Seton Hall: post mortem

That's a tough loss, but it won't go down as a bad loss.  This Seton Hall team isn't going to light the Big East on fire necessarily, but they also won't melt down like last year's version.  That would have been a great road win, but if Mark Fox can bring that same team home with him, there's a chance to win every remaining non-conference game on the schedule:

• Tonight you saw what Yante Maten can be.  Eventually, the shots were going to start falling.
• The Charles Mann roller coaster continues.
• Kenny Gaines only took 10 shots.  That's just not enough for the team's best scorer.  And yes, Seton Hall had something to do with that, but Fox has to find a way to get him more chances.
• Kenny Paul Geno: where did that come from?  If he can start hitting that long jumper consistently he becomes a surprise weapon for the Bulldogs.
• Where was this game lost?  The 13 turnovers weren't great, but Seton Hall's 13 offensive rebounds were killer.  Houston Kessler was handled on the boards all night.  Unfortunately, Fox doesn't have an answer until Ogbeide is healthy.  I sure hope the kid can clean the glass...
• Isaiah Whitehead is talented, but not always smart.  Two of the biggest daggers in the game were shots he never should have taken: the long three late in the first half and the long three late in the game.
• And since when is raking a guy across the face not a foul?
• But really, we'll just say Kenny Paul Geno's armbar evened that one out...
• The officiating was infuriating, and not necessarily because it was bad.  It was just totally inconsistent.  There were 41 fouls called in the game (a fine amount), but at least 30 of them were in the second half.  It's not fair to the players to officiate the first half one way, then come out and officiate the second half completely differently.
• And before I get off the officials, that offensive foul against Charles Mann was baaaaad...
• Ok, one more comment: Seton Hall took 9 more free throws than Georgia, but that's because they pushed the ball into the paint.  Georgia hasn't all year, and they didn't again tonight.
• Whitehead was the leading scorer, but Khadeen Carrington won that game.  He hit difficult shot after difficult shot at critical times in the game.  Impressive.
• And if those 4 sophomores stick around for another year, look out.
• E'Torrion Wilridge disappeared again.  Mike Edwards was over-matched again.  It's going to take time with these freshman.
• J.J. Frazier is ice cold.  The three that could have tied it late looked money, and I'd let him take it again and again.  He'll find his stroke soon enough.
• Maybe Fox should have gone to that zone earlier.   It had the Pirates flustered.
• I confess, I normally hate play-by-play guys and color commentators, but I really liked Donny Marshall!  That was a pleasant surprise.

So where do we go from here?  The problems Fox needs to fix seem obvious.  First and foremost, Georgia needs to rebound better.  They were outshot by 8 in this game (and by 9 at the free throw line).  That just can't keep happening.

If Yante Maten keeps playing like he played tonight, that will help.  It can't be all Kenny Gaines.  This team needs another scorer (or two) to emerge.

Next up is a scary Oakland team.  If Georgia can run off 6 straight wins in the non-conference, things will be looking downright rosy heading into conference play.  Lose one or two, and you can probably forget about a return to the NCAA tournament.  The fact that one seems just as likely as the other tells you all you need to know about these Bulldogs.

Sinking ship

Georgia currently has only one win over a top 50 opponent, and that represents one of their biggest weaknesses from a resume standpoint.  For a while it looked like Seton Hall was guaranteed a spot in the top 50, but they are in the midst of a complete meltdown.  This doesn't help:

Sina, a 6-foot-2 New Jersey native, was averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 assists this season. He started 23 of 24 games, scoring nine points in 29 minutes against Georgetown on Tuesday.

Seton Hall didn't provide a reason for Sina's departure, only saying the sides had agreed to part ways.

All the more reason to get a win tonight in College Station.

[ESPN]

Seton Hall: post mortem

Well, there you have it.  I couldn't be happier to have been so wrong in my prediction.  We just saw a wire-to-wire win in a very, very important game.  There was literally no drama, so let's get right to the good stuff:

• How good was Georgia's defense?  Sterling Gibbs, Isaiah Whitehead, and Brandon Mobley are Seton Hall's three leading scorers.  They were a combined 24 points below their season averages.
• Seton Hall also shot 15% from 3-point range, despite being in the top 20 in the nation in that category.
• While we're talking about defense, let's give Yante Maten the praise he deserves.  His offense will come, but his defense is already pretty good.  He's near the top 20 (nationally) in blocks per game at just over 2.  His ability to defend in the post without fouling tonight was very impressive, and one of his blocks led to the first of two Kenny Gaines highlight reel dunks.
• And for what it's worth, the reverse was nice, but the first was my favorite.  That boy can jump.
• Speaking of Gaines, I think he's healthy, but I don't think it mattered tonight.  That's no shot at Gaines, either.  The thing about this Georgia team that's so different is that they have at least 6 legitimate scoring threats.  Want to collapse in the lane?  Meet J.J. Frazier and Kenny Gaines.  Want to guard the 3-point line?  Marcus Thornton or Nemi Djurisic will go to work.  The long scoring droughts have all but disappeared, and that's because there's no longer one player carrying the team offensively.
• Seton Hall made one 7-point run to get it under 10 in the first half, but then there was Frazier hitting a leaner at the shot clock to put Georgia back up by 11.  It would never be single digits again.  Frazier has had a knack this season of hitting big shots when Georgia needs them.
• Oh, and J.J. also had 11(!) rebounds.  Thornton had to wrestle one away from Kenny Paul Geno in the first half, probably because he needed the stat - Frazier was hogging all of the boards.
• Georgia as a team was +19 in rebounds, had 14 assists on 22 makes, and blocked 8 shots.  Those kinds of stats win games.
• Seton Hall pressed all night, but it was mostly uneventful for Georgia.  That was wonderful to see, as dealing with press defenses has been sticky in the past.
• The free throws, though, continue to be a concern.
• Great crowd.  There on time, energetic, and pretty loud.  I was impressed.

What we saw tonight was an NCAA tournament team.  That's not a prediction, just a statement that the talent is there.  If Mark Fox can get that kind of energy and effort out of them the rest of the way, they'll be dancing for sure.

Next up is Mercer, and good teams beat teams like Mercer even after big wins like this.  It's just another step in the journey, and Fox has to keep them focused.

Game card: Seton Hall

Opponent:  Seton Hall
Mascot:  Pirates
Primary color(s):  Blue and white
Record:  9-1
Best player:  Sterling Gibbs
Line:  Georgia -4.5

Why Georgia will win:  Georgia is at home, which is becoming a very comfortable place to play for the Bulldogs.  Kenny Gaines may not be 100% healthy, but he'll play, and that should be enough.  This will only be Seton Hall's third true road game of the season, and they're 1-1 in the first two.

Why Georgia will lose:  Seton Hall is 9-1, and regardless of the competition, that's a good record.  Their RPI is in the top 20, and that is not a fluke.  Sterling Gibbs can shoot the lights out, and Georgia has been giving teams open looks from deep all season.  This is a non-conference game the Bulldogs badly need, which of course means they won't get it.

The Steg will rock like:  open mic night.

What I think will happen:  Another slow start dooms Georgia.  Seton Hall wins 75-69.

What I hope will happen: