South Orange Juice

Seton Hall Basketball: 5 Questions in 5 Days #3: With Herb Pope Gone, Who Will Rebound and Defend the Paint?

2012-05-23T12:05:24Z

Like death and taxes, and like Bobby Gonzalez saying, "Like death and taxes", Herb Pope has been the premier interior defender and rebounder for the Pirates the past three years. Losing a rebounder like Pope is not easy to replace, but Seton Hall finally has ample depth at the power forward and center positions to offset his departure. I believe the combination of Patrik Auda, Brandon Mobley, Gene Teague, Kevin Johnson, Aaron Geramipoor and ultra-athletic wings Fuquan Edwin and Haralds Karlis will be a formidable group in this regard. It's no secret that Auda loves to occupy the stat sheet’s foul column, so having a multitude of defensive options will be a tremendous benefit for the Pirates and one that's been lacking in South Orange for many, many moons.

Coach Willard will continue to use zone defense at times which will serve a number of purposes. Not only does moving to zone from man-to-man defense show opposing offenses different looks, it will also protect against those players more apt at getting into foul trouble; Willard certainly exploited this benefit to his advantage last year.

Something that has been largely overlooked in Kevin Willard’s time at the helm is the outstanding job he's done decreasing the total number of fouls his players commit. In the Gonzo era (shivers), Seton Hall averaged over 20 fouls per game, while Willard’s teams have averaged 17 1/2. Granted, two years is a relatively small sample from which to draw a definitive conclusion, but Willard's teams have decreased their total team fouls each year, moving from 179th to 142nd in the country, while Gonzo's teams rose from 240th to 280th (out of 324 Division 1 teams). Most importantly, Coach Willard has done a tremendous job of protecting the players he needs on the court by applying sound in-game coaching as well as teaching his players effective ways of guarding against excessive fouling and fouling out. It's concerning that Auda and Mobley, in particular, have a penchant for committing "bad fouls". However, if they improve in this regard, the team will be less exposed defensively while also allowing for two of what I believe to be excellent scoring options to stay on the floor.

At times, Mobley has looked like Gulliver in the ball-pit at Chuck E. Cheese; big like. In his freshman year (that saw him miss over 25% of games to a torn labrum), he showed flashes of greatness and I believe I speak for most Pirate fans when I say I can't wait to see him develop over the next three years. In fact, I spoke with an Assistant Coach at Auburn last year who told me they were "devastated" when Mobley chose Seton Hall over them, saying he would be a "tremendous" collegiate player. I concur, fine sir.

As I See It:

Look for transfer Gene Teague to be the primary presence down low this year. Teague and Pope banged in the paint a lot during practice last year while he was sitting out per NCAA transfer regulations. I've spoken with a few people on the inside of the program who have commented on how valuable this process was for both Pope and Teague, so look for this experience to pay dividends moving forward. On the offensive end, Teague shot a team best 60% from the field in his last year with Southern Illinois University, so the big fella should be productive on both ends of the court.

I wish I could provide insightful analysis on second year freshman Kevin Johnson, but there really is no additional information on him since his senior year of high school. I'm a glass-is-half-full kind of guy, so I'd like to think that another year of physical and emotional development for KJ (due to his lack of eligibility) will prove to be a long term benefit for the Pirates. Johnson, the #24 ranked center in the class of 2011, is a man-child and is said to have some pretty soft hands. If he can be productive alongside the other bigs, Seton Hall may have some very interesting options both offensively and defensively which should translate into more points in the paint then Pirate fans have seen in years.

Seton Hall Basketball: 5 Questions in 5 Days #2: With Jordan Theodore Gone, Who Will Provide Leadership?

2012-05-22T11:53:51Z

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Jordan Theodore deliberately deprived himself of oxygen just so he could literally bleed-blue. Physiologically, of course, this seems unlikely due to oxidation and other such things I know nothing of, but I believe this is appropriately analogous to how passionate the General has been about his school. Ask yourself, "Can I name a former Pirate who has been more vocal and overtly passionate about his love of Seton Hall?" Scroll through his Twitter feed @JordanTheodore for further insight and examples. Sadly, Theodore can’t be signed to a contract extension, so Kevin Willard will need to find his team's leader elsewhere; but where?

