On talent alone, Seton Hall has the potential to be a dangerous team this year. But talent isn't the only reason star guard Andre Barrett is thinking about a trip to the NCAA Tournament. "There's no question we're going to use what happened to us last year as motivation for this year," Barrett said.

The senior says he will never forget the empty feeling he and his teammates had after watching last year's NCAA Tournament selection show come and go without Seton Hall's name being called. The Pirates, a 17-win team that won nine straight games late in the year and finished with the 13th-toughest schedule in the country (RPI), felt they belonged in the field of 65.

"It was tough watching teams get in that you didn't think deserved to be in -- and we're still waiting to hear our name called," Barrett said. "It's a helpless feeling. But I told the guys afterward, 'Remember what this feels like. Remember how bad you feel right now. Let's make sure it never happens again.'"

With seven of its top eight players back, Seton Hall intends to control its own destiny this year, taking any March suspense out of the hands of the NCAA Tournament selection committee. "We don't want there to be any doubt this year," Barrett said. "And if we take care of business, with the talent and motivation we have, there won't be any."

FRONTCOURT

Kelly Whitney proved to be one of the Big East's biggest surprises as a freshman last year, starting all 30 games and earning league All-Rookie honors after averaging 11.0 points and 6.1 rebounds. His emergence as a post presence was exactly what the interior-challenged Pirates needed.

Whitney essentially has the same frontcourt supporting cast, with fellow 30-game starter Marcus Toney-El and junior swingman John Allen supporting him on the flanks. Allen broke former UConn star Richard Hamilton's scoring record at Coatesville (Pa.) High School, but he has yet to blossom into a consistent threat at the collegiate level. He didn't shoot well from 3-point range (26.6 percent) and was turnover-prone (103) last year.

Freshman Grant Billmeier, who arrives from prep power St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J., should provide the backup help that Whitney needs in the post. Mani Messy, a raw but athletic 6-foot-7 forward, figures to work his way into the rotation as well. Messy's playing time may depend on whether senior Damion Fray can do more than tease with his athletic promise. Fray started five games last year but averaged just 7.7 minutes overall.

BACKCOURT

This is Barrett's team to run for the fourth straight year, and he is coming off his best season yet. He averaged 16.7 points and 5.3 assists while leading the Pirates in 3-point shooting (36.8 percent) and foul shooting (83.6 percent). That earned him second-team All-Big East honors and also put him in elite company as only the third Pirate player to top 1,000 points and 450 assists for his career (Shaheen Holloway and John Morton are the others).

On the rare occasions that Barrett does need a breather -- he averaged 37.9 minutes per game last year -- sophomore Donald Copeland will be called on, as he was last year. Coach Louis Orr even plays his two point guards together at times.

Andre Sweet, Barrett's former teammate at powerhouse Rice High School in New York, will try to make the transition from super sub to starting shooting guard this year. A transfer from Duke, Sweet was solid off the bench last year, averaging 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game. J.R. Morris, who flashed scoring ability as a freshman last year, and freshman Jamar Nutter give the Pirates depth and talent in the backcourt.

FINAL ANALYSIS

With all the key ingredients back from a near-miss team a year ago, the Pirates appear poised to earn the school's second NCAA Tournament bid since 1994. There's talent, depth and experience, and if Whitney continues his solid post play, Seton Hall won't have to fall back on the old bad habit of relying too heavily on its perimeter game.

The key, though, is Barrett, who may finally get his due as one of the country's top point guards. He's a one-man press-breaker; he's durable; he's improved his 3-point shooting dramatically; and he is a consistent scorer. The only concern is keeping Barrett healthy, although that hasn't been a problem in his first three years.

The quiet, gentlemanly style of Orr, last season's Big East Coach of the Year, seems to serve this team well, too.

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