NEW YORK -- Seton Hall's jovial, wide-smiling, double-double machine broke down, crestfallen and overcome with emotion as he collapsed on the Madison Square Garden hardwood. Moments after Angel Delgado's floater in the final seconds against Villanova wouldn't go, he needed help from his teammates to collect himself and get up.
His eyes were red from crying shortly after in the locker room, his usually booming voice reduced to murmur as he sheepishly fielded questions about Seton Hall's debilitating 55-53 defeat at the hands of the defending national champions.
Seton Hall was seconds away from a return trip to the title game before Josh Hart showed why he was named the Big East Player of the Year with a put-back layup and an ensuing free throw with 9.