Growing up as a hoops and hockey fan in North Bergen, Greg Herenda used to sneak into Madison Square Garden regularly thanks to the creative pairings of a used ticket stub and a $5 bill.
It’ll be easier Tuesday; he’ll have a press pass for the Big East basketball showdown between Seton Hall and St. John’s as the color analyst on the Pirates’ radio broadcast (7 p.m. tip). The former Hall assistant coach and FDU head coach is filling in alongside Dave Popkin while Gary Cohen is away.
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“From sneaking into the Garden to coaching in the Garden and now, to call a game in the Garden when Seton Hall’s playing, it’s emotional because it’s the evolution of basketball for me,” Herenda said. “It’s been a dream come true.”
As Herenda has transitioned from the bench to broadcasting this season he’s paid close attention to the Pirates’ surprising campaign under head coach Shaheen Holloway, whom he recruited to South Orange as a player in the mid-1990s. He’s attended practice and devoured film, and has a good handle on the story lines as the Hall (14-4 overall, 4-3 Big East) looks to snap a three-game slide in its series with the Johnnies (13-5, 6-1).
Seton Hall’s fouls and the refs’ whistle
Dec 23, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Acaden Lewis (55) protects the ball during the second half from Seton Hall Pirates forward Josh Rivera (7) and guard Adam Clark (0) at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Seton Hall was whistled for 27 fouls in Saturday’s loss to Butler, leading to 41 free-throw attempts by the Bulldogs. That’s three straight 20-foul games by the Pirates, who have experienced a slight uptick in fouls called against them in league action compared to non-conference games (19.2 vs. 18.5) but a dramatic increase in the fouls called against point guard Budd Clark (3.8 in Big East games vs. 2.8 out of conference).
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“I was at Seton Hall’s practice – they practice so hard and are so physical and that carries over onto the court during games,” Herenda said. “But when you’re at practice the coaches are reffing, and there’s so much going on that you let go. The games are officiated differently. You’ve got to play the game (defensively) with your feet and not your hands and shoulders.”
In watching the Butler game film, Herenda noticed something the officiating crew zeroed in on.
“Just a simple out-of-bounds play, and they’re bumping cutters,” he said. “You can’t bump cutters – there’s freedom of movement. Shaheen’s a smart guy and a good coach, and now they have to adjust.”
The crew chief for the Butler game, James Breeding, is notoriously whistle-happy, but in general, Herenda said conference officials speak with each other and discuss teams’ tendencies and what to look for. There’s the potential for whistle-mania Tuesday because Seton Hall and St. John’s rank first and second in the Big East in turnovers forced and turnover margin. Pressuring the ball is in both squads’ DNA.
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“St. John’s fouls, too – they’re both going to be working it,” Herenda said. “These are two coaches and two programs where every possession, they compete so hard.”
No Pirate suffers more from a tight whistle than Clark, who fouled out of the past two games. During Clark’s first two years at Merrimack that program’s base defense was a 2-3 zone variation and “it definitely protected him” from foul trouble, Herenda said, although Clark always defended with an attacking mentality.
“But when you play 94 feet the way Shaheen plays, you have so many more opportunities to foul,” Herenda explained. “It becomes a numbers game and the odds go up.”
He added, “The kid positionally is really, really good, but he’s got to learn this is the Big East and he’s a name. He can’t just go out and harass people without being caught. He’s got to understand how important he is to the team and just be a little bit more selective in his opportunities to steal the ball. He’s such a good defender, but going over that line is something he has to adjust to in the Big East.”
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Bottom line vs. St. John’s: “Seton Hall has to guard without putting them on the foul line,” Herenda said.
Eye-opening shooting splits
Dec 19, 2025; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Seton Hall Pirates guard Tajuan Simpkins (2) shoots over Providence Friars forward Duncan Powell (31) during the second half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
The Pirates’ shooting splits are interesting.
In eight games at the Prudential Center they are shooting .409 from the field, including .268 from 3-point range. Those eight games include upper-tier opponents like UConn and Villanova but also three “buy” games against lower-level competition.
In seven road and neutral-site games, all against high-majors, they are shooting .466 from the field and .308 from 3-point range. That’s a huge uptick away from home.
In three “buy” games at Walsh Gym on campus, they shot .424 from the field and .385 from 3-point range.
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Can a setting matter that much when it comes to shooting?
“Oh yeah,” Herenda said. “I wrote it as notes for tomorrow – Madison Square Garden has got a great background and it’s got soft rims. The darker the background the better, because it makes the rims look more orange and clearer.”
Mood-lit Madison Square Garden sports a darker background than most arenas, for sure. But a lot of this is mental as well.
“Sometimes you just have to see the ball go through the basket,” Herenda said. “There’s so much mentality at this time of the year as opposed to, are they going to change scheme?”
Zuby Ejiofor vs. Najai Hines
St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor (left) and Seton Hall center Najai Hines (right)
St. John’s features one of the best big men in college basketball in 6-foot-9, 250-pound senior Zuby Ejiofor (16.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg). Seton Hall platoons at center with senior Stephon Payne (6.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg) and talented freshman Najai Hines (7.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg).
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“It’s a great matchup – the young Hines against Zuby,” Herenda said. “I love him (Hines), on and off the floor; he’s such a likeable kid and he’s learning. He’s the anchor of their defense as a freshman, which is really incredible. It’s the young and the old going at it – that’s a prize fight in the Garden. That’s exciting.”
Herenda, who treasured his time at Seton Hall and all the people he met there – from administrators to alumni – made one more point worth pondering. Seton Hall comes in off two straight losses, including an upset by a desperate Butler squad that had dropped four straight, while St. John’s is riding a four-game winning streak.
“A lot of times,” he said, “the hungry cat hunts best.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball visits St. John’s in ‘prize fight at the Garden’
