Bobby Gonzalez waited a long tme to get his shot at coaching a major conference program, and has wasted no time putting his stamp on things at Seton Hall. But even though he's working hard on the recruiting trail, and even though the Pirates qualified for the Big East tournament in 2007-08, this is a big year for Gonzalez if he hopes to make his stay in New Jersey a long one.

It's relatively obvious that Gonzalez and athletic director Joe Quinlan are not always on the same page. Quinlan suspended Gonzalez for the Big East opener for the upcoming season for comments the coach made after a defeat to Rutgers in the regular-season finale. That's usually a signal that the AD thinks a coach's act is wearing thin, and in fact Gonzalez propensity to pick up technical fouls indicate that the officials might agree with Quinlan on that count.

Of course, all that is meaningless if the team starts winning more games. It will have to do so without team MVP Brian Laing and guard Jamar Nutter, both of whom were seniors a year ago. But that doesn't mean Gonzalez doesn't have a lot to work with.

It all starts with Paul Gause. The rising senior missed much of 2007-08 with injuries, but he's the game-changer on the Seton Hall squad. The 5-11 guard is a force on defense, quick enough to get the steals that lead to transition baskets that the Pirates count on. He'll be joined in the backcourt by veteran Eugene Harvey and Jeremy Hazell, who starred as a freshman a year ago. Larry Davis is also back and provideds instant offense, and newcomer Jordan Theodore will challenge for minutes as a freshman.

The Pirates started last season with a three-headed center, and ended with John Garcia emerging as the star of the paint. Garcia will be pressed by Mike Davis, while Augustine Okosun elected to transfer. Still, the Garcia-Davis combination, along with freshman Melvyn Oliver, gives the Pirates a frontcourt that can go toe-to-toe with its Big East rivals, an ability that was in doubt a year ago.

Seton Hall finished in 11th place in the Big East a year ago. If Gause can stay healthy, it has the talent to do better in 2008-09, and for Gonzalez's sake the team had better do just that.

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