The Gavitt Tipoff Games match-ups are set for the 2018-19 season and Nebraska will host Seton Hall on Nov. 14.
The annual Gavitt Tipoff Games – named after the late Dave Gavitt, the founder of the Big East – consist of an eight-game challenge between the Big Ten and Big East. The other matchups include Georgetown at Illinois and Wisconsin at Xavier on Nov. 13, a national championship rematch with Michigan traveling to Villanova and Marquette at Indiana on Nov. 14, Ohio State at Creighton and Penn State at DePaul on Nov. 15 and St. John's at Rutgers on Nov. 16.
The Pirates went 22-12 last season, beating North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Kansas. However, four of their top five scorers graduated including the Big East's all-time leading rebounder in center Angel Delgado.
Seton Hall's returning leading scorer is shooting guard Myles Powell, who will be a junior next season. Powell averaged 15.5 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 37.8 percent from 3. The only other two returners who played more than 10 minutes per game last year are 6-foot-5 guard Myles Cale (4.5 points per game) and 6-foot-7 forward Michael Nzei (3.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game).
Seton Hall's recruiting class consists of three 3-star players, two guards and a center. They also add Taurean Thompson, a transfer from Syracuse who sat out last season. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Orange as a freshman. The Hall also had Sacred Heart transfer guard Quincy McKnight (18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game as a sophomore) and junior college transfer center Romaro Gill redshirting last season.
Last year's Gavitt Games ended in a 4-4 tie, the third straight year with that result. Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Maryland picked up wins for the Big Ten. The Huskers lost at St. John's 79-56.
Jacob Padilla has been writing for Hail Varsity since 2015. He covers football, volleyball men’s basketball and prep sports. He also co-hosts the Nebraska Preps Postgame and Nebraska Shootaround podcasts for the Hurrdat Media and Hail Varsity podcast networks. His love of basketball can best be described as an obsession and if you need to find him, he’s probably in a gym somewhere watching, coaching or playing hoops.
