Seton Hall basketball rolls DePaul as Kadary Richmond returns
Kadary Richmond checked in during the first timeout, beat two defenders off the dribble and rolled in a twisting layup.
It was a fitting entrance for Seton Hall basketball’s marquee point guard, and the Pirates marked his return with a 72-39 romp at DePaul Tuesday. It's the fewest points the Hall ever has allowed in a Big East game.
After sitting out the past two games due to soreness – though he wasn’t diagnosed with an injury per se, he wasn’t feeling well after battling back and foot ailments and opted to sit – Richmond managed six points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals while committing six turnovers in 18 minutes.
But the Hall (14-8 overall, 7-4 Big East) responded to his presence by firing on all cylinders, snapping a three-game skid as senior wing Dre Davis (16 points, 12 rebounds) and postgrad center Jaden Bediako (12 points, 7 boards) led the way.
Bediako, who grabbed four offensive boards, came into the night leading the Big East and ranking fifth nationally with 4.1 offensive rebounds per game.
DePaul (3-19, 0-10) is ranked No. 291st by the analytics website Kenpom.com – historically bad for a high-major team. The Blue Demons, whose interim head coach is Haddon Heights native Matt Brady, shot an abysmal 22 percent from the field. The Hall is now 24-10 all-time against DePaul and 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Seton Hall has won four of its last five Big East road games and is 4-2 on the road in league play – impressive in a sport that tilts heavily toward the host.
Historical note: With at least 10 games left in this season, head coach Shaheen Holloway is now tied with Tommy Amaker (who coached him at the Hall) for the most Big East wins by a head man in his first two seasons (17 apiece). He’s second in overall wins with 31, three behind Kevin Willard.
Prior to this game, Holloway took the unusual step of publicly declaring it a must-win -- coaches never do that in January -- and his team responded accordingly.
3 THOUGHTS
1. Richmond’s return
Although Richmond did not play an efficient game offensively – he did play well on defense – the most important thing about his presence is it moves everyone back to their natural roles and allows his teammates (particularly Davis and Al Dawes) to operate one-on-one.
Now it’s time for Richmond to further heal up and get fully back into the flow. All in all, this was the perfect spot for his return.
2. Isaiah Coleman starts again
The freshman made his third straight start and scored 15 points, hitting 2-of-4 from 3-point range and adding 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes. Over his three games as a starter he’s averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 boards while shooting 58 percent from the field.
If there was one benefit to Richmond’s absence it was the increased run for Coleman, and the confidence that brings.
That could be huge for this squad down the stretch.
3. Hitting the bye in good shape
At 7-4 in the Big East, the Pirates are five regular-season wins away from locking up an NCAA Tournament berth. They will almost certainly be favored in all five remaining home games, starting with a Feb. 7 visit from Georgetown. There are also winnable trips to Villanova and St. John’s (at UBS Arena on Long Island) and acid tests at Creighton and UConn.
It's definitely doable. With four Quad 1 wins in pocket, the biggest key is avoiding the land mines of DePaul and Georgetown. So far the Hall is 2-0 in that department, taking both road contests.
There’s a lot of ball left, but the Pirates – picked to finish ninth in the Big East’s preseason coaches’ poll – are in good shape.
3 QUOTES
From Shaheen Holloway’s postgame radio interview…
On Richmond’s return: “I thought he was rusty. Made some passes that were not great. This break is a time for him to get back sharp.”
On Coleman taking advantage of Richmond’s absence: “You know what, it’s funny how things happen. I thought he lost some of his confidence early (in conference play). He’s been working his butt off in practice and after practice. Then Kadary goes out and he steps right in. I think it’s going to help us moving forward, just having somebody else that we can count on to play major minutes. Early on he was a guy who kind of faded because freshmen hit the wall, but I thought he came back the last couple of games and played within himself.”
On the bye: “I know I’ve got to get some key guys some rest. I’ve got to get Dre some rest, he's banged up and so is Dylan (Addae-Wusu) and so is Al. So I’ve got to make sure those guys get some rest. But we’ve also got to stay sharp. I’ve got to get Kadary back in the rotation and get him back with the team and stuff like that. So it’s an important week to get back to playing Seton Hall basketball.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball rolls DePaul as Kadary Richmond returns
