NEWARK — How rough was it for St. John’s on Thursday night at Seton Hall?Even the players who never took the court got abused.
As if Seton Hall’s 91-81 victory at The Prudential Center wasn’t bad enough, the Seton Hall student section mercilessly taunted injured St. John’s star Anthony Mason Jr. all night as he sat on the bench with a boot on his injured right foot. Mason Jr., who is out for the season, endured suggestions like “Put your dad in,” which was a reference to his father, Anthony Mason Sr., who starred for the Knicks a generation ago.
And here are my predictions for how the three local teams will do the rest of the way:
***RUTGERS (10-13, 1-9 Big East)
Feb. 8 – Seton Hall – WIN
Feb. 14 at Providence – LOSS
Feb. 19 at Villanova – LOSS
Feb. 22 West Virginia – LOSS
Feb. 25 at Notre Dame – LOSS
March 1 Providence – LOSS
March 3 at Syracuse – LOSS
March 7 USF – WIN
RUTGERS PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: 12-19, 3-15
***SETON HALL (12-9, 3-6 Big East)
Feb. 8 at Rutgers – LOSS
Feb. 10 at DePaul – WIN
Feb. 14 UConn – LOSS
Feb. 17 at Marquette – LOSS
Feb. 22 at St. John’s – WIN
Feb. 25 USF – WIN
Feb. 28 Pitt – LOSS
March 4 at Louisville – LOSS
March 7 at Cincinnati – LOSS
SETON HALL PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: 15-15, 6-12
***ST. JOHN’S (12-10, 3-7 Big East)
Feb. 8 Louisville – LOSS
Feb. 11 at Cincinnati – LOSS
Feb. 14 at Marquette – LOSS
Feb. 22 Seton Hall – LOSS
Feb. 24 Syracuse – LOSS
Feb. 28 at DePaul – WIN
March 3 Georgetown – LOSS
March 6 at Notre Dame – LOSS
ST. JOHN’S PREDICTED FINAL RECORD: 13-17, 4-14
hoopsfan44 / February 6, 2009
Probably the worst game of basketball i have ever watched last night. I am no fan of either team but you have got to be scared as a ST. John’s fan. They have little talent and are really poorly coached. Yikes who can handle the ball to beat a simple press? Seton Hall didn’t look much better.
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Mike / February 6, 2009
Adam, if things play out according to your predictions, do you see any of the local coaches being shown the door at the end of the season?
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shupirates35 / February 6, 2009
Hey Zags thats three in a row for the pirates, do you think Gonzo will get an extention or the boot? I was also wondering if they have a legit shot at Kyrie Irving, especially now they have Jeff Robinson. I am a student at SHU and we were giving him a few chants last night and he seemed pleased. And hoopsfan44, I dont know how you could say that was the worst game you have ever seen because there have been a lot worse and honestly, up until the end, I thought the pirates played pretty well. Thanks Zags
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Stealth421 / February 7, 2009
Hey Zags,
I realistically think, and therefore agree, we end up 6-12 in the BE, 15-15 overall. Thats being safe and not setting myself up for dissappointment.
I think the BEST CASE SCENARIO IS: 17-13 (8-10) – That would be great for The Hall and Bobby earn some well deserved breathing room. Next year with Gause gone, add Hazell, Eugene, Jordan, Stix, Keon, Herb, Diante, Melvyn, and mid season Jeff Robinson (and is Garcia coming back?) This is something for Hall fans to get excited about. Depth, Talent, and HAZELL!
I say best case scenerio again, with a large dose of caution. The two extra wins could be RU and Cincy, or one of those two and another good upset.
My question —- Is17-13 (8-10) enough for an NIT birth? An NIT home game? Has to be, right?
Thanks
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Adam Zagoria / February 7, 2009
Thanks for the comments guys.
In response, I think Bobby gets at least another year at Seton Hall. He has wins over 2 ranked teams in USC and Georgetown and his team could potentially get 16 or 17 wins and an NIT bid.
Much is riding on next year when the 3 transfers and Melvyn Oliver join the program, but there is the potential for the team to radically improve with that infusion of talent.
I actually think of the 3 local teams, Seton Hall has the greatest potential to drastically improve next year. St. John’s and Rutgers likely won’t improve that much unless things change. The Johnnies need Lance Stephenson big time, and a commitment from “Born Ready” might help Norm’s job status in a big way. The Knights need a JUCO point guard to run the show next year.
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