INDIANAPOLIS – It was a title game that lived up to its billing, a showcase of two NCAA Tournament snubs that proved they belonged, waged before a relentlessly raucous crowd at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
You could not have asked for a more compelling National Invitation Tournament final, and in the end, Seton Hall basketball dug deep and rallied late for a 79-77 triumph over Indiana State Thursday. It was a moment of redemption no one saw coming three weeks ago, amid the despair of a Selection Sunday gone wrong, and the winning play was delivered by a hometown kid in a Hoosiers-style twist fit for Hollywood.
Senior wing Dre Davis, an Indianapolis native, hit the go-ahead layup with 16 seconds left, slicing and spinning past three defenders to do it. The Pirates finished the game on a 9-0 run over the final 2:38, stunning the baby-blue clad Sycamores fans into silence as 300 or so Hall supporters erupted in joy.
"I feel like we did something special here," Davis said. "Obviously we wanted to win a championship, and at the end of the day that's what we did. "
Seton Hall’s quest for its first NIT crown since 1953 succeeded despite a crowd of 9,100 that was 95 percent pro-Sycamores. The Pirates finish a memorable season with a 25-12 record, the foundation having been laid in year two of Shaheen Holloway’s regime. It’s just the seventh time the program has won 25-plus games in its 120-year history.
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"The naysayers, we left them with something to remember," senior guard Kadary Richmond said. "And the people at Seton Hall, I feel like we left our mark there, too."
Indiana State’s breakthrough campaign ends at 32-7. The Sycamores, like the Pirates, put on a show for much of the tournament, raising the event's profile and garnering national buzz. Thursday's thrilling finale was an exclamation point on one of the most memorable Hall seasons ever.
"Three Sundays ago, if you guys seen the look on these guys' faces when we didn't make the (NCAA) tournament, and as their leader, not knowing what to say to them, it was the worst feeling in the world," Holloway said. "From that, to going to this, getting drenched by those guys (in the postgame locker room celebration), it's the best feeling in the world."
Here is how the wild, unforgettable finish unfolded.
With Indiana State leading 77-70, Richmond put back his own miss for a layup at the 2:38 mark.
After errant 3-pointers on both ends, Al-Amir Dawes got fouled going to the basket and sank two free throws to make it 77-74 with 1:27 left.
Indiana State’s Robbie Avila missed a 3-pointer, and Dawes drilled a step-back triple from straightaway to knot things up at 77-77 with 1:05 remaining.
"This group, you know, they haven't wavered," Holloway said of his team's late-game mettle. "We got in a huddle. There was no panicking. It was, all right, all right, let's do what we do. Get a score, get a stop."
After two Indiana State misses, Richmond tried to drive, got cut off, and handed the ball to Davis, who spun through three defenders for the go-ahead layup. Richmond had screened for him, opening just enough daylight.
'It was just a broken play," Davis said. "Kooks created an angle for me to get downhill and just put me in position to be able to get a good look at the rim...I am blessed, man, pleased beyond measure to be able to do this at the home crib. Happy for my guys. Proud of my team to fight tooth-and-nail to the very end."
In a bonkers final sequence, Indiana State's game-winning 3-point attempt got blocked by Hall center Jaden Bediako, who closed out masterfully.
“That's a really good basketball team,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz said. “They showed a lot of heart and fight and made a lot of plays there down the stretch to win the game. So credit to them. Very deserving champions.”
FIVE TAKEWAYS
1. Big three left their mark
In their curtain call a trio, and possibly each of their final games in a Seton Hall uniform, Richmond, Davis and Al-Amir Dawes etched their names into Pirate lore.
Dawes was named the NIT's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21 points per game for the tournament. He tallied 24 points and four steals in the final, making all nine of his free-throw attempts. He also was one of the most vocal Pirates about wanting to play in the NIT, a decision that was made by the five starters, and he carried the team past Saint Joseph's in that sluggish opening-round squeaker.
"We stuck to who we were," Dawes said. "We stuck to who we do. We ended up here."
Davis tallied 18 points and 3 blocks in the final, playing all 40 minutes. He wound up going 4-0 as a Pirate at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
"Indy was great for me," he said. "To be able to come home and win two big games, compete for a national championship which is our goal and ultimately win, it was a great week."
Richmond chalked up 21 points, 13 boards and 5 assists. Asked about leaving a legacy, he replied with a slam dunk.
"We opened the doors for the underdog players that's being recruited by Seton Hall, and don't feel as if anybody else is giving them a chance," he said. "This is a great place to come, and be able to play a game and be who you are."
Collectively, the big three took a program in transition after Kevin Willard’s departure and helped Holloway affix his stamp on it. They authored a bunch of memorable moments, shared the game, and represented the school well. Their performance this season was a monument to the value of continuity – one that is in increasingly short supply across the sport.
2. The postgame scene
There were poignant moments galore after the final horn. For starters, Holloway walked over to a devastated Avila (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, but some crucial misses late) and literally picked Avila's chin up to offer some words of encouragement.
Holloway can be rough around the edges at times, but this gesture was a window into his character.
"I told him, there's no need to have your head down," he said. "You guys played a heck of a game. You guys got a great team. You guys battled. This was a championship game. A bunch of punches going back and forth, and just told him to pick his head up. He's a great player and he's got a lot of basketball to be played."
