Seton Hall Basketball: UCONN 69, Seton Hall 46; South Orange, We Have a Problem
by HallBall99 on Feb 4, 2012 5:33 PM EST
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First, let's start with the good....(uncomfortable and elongated pause filled with deafening silence)...
And now, for the bad:
It can't be overstated how different this Seton Hall team is without Herb Pope. Clearly we knew that would be the case heading into this tilt, as the offense runs through the big fella, but now we've actually seen it. It was as objectionable as having bright bar lights turned up at "last call", only to realize you've mistakenly been smitten with... well... you know the rest.
In a battle of the losing streaks (UCONN had lost 4 in a row, SHU 5), Seton Hall, again, was unable to get going offensively, as the Pirates lost their 6th in a row by a final of 69 - 46. At the break, Seton Hall managed to tally a whopping 17 points; aggregate. To put that in context, UConn's Boatright and Lamb had a total of 19 and 17 points respectively for a team previously mired in an offensive funk. The prescription for the Huskies? Play a Herb Pope-less Seton Hall team (and sure, more cowbell too). Speaking of Boatright, he had an absolutely filthy one-on-one dribble-drive to the hoop that had poor Freddie Wilson jumping out of his shoes. As a basketball fan, that was the highlight of the game - much to my chagrin, a Seton Hall player got posterized.
With Herb Pope sidelined, I really thought Patrik Auda had the chance to play with house money, so to speak, and get back on track offensively. Fail. Epic fail. Auda went 0-3 from the field with 3 boards, 1 assist, 5 personal fouls (3 with eight minutes left in the first half!) and roughly zero points, give or take a standard deviation of zero. This doesn't all fall on Auda, however, as this was a collaborative crash-into-the-mountain effort. The Pirates took 23 three-point attempts and netted just 5 for an anemic 21%. Going into this game sans Pope, I figured it would be a launch 'n pray campaign and, to be frank, had Haralds Karlis not gone 1-8 from deep, this game could have been a lot closer. In fact, of the 8 total three-point attempts by Karlis, 5 shots were clean looks. It's difficult to get too down on him due to his reduced role since Big East play commenced, but the reality is that you must shoot a minimum of 30% if you're firing at such high volume from deep.
Finally, and there's really no need to belabor this point, but Jordan Theodore and Shabazz Napier got into it with roughly 3 1/2 minutes remaining in a game that was purely academic at that point. Good hard play but certainly some frustration from JT and a bit of taunting from Napier. However, Coach Willard got T'd up and tossed subsequent to that skirmish. I'm not certain what the definitive reason was (verbal lashing directed at the officials, I presume?) for the ejection but one thing is for certain, there will be fallout from this. Post game, Coach Willard was quoted as saying, "I'm the only coach that has white guys who can't shoot." On a myriad of levels, I take issue with this statement. I find it offensive, degrading and not in the least bit humorous or constructive. I'm fairly certain I can speak for the Seton Hall Basketball community when I say that I'm just as frustrated and disappointed with this 6 game skid and the 180 degree turn this season has taken as the next fan, but we must hold ourselves to a higher standard in dealing with these adverse times. We represent an institution of higher education, and Coach Willard's statement is the inverse of an educated one, and one that is antithetical to any didactic practice, progressive or otherwise.
As always, and perhaps more than ever this season, HAZARD ZET FORWARD!
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Here's an idea for Willard: cut the one-liners.
There’s no humor in losing and as Rob stated, this latest attempt at humor was outrageous.
Founder & Editor of SouthOrangeJuice.Com
Bye, Bye, Bobby!
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I said it earlier...
Willard should be suspended for the rest of the season. He lost control of the team and his own behavior. Back to the Gonzo Era. Back to Thug U. 4 Ts.Inexcusable!
That won't happen, but I'd expect him to start with an apology.
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To bad you're right.
