Pirates To Renew Rivalry with Villanova

Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2025

by Nick DiBlasi

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team (7-20, 2-14) looks to pull off an upset at home against their BIG EAST rival Villanova Wildcats (16-12, 9-8) on Wednesday night at Prudential Center.

The Pirates are coming off a devastating loss to the Xavier Musketeers, where a second-half comeback effort of more than 20 points fell short at home, 73-66. Sophomore standout Isaiah Coleman continued his dominance with 24 points, fueling Seton Hall’s late-game rally.

Junior forward Prince Aligbe played a key role in the second half on Sunday, scoring seven of his 11 points while grabbing five rebounds to dominate under the basket.

Looking at Villanova, the Wildcats head into Newark riding high off an 81-66 victory over then-No. 16 Marquette. A fast start, including four made 3-pointers, propelled them past star Kam Jones and the Golden Eagles. Graduate student Eric Dixon, who leads the BIG EAST with 22.9 points per game, contributed 23 points in the win.

The narrative for Seton Hall this season has been falling behind early and playing tough in the second half. The Pirates will look to start strong against a Wildcats team they have faced more than any other in program history. Wednesday night marks the 130th meeting between these BIG EAST rivals, with Seton Hall winning their most recent matchup.

A 66-56 win on March 6, 2024, marked the 100th career victory for Coach Shaheen Holloway and was Seton Hall’s first win against Villanova since the 2020 season. 

Seton Hall has been affected by injuries at times this season, with star players Chaunce Jenkins, Dylan Addae-Wusu, and Scotty Middleton all missing time in recent games.

When healthy, Jenkins is a primary scorer for the Pirates; however, he has been inactive for nine straight games since a knee injury suffered on Jan. 18 against St. John's. 

Addae-Wusu, in his second season with Seton Hall, has brought a veteran mindset to the team, averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 10 conference matchups.

Currently ranking third in the conference and 43rd in the nation by forcing 14.3 turnovers per game, Seton Hall will need to maintain its physical play to take down a streaky Wildcats squad. 

Michael Federico and CJ Weipz will be on the call live from Prudential Center, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. Jack Pine and Chris Heite will have pregame coverage at 8 p.m. on 89.5 FM.

Nick DiBlasi can be reached at nicholas.diblasi@student.shu.edu. 

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