The Seton Hall Pirates knocked off their second ranked team of the week, taking down Marquette inside the Prudential Center, 78-75.
Kadary Richmond led the upset win with a 21-point, 5-assist performance, despite sitting out the final eight minutes of the first half with two fouls. Seton Hall nearly squandered a 10-point lead with just over two minutes to play, but held on for the resume win.
Takeaway #1: Kadary Richmond has become the player he needed to be
Consistency and leadership. Those were the two qualities Richmond needed to add for his senior season at the Hall. And through 15 games, Richmond has been Mr. Consistent and Mr. Leader, especially against the top teams in the country.
In five games against top 25 teams, Richmond is averaging nearly 20 points per game and elevating his play on the big stage.
Kadary Richmond vs. top 25 teams update: 19.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 2.6 SPG
Looking like a Big East First or Second teamer to me… https://t.co/guLVaEbGA4
— Mat Mlodzinski (@MatMlodzinski) January 6, 2024
However, Richmond’s consistency has been the most important story. After some shaky seasons, it seems as if Richmond has found his groove as the clear number one option for the Pirates – whether that means scoring or playmaking. Richmond has scored at least 11 points or more in 13 of Seton Hall’s 15 games, and has finished with 4+ assists in 10 games. In fact, in six games, Richmond’s had at least 15 points and 4 assists, a fantastic model of consistency for someone with the ball in his hands so often.
When the 6-6 point guard isn’t giving dimes or putting the ball in the bucket, he’s collecting rebounds and making plays on defense. Richmond’s 33 total steals rank among the most in Big East basketball. Richmond isn’t your usual point guard, but he brings a unique blend of calmness and bully ball that few teams have been able to stop.
Takeaway #2: Marquette’s wings need to step up offensively
Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro are two very talented players for the Golden Eagles, but too often, they aren’t getting enough help.
Of course, Kam Jones is a talented scorer, but had an off day, shooting 5-of-15 and 3-of-10 from deep. David Joplin played the best of the starting wings, but even a 6-for-14 day won’t do you any favors on the road. Stevie Mitchell played well and efficiently, but his game is more on the defensive end of the ball, where he had 3 steals.
For me, it’s more about the usage. Obviously, feeding Ighodaro is important when he’s connecting from the field, which was certainly the case on Saturday. The Seton Hall Pirates had few answers when guarding him in the post. But on a day where Kolek struggled in all parts of the game, someone else needs to elevate their play. I didn’t see that enough, aside from a few big threes from Joplin. If Marquette is going to be the dangerous team in March they can be, they need to get more out of the supporting cast.
Takeaway #3: Seton Hall is a tier 2 team in Big East basketball
The Pirates were picked to finish 9th in the Big East Preseason Poll but it’s quickly become clear that this is a much better team than that. The Hall owns three Quadrant 1 wins, with home wins against UConn and Marquette. Very few, if any teams around the bubble have as good of wins as the Pirates do.
There’s no doubt the Huskies and Golden Eagles are the cream of the crop in Big East basketball. But after that, the list drops a tier. Creighton has solidified themselves. Providence did, but with the loss of Bryce Hopkins, we will see if the Friars can keep up their hot start. St. John’s and Villanova have both shown the potential of being in that second tier. While Seton Hall started the season way out of the picture, they have two wins that no other Big East team has. It’s time to take SHU seriously in 2023-24.