This is a nightmare for the school. We get rid of one Gonzo and we get another. He’s been steaming for weeks about the unfair calls. Blaming the refs is just the last refuge of a bad coach. He melted down and the team followed suit. 2 Ts for him and 2 Ts for the players. He’s supposed to set a good example for the players not set them off on the wrong path. They are losing games because they can’t hit open shots. They are losing games because he is having trouble recruiting. They are losing games because he lost control of the team. And he cannot accept the fact that he has to assume responsibility for the loses and not push them off on the refs. Apologies are are joke. Right now we’ve been turned into a laughing stock by the rest of the league. I bet the recruits start pulling us off their fav-five lists. And i bet the refs start calling a lot of the fouls hey have let go. Great job Willard. Really great
An apology is appropriate, for certain
I think a suspension for the rest of the season is way too aggressive, but I do believe there should be an apology both for behavior (technicals / ejection) as well as, and most importantly, his comment about his white players being unable to shoot.
I’ve been a big Kevin Willard supporter – the readers of this blog know know – and I think he crossed the line with this one and needs to make amends. Fast.
Again, I get that he’s a competitive and passionate guy – but he’s also the face of a major institution of higher education to a large degree… he must not forget that.
@robertmanganaro
Unfortunately, I get the impression an apology won't be coming.
Founder & Editor of SouthOrangeJuice.Com
Bye, Bye, Bobby!
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It's about time Willard shows some emotion
The truth hurts. Alot of frustration at a bunch of Pussy Pirates. He just needed to say his ENTIRE team can’t shoot. I have never seen so many wide open looks only to hear the clang, clang, clang of the rim. This team does not have a leader. All they are is an embarrassment to a proud university. At best, they win one more game the rest of the year. As I said earlier, when you think they have hit rock bottom, they surprise us and continue to sink to all-time lows every time they step on the court and mail it in. Pathetic Pussy Pirates.
by PirateBlue on Feb 4, 2012 8:46 PM EST via mobile reply actions
can we please get this guy to stop using the language he is using
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by seton hall and steelers on Feb 4, 2012 10:13 PM EST up reply actions
Thank you. That's precisely my point.
If this were an NBA team, that might fly – but I’m a proud alumnus of Seton Hall University and I’m certain Dr. Esteban wouldn’t use nor tolerate such inappropriate language.
@robertmanganaro
Its about time
Your totally off base with this one. I can’t believe that it (the techs/ejection) didn’t happen earlier. He’s been steaming through his ears for the last three weeks. Time and time again his players are bowled over and there no fouls come from it. Take the Louisville game for example. Fu missed a layup in the second half then was essentially body slammed into the floor and no call. Gene Steratore has done four games (i believe that many) this season and every time the bigs get into foul trouble and theres nothing on the other end. He was the ref who t’ed up Pope on a dunk earlier in the year (don’t recall the game). Not proud of what he did, but I think it needed to happen. This is nothing like Bobby. Bobby would ride officials from the opening tip-off until the final buzzer, regardless of the situation, I even saw Bobby get a technical foul on a made SHU basket in Cancun two years ago. This is not like that. This is Kevin Willard sticking up for his team during a time of need.
Sticking up for his team?!
Here’s the issue, as I see it:
1) Willard is nothing like Gonzo. He has displayed behavior that I’m sure, 10 years down the road he will regret – but lets not forget he’s young and this IS his first rodeo in the Big East (2nd year, but you dig what I"m saying).
2) I couldn’t possibly disagree more with the “Sticking up for his players” comment. The issue I take with Coach Willard is the way he flat out called out Karlis today, AGAIN, referring to him as as a “white guy” and his inability to shoot. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot for recruiting purposes…
3) My colleague, GonzoBallSHU, earlier Tweeted that he (Willard) is the one who recruited these kids. Tearing them down in public with a borderline racial comment (if the inverse was said, I’d be just as upset about this topic, by the way, but I think it would garner more national attention) is NOT a way to instill confidence and promote learning. I like Karlis, a lot, and I’m thrilled that Willard recruited the kid and that he landed at SHU — lets not forget, he’s a freshman, so cut the kid a break — my issue lies with the way in which this post game was handled. Secondary are the technical calls (but still important, clearly).
@robertmanganaro
Ugly Mess
The losses are especially difficult to stomach because all of the effort on the court is productive on one side; for most of the game but comIng up completely empty on the other.
