No. 7 Texas vs No. 23 Seton Hall Predictions, Odds, Picks

• Texas Longhorns are coming off a solid regular season last year but a first-round exit in March Madness.
• The Seton Hall Pirates are coming off a mediocre season that saw them barely above .500 and without a March Madness appearance.
• Seton Hall Pirates success has been noted, and they have snuck into the Top 25 with a #23 ranking.

No. 7 Texas Longhorns vs No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates Odds

No. 7 Texas Longhorns vs No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates Predictions and Picks

Seton Hall may have a worse ranking than Texas, but they have a veteran squad, led by senior Jared Rhoden, and have only lost one game (against Ohio State). Texas also has a veteran squad and may be the better team most  days of the week, but they will not be able to pull out this win on the road. This should be a very back-and-forth game that goes down to the wire.

Pick:

Seton Hall beats Texas 74-67.

Why Might the Texas Longhorns Win?

A lot of people are going to choose the Longhorns to win this game. They are ranked #7 and came off a strong regular season last year. They also have won five games in a row (after losing to then #1 Gonzaga last month), but have not had such difficult opponents in those five games. All five opponents are unranked and outside of the Power Five Conferences.

Regardless of who Texas has faced in their last five games, the Longhorns have a lot of momentum and an impressive squad. Their main problem is that they only have one scorer coming off the bench (forward Christian Bishop). If they can get efficient scoring from their starters as well as Christian Bishop they have a good chance to win this game.

Why Might the Seton Hall Pirates Win?

Seton Hall has a tall basketball team and it shows. They average 41.3 rebounds per game and 5.6 blocks. To put that into context, Texas averages 32.3 rebounds per game and 2.6 blocks. Seton Hall also averages almost six more points per game than Texas.

I only presented these stats to show that Seton Hall has a strong and big offense that shoots the ball well. They do give up a few too many points on defense, but their offense is making up for it… at least for now. If Seton Hall outrebounds Texas, gives Texas a tough time in the paint, and keeps on shooting the ball well, they will win the game.

Longhorns Key Player: (F) Timmy Allen

Timmy Allen is the best player on the Longhorns. He leads his team in points per game (13.3) and rebounds per game (5.6). He is also the third-best shooter on the Longhorns, making 60% of his shots. The 6’6” senior forward from Mesa, Arizona is Texas’s difference maker and vital to their success.

Timmy Allen is a talented and athletic player and a dominant scoring threat. His only big flaws are that he could perform better on defense and create more plays for his teammates. Other than that, he can be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Seton Hall will need to view Allen as Texas’ x-factor and treat him as such. They should consider double-teaming him and forcing him to depend on his teammates to score.

Pirates Key Player: (G) Jared Rhoden

As I mentioned earlier, Seton Hall has a high-scoring offense. That high-scoring offense is led by guard Jared Rhoden. The 6’6” senior from Baldwin, New York is the best player in this game. Not only on his team, but in this game. He is a scoring menace with his 17.6 points per game, an efficient rebounder with 7.4 rebounds per game, and a solid defender with 1.6 steals a game. He is a pretty good shooter from the field, but an excellent free-throw shooter. He shoots 84% from the free-throw line and gets fouled a lot. He is average over seven free-throw attempts per game.

Jared Rhoden is a coach’s dream; a well-balanced player who can do a little bit (or a lot) of everything. Texas will need to base their game plan around Rhoden and double-team him as much as possible. His impact on the court is seen everywhere and he can score at will. If Texas fails in stopping Jared Rhoden, they will lose the game.

How to Watch No.7  Texas Longhorns vs  No. 23 Seton Hall Pirates