Derrick Gordon Has Turned Seton Hall Into A Defensive Force
Posted by Justin Kundrat on February 8th, 2016Over the course of three months, Kevin Willard has deftly collected the pieces from last season’s disaster and assembled a tournament-caliber team. It started with the transformation of Isaiah Whitehead into team leader, as the sophomore began to channel his talents in new ways – namely creating opportunities for his teammates. Then came the development of Desi Rodriguez‘s versatile playmaking abilities, giving Seton Hall a legitimate scorer on the wings. Finally, over the last two weeks, 6’9 forward Angel Delgado has broken out of a slump and re-emerged as the physical rebounding presence and interior scorer that many fans remembered from last season. But behind all of it, lurking in the shadows, is graduate transfer Derrick Gordon, a 6’3″ guard whose contributions far outpace what shows up in the box score.
Derrick Gordon Draws the Task of Slowing Down Opponents’ Leading Scorers (Photo: USA Today Sports)
The reasons for the lack of recognition for Gordon aren’t difficult to deduce. Being a newcomer has made Gordon a relatively unknown quantity, and given that his eligibility expires after this season, fewer observers have considered his overall impact. He also comes off the bench and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact, making his efforts less obvious to the casual fan. What Gordon has provided are the intangibles that keep the often disorganized and young (five sophomores make up the starting lineup) Pirates together. Gordon is not only the team’s lone senior, but he’s also the only player on the roster who has been to the NCAA Tournament – once with Western Kentucky his freshman year and again with UMass as a sophomore. When the team was facing disciplinary issues, it was Gordon who called a players-only meeting to sift through and sort out the concerns. “Me being a veteran, I’ve got to make sure we stay together and don’t put our heads down,” Gordon said. “I wasn’t here last year, but I’ve heard what happened last year. I’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Leadership aside, Gordon has proven himself a lock-down defender on the perimeter, playing an “in your face” style of defense that always finds a way to fluster opponents. “He has a level of defense that we have not had at that spot since I have been here,” said head coach Kevin Willard earlier this season. On Saturday night, Gordon’s victim was Georgetown leading scorer D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, who struggled to get into the lane and find open space to shoot. “My job, when I come into the game, is to turn it up to another level. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is a good player, but I was able to get in his head tonight,” said Gordon. The result of Gordon’s defense? Smith-Rivera’s lowest point total in conference play (11 points), on just four of 10 shooting from the field. At one point, the Georgetown senior went more than 16 minutes between points in the second half. Unsurprisingly, some of the best guards in the country have struggled against Seton Hall. Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet managed to score 19 points, but needed 18 shots and six turnovers (a career-high for the senior) to do so. Providence’s Kris Dunn had a season-low two assists. And Villanova’s numerous guards struggled tremendously two weeks ago in a one-point Wildcat victory, turning the ball over a number of times in the face of Seton Hall’s full0court press.
While Gordon cannot receive all the credit for the Pirates’ much-improved defense, make no mistake: the introduction of the UMass transfer and a suddenly stingy Seton Hall defense is no coincidence. Gordon doesn’t start games, but his defensive effort has ensured that he almost always finishes it. In the midst of this surprising Seton Hall season, Derrick Gordon is quickly becoming the most important Big East player that nobody is talking about.
Villanova grad, patiently waiting another 10 years for season tickets. Follow Justin on twitter @JustinKundrat or email him at justin.kundrat@gmail.com
