Shaheen Holloway promised the Seton Hall basketball team would get markedly better.
His Pirates proved him right, perhaps sooner than anyone expected.
Postgrad guard Chaunce Jenkins scored 22 points and reserve forward David Tubek drilled a dagger 3-pointer to lift them to a 69-66 overtime upset of VCU in Thursday’s Charleston Classic quarterfinals – an enormous leap forward for a squad whose back was against the wall after a tough start.
“The guys fought, man,” Holloway said afterward. “Super proud of these guys. They clawed, they scratched, they made plays when we had to make plays.”
Seton Hall (3-2) broke through offensively against a top-10 defense in the country while continuing to lock things down on the other end. VCU (4-1) was the favorite to win the tournament — and the preseason pick to win the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“It was a must win – a huge win for us,” Jenkins said. “I told the guys before the game: We go this one. We’re going to be sending a message.”
That message?
“We’re resilient,” Jenkins said. “We can prevail through anything.”
This could well win up being a Quad 1 victory when all is said and done.
During his postgame radio interview, Holloway was asked how big of a win this was. Most coaches pass on that kind of question and respond with a cliche about how every game is important.
Holloway, who is utterly incapable of lying, didn’t waste words.
“It’s big,” he said.
No player symbolized the Hall’s resilience more than Tubek, who was limited as a freshman by a back injury. His decision to stay in South Orange amid the spring’s free-agency madness, largely overlooked by outsiders at the time, is a reminder that player development is still a thing in this sport.
Against VCU he scored nine points in 12 minutes, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts. The last one iced the outcome.
“I was like, oh, thank God,” Jenkins said of the dagger. “Such a big shot.”
In his first-ever postgame interview, Tubek said, “It just feels good, man,” and added, “I was staying ready and waiting for my time.”
Jenkins also tipped his cap to the many Seton Hall fans who made the trip — and made themselves heard. The Pirate faithful always travel well on Feast Week. Despite the early losses to Fordham and Hofstra, this was no exception.
“We had a ton of fans and they were a game-changer for us, like a sixth man on the court for us,” Jenkins said. “I thank them so much for traveling all this way and bringing so much energy and passion to the game. Every big play we made, they were into it. They helped us win this game as much as we did.”
The Pirates now face either Nevada or Vanderbilt in Friday’s semifinals at 5 p.m.
In the postgame locker room, Holloway made sure everyone knew the tip time.
“He walked right in and said: No celebration,” Jenkins said. “Got a quick turnaround. Let’s get another one.”
3 THOUGHTS
1. Clear improvement
Breaking 60 points for the first time this season, and doing it against a top-10 defense, is a clear breakthrough.
The Pirates shot well from deep (7-of-12). Although Jenkins was on fire down the stretch, he had some help for a change. They owned the Rams on the boards by a plus-14 margin (second-chance points: 11-4). And their defense continued to land throat punches; VCU shot just 36 percent from the field and appeared to buckle under the weight of the Pirates’ physicality.
Considering the quality of the competition and the neutral-court setting, this was close to a complete performance (turnovers and missed free throws remain issues).
If the Pirates are capable of grinding down VCU, they can win this tournament. And that would change the course of the season.
In the earlier quarterfinals, Drake upended Miami and Florida Atlantic edged Oklahoma State. This thing is wide open.
2. Some alpha dog from Isaiah Coleman
Sophomore wing Isaiah Coleman finally showed signs of embracing the alpha-dog role he was expected to assume after a promising freshman campaign. He posted 12 points and 10 rebounds, his first collegiate double-double, and was disruptive defensively.
Remember: Coleman missed much of the offseason due to various maladies. He came in a bit behind, but Holloway has been prodding and pushing buttons to activate this potential difference-maker. The Hall needs this version of him every game.
3. Welcome back, Garwey Dual
After missing Saturday’s win over Wagner with a shoulder injury and struggling to produce in the three prior games, sophomore point guard Garwey Dual served as a key contributor off the bench. The Providence transfer chipped in six points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals. His defense was solid, and he posted the game’s best plus/minus (plus-9).
In the long run, Dual’s effort might be the most important development. He must grow into the role of lead playmaker for the Pirates to fulfill their potential. This was a step forward.
Backup point guard Zion Harmon did not make the trip after missing the Wagner game. His future appears to be up in the air.
3 QUOTES
From Shaheen Holloway’s postgame radio interview with Gary Cohen and Davie Popkin:
On why he had David Tubek playing in crunch time: “You know what? He practices hard. When you practice hard, you get rewarded. Tubek practices hard, so there’s no reason not to play him. I reward guys who practice hard. Last year he wasn’t healthy. Right now he’s healthy and he can shoot the ball. Now I’ve got to get him to rebound.”
On Isaiah Coleman’s emergence: “I got mad at him, he made some bonehead plays, so I put him back in the game and I said you’re going to help us win this game with a big rebound. And he went in and did that.”
On Garwey Dual: “He played too much (for his shoulder). I’ve got to be careful. But I need somebody to handle the goddamn ball – sorry for my language. He was steady today; I just need him to have more confidence so he can finish.”
On Jenkins: “He put us on his back. We kept shooting too many pull-up jump shots. I told him, stop overthinking this. We’ve got to drive the basketball. Once we started doing that in the second half it was a game-changer.”
OK, that’s four quotes.
Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway cuts down net after winning NIT
Seton Hall basketball coach Shaheen Holloway cuts down the net after winning the NIT
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
