Coaches Vs Cancer Classic | Opponent Preview: Seton Hall Pirates

The Oklahoma Sooners travel to Brooklyn, NY to take on the Seton Hall Pirates who will literally be playing in their backyard as the campus is 14 miles from the Big Apple. With what fans have witnessed through three games have given many a reason to be excited. However, the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic will be a tale-tell indicator of how well the season will go.

The Opponent

Seton Hall finds themselves under the direction of Kevin Willard with an undeniable amount of depth available on the roster. Due to injuries last season, Willard's hand was forced as he thrust some developing players into key roles. The result manifested itself in an 11-man rotation to start this season. That number has dwindled slightly to eight since the onset and continues to prove viable with little drop off in production.

The backcourt is a major area of concern for the Hall. Why? Only one of the four primary guards have any experience on the Division-I level. On the collegiate circuit, guard play often dictates the outcome of the game. Hopes are high for Sterling Gibbs, a transfer from the Texas Longhorns, as he is expected to anchor this backcourt. So far this season Gibbs has played well from the point guard position although he is not have a pass-first mentality. Averaging 17 points per game to go alongside 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists, this kid is off to a solid start.

A name to be familiar with in the paint is none other than Patrik Auda, a 6-9 forward from the Czech Republic. After breaking his foot last November, questions arose as to how he would bounce back. The answer to that question has been quite simple as he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Currently, Auda puts up 14.5 points per game and pulls down a team high 6.3 rebounds.

Oklahoma is a beatable team but the question remains, who will be the first to take them down?

Previous Game: Quick Recap

Patrik Auda starred for the Pirates as he had a near perfect offensive night. Connecting on 8-of-9 shots from the floor including two three-pointers, Auda finished with a career high 27 point performance as the Hall improved to 3-1 on the season.

As a team, Seton Hall shot exceptionally well in all aspects of the game. The numbers were 82.1% from the charity stripe, 43.8% from three-point land, and 53.1% from the floor. However, the Pirates score roughly 79 points per game to give their next opponent, Oklahoma a clear cut edge.

The Series

The Oklahoma Sooners and Seton Hall Pirates met with a clash of pace in 1990 as P.J. Carlismo favored patience over Billy Tubbs' up-tempo style. As the final buzzer sounded, it would be the Sooners leaving with the 89-84 victory.