Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard and his players usually spend Big East media day talking about motivation. Proving their doubters wrong. Answering questions about why they are better than where they were predicted to finish.

Thursday was different — very different.

In a role reversal, Seton Hall was slotted first, picked by the Big East coaches to win the league, unseating Villanova as the preseason favorite. Myles Powell was anointed as the Preseason Player of the Year. The past time these two things happened for Seton Hall on Big East media day were 2000 and 1992.

“It’s exciting for the players, it’s exciting for the program, but at the same time it’s also a huge challenge,” Willard said Thursday at the Garden. “We got to stay focused and we got to stay humble. It’s something we talked about as a team: How did we get to this moment?”

Now comes the hard part: Making those predictions a reality. Powell, the high-scoring senior leader from Trenton who opted to return to South Orange for one more season rather than go pro, has already talked to his teammates about heightened expectations, stressing the importance of not letting the hype go to their heads.

“Last year we got picked eighth and it didn’t mean anything,” Powell said. “I’ve said let’s just forget it. All that means, honestly, is we’ll have the biggest targets on our back.”

Aiming for their fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid and first Sweet 16 berth since 2000, the Pirates have arguably their deepest team under Willard. He returns starters Powell, Quincy McKnight, Myles Cale and Sandro Mamukelashvili, along with reserves Jared Rhoden, Anthony Nelson, Taurean Thompson, Shavar Reynolds and Romaro Gill. Ike Obiagu, a 7-foot-1 shot-blocking menace who transferred in from Florida State, is now eligible. Four-star freshman recruit Tyrese Samuel is already turning heads.

“We go from starting 6-[foot]-6 and 6-8 to 7-1 and 6-9, and come off the bench with 7-1 and 6-11. So just from a defensive presence, we’re such a different team,” Willard said. “We have the opportunity to press a little more, play small, play big, where last year we were a one-trick pony. We have the opportunity to play so much different this year.”

It adds up to possibly the most anticipated season at Seton Hall since the early 1990s — when P.J. Carlesimo was coaching, Terry Dehere was lighting up scoreboards and the Pirates were a national brand. Powell has noticed the excitement. He can’t go anywhere on campus without being asked to take a photo or getting stopped to talk about the team. Fans are giddy.

“This year I can definitely feel the hype,” he said. “This is my last go-around, so I’m going to make sure that this is the best one.”