Seton Hall and No. 25 North Carolina State are about to experience something different in the opening round of the Maui Invitational at Lahaina, Hawaii.
Both teams will be in their first games away from home when they meet Monday. One of these teams also will be stuck with its first loss of the season.
Seton Hall is 5-0 for the first time in 11 years after last Tuesday’s 68-45 trampling of New Haven.
“I think we’ve got a good group now,” Seton Hall guard Tajuan Simpkins said. “We’ve got a lot of space to grow. We’ve got a challenging couple of games coming up in Hawaii.”
The uptick in competition will give Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway a chance to further assess his team.
“It’s college basketball, that’s what we live for,” he said. “Go play against teams like that. Guys are excited, it’s one of the best tournaments.”
NC State (4-0) has played one game since moving into the Top 25. Last Monday, the Wolfpack had their toughest test before prevailing 85-79 against VCU.
“We’re just going to continue to step up in competition,” NC State coach Will Wade said. ” … We’ve got a big game with Seton Hall to open in Maui, so it’s just a natural progression.”
While NC State’s roster has been overhauled since last season, that doesn’t mean the Wolfpack lack experience. Many of the players came from programs where they regularly faced high-level competition.
“We have seniors who have been through the wars and battles,” NC State guard Tre Holloman said. “We just stay calm and breathe.”
Compared to recent seasons, Seton Hall has produced better offense in November. The Pirates have reached the 68-point mark in their first five games for the first time in six years, aided by at least three double-figure scorers in every game.
Simpkins, a transfer from Elon, had a season-high 18 off the bench in the most-recent Seton Hall game.
“I’m just here to do whatever the coaches need me to do,” Simpkins said. “Obviously that’s my role being off the bench. I’m just (going to) stick with that. Keep continuing to do it, we won so keep going with what’s working.”
Holloway said Simpkins has taken a vital role for the Pirates, though he could evolve into more of a playmaker.
“He’s playing starter minutes,” Holloway said. ” … For us, I need some juice off the bench. Hope he continues it.”
Stephon Payne provided a double-double in Seton Hall’s most-recent game.
“He’s playing a big role for us right now,” Simpkins said.
NC State could expect more offense from Paul McNeil Jr., who was held scoreless against VCU despite entering the game averaging 20.3 points per game. Wade said he appreciated McNeill’s career-high nine rebounds, so there’s an ability to impact games in various ways.
“He did some things to contribute to help us win,” Wade said.
NC State’s Ven-Allen Lubin, then with North Carolina, and Tre Holloman, then with Michigan State, have played in the Maui Invitational in the past.
Based on Monday’s results, these teams will be matched up with either Boise State or Southern Cal for the second day of the tournament.
