Seton Hall basketball: Myles Cale leads gut-check win over St. John's

NEW YORK — Myles Cale has played 139 games in a Seton Hall basketball uniform, more than anyone in program history.

For much of that time he’s been underappreciated by outsiders who expect more from a former four-star recruit whose strengths don’t show up in most box scores — and who often subordinates his individual interest for the good of the team.

Not Saturday.

With ace guard Bryce Aiken sidelined by a concussion and ace forward Jared Rhoden slumping against a desperate St. John's squad, Cale put the Pirates on his shoulders. The postgrad guard tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and two assists while defending Red Storm star Julian Champagnie superbly, leading the Pirates to a 66-60 victory at Madison Square Garden.

“I think this was the best game he’s ever played,” Hall coach Kevin Willard said.

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Cale, who also handled the ball quite a bit against the Johnnies’ fierce pressure and made five of six free throws, smiled when informed of Willard’s compliment.

“Since I’ve played a lot and this was a win we definitely needed, that makes me feel good,” he said, later adding, “I know what kind of player I am and what I do in practice. My teammates trust me. It’s about going out there and having that confidence and the right mindset.”

How good was Cale's effort? Champagnie came in averaging 21 points per game on 45 percent shooting. He is the best player in the metropolitan area and quite possibly the Big East. He’s going to be a first-round NBA Draft pick — and possesses the tools for a long career in the league.

Cale handled Champagnie one-on-one for 37 minutes, holding him to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting. It's the first time in 47 games Champagnie failed to reach double figures in scoring.

"We had a week to prepare for them, and our coaches did a phenomenal job of breaking it down," Cale said of Champagnie's tendencies. "I watched a lot of their Creighton game (a road loss Wednesday) and I saw how (Creighton guard) Alex O'Connell make his shots uncomfortable."

St. John's didn't set many screens for Champagnie, and Cale was constantly positioned between him and the bucket, whether Champagnie had the rock or not.

"I had to hold my ground," Cale said.

With the win, Seton Hall improved to 12-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big East, ending a two-game slide. This was a desperation game for the Johnnies (10-7. 2-4), who entered the day with a NET ranking of 104, no road wins and an 0-5 record against quads one and two.

The Pirates have beaten St. John's in eight of the past 10 meetings. St. John’s leads the series, which dates back to 1909, by a 61-46 count.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. Alexis Yetna, Delgado-like

Forward Alexis Yetna also delivered an enormous game for the Pirates, scoring 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbing 15 rebounds. Paired with center Ike Obiagu (nine rebounds, 7 blocks), he led a plus-17 advantage on the glass. The Hall corralled 60 rebounds, the program's most in a game since 2001.

"We always emphasize the bigs crashing the glass and being physical," Yetna said. "This was nothing new to us."

Of the three high-profile transfers Willard brought in during the offseason, Yetna has transitioned the best.

“I think Lex has kind of found a groove of what Big East basketball’s all about," Willard said. "He’s doing a lot of junkyard dog work — I think he’s playing very well defensively, he’s rebounding the ball really well, I’d like to see him be a little bit more aggressive in the post at times, but I think he’s playing like a typical high-level Big East player.”

Yetna owns six double-doubles this season, including four in Big East action. Cale, who played one season with Hall legend Angel Delgado, was asked if he sees any parallels. Delgado remains the Big East's all-time leading rebounder.

"He's crashing the offensive boards great," Cale said. "He's more agile (than Delgado), can stretch the floor a little bit, so I won't really compare him to Angel. I feel they're two different players, but rebounding-wise they're right there head-to-head."

2. Injured Aiken

A season of bad breaks took another rough turn for the Hall when Aiken (14.5 ppg) wound up suffering a concussion during the controversial final sequence at Marquette last weekend.

The Randolph native took an elbow to the face with just under two seconds left, yet was whistled for the foul in a tie game; the Hall subsequently lost by one amid an uproar about official Matt Potter's call. Aiken progressed through much of the concussion protocol through the week and even did an interview with reporters Thursday afternoon, but was flagged on Friday during the protocol’s final step.

It’s unclear whether he’ll be available for Monday’s rematch with St. John’s. In his pregame radio interview Willard made the prospect seem doubtful, but the coach's public comments on injuries should be taken with a grain of salt given his unreliable history with such things.

Freshman wing Brandon Weston, who has barely played this season while dealing with injuries and COVID, sat out with an ankle injury. He didn't wear a boot or a cast but was seen walking gingerly before the game.

“Bryce has been playing awesome,” Cale said. “Having Bryce in there makes our job even easier. Hopefully he can get back soon.”

3. Where the Pirates stand

The Hall is in good shape. Due to two home-game postponements, five of its first seven Big East games took place on the road. The Pirates came into the day with a NET of 30, well within the NCAA Tournament picture. This was a quadrant two victory (they’re 4-5 against quads one and two) and a road triumph (they’re a strong 3-3 on the road).

For a team dealt a ton of adversity — having to play twice with just eight players, having two home dates scratched, dealing with injuries to six different players, absorbing a brutally bad, game-deciding whistle at Marquette — this group is still standing. It's best ball could be ahead.

“It’s crucial to bounce back from a 2-4 start,” Yetna said. “We know we can get back on track.”

4. Back at the Garden

Under Willard, Seton Hall is 18-12 at Madison Square Garden, including a 16-8 mark since 2014.

It’s been two years since the Pirates played a game with a real crowd at the Garden. On Jan. 18, 2020, Myles Powell scored 23 second-half points as they rallied for an 82-79 victory.

A late-arriving crowd wound up in the 7,000 range, with roughly 20 percent of the fans donning blue.

This wasn't Cale's first huge Mecca moment. He drilled the winning jumper in an epic overtime win over Kentucky in 2018.

"It's gotta be the lights," he said. "Even driving to the arena, you get chills. Walking up the (VIP entrance) ramp, you feel good."

5. Quick rematch

These teams play again Monday in South Orange (9 p.m., Fox Sports 1), a postponement from Dec. 20, when the Pirates were on COVID pause. In a crazy quirk, this is the second straight year these rivals will meet back-to-back. Last March the Hall got romped at Carnesecca Arena — and then beat the Johnnies five days later in the Big East Tournament.

This will be the first Big East game at Walsh since 1985. The vast majority of the 1,300 seats will be filled by Hall students. The great Bill Raftery, who coached the Pirates at Walsh throughout the 1970s, will be the television analyst.

"Home games are huge," Willard said, "Having an all-student game is kind of cool."

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: Myles Cale leads gut-check win over St. John's