Maybe an eye patch would have helped

After a gritty win over Illinois-Chicago, Penn will face a ticked-off group of Pirates tomorrow afternoon at Continental Airlines Arena. Seton Hall looked anything but intimidating Monday night as it was thumped by Virginia Tech, 80-61, for its second loss this year. Maybe an eye patch would have helped -- Tech burned the Pirates defense to the tune of 51.7 percent shooting.

This game against Penn means a lot to the Pirates and first-year coach Bobby Gonzalez. A look at their nonconference opponents shows why. So far, Seton Hall has beaten Caldwell, Morgan State, St. Peter's, St. Mary's (in OT), Monmouth, and Penn State.

Not the typical slate for a team one year removed from a 10-seed in the Big Dance.

Penn could wind up being the third-best opponent the Pirates play outside the Big East, and nonconference play is important in a league where teams make a habit of beating each other up.

Some other notes:

As a team, the Pirates have more turnovers (108) than assists (102). However, they have also been picking opponents' pockets at an alarming rate: 103 in just eight games, with 5-11 sophomore Paul Gause the primary culprit at 34.

The three-pointer is nonexistent this year for Seton Hall. (30.1 percent. That number says it all.) But for some reason, the Pirates have taken 173 treys this year, to 119 by their opponents.

It's a good thing Gonzalez came from nearby Manhattan, because the recruiting base for this program is not national. A whooping two players on the roster hail from outside New Jersey or New York.

Finally, for those unable to treck up to East Rutherford for the game, a live video stream can be found at shupirates.com.