Then, as the Pirates began cutting down the net, they were encircled by their fans who broke into a chant of "Let's go Jersey!"
Dawes was first to climb the latter and snip a piece off. When it was Richmond's turn, the fans serenaded him with a chant of "one more year!" He smiled broadly and nodded his head in response.
"I appreciate them for coming; my focus tonight was winning a championship with guys in the locker room who have been here since June and fighting day-in and day-out," he said when asked about the chant and the scene. "So we appreciate them for traveling. Some flew. Some were telling me the amount of miles they drove, and we highly appreciate it."
As his players cut the net, Holloway worked the crowd, thanking Pirate fans for coming. He air-conducted the pep band's rendition of Seton Hall's fight song. Then he snipped the net's final piece off and held it aloft.
This marked the third time he's done that. Willard gave him the honor of cutting the last piece after the 2016 Big East Tournament title, and he also cut the net down after Saint Peter's won the 2022 MAAC Tournament, which was the victory that assured he would get the vacant job at his alma mater.
Afterward, upon returning to the team hotel where fans had congregated, the players gave walk-on David Gabriel the honor of carrying in the NIT trophy.
"Proud of everybody who stepped on the court and everybody who was ready," Holloway said. "Because I don't forget the walk-ons and the guys who don't play. They prepare the guys on the court for games like this."
3. A worthy title-game venue
It’s not Madison Square Garden, which hosted the NIT semis and final for decades, but Hinkle is an outstanding replacement. At a cozy 9,100-seats, with a balcony that surrounds the court and provides an intimate old-world setting, outstanding acoustics and dripping with history (as everybody knows, the ultimate scene of “Hoosiers” was filmed there), this was a quality host.
Indiana State fans brought the juice, creating a championship-level atmosphere. Anyone who thinks the NIT has no meaning or value should have witnessed the vibe in that building. To their credit, the Pirates used the hostility as fuel.
"I think we can just credit the league, the Big East for that," Davis said. "I feel like our league really prepared us for this moment."
It's a shame Fox is launching an alternate consolation tournament for high-majors next season, to be played fully in Las Vegas, because the charms of the NIT in venues like Walsh Gym and Hinkle were evident these past few weeks.
The NIT is not the Big Dance as we all know, but this run was proof that it still matters.
4. A trip for the die-hards
Among Pirate supporters on hand was Kevin Regan, the son of Hall legend Richie Regan – who was point guard on the 1953 NIT championship squad. Kevin was wearing the gold watch his father got for winning that tournament. It was willed to him when Richie died in 2002.
“It’s been a great run, and it brings back fantastic memories,” said Kevin Regan, a Brielle resident who came to Indianapolis with his daughter Erinne and sisters Kate and Marybeth. “Now everyone knows how important it was in 1953 – because 70 years later they’re bringing it up. I’ve gotten text about it from people I haven’t talked to in years.”
What would Richie think of this team and its season?
“He’d be happy as he could be because they’re playing well and they represent the school so well,” Kevin said, adding that he’d be particularly proud of Holloway’s leadership. “To see him come up the ranks at Seton Hall and do so well, he would love that.”
Also on hand were former Hall star and NBA coach Adrian Griffin, 1989 Final Four team member Pookey Wigington, and core members of Seton Hall’s student section who drove 700 miles for the occasion.
5. Into the offseason
There was a tangible benefit to Seton Hall’s NIT run. Mike McBride, Deputy Athletics Director for Revenue Generation, NIL & Strategic Initiatives, said the alumni-driven collective Onward Setonia has experienced a clear uptick in support these last three weeks.
“The best part about the run we’ve had this postseason, all the guys who’ve supported us all year long have stepped up and supported us even more because they can see the benefits,” McBride said. “Those that haven’t supported us, who have been negative about what we’re doing with NIL, this has opened their eyes and they’ve become supportive. So it’s really brought the entire Seton Hall community together and they understand the more support they provide, the more we can do with the team. So it’s been really good for everyone.”
While exact numbers are elusive, it’s believed Seton Hall’s NIL war chest is roughly double what it was last year at this time. Keep that in mind as transfer-portal season begins. As with just about every team across the sport’s landscape, the Pirates will experience plenty of movement.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Postgrads Dawes and Bediako are out of eligibility.
Richmond and Davis are candidates to enter the transfer portal and also explore pro-ball opportunities. Richmond, who could command a hefty NIL payday and is also a candidate for a two-way NBA contract, has options galore.
There is a fair chance senior guard Dylan Addae-Wusu will be back for a postgrad season.
Retaining freshman wing Isaiah Coleman, a Big East All-Freshman honoree, will be a high priority. It’s a good sign that Coleman made the trip to Indianapolis to be with his teammates for the title game even though he couldn’t play after spending the past week bedridden with bronchitis.
Backup center Elijah Hutchins-Everett, who hails from Orange, also figures to have a role on next year’s squad. The fate of the rest of the bench is to be determined.
If the Hall can retain Addae-Wusu and Coleman and one of Richmond or Davis, that will be a strong nucleus for next season.
One thing is certain: As players make decisions about their futures, the good vibes produced by this NIT run certainly don't hurt.
And at the very least, no matter what happens, they'll receive a hero's welcome in South Orange for many years to come.
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.
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