It’s good news for Iona fans that the Gaels are practicing again as their Covid shutdown has ended. But we got even better news on Saturday, when it was announced that the Iona Gaels and Seton Hall Pirates quickly scheduled a game for tonight – Monday, November 30 at 9pm! Here’s what you need to know about this matchup:
- It will be played at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and you can watch it on Fox Sports 1.
- Seton Hall Coach Kevin Willard used to be an assistant for Iona Coach Rick Pitino at Louisville, and he also served as Iona’s Coach from 2007 to 2010.
- This is the opening game for Iona and Pitino’s first game as coach – Iona had to cancel 4 games due to Covid – Pitino has not coached a college basketball game since March 2017.
- Seton Hall lost a close one in its opener to Louisville on Friday 71-70.
- Both schools recently lost 2 weeks of practice due to Covid shutdowns.
- 2 key Iona Gaels will not play due to injury: senior point guard Asante Gist and 7-1 sophomore transfer Osborn Shema.
- Seton Hall is a 19 point favorite.
- Rick Pitino said the following in an article on www.nj.com: “We’re coming out of quarantine. We had to cancel four games. We need a game desperately. We’re not ready to play right now but we have to play a game. We just can’t sit back and not play so I’m real appreciative that Seton Hall needed a game and certainly, it’s a great opponent for us to see where we’re at, and know what we have to work on. This is 15 new players for me. I don’t know who can play, who can’t play. I know I have two starters out so this is a great game to judge where we’re at and what we need to work on.”
To learn more about this matchup, tune in tonight to the College Hoops Chat radio show on WVOX, 1460AM from 8 to 9pm, where I will do a preview with Guy Falotico from IonaHoops.com. You can listen to the show online at link: WVOX Livestream.
Jim Maisano
CollegeHoopsChat@gmail.com
Great 1st half from the Gaels! They just didn’t have the horsepower to keep up with SHU.