You’ve probably seen the preseason polls. You know, the ones that had Seton Hall picked to finish 11th in the Big East. Dead last. Honestly, if you only looked at the "experts" back in October, you’d think Shaheen Holloway was walking into a buzzsaw with a roster full of question marks and transfers from schools you've barely heard of.
But then the actual games started.
Looking at the seton hall men's basketball schedule, it’s clear this isn't the disaster everyone predicted. As of mid-January 2026, the Pirates are sitting at 14-3. They aren't just surviving; they’re actually ruining the nights of some very high-profile coaches. If you’re trying to plan your trips to the Prudential Center or just figure out when you need to be on your couch with FS1 on, here is the real deal on how the rest of this season is going to shake out.
The Gauntlet: Breaking Down the Remaining Schedule
We are officially in the "dog days" of the Big East. The non-conference fluff is long gone. No more Saint Peter's or Wagner. From here on out, it’s a physical, bruising grind.
The Pirates just came off a heartbreaker against No. 3 UConn—a 69-64 loss that was way closer than the Huskies probably liked. But there’s no time to sulk. Here is what the immediate future looks like for the Hall:
- January 17 vs. Butler: A Saturday noon tip at the Rock. Butler is scrappy, but this is a game the Pirates must have to keep pace in the upper half of the league.
- January 20 at St. John’s: This is the big one. Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. It’s a 7:00 PM CST start, and let’s be real, the atmosphere is going to be toxic in the best way possible.
- January 24 at DePaul: A road trip to Chicago. On paper, it's a win, but Wintrust Arena can be a weird place if you come out flat.
- January 28 vs. Xavier: Back home in Newark. Wednesday night hoops.
The schedule doesn't get any easier in February. You've got road trips to Omaha to face Creighton (Feb 7) and a return match against UConn in Storrs (Feb 28). That UConn game is already circled by everyone in Jersey. The Pirates have a weird knack for making the Huskies look human, and doing it on the road would be a massive statement for the tournament selection committee.
Why the Preseason Rankings Were Total Garbage
So, why was everyone so wrong? Basically, people undervalued Shaheen Holloway’s ability to find "dogs."
The roster is a bit of a mosaic. You’ve got Adam "Budd" Clark, a 5'10" guard from Merrimack who plays like he’s 6'5". He’s averaging double figures and, more importantly, he’s a pest on defense. Then there's Elijah Fisher, the transfer from Pacific who finally seems to have found a home in Holloway’s system.
The "Seton Hall men's basketball schedule" was designed to test these guys early. Taking them to the Maui Invitational in November was a gamble. They beat NC State, lost a two-point nail-biter to USC, and then handled Washington State. That trip grew them up fast. By the time they played Rutgers in the Garden State Hardwood Classic on December 13, they looked like a completely different team than the one that struggled to pull away from Wagner in week one.
They beat Rutgers 81-59. It wasn't even a game. That was the moment most fans realized the 11th-place preseason prediction was a joke.
Key Players to Watch Down the Stretch
If you're watching the Pirates for the first time this month, keep your eyes on Najai Hines. He’s a freshman forward from Plainfield, and he is a mountain. At 6'10" and 265 pounds, he’s giving the Pirates the kind of interior presence they haven't had in a couple of years. He isn't polished yet, but he’s making winning plays.
Then there’s the backcourt. Tajuan Simpkins and Mike Williams are providing the scoring punch that takes the pressure off Budd Clark.
The team's identity is still defense, though. They are currently top-10 nationally in defensive turnover rate. Holloway’s teams sort of live in the mud. They want to make the game ugly, slow it down, and beat you with toughness. It’s not always pretty to watch, but it’s incredibly effective in the Big East, where every game feels like a fistfight anyway.
How to Actually Watch the Games
Look, the TV situation for college hoops is a mess. You’ve got games on FS1, Peacock, truTV, and even TNT. Here’s a quick cheat sheet for the upcoming stretch:
- The Butler game on Jan 17 is on TNT and truTV.
- The St. John's clash on Jan 20 is a FS1 special.
- The Xavier game on Jan 28 is exclusive to Peacock. Yes, you’ll need the app.
If you’re a radio person, the SHU Pirates Mobile App is usually the most reliable way to catch the play-by-play without hunting through 50 different stations.
The Road to March
The regular season finale is March 6 at home against St. John’s. That’s Senior Night. If the current trajectory holds, that game won't just be about saying goodbye to guys like AJ Staton-McCray or Patrick Suemnick; it’ll be about seeding for the Big East Tournament and, potentially, an at-large bid for the Big Dance.
Most analysts think the Big East will get 5 or 6 teams into the NCAA Tournament this year. With the way the seton hall men's basketball schedule is playing out, the Pirates are firmly in that conversation. They have the "quad 1" wins. They have the road toughness. Now, they just have to avoid the "trap games" against the bottom half of the league.
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Actionable Steps for Pirates Fans
If you want to support the team or just keep up with the madness, here is what you should do right now:
- Check the secondary markets: Tickets for the home games against Marquette (Jan 31) and St. John’s (March 6) are starting to spike. If you want to go, buy them now.
- Sync your calendar: Go to the official athletics site and download the schedule to your phone. The tip-off times in this league change for TV more often than you'd think.
- Watch the injury reports: The Big East started a new public availability report this season. Check it three hours before tip-off to see if guys like Stephon Payne or Josh Rivera are actually going to suit up.
The Pirates are proving everyone wrong, one "ugly" win at a time. Whether you're a die-hard alum or just a fan of gritty New Jersey basketball, the next two months are going to be a wild ride.