Further, we are seeing some cracks in Coach’s mettle. Willard needs to keep it together. If the refs decide they don’t like you it will cost you all the close calls. (see gonzo, Timmy Welsh, mike Jarvis etc.).
I also totally agree with the other posters on the detrimental impact a volatile, unstable appearance can have on the team.
Easy for me to say when I’m the one watching these games from my couch, whilst cursing and throwing the remote. . .
I think Willard was a great example and calm, steady leader up to this point. Every man has a breaking point and safe to say Coach hit his this afternoon. Agree he should retract the Karlis slant, apologize, regroup, and move on.
Give him this one guys.
by PaulPierce on Feb 4, 2012 10:42 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I'm with you...
I simply feel that, in light of what was said, there should be an apology.
We should hold ourselves to a higher standard than that… that’s all I’m saying.
@robertmanganaro
????
I wonder if he said black folks can’t jump. Would half of you guys be screaming for his head. Just checking, The world is coming to an end….
As Rob mentioned...
Yes, if Willard said, “I’m the only coach who has black guys who can’t dunk/jump” the outcry and national media attention would be a hell of a lot worse.
It’s time he leaves the comedy to the professionals, there’s plenty of coaching to focus on.
Founder & Editor of SouthOrangeJuice.Com
Bye, Bye, Bobby!
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I think you're missing the point.
Willard had a major melt-down. He’s been blaming the refs for his coaching failures for weeks. What kind of message does that send to the team… to the fans… to the BE? The message is: I can’t coach. It’s all right to blame others for personal failures. It’s all right to lose control on the court. Pat Lyons the AD has to haul Willard in on the carpet and punish him to establish some sort of order within the program and in the larger world of high school, AAU and NCAA bball. I could see Hurley shaking his head in disbelief over the incident. How can any coach recommend to a potential recruit that SHU is a program moving forward when the coach can’t accept responsibility for his team and his action. How can he be a leader of young men when… Let’s hope there isn’t another melt-down in an even more hostile enviornment at the RAC.
I agree, "????"
@likwitdraino,
You stated it perfectly, from my humble viewpoint.
I relayed the white guy comment to my coach friend. He laughed, said that Willard’s funny. Then I said he’s gonna take heat on this. He agreed. But I didn’t think the heat would come from Seton Hall fans, but rather from media wanting to create buzz and clicks.
I strongly dislike when people say rude things and then claim people are too PC. I’m against use of language that might hurt or insult. But this? In this day and age is hurtful? Really?
My take: it’s funny. Not rude. Not directed to hurt Karlis, just a joke. In line with Willard’s sense of humor. Do we really think Karlis and Auda et al. think they’ve been a target of a racial slur at their whiteness and shooting-skill stereotypes? Can any of us say we would be if we were Karlis/Auda/…? Really?
I’m kinda perplexed at the almost universal reaction on this blog, which has the most level-headed posters I’ve seen on a basketball board (how do you manage to get such good posters—I can’t read the other Seton Hall site anymore, with it’s population shifted to a predominance of reactionary, negative people trashing kids).
Let's just say that Willard didn't intend to make a joke or use any humor with his comments, he was serious.
I think everyone is brushing this off as another attempt at Willard making a joke. But first ask yourself, is there anything humorous about the slide this team is on?
Secondly, knowing that wasn’t trying to be humorous, doesn’t that make his comments, worse?
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Bye, Bye, Bobby!
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by GonzoBallSHU on Feb 5, 2012 10:14 PM EST up reply actions
Cut it any way you'd like, it was wrong.
Let it be clear that I’m not insinuating Coach Willard is a racist. I’m not. But I do think it was an inappropriate statement and I find it offensive as an alumnus of the University he represents…in fact, I find it just offensive in general. I feel that after he cooled down from what clearly a very frustrating loss (and he said his peace about the officiating / official) he should have apologized. Accept responsibility for ill advised terminology towards a player he recruited and move forward – that’s my only point here.
Mike Rice (who I thought was a hotter head than Willard by light-years) has since apologized publically for getting ejected – he set a tremendous example for his players. I respect that.
