SETON HALL PIRATES
 Coach: Louis Orr |  Record: 18-11

 
Overview: A lot of people didn’t believe the Pirates deserved a spot in the tournament, especially after a first round exit from the Big East tournament. Back to back road wins at Syracuse and NC State and a home win over Pittsburgh may not have convinced everyone, but it was good enough for the selection committee. The bottom line is that Louis Orr’s team did prove they can play with anyone. They finished 9-7 in the best league in the country.

Potential Difference Maker: Kelly Whitney gets it done on the interior, but the offense runs through Donald Copeland who has done a nice job directing traffic. He doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.

On Offense: They are going to run a 4 out 1 in motion offense to take advantage of Whitney inside. Their success has come from a very disciplined style of play, as they are playing a more deliberate style than in year’s past.

On Defense: They will play mostly a standard man-to-man defense with some 2-3 zone to keep offenses off-balance.

Strength: Whitney is an absolute stud inside and they control the tempo of a game. They are a good free throw shooting team (74%).

Weakness: They do not play well in a fast-paced game and they are not a great shooting team (42%) from the field.

Keys to Success: When their freshman point guard Paul Gause plays well, they have beaten some good teams. They must control the tempo and keep Whitney out of foul trouble.

How to Beat Them: You have to contain Whitney inside, because he will set up his teammates. If you can speed them up on offense, they will struggle to play that style.