Candidates:

As the elder statesmen of the team, Fuquan Edwin appears to be a likely candidate for the vacant position of team leader. The soft spoken junior is known to show his demonstrable basketball prowess on the court rather than yapping about it. Fu is less of a "rah-rah" guy and more of a, "I just picked your pocket, again; smile, you’ve just been ninjaed" guy, so leading by example seems more of a likely roll as opposed to the outspoken Theodore (who led by example too, of course). As an aside, upon first meeting Fu, directly after the Pirates beat Alabama in St. Thomas (USVI) for the 2010 tournament, the mild mannered kid clearly didn’t know what to make of the idiot in front of him (me) who was strangely interested in the athletic freshman’s statistics. He really is a very quiet and humble young man on and off the court.

Brian Oliver appears to be another viable candidate to help galvanize this group of players. However, he’s played exactly one second less than one second as a Pirate, so it may take some time for on-court leadership to develop. I’ve heard he is one of the more outspoken guys around the team and will certainly be one of the top scoring options as well. I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him emerge as a leader, especially as the season rolls along.

Aaron Cosby is a dark horse for this leadership roll. The sharp shooting sophomore started 31 of 34 games and averaged a robust 30 minutes per game on the hardwood while shooting a team high 38% from beyond the arc. This tremendous experiential learning should translate into a keen understanding for what it takes to win. He was also the beneficiary of being under the direct tutelage of a true leader in Jordan Theodore. Cosby has also tasted what it means to be an integral part of playing in a hostile environment; see at Rutgers last year when he drilled a 3-point basket with 42 seconds remaining to help lift the Pirates who were previously mired in a 5 game skid.

As I see it:

When the 2011 season concluded, Fuquan Edwin voiced that he is ready to become the leader of this team and I'm certainly not going to doubt him. I believe we will see Fu emerge as the teams leader for the next two years. Without question, Edwin's reserved and quiet intensity is in sharp contrast to the previous leadership of Theodore, but that doesn't mean that leadership in this regard can't be equally as effective. When players get after it defensively, their team tends to get a big lift, and coming from the man who lead the nation in steals last year, that is certainly a good jumping off point.

Seton Hall Basketball: 5 Questions in 5 Days #1: Who will be the Starting Point Guard?

2012-05-21T12:12:55Z

This appears to be the most glaring dilemma facing the Pirates as they head into the 2012 - 2013 season. While there are a few capable back-up point guards on the roster, the most important position (on any basketball team) is currently the most tenuous for Seton Hall. Jordan Theodore has been the cornerstone of this team for the past three years and there is just no two ways about it, his absence will be felt.

On April 19th, former Texas point guard Sterling Gibbs committed to Seton Hall and his signing was, by all accounts, a coup for the Pirates. In fact, the magnitude of signing the younger brother of NBA hopeful and former Pitt standout Ashton Gibbs could be upgraded from great to exceptional if he is granted a hardship waiver from the NCAA. If Gibbs' appeal is granted, he would be cleared to play immediately and this question would then be moot.

Seton Hall has already submitted the waiver application for Gibbs, but a decision is not imminently expected. Certainly there are a myriad of variables that the NCAA will review; for example, the good: Gibbs returned home to New Jersey where his family lives and where he went to high school (Seton Hall Prep., where he is the all-time leading scorer). However, the bad: he was buried on a deep Texas bench and only played 7.5 minutes per game which certainly could have prompted him to transfer – at least in the eyes of the committee. I've been told that there is a "family issue" but I'm unclear what type of impact this will have on the review committee. Simply put, if Gibbs is able to play next season, the Pirates could be a formidable team; if he is denied the waiver, it could be a long winter for the Blue and White.

Other Candidates:

Sophomore Freddie Wilson has shown that he can be a suitable back-up point guard, but I believe any argument suggesting he can be a starting PG in the BIG EAST next year is inherently flawed. That said, my previous (and blunt) statement should not be misconstrued as being dismissive of Wilson, as I do believe he can play an important roll on Kevin Willard’s team over the next three years. I've simply seen zero evidence in favor of his ability to be a starting point guard in this grueling conference.

Little is known about freshman point guard Tom Maayan, who is coming off of a serious ACL injury. I’ve been told he is recovering quite well, but finding credible analysis on this kid is more convoluted than finding a connecting flight in an Italian airport. At best, Maayan is a wild card next year and it would be unfair to expect he would be an impact player, especially running a Big East team's offