Despite mass defections of perennially-high-ranked teams, the Big East is far from being a dead conference.Additions like Butler, Creighton and Xavier added depth and teams that remained, like Seton Hall (3-1) give the conference substantial balance.
After an unlikely loss Saturday to Mercer, the Pirates bounced back against another New Jersey team, Monmouth, with an 82-66 trouncing. racing off to a 38-25 lead at the half, Seton Hall was never headed.
Junior forward, Patrik Auda, filled up the stat sheet with aplomb, scoring a career-high 27 points, to go with 10 boards, two steals and two blocked shots.
An import from the Czeck Republic, Auda played sparingly last season, but now, fully healthy, adds muscle and versatility to the Pirates' front court. Auda was 8-for-9 on the night, canning both of his three-point attempts, in addition to being a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe.
Seton Hall shot a sharp 53% from the field, holding the Hawks to just 40%. Auda's double-double was his first of the season, accomplished in a mere 22 minutes of playing time.
