Maryland faces one of its toughest tests thus far on Saturday with a Seton Hall team that has been to the NCAA tournament the past three seasons. However, the core that led those teams has since graduated, and this is a new-look Pirates squad.

We talked with Tyler Calvaruso of Seton Hall’s student newspaper, The Setonian, to find out what to expect in this non-conference clash. His answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Seton Hall lost four starters from last season. How has that impacted this team?

I think the biggest thing with the four senior starters from last season not being around anymore is the fact that Seton Hall no longer has the ability to dump the ball inside to Angel Delgado and go from there. The offense essentially ran through Delgado in the low post, and with him being such a good passer, it allowed the others to move freely off the ball for Delgado to hit them for open looks. Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo were all big-time players, and they were missed dearly at the beginning of the season, but this team has figured out how to play without them.

What did Seton Hall do well in its win over Kentucky earlier this month, and what did that say about the team’s ceiling this season?

Seton Hall forced Kentucky into turnovers and never gave up, even when Kentucky held a decent lead in the closing minutes. Obviously, it helped that Myles Powell caught fire and carried the team down the stretch, but Seton Hall remained locked in through adversity. The Pirates have shown plenty of fight throughout the season, and I think that speaks volumes when it comes to this team’s ceiling. Every game in the Big East is going to be a dog fight and this team is equipped to deal with the rigors of conference play, which puts it in a good position moving forward. Factor in Powell’s scoring prowess and Sandro Mamukelashvili’s newfound three-point stroke, and you have a team that could make more noise than originally expected when it’s all said and done.

Powell seems to be the star of this team, but who else can we expect to make a big impact on Saturday?

As I mentioned before, Kevin Willard put in some serious work with Mamukelashvili to fix his three-point shooting, and it has paid off over the past two games. With his shot falling, Mamukelashvili’s confidence is at an all-time high on the offensive end, and he’s been excellent on defense throughout the season. Quincy McKnight at point guard will also be big on both ends, as he’ll have to deal with Anthony Cowan and facilitate the offense as well. At times this season, Seton Hall has become too reliant on Powell. Both Mamukelashvili and McKnight will have to step up and provide some help, as will sophomore forward Myles Cale.

The Pirates have played a pretty tough non-conference schedule. How do you think that has already prepared them to play a road game against a team like Maryland?

The nonconference schedule has this team battle tested, and the players themselves will tell you that. All of them credit Willard for scheduling tough and preparing them for conference play with a rugged nonconference slate. The goal of this schedule was to force a young and inexperienced team to grow up and learn how to play together on the fly, and it has worked. Maryland represents Seton Hall’s toughest road test yet. In their second game of the season, the Pirates were blown out on the road by Nebraska, but this is a much different team now.

Finish this sentence: Seton Hall wins if…

…it rebounds well and other players step up to support Powell. Containing Bruno Fernando on the glass will be the key, as he has the ability to give the Pirates nightmares underneath and single-handedly control the glass. Maryland will be keyed in on stopping Powell, but if he’s hitting shots as he was against Kentucky, it’s hard to slow down Seton Hall’s offense.

Maryland wins if…

…it limits Powell as much as possible and Cowan does what he does best. Defeating Seton Hall begins and ends with locking in on shutting down Powell and forcing everyone else to beat you. Saint Louis did a good job of this and as a result, it took Powell out of the game for the duration of the first half. Keeping Powell out of the scoring column forces Seton Hall’s other players to take on an increased offensive role — one they may not be comfortable taking on.