When: 2:00 P.M. on 3/8/11
Where: Madison Square Garden
What: Opening Round game between Seton Hall and Rutgers.
Key Matchups and items of this game:
1. Seton Hall must contain Jonathan Mitchell: Mitchell is Rutgers best wing scorer and Seton Hall needs to stop him. He is a good 3pt shooter and we need to close out on him. I expect Fuquan Edwin and Eniel Polynice to cover him when we play man.
2. Seton Hall must rebound: Gilvidyas Biruta has been on a tear lately and he destroyed SHU in both games this year. Pope. JROB (Jeff Robinson), Auda, and Geramipoor need to collectively focus on boxing him out and contesting his shots.
3. Can Seton Hall continue to drain 3pt shots? In the last two games, SHU has hit 24 3pt shots. If we keep shooting with this kind of efficiency we can beat anybody.
Rutgers wins if:
1. They contain Jeremy Hazell. Dane Miller has done a great job guarding Jeremy but Haz has only been fully healthy for the last two games. Previously, he was playing with a brace that really affected him. If Dane Miller stops Jeremy and holds him to under 15 points, Rutgers will probably win.
2. Gilvidyas Biruta continues to destroy the Pirates: In both games this year, Biruta has destroyed Seton Hall. If he continues to do that and they contain Hazell, Rutgers will win with relative ease.
3. Jonathan Mitchell plays well: In the two games vs. SHU, Mitchell played well in their win, and bad in their loss. He needs to play well to give them a chance.
Seton Hall will win if:
1. Jeremy Hazell continues to play well: Hazell has been great in the last two games, scoring 31 and 21 points respectively. If he continues to score while being efficient SHU has a great chance of winning.
2. They contain Biruta and Mitchell: These are Rutgers two best players and if we hold them to under 30 points and 15 rebounds, I think Seton Hall will win.
3. They continue their hot 3pt shooting: The last two games, SHU has been incredible shooting the 3. If they continue this, they will win the game.
My Prediction: Seton Hall: 83, Rutgers: 68
Standout Player: Jeremy Hazell: 30 pts, 6reb, 3ast, 2stl
No comments:
Post a Comment