2008 Seton Hall Basketball Picks & Predictions
Bobby Gonzalez has led the Big East in technicals in both of his years at Seton Hall, but he promises the nation will see a more even-tempered coach pacing the bench area this season. Gonzalez’s Seton Hall Pirates went 17-15 overall and 7-11 in the Big East last season, but there was more attention for Gonzalez’s behavior. He was handed a one-game suspension for this season by the school for his antics following a loss to Rutgers, plus there were reports he got into an altercation with an assistant in the locker room during halftime of a game. This season however Gonzalez thinks there will be more attention on the court, mainly focusing on freshman center Melvyn Oliver, who is 6’11” and 340-pounds, but Gonzalez says he can play at 310 if he gets in shape.
Melvyn Oliver is going to have to shed some weight to be effective, but Gonzalez has raved about his upside, and he has great footwork, a soft tough, and great hands. It helps that Seton Hall is deep in the post so Oliver can work his way into shape. Junior John Garcia, a returning starter despite chronic knee problems, continues to be productive and a presence inside. Mike Davis returned to the court last season for his freshman year after a two year layoff and should continue to improve. He looked lost at times last season and is not quite suited for the up-tempo style that Seton Hall plays. Small forward Robert Mitchell is a transfer from Duquesne where he was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2006-2007 after averaging 16.4 points per game. Mitchell is a proven commodity and a lot will be expected of him.
Eugene Harvey had a disappointing sophomore season even though he averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 assists per game. He still needs to work on his 3-point game and he showed signs of fatigue last year, most likely attributed to the 36.8 minutes per game he played last season. The arrival of Jordan Theodore should provide some relief. Theodore and Harvey are pretty much the same build and play pretty much the same style, but Gonzalez can play them together or have them split time. Juco transfer Jamel Jackson and sophomore Jeremy Hazell, a streaky 3-point shooter, will compete for time on the wing. Hazell averaged 12.8 points per game last year and earned Big East All-Rookie team honors. Paul Gause also returns. He ranked 2nd in the nation in steals two years ago and is a defensive spark plug.
Final Analysis
The Seton Hall Pirates were 15-6 before a 2-9 run to end the season last year. The late season swoon was due in part to fatigue, lack of depth, and the up-tempo style Gonzalez prefers. This season the Pirates have more depth if the incoming freshmen come along. Gonzalez also may scale back the pressing to save his team’s legs for March and the postseason. If all of the Pirates question marks live up to expectations this team could be very tough, but if not then they will not be able to compete with the tough Big East competition. With our college basketball picks we have them finishing in the bottom of the Big East, which means they won’t be making an NCAA appearance, but they could probably land themselves in the NIT this season. BetUS has the Seton Hall Pirates at +20000 odds to win the NCAA Championship, so they could be a team to watch the college basketball odds on a nightly basis.
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