By Paul Gotham

It’s that time again. Let’s hear from you readers. We had another week of many performances with which to choose. Pick the ONE that stands out to you, and tell us a story.

I am going with Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell.

Hazell showed Thursday night that one does not need to take a lot of shots to score many points.

On 9 of 12 shooting from the field, Hazell had a game-high 25 points to lead the Seton Hall Pirates over the Louisville Cardinals, 80-77. Hazell hit three of six from behind the arc and four of six from the free throw line. The junior from Harlem added five rebounds, two assists and two steals for the night. Hazell averages 22 ppg with 3.6 rpg.

Seton Hall is quietly getting in position in the Big East race. With three wins, the Pirates are just one game behind fifth-place West Virginia. Last year, seven teams from the Big East earned berths in the NCAA Tournament.

Who gets your POTW?

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Jim Boeheim and his No.5  Syracuse Orange (12-0) visit the Prudential Center for a Big East tilt with Bobby Gonzalez and his Seton Hall Pirates (9-2/0-1).

Plot: After a week break the Orange open Big East play at 12-0 for the sixth time during Boeheim’s tenure. Seton Hall will face their second consecutive undefeated and top ten team. On Saturday, the Pirates lost in overtime to West Virginia, 90-84.

Sub-plots: The game pits two of the top scoring teams in the nation. SU ranks third in the nation with 88.3 points while Seton Hall is fourth with 88.1.

Flashback: Eric Devendorf dropped five of eight from behind the arc, and Jonny Flynn added 19 as the Orange downed the Pirates in the second round of the Big East tournament, 89-74. Syracuse owns a 43-15 lead in the all-time series. The Orange have won four of the last five tangles between the Big East rivals.  Seton Hall last defeated SU at home in 2004, 74-67.

Foreshadowing: 34 Orange alums have played in the NBA including current players Carmelo Anthony, Flynn, Donte Green, Jason Hart, Eton Thomas, and Hakim Warrick.  25 Pirates have played in the NBA. Samuel Dalembert is the lone Pirate currently in the NBA.

Conflict: Both teams have a rebound margin of roughly four. Seton Hall grabs 44.8 while giving up 40.4. SU gets 39.8 as opponents get 35.7. These numbers will show tonight’s battle for tempo. The Pirates have created more possessions. Syracuse and their zone slows down opponents. Can Seton Hall keep up with Syracuse in a fast-paced game?

Seton Hall scored 84 points against a West Virginia team that was holding opponents to less than 50 per game. The Pirates scored 36 of their points on lay ups. Many of those buckets came in transition. Seton Hall created 13 Mountaineer turnovers. The Pirates only turned the ball over six times.

Can Syracuse take care of the ball? Will the Orange stuff the outlets and limit the Pirates’ opportunities for easy baskets?

Eugene Harvey is effective in the open floor leading the Pirates with 64 assists (5.8 per game). The senior is resilient and will keep the pressure on Syracuse.

Herb Pope (6’8″) and John Garcia (6’9″) will have the unenviable task of keeping the Orange front line in check.  At 6’9″ and 240 pounds, Rick Jackson represents the largest forward the Pirates have had to deal with all season. Arinze Onuaku (6’9″) has been slowed by injuries by still must be accounted for. When those two are taken care of, 6’7″ Wes Johnson (8.2 rpg) will look to grab up the remaining boards.

Can Jeremy Hazell (rhymes with gazelle) and Jamel Jackson get lost in the SU zone? Hazell is not afraid to shoot. The junior took 33 shots against West Virginia including 19 from behind the arc. Hazell finished with a career-high 41 points. Jackson hit 12 three-pointers versus VMI en route to dropping 40.

Both VMI and West Virginia played man-to-man. Usually, three-point shooters enjoy zone defenses. That is probably not the case with this Syracuse team. These Orange are long and athletic and give opponents very little breathing room.

Tonight’s game will be Brandon Triche’s first Big East action. The freshman point guard has shown the potential for being a steadying force on the floor. He makes the easy pass and looks up the floor for open teammates. He has also shown his inexperience with some questionable decisions. Scoop Jardine will see time off the bench.  Against Florida Jardine’s handle was exposed as he committed four turnovers in 19 minutes of play.

