Seton Hall 's first season of basketball occurred in 1903 – 04 , but the school did not field a team again until 1908 – 09 , the year in which the university achieved their first winning season . The school adopted the Pirate mascot in 1931 , and the teams soon gained national prominence with the arrival of John " Honey " Russell in 1936 . During an 18-year span , the Pirates racked up a 295 – 129 record that included an undefeated 19 – 0 record in 1939 – 40 as part of a 41-game unbeaten streak . Walsh Gymnasium was opened in 1941 to permanently house the basketball team and featured one of the best Seton Hall teams of all time , termed the " Wonder Five " , which led by All-American Bob Davies , earned the school 's first NIT bid in 1941 . Following World War II , the Pirates were led by stars Frank Saul and Bobby Wanzer and regularly played games at Madison Square Garden . The peak of this era occurred in 1953 when Richie Regan and Walter Dukes defeated rival St. John 's University for the NIT title . Perhaps the low point for the team occurred in 1961 when a point shaving scandal sullied the program , but the Pirates rebounded to return to the NIT in 1974 under coach Bill Raftery . Seton Hall became a charter member of the Big East Conference in 1979
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball