Seton Hall sets sights on Rutgers in Garden State Hardwood Classic

Seton Hall looks like a team reborn.

Thanks to an all-new rotation, the Pirates (9-1) already have eclipsed last year's lowly win total of seven and have taken down North Carolina State and Kansas State.

But none of coach Shaheen Holloway's 10 regulars have experienced the Garden State Hardwood Classic rivalry against Rutgers. The Pirates will face a hungry opponent when they host this year's edition Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

"I've got to talk to them about it, so they understand the history of it and how important it is -- what it means to the state, to our fans and their fans," Holloway told the Asbury Park Press.

The teams have split the past eight games, but Rutgers (5-5) is on a two-game winning streak in the series -- beating Seton Hall on the road by seven in 2023, then winning last year's matchup at home on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Dylan Harper.

Now Harper is starring for the San Antonio Spurs, and the Scarlet Knights have just a handful of holdovers from last year's team, including leading scorer Dylan Grant (14.9 points per game) and point guard Jamichael Davis (8.5 points, 3.0 assists).

"I think it's important for New Jersey," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said on his podcast. "I know it's important for Rutgers and Seton Hall. And it doesn't matter what kind of year you're having, either. It's an exciting game."

The kind of season Rutgers is having could be described as difficult. The Scarlet Knights have lost five of their past six games, starting with an upset at the hands of Central Connecticut and including blowout losses to Tennessee, Purdue and Michigan, three of the best teams in the country. Pikiell said it may have been the hardest stretch of games in the program's history.

Seton Hall, while scoring better than in recent seasons, has gotten back to its defense-led identity. In last weekend's 78-67 win at Kansas State, the Pirates forced 16 turnovers and held the nation's leading scorer, PJ Haggerty (24 ppg), to 11 points.

AJ Staton-McCray and Elijah Fisher each finished that game with 16 points and five rebounds for Seton Hall. Staton-McCray is the Pirates' top scorer with a 13.9 ppg average, and Tajuan Simpkins comes off the bench and adds 11.2 ppg and shoots 48.1% from 3-point land.

--Field Level Media