NEWARK -- The players and coaches around Seton Hall have been praising Veer Singh since even before the season started. And even though he was averaging just two points per game entering Tuesday's action, the student section has been screaming his name all year and has even given him his own fan club on Twitter.
Against South Florida, we finally got to see what all the hype was about.
Singh, a heralded freshman from Thurgood Marshall Academy in Harlem and the first player of Indian descent in Seton Hall history, had the best game of his young career against the Bulls with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Singh's emergence, which was slowed by a wrist injury suffered in the preseason, is essential for a team lacking shooters as it enters Big East play.
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"Just getting back in, getting back in rhythm, getting back in sync. It's about, I'd say 80 percent right now," Singh said of his wrist. "I've just been getting in the gym more and more. I think the little rest we had between our last game with Wichita State, that really helped a lot. So it's good, I like getting into a groove going into Big East play, because that's where it counts."
Coach Kevin Willard went as far as to say that Singh might be the most important player in the team's effort to replace sharpshooting guard Sterling Gibbs who transferred to UConn in the spring, and several players raved about Singh's shooting in the preseason. There was even talk of Singh being a starter out of the gate.
But an awkward fall after a dunk in a late October practice burst a bursa sack in his elbow and displaced a bone in his wrist. While he missed just one game due to the injury, it was clear when he was on the court that he wasn't completely comfortable or healthy.
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"It was frustrating because you're already a freshman. And then on top of that, you've got to (deal with the injury) especially playing so well going up into that whole month of October," Singh said. "So it was a set-back. You've just to overcome the obstacles. Coach knows what I can do, my teammates know what I can do. It was not a matter of if I was going to get back healthy, just when. And when I did, you saw what I can do today."
The team is well aware of how important Singh is to the makeup of the team and its success. Point guard Isaiah Whitehead seemed determined to get Singh going against the Bulls, constantly looking his way and getting him the ball.
"I knew it was coming. He was struggling a little bit the last couple games. But it was all online, going in and out. So I knew he was going to have a breakout game at least before the Big East started," Whitehead said. "I saw that he hit a couple and then after that, the sky was the limit. I just tried to find him and he just kept burying them. So why not just keep going back to him."
Whitehead found Singh open in the corner during one possession in the second half for a 3-point attempt. Singh missed the shot, but Whitehead made sure the ball got right back to the freshman and he knocked down his second chance.
"That just shows the confidence he has in me," Singh said. "When they're giving me the ball like that, I feel confident. That's why I knocked it down."
Singh's teammates aren't the only ones who trust him. He's become a fan favorite in just a few games, with the student section cheering nearly anything he does on the court. Singh made a point of high-fiving a few of his biggest fans after the game who made signs for him.
"They've been doing that all season. Those guys, they show so much love. They're all freshmen. So me being a freshman, and them being freshmen, they love seeing their fellow freshmen out there. So I always make sure I go and give them daps," Singh said. "I really appreciate the support. They've been with me even when I was struggling with my wrist injury before. So I really appreciate them for sticking with me."
The biggest games are on the horizon for Seton Hall, which starts Big East play on Dec. 30. And that's when Singh's presence will be most important -- something he is well aware of.
"That's what they need me for in Big East play, spread it out, because it's going to be a lot tougher and you're going to see a lot of different defenses. Georgetown zoning and stuff like that, you've got to be able to shoot them out of the zone."
Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.