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The only obstacle able to slow down Darius Lane last season was rust. Lane had to sit out the 1998-99 campaign as a partial qualifier, and his game suffered because of it early last year.
In his first 15 games, Lane averaged 13.3 points and four rebounds. Over his final 17 games, Lane increased those totals to 17 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
"It was real, real tough mentally," Lane said of his missed playing time. "I watched games because I wanted to learn more, but it was really tough. It was real tough watching Seton Hall play because they struggled and I knew I could be out there and helping them."
Help them is exactly what Lane did last year, leading the Pirates to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1994.
Lane developed into a big-game player, averaging 17.1 points in Big East contests last season. He also had a crucial steal and layup in the closing moments of Seton Hall's opening-round NCAAtournament win over Oregon.
Named Big East Rookie of the Week six times last season, Lane likes to pull the trigger from beyond the arc. He made 91 three-pointers last year -- the third best single-season mark in school history. He also set the Seton Hall record for three-point field-goal attempts in a single season, with 254.
-- Jimmy Traina
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The explosive Lane looks to lead Seton Hall to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. Rick Stewart/Allsport