I think Coach Willard has the ability to be a tremendous coach at Seton Hall and I’m happy he’s at the helm of our program, but he must exercise better judgment moving forward, and that begins with an apology for that comment.
@robertmanganaro
This Pirates season just proves once again that .......
the Big East Conference is one of the"Best" Conferences in College Basketball. And that is definitely true when a team needs to have more Seniors and Juniors then Freshmens and Sophomores before they can compete among the best in the Conference.
At first I too was disappointed and sad about Seton Hall’s season, but then I stepped back and look at their situation. The top teams in the Conference every year are teams with experienced Seniors and Juniors.
The fact of life that a player coming out of high school can bea blue chipper in high school but at this level of competition isnt high school. And the Big East Conference isnt some good local mid majors.
Some year Seton Hall will have enough Seniors and Juniors then I see great things from this team. But right now this freshmen and sophomore dominated team just isnt going to be able to do better then those teams that have experienced talent.
When the day comes Seton Hall finally can compete for the top positions then everyone will know that they will be among the best in the Country.
I have faith in Coach Willard and his staff and Seton Hall Athletics that they will reach those heights. Patience is what is needed and a future is what this team now has.
Piratefocus and JJer hit the nail on the head
This is a young team with a young coach. These mistakes will happen. These are not the sins of Coach Gonzalez coming back to haunt us, these are growing pains.
We should all feel Coach Willard’s fustration. The team is not consistently hitting from the paint, they miss way too many layups and far too many are blocked, the players are beign hammered without the beneift of the calls and they often have position for the three but are afarid to take them. Coaching can only correct so much. He can’t make Herb jump quicker when he has the ball in the paint and he can’t take away the hesitatiion when they drive the lane or pull up for a jumper. They will get thier shot back and when they do teams will guard the primiter and won’t be able to sit in the paint and take out the inside game. That is when eveything will come back together. It will happen this year.
I am as fustrated and disappointed as all of us. But there is no reason to turn the sets off, toss your tickets into a bonfire on Mulberry Street or swear off recruits because of where they come from. The Coach is not a racist, the team has not quit and recruits are not crossing us off their lists. It hurts whent he acorns hit but we need to remember it’s not the sky that is falling. Coach Willard deserves 4 years before anyone considers jumping ship.
It bears repeating. Few amoung us thought the team would have this record and challenge for an NCAA tournement bid this quickly into the Coach’s tenure.
You're blinded by the pom-poms.
He isn’t even mature enough to apologize to the team and school and fans. Now, it’s going around that the BE might discipline him for his comments. Lyons should have stepped in already and demanded an apology and put him on notice. But maybe he’s to close to Willard. If this were Gonzo, the press and fans alike would rip him a new one. Sad how prejudice works. Sad that it might be institutional.
Seriously
Although I agree he should not say things like that, it was an innocent comment. I just Googled Kevin Willard. Assuming an old guy like me can Google correctly, (I know, another sterotype) I only found one blogger, Billy Edin, who commented and he took it for the joke that it was.
The fact that Coach Gonzalez would have been ripped for that comment makes my point. Coach Willard deserves a pass and, for now, seems to have received one. There is no reason to doubt that AD Lyons and/or President Esteban spoke with the Coach about these types of comments.
BTW, IMO I am always objective about Pirate basketball. I am not blinded by my love for the school-and all the success going there has brough me; the fond memories I have watching them play at Walsh, The Garden, Nassau Coliseum, The Meadowlands, The RAC or in my livingroom-wins and losses alike; or anything a cheerleader may hold-flags, pom-poms, t-shirt guns etc.
My predictions: 1. A big win on Wed as everyone finds thier shot and 2. I won’t be the only man in blue in an area where many of the fans are full of scarlet.
We are all fans.
It would be a sign of maturity to accept responsibility and it would defuse some of the possible negative reaction from refs, HS, AAU coaches and parents wondering about the quality of SHU bball. We can’t afford to go from a purse snatcher to a coach who blames refs for his loses and makes questionable racial comments.
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