Seton Hall (25-12, 13-7 Big East)
After being bypassed for the NCAA Tournament despite a win over what would become two-time defending NCAA champion UConn, coach Shaheen Holloway and Seton Hall did the next best thing last season: They won the NIT. Entering his third season as Pirates coach, Holloway has had to rebuild the team. He lost guard Al-Amir Dawes (15.0 ppg) to graduation, and guard Khadary Richmond (15.7 ppg, 7.1 reb, 5.1) and forward Dre Davis (15.9 ppg, 5.1 reb) transferred. Guards Dylan Addae-Wusu and Isaiah Coleman return and will be bolstered by eight transfers and two freshmen.
Players to watch
Chaunce Jenkins has moved from Old Dominion to Seton Hall for his final season. He averaged 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists with the Monarchs last season. He is considered the top shooter on the team.
Addae-Wusu is the top returner from last season. The guard averaged 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 32.3 minutes.
Prince Aligbe is like many of the transfers Holloway brought in. He was highly touted in high school and didn’t live up the hype in college. The forward played in 62 games at Boston College and averaged 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Departures and arrivals
Most of the key players from last season transferred, including Richmond (St. John’s), Davis (Mississippi), Jaquan Sanders (Hofstra) and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Austin Peay). Dawes and C Jaden Bediako are playing in Europe. Holloway brought in eight transfers: Jenkins (Old Dominion), Zion Harmon (Bethune Cookman), Garwey Dual (Providence) and forwards Aligbe, Scotty Middleton (Ohio State), Gus Yalden (Wisconsin) and big men Yacine Toumi (Evansville) and Emmanuel Okorafor (Louisville). The freshmen are guard Jahseem Felton and center Godswill Erheriene.
The one thing Holloway will insist from the new players is defense. Either they play it or they won’t play.
Top games
The Pirates open the season at the Prudential Center against Saint Peter’s, the Cinderella team Holloway guided to the Elite Eight in 2022. There are two games (Feb. 15, March 8) against UConn, a rivalry away game at No. 25 Rutgers (Dec. 14) and two games apiece against No. 15 Creighton and No. 18 Marquette.
Facts and figures
The Pirates were picked to finish eighth in the 2023 conference poll of the league’s coach. They finished fourth with a 13-7 record in the league. Last season, the Hall was first Big East team to finish at least five games over .500 in league play and not get invited to the NCAA Tournament. … Seton Hall was picked 10th this year. …. The Pirates had four starters average more than 32 minutes in 2023-24: Richmond, Davis, Dawes and Addae-Wusu. … Holloway probably will have a 10-or-11 player rotation this season, much like he did in his final year at Saint Peter’s.
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