One to Watch: Jeremy Hazell

If you plan to beat West Virginia, you'd better bring your "A" game. Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell did just that during Saturday afternoon's Big East tussle at the Prudential Center. If he and his teammates could hit freebies the same way they stroke running jumpshots, there would have been one righteous floor storming in Newark.

But we're not here to rag on Hazell's free-throw shooting. He's at least hitting 75%. It's his hellacious scoring talent that drew my eye during the Big East matchup that made it on TV - at least in part - by being the only game played on Saturday.

With under a minute left in regulation, the Mountaineers were in control of the game, their physical half-court play having staked them to a 74-65 lead. Seton Hall's quick hands and a few missed charities on the WVU end turned it into a 75-71 game in a flash. Then Hazell nailed a three to cut the deficit to one. It's what he did next that was a feast for the eyes.

Da'Sean Butler was fouled, and hit both free throws to give his team a three point lead. As both teams raced down the court for the final shot, the Mountaineers did an effective job of denying Hazell an open shot near the three-point line. So Hazell rose up and fired a beautiful shot from several feet behind the line. It swished to send the game to OT. Until I find video of the shot, it's near impossible to explain how incredibly unlikely that bucket seemed.

It's worth noting that, throughout the 12-2 run that forced overtime, Eugene Harvey consitently put the ball where it needed to be. He fed Hazell and other, and made his own shots when necessary. With Hazell and Pope on the roster, Harvey won't get much press, but he's key to the fast-breaking style favored by Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez.

Hazell and others missed shots and free throws in the OT period (free throws were an especial problem in this game) and ended up losing the game, but Hazell's scoring ability was a revelation. Paired with the inside game and rebounding of Herb Pope, and Harvey feeding the monster, don't be surprised to see these guys in the tournament this spring.

Now... Hazell needs a nickname.