Andy Rautins should provide the necessary leadership. The senior averages 9.5 points and 5.5 assists. But his value cannot be appropriately assessed with those numbers. Rautins makes the extra pass that moves defenses. He doesn’t always get the assist on that play, but in the long run the Orange benefit from his selfless play.

Resolution: Syracuse has too many weapons to not win a high-scoring affair. Seton Hall will come a another moral victory staying with the Orange until late in the game.

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

By Paul Gotham

What a week of sports action with so many performances with which to choose. Step up readers and tell us a story. Give us your one, une, uno performance of the week.

If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.

With that in mind, Seton Hall’s Jeremy Hazell (pronounced ha-ZELL) grabs my POTW in a losing effort.

Hazell scored a career-high 41 points as the Pirates lost their Big East opener in overtime to No.6 West Virginia, 90-84.

It did not come easy. Hazell finished the game 14-33 from the field including 4-19 from the three point arc.  When the Pirates needed him most, the senior from Harlem delivered.

Seton Hall trailed by 10 with :56 remaining. Hazell nailed two three-pointers in the final :17 to send the game to extra time. Hazell’s second trey came from 25′ away with a hand in his face.

West Virginia came into the game holding opponents to less than 50 points per game and 29 per cent from behind the arc.

Who gets your POTW?

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Big East Conference play opens when Bob Huggins brings his No.6 West Virginia Mountaineers (9-0) north to New Jersey for a tangle with Bobby Gonzalez and his Seton Hall Pirates (9-1).

Plot: WVU is looking to use its early-season streak to vault into conference play. The Mountaineers’ six spot in the polls is the program’s highest ranking since 1982. West Virginia has won 30 in a row during the month of December. Seton Hall is looking to prove the validity of its record.

Sub-plot: The Mountaineers have had little time for holiday gatherings. Wednesday night West Virginia downed Ole Miss, 76-66. Tuesday, Seton Hall defeated Navy, 94-56. Life does not get any easier for Seton Hall as the Pirates play No.5 Syracuse on Tuesday.

Flashback: The Mountaineers are 13-11 against the Pirates – including six of the last ten meetings between conference rivals. Alex Ruoff and De’Sean Butler each scored 18 as WVU downed Seton Hall last year, 92-66. Seton Hall’s last victory over WVU came in 2006. On that day, Kelly Whitney scored 21 and grabbed 12 boards as the Pirates won, 71-64.

Since joining the Big East, West Virginia is 6-8 in league openers.

Seton Hall is 1-16 all time against No.6 ranked opponents. The last time the Pirates defeated the sixth team in the country was in 1992 when they defeated Ohio State.

Conflict: Seton Hall went 10-11 from long range and scored 64 points in the second half against Navy, but Bobby Gonzalez’s crew will need a different focus come tip off today. The Mountaineers can score in bunches as evidenced by Wednesday night’s second half outburst. Wellington Smith led the Mountaineers hitting four threes in the first 4:30 of the second half. Smith led three Mountaineers in double figures. Devin Ebanks scored 14 and Kevin Jones chipped in 12. Pre-season All American, De’Sean Butler was only needed for nine points.

WVU outrebounded Ole Miss, the No.21 team in the country, 50-28. Ebanks topped the Rebels starting five on the offensive glass, 8-7.

Herb Pope grabbed 20 rebounds in a win earlier this season over VMI. Pope will need to step up his efforts against the active Mountaineer front line.

Jeremy Hazell leads four Pirates in double figures with 20 points. Pope adds 14 points. Robert Mitchell and Jamel Jackson chip in 11.7 and 10.3 respectively.

Eugene Harvey leads the Pirates with 58 assists and an assist to turnover ratio of 2.1/1.

Resolution: In his fourth year, Bobby Gonzalez is not looking for moral victories, but that is what his team may need from this match up. The Mountaineers will give the Pirates a dose of top ten medicine. Seton Hall can use this experience in preparation for the rest of Big East play.