It started as these things sometimes do, as a fluke.

Seton Hall took a 7-9 record along with six players -- teams are only allowed five -- onto the court for the final 12 seconds of regulation Jan. 29 against Georgetown. At the moment, where was the season going for Seton Hall? Into the same dumper as the end to the Tommy Amaker era, as well as most of the previous decade.

	Sophomore John Allen has averaged nearly 20 points a game during Seton Hall's seven straight wins.

The Pirates were barely a glint in the NIT's eye that day against Georgetown, but then something weird happened. With the help of six men -- nine if you include the three referees who missed the mistake -- Seton Hall took the Hoyas into overtime, where the Pirates went five-on-five with Georgetown to win 93-82 for their first victory on the road in almost a year.

They were 8-9, and then the Pirates won again, 58-53 against Rutgers. Now they were 9-9. And then they won again, beating No. 10 Notre Dame to end a 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Then they won again (beating St. Peters), and again (No. 7 Pittsburgh), and again (at West Virginia).

Now the Pirates are 14-9, and they are not a fluke. They are an NCAA Tournament candidate with four regular-season games and then the Big East Tournament still to play. Seton Hall's enters that final stretch off Tuesday night's seventh straight victory at Rutgers.

Seton Hall coach Louis Orr knows one thing. His team won't be afraid.

"I like our talent," he says. "I like our courage. I like our team."

There's a lot to like. The backcourt is skilled, with 5-foot-8 point guard Andre Barrett among league leaders in scoring (18 points per game) and assists (5.5) and 6-5 shooting guard John Allen scoring at a 14.7 ppg clip. In the winning streak, Allen has averaged nearly 20 points.

The frontcourt is improving by the game, led by tough 6-6 junior Marcus Toney-El (7.8 points, 6.2 rebounds) and two newcomers: Duke transfer Andre Sweet, a 6-6 sixth man who had 17 points in the Pirates' 73-61 victory against Pittsburgh, and 6-7 freshman Kelly Whitney (10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds).

Manhattan was the last team to defeat Seton Hall, overcoming the Pirates 74-70 Jan. 27 at the Meadowlands, and Jaspers coach Bobby Gonzalez knows his team might have been the recipient of good timing.

"We knew they were very talented," Gonzalez told The New York Times. "Maybe our game woke them up."

Maybe so. But maybe Orr was the alarm clock.

Orr, who played eight seasons in the NBA, probably only has one solid NBA prospect on his roster -- Allen. The rest of his team is a collection of guys with small bodies, quick first steps, and big hearts. Guys like Barrett, Sweet, Whitney and Toney-El, who has been playing with a bulging disc in his back.

Orr has been able to find the silver lining in his odd-shaped lineup.

"We recognize matchups and try to milk them," he says. "We move guys around to take advantage of (that) ... I learned that in the NBA."

Seton Hall's six-game overall winning streak is its longest in three years, and its five-game streak in league play is its best since 1993. After an 0-3 start, the Pirates are 7-4 in the Big East, a game-and-a-half behind Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame (all 9-3) in the West.

With an RPI in the No. 35 range and a strength of schedule ranked in the Top 10, Seton Hall is a legitimate contender for an NCAA bid if it can win another handful of games. The remaining schedule is friendly enough, featuring homes dates with Villanova and West Virginia and a trip to Providence. The only no-win game left appears to be the Pirates' March 5 trip to Pittsburgh.

Then again ...

Games of the Week

Villinova at Seton Hall Thursday Loser of this make-up game (snow) loses face to NCAA selection committee. Virginia at Florida State Saturday Stakes include Virginia's NCAA hopes, Florida State's NIT hopes, and maybe -- just maybe -- Cavs coach Pete Gillen's job. George Washington at Xavier Saturday How many chances do you get to see a 2,000-point scorer on each side? It's GW's Chris Monroe against X's David West. Maryland at NC State Sunday Wolfpack needs a big win to re-ignite its NCAA hopes.

Looks Like Three For The ACC
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski believes the ACC deserves six NCAA Tournament bids, and maybe even seven. Records and RPI ratings, though, suggest the ACC could be headed for its third three-bid year in the past five.

Wake Forest, Duke and Maryland are in the tournament, no question about it. All are ranked near the Top 10, all have an RPI in the Top 25, and all will finish at least two games above . 500 in league play.

The best of the rest? It's hard to say, what with N.C. State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina all sporting a confusing mixture of pluses and minuses.

Krzyzewski says it shouldn't be confusing. Invite almost all of them, he says, and back off the ACC -- which was punished for being top-heavy in 1999 and 2000 by getting just three NCAA bids (Duke, North Carolina and Maryland).

"It's something about the league being 'down' every year," he says. "When you had a couple teams winning national championships (as Duke did in 20001, and Maryland in 2002) and winning every game, the league was 'down.' My feeling is the league is really good. Our non-conference records are terrific and could match up against any in country. I really believe this is a year we become like other conferences (that have parity). We should get six, seven teams in the NCAA Tournament because we're beating each other up."

Right or wrong, the ACC won't get six or seven teams into the NCAA Tournament -- and might not get five, or even four. After the league's top three teams, the middle of the pack is a mess featuring no team with less than eight losses, and no team with an RPI better than No. 55. That's bad-side-of-the-bubble territory.

Once upon a time N.C. State looked like an NCAA lock, but the Wolfpack have lost five of its last eight games to drop to 14-9 overall. Best feature? It's 7-4 record in league play, with a victory against Duke. Worst feature? Its No. 67 RPI, dragged down by a non-conference schedule featuring just one win against a team in the RPI's top 100 -- a below-.500 South Carolina team.

"We're an NCAA Tournament team," insists Wolfpack guard Julius Hodge. "We'll prove it."

Clemson has a better overall record than N.C. State at 15-8, a better RPI (64) and a better non-conference scalp (Cincinnati), but their ACC record is 5-7.

Virginia? Five losses in its last seven games has undermined an early-season victory against Kentucky, leaving the Cavaliers at 14-11 overall, 5-7 in the league but with a No. 58 RPI rating.

Georgia Tech? The Jackets are 12-11 overall, thanks to an 0-9 road record.

North Carolina? The Tar Heels have a No. 55 RPI but a 14-12 record -- and only a 7-10 mark without Sean May, who might not return from a broken foot.

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