team remained "humble, but hungry," a mantra the Wildcats adopted in practice going into last season as they attempted to replicate their run to the Final Four for the first time since 'Nova brought a miraculous national championship to the Main Line as a 9 seed in 1985. Needless to say, Wright quickly assured me that the demeanor around the practice court hasn't changed; and after losing seniors Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding, two players that Wright and I agreed were the "heart and soul" of the program, the Wildcats will need that "humble, but hungry" attitude to bring 'Nova Nation another long and prosperous month of March.

In Reynolds' absence, Corey Fisher will most likely be the primary option; and if you've watched the Bronx product evolve over the years since arriving as a freshman three years ago, you'll agree that he could easily be crowned the conference player of the year in the Big East. Fellow senior Corey Stokes will join Fisher in the backcourt, and Wright insists that the Coreys are definitely not lost boys. "They've been everything we expected," said the coach of his fourth-year backcourt anchors. Maalik Wayns steps up from a stellar freshman campaign into the starting lineup, with Antonio Pena back at power forward for his senior season. After missing most of the early portion of last season due to contracting hepatitis, center Mouphtaou Yarou is back and is healthy.

The Wildcats' bench will most likely be paced by Dominic Cheek, who goes into his sophomore year as the team's sixth man and his presence on the floor may once again provide Wright with the ability to play his unorthodox yet effective four guard lineup. In fact, the coach is looking forward to playing "four quick," telling me emphatically "Oh yeah!" when I asked of the feasibility of a four-guard lineup. Wright also hinted that the team may also play some zone defense, a change from years past that was implemented in 'Nova's exhibition against the University of the District of Columbia. Bishop Loughlin (NY) product JayVaughn Pinkston looks like the most promising freshman on Wright's roster, and hopes are he could be as good as Curtis Sumpter, the last Loughlin recruit to play on the Main Line.

The Wildcats open their season Friday at the Pavilion against Bucknell before they progress to the Preseason NIT. When I asked Wright about the importance of potentially playing in Madison Square Garden before the Big East tournament, he boldly stated "if you can get here and play on this floor before the Big East tournament, it's an added benefit." Villanova heads into its annual Big 5 schedule from there against Philadelphia rivals St. Joe's, Penn, La Salle and Temple. The Wildcats' Big East opener comes against Rutgers on January 2nd at the Pavilion.

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Boeheim Gets Some Orange Aid

Now a sophomore, Syracuse guard Brandon Triche is one of biggest keys of the season for Jim Boeheim and the Orange. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

At Big East media day two weeks ago, Syracuse was not surprisingly picked to finish near the top of the conference. What was surprising was when I noticed the poll at Madison Square Garden and saw the Orange picked lower than they should be. Despite losing three of their top four scorers; including reigning conference player of the year and Minnesota Timberwolves No. 1 pick Wes Johnson, Syracuse comes back bigger and maybe better than last year for the immortal legend that is Jim Boeheim.

Johnson, power forward Arinze Onuaku and sharpshooting guard Andy Rautins are gone, (Rautins was drafted by the Knicks and Onuaku was undrafted) but the Orange have reloaded with freshman sensation Fab Melo among others. The hype surrounding the Brazilian seven-footer was so immense that he was named the preseason rookie of the year, and Boeheim mentioned that he and the other freshmen on the roster will be able to contribute right away. Besides Melo, the rookie class also includes guard Dion Waiters, a 6-4 Philadelphia native who will see noticeable action as Boeheim's sixth man.

Waiters will sit behind junior Scoop Jardine and sophomore Brandon Triche on the depth chart in the backcourt, and Boeheim is high on his two other guards. In fact, Triche has "made a big jump" between his freshman and sophomore years according to Boeheim. If the flashes of brilliance and sweet shooting he displayed come back stronger this season, Syracuse fans may not clamor for Rautins (who attended the same high school as Triche) right away.

Up front, the Orange will play their trademark 2-3 zone, with Kris Joseph stepping into the small forward position as he looks to become the next great Syracuse wing, following a Who's Who of players the likes of Johnson, Lawrence Moten and some guy named Carmelo Anthony, who managed to bring Syracuse its only national championship in the one and only year he showcased his talent at the Carrier Dome. Joseph will be joined by power forward Rick Jackson, who returns to the starting five for his senior season; but this time without his longtime rebounding partner Onuaku. When Melo is not on the court, don't be surprised to see sophomore and fellow seven-footer DaShonte Riley in the middle.

The marquee game for Syracuse early in the year (and one I may attend as a fan) is their Jimmy V Classic matchup against Michigan State on December 7th at Madison Square Garden. Normally, one thinks de facto home game when Syracuse takes the court at "The World's Most Famous Arena," and when I asked Boeheim how playing to a sea of orange helps the team, he commented that it not only was "a good venue for us," but also that there "won't be so much orange" when Syracuse returns to the Garden on January 12th to play St. John's and new head coach Steve Lavin in a game sure to resurrect the once-dominant Johnnies-Orange rivalry.

Syracuse opens its Big East slate with a pair of games at the Carrier Dome, hosting Providence on December 28th and Notre Dame on New Year's Day before their first conference road game on January 8th against Seton Hall at the Prudential Center.

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