Seton Hall's frosh have never seen defense like this. So who better to relate than The Mag's Chris Palmer, who has never played defense?

Flash back to two months ago. Seton Hall super freshman Eddie Griffin is sitting in the stands of cozy Walsh Gymnasium with his feet propped up on the wooden seats in front of him. He's with his freshmen cohorts, Andre Barrett and Marcus Toney-El. An insatiable sense of anticipation is in the air. They are expected to do big things. And when the season rolls around, they certainly do.Through the first seven games, Griffin averages an astonishing 21.1 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.6 blocks. Pret-ty smooth.

Then defending national champion Michigan State overpowers, outquicks and pretty much mops the floor with the inexperienced Pirates. Not even with a cash advance on the millions Griffin will one day make could he have bought a bucket last night. He forced up 13 off-balance jump shots and missed every single one of them -- including seven threes. Toney-El made just one basket in 25 minutes. At the 2-minute warning, their body language said it all: heads down, shoulders slumped. Gone were their confident smirks and youthful swagger.

But something funny happened in the lockerroom. No one pouted. There was laughter and smiling where finger-pointing and sulking could have been. Griffin got dressed quickly, and in a Rocawear sweat suit and a black Phillies cap, he talked about the future.

"There's a whole lotta basketball left to be played," said E-Griff. Barrett, in a Charles Woodson jersey, chimed in with a shout out to the Hall's next opponent: "I wouldn't want to be Wagner." And Toney-El was Toney-El, smirking and bouncing as usual.

Just like that, a wonderful sense of anticipation was back in the air.

Or was that denial?

C-Palm writes hoop for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at christopher.palmer@espnmag.com.