Seton Hall basketball at full strength for UConn showdown as rivalry heats up

For Seton Hall basketball fans of a certain age, welcoming Connecticut back into the Big East was like picking at an old scab. It was annoying, and it was going to bleed a little bit.

But few serious observers questioned the conference’s wisdom. Proof: The Huskies’ arrival in Newark Saturday (12 p.m. Fox) is the second-most anticipated league game on the Pirates’ schedule, after only last week’s visit from Villanova.

This has the potential to be just as good of a rivalry, if not better. Despite the spike in the pandemic, a crowd of roughly 11,000 is expected at the Prudential Center.

“Before they left, it had become a great rivalry,” Seton Hall Booster Club president Vince Zingara said. “UConn fans, they travel very well.”

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Zingara would know. He’s been attending Pirates’ games regularly since his student days in the 1960s. Starting in the early 1990s, when the Huskies rose to prominence under Jim Calhoun, their fans invaded the Meadowlands and other Big East arenas. They routinely brought 2,000-plus supporters to New Jersey until the old Big East broke up in 2013.

“As a Seton Hall season-ticket holder and a fan, you hate to see that because it takes away from home-court advantage,” Zingara said.

He organizes the Booster Club’s trips — including next week’s jaunt to Marquette — so he’s witnessed all kinds of crowds in many different settings. How do UConn faithful stack up to, say, those of Villanova, St. John’s or Rutgers?

“I hate to say it, but they’re a little bit more obnoxious,” Zingara said, echoing a view that is held by more than a few Hall long-timers.

There are other subplots as well. As everyone knows, Connecticut coach Dan Hurley played guard at Seton Hall in the 1990s and is part of New Jersey’s first family of hoops. Hurley has been open about his struggles on and off the court as a Pirate and praised his time in South Orange as indispensable to his personal development. He’s also a proven program-builder whose teams echo the in-your-face toughness of the P.J. Carlesimo years.

Still, it's not out of the question that, if his fiery sideline demeanor flares up, Hurley could hear some boos.

“He’s a very good coach, and I think he is doing a great job in Connecticut so far,” said Zingara, who attended St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City with Bob Hurley, Dan’s legendary father. “Some people have negative feelings toward him, but I can’t say anything bad about him.”

Like many Hall fans, Zingara worries that throwing UConn a lifeline out of the AAC will hamper the Pirates’ metropolitan-area recruiting (the Huskies feature two New Jerseyans in guard R.J. Cole and center Adama Sanogo). And he remains distrustful of UConn’s long-term motives — “they pump a lot of taxpayer money” into the football program, he said.

But during a season when he hasn’t been able to make all the games — he’s been babysitting for a young grandson — Zingara will pay UConn an opposing fan's ultimate compliment Saturday. He’ll be there.

Pirates back at full strength

For the first time in a month — since the first half of the win over Texas — Seton Hall will have its full nine-man rotation available. The 24th-ranked Pirates (10-3 overall, 1-2 Big East) welcomed forward Tyrese Samuel back to practice Thursday after he emerged from COVID protocols.

“(Samuel) looked like he didn’t miss a day,” postgrad wing Myles Cale said Thursday afternoon.

The Pirates were able to run five-on-five for the first time since mid-December.

“We actually had some subs coming in,” Cale said. “Everybody was getting a lot of breathers. It was a good practice.”

Center Ike Obiagu returned to action Tuesday, logged 28 minutes and made a huge difference as Seton Hall cruised past Butler. A key to Obiagu’s seamless return from a month’s absence due to an ankle sprain and COVID: During his stretch with the latter, he continued to work with associate head coach and big-man guru Grant Billmeier, who also had COVID.

“I was able to work out with him the whole time and that really helped a lot,” Obiagu said. “Obviously it’s a lot different than practice, but I think he played a major part in my staying in shape.”

Having everyone on board, Cale said, should be a game-changer.

“It feels way more complete with our two big men back,” he said. “That was our Achilles heel those last two games (losses to Providence and Villanova). Having them back makes us feel way more confident, way more comfortable.”

UConn (10-3, 1-1) is coming off its own lengthy COVID pause. On Thursday Hurley told reporters his team hasn’t had a full-scale practice since Dec. 20. While it’s unclear who will be available Saturday, Hurley did say the formidable Sanogo has been dealing with a hamstring tweak.

“He did not practice yesterday and he’s been limited today,” Hurley said.

A Patrick School grad who chose UConn over Seton Hall, Sanogo (14.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) “has great footwork and touch around the basket,” Obiagu said. “He’s one of the best post players in the Big East.”

The 7-foot-2 rim protector is fired up for the challenge.

“They’re a very good team, they’re highly touted,” Obiagu said. “That’s why we have to go into this knowing we have to bring our 'A' game.”

UConn leads this series 45-20 and holds a whopping 28-4 advantage since 1993. The squads split last year’s meetings.

Record alert

When he takes the court Saturday, Cale will set the program record for most games played at 136, passing former teammate Michael Nzei. Because he got on the court regularly as a freshman and is on track to become the first Hall player to wear the uniform over five full seasons, he’ll probably put the mark well out of reach by the time he's done.

“I haven’t even brought it up to Mike,” Cale said of Nzei. “It kind of went over my head. I am honored to be in this position, to have so many games in a Seton Hall jersey.”

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 vs. UConn at full strength for showdown