Scenes from the 25th anniversary reunion of the 1992-93 Pirates basketball team at the Prudential Center. Jerry Carino
Sometimes you have to coach with the big picture in mind.
Kevin Willard benched Seton Hall basketball’s leading scorer six minutes into Wednesday’s 80-63 loss at Creighton. Afterward, asked why by Gary Cohen, the head coach offered a cryptic answer.
“Des, he’s been playing so well, so many minutes (this season), he had that look on his face where he just didn’t want to be out there,” Willard told the Pirates’ radio play-by-play announcer. “When he gets that way, you just kind of let him regroup and refocus, and it just never happened. But he’s done an unbelievable job. When you’re playing the minutes he’s playing, sometimes mentally, you just don’t have it. It’s not the end of the world, he’ll get it back.”
Rodriguez’s temper has gotten the best of him in the past. Two years ago, when Willard took him out of a game against DePaul, Rodriguez mouthed off to the head coach and got benched for the second half. The Pirates squeaked out a victory but the message got received. The then-sophomore toed the line as the Hall made a run to the NCAA Tournament.
Wednesday’s incident was similar to what happened against DePaul, Gannett New Jersey has learned. Once again, it happened in front of the team. Willard chose to send a message with the benching. Really, what were his options?
As the 19th-ranked Pirates fell to 15-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big East with a Saturday visit from 11th-ranked Xavier on tap, he's coaching with the big picture in mind. That's part of the job.
Willard’s cryptic explanation to Cohen was his version of coach-speak. Perhaps the most surprising part of it was Rodriguez’s response. The senior wing made light of Willard’s comment in tweet, writing, “Haha really funny, why wouldn’t I want to be out there battling with my guys. I love these dudes they are my brothers, we will be just fine trust me.”
Some players need stronger messages than others. Rodriguez’s tweet proved the point.
“He’ll respond, he always does,” Willard told Cohen. “He’ll bounce back."
Staff writer Jerry Carino: [email protected].