One day after saying Seton Hall “should be a favorite to win the national championship,” Providence coach Ed Cooley got a first-hand look at the Pirates in action.

Fresh off being ranked No. 10 in the latest AP Top 25 poll on Monday, Seton Hall won their ninth straight game, 73-64, over the Friars at Prudential Center. The Pirates’ last loss was Dec. 14 at Rutgers. It matches their longest winning streak since 2003.

“I thought from the jump that they were one of the best teams, if not the best team, in the country,” Cooley told reporters Tuesday. “They have a lot of weapons and should be a favorite to win the national championship.”

On a night when Myles Powell managed just 14 points on 3-of-6 shooting, the Pirates got balanced scoring from the rest of their team. Romaro Gill had another big game, tying his career-high with 17 points along with eight blocks and six rebounds. The 7-foot-2 Gill had one dunk off a screen-and-roll where he elevated from the side of the lane that put Seton Hall up 65-56. It was the big man’s sixth straight game in double-figures and the third time in the last six games he’s notched 17 points and at least four blocks.

Here's the Gill dunk where he leaves from the side of the lane. https://t.co/AoGVa8eYRL — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) January 23, 2020

Quincy McKnight had 11 points and eight assists. And Jared Rhoden had 15 points and eight boards, including several big second-half buckets.

“I think we’re showing everybody across the country that we’re not just the Myles Powell show,” Powell said.

Seton Hall improved to 15-4 and remained a perfect 7-0 in the brutal Big East, stretching their lead back to 1 1/2 games over second-place and No. 9-ranked Villanova (15-3, 5-1), which on Tuesday night beat No. 13 Butler.

Alpha Diallo had 13 points for Providence, which fell to 11-9, 4-3.

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Cooley and Willard spent last summer coaching together on the United States’ Pan Am Games team in Lima, Peru. Both Powell and Myles Cale played on the team alongside Providence’s Diallok David Duke and Nate Watson.

Cooley is a big fan of Powell, who was honored before the game for becoming the fifth 2,000-point scorer in Seton Hall history in Saturday’s win over St. John’s.

“He’s a lot of fun to be around,” Cooley said. “He’s got a lot of swag, a lot of confidence and I think he’s a heck of a teammate. His teammates like playing with him.”

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Powell, whose NBA Draft stock has been on the rise, managed just three points in the first half on 1-of-4 shooting before adding 11 points in the second.

“He’s one of the more confident kids I’ve ever been around and he backs it up,” Cooley said. “You just have to make sure he has tough catches, contested shots and make him guard at the other end. When you’re around him, he’s such a grateful kid. He’s very appreciative and I didn’t know that about him until I spent three weeks with him.”

Seton Hall now gets a bye before playing the second game in a three-game homestand next Wednesday against DePaul. Willard said junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, who did some light shooting before the game, has not been cleared for practice and won't play in that game, Willard said.

“He won’t be ready to play Wednesday,” Willard said.

McKNIGHT NAMED TO NAISMITH LIST

McKnight on Wednesday was named to the 2020 Midseason Team for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year. The senior from Bridgeport, Conn., is one of only 15 student-athletes on the list and one of only two from the Big East Conference.

Now in its third year, the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year is presented annually to the most outstanding men's defensive basketball player who achieves tremendous on-court success.

McKnight is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the country, consistently guarding opposing teams' best scorers and holding them to shooting percentages under their season average. McKnight's best work this season was in a starring role for the Pirates against No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 19. With Powell and Sandro Mamukelashvili injured, McKnight guided his team to one of the best defensive efforts in all of college basketball, holding the high-scoring Terrapins to just 18 points in the first half, only 48 points total and 26.9 percent shooting in a 52-48 victory. McKnight guarded Maryland All-America candidate Anthony Cowan most of the night and held him to 3-for-14 shooting. McKnight also had 17 points and six assists in the win.

Finalists for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award will be named in mid-March, and the winner will be named at the 2020 Final Four in Atlanta.

Class of '21 @tps_hsbb F Adama Sanogo is a priority recruit for @SetonHallMBB pic.twitter.com/8sl7ATQHcl — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) January 23, 2020

SANOGO LEADS RECRUITS IN ATTENDANCE

Adama Sanogo, the 6-10 junior forward from the Patrick School in Hillside, headlined a group of recruits who sat behind the Seton Hall bench.

Sanogo is ranked the No. 30 prospect in the Class of 2021 by ESPN.com, while his teammate Jonathan Kuminga, who is not a Seton Hall target but was also in attendance, is No. 1. A native of Mali, Sanogo debuted on Saturday at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., after sitting out the NJSIAA-mandated 30 days following a transfer. He went for 24 points, 12 rebounds and 7 steals in a loss to IMG Academy (FL).

Also on hand were Samson Johnson and Chris Jiao ⁦of the Patrick School, Khalil Brantley of Boys & Girls, Mark Armstrong of St. Peter’s Prep and Shawn Fulcher of Xaverian.

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media.