Jan. 8, 2001
The Irish might be visiting New Jersey at just the right time.
Monday night’s matchup against Seton Hall could not come at a worse time for the Pirates.
The Pirates will be without their freshman sensation, Eddie Griffin.
Seton Hall head coach Tommy Amaker released a four-paragraph statement, saying that Griffin and senior Kevin Wilkins are suspended for Monday night’s game against the Irish.
The release said the two players had violated unspecified team rules. All this comes after a suspected altercation in the locker room following the team’s loss to Georgetown on Saturday.
Amaker closed the Seton Hall locker room to the surprise of the media. It marked the first time in his four years as head coach that he has done so.
Ty Shine emerged from the locker room with a cut under his right eye. The cut did not occur in Seton Hall’s 78-66 loss to Georgetown.
The game against the Hoyas marked another tough loss against a Top 25 ranked opponent for the Pirates. In fact, Amaker’s team has yet to win a game against a ranked team. The team’s three losses all came at the hands of ranked teams, Illinois, Michigan State and Georgetown.
Notre Dame can breathe a bit easier knowing that Seton Hall’s star, Griffin, will not be suited up. The forward already claimed the Big East Rookie of the Week award five times. He is tied with Darius Lane for the highest scorer for Seton Hall.
The Irish can not take the Pirates lightly either. They still have the likes of Ty Shine and Lane to worry about. Not to mention, Andre Barrett, who currently ranks 11th in the nation, dishing out just over seven assists per game.
While Seton Hall’s biggest threat will ride the pines on Monday night, Notre Dame must still play with intensity. Many basketball experts picked the matchups between the Pirates and the Irish to decide who would win this part of the West division of the Big East.
Monday night’s game is the first of two meetings with the second one scheduled for February 18 at the Joyce Center. The Irish want to capitalize on the Pirates’ mishaps and move to 2-1 in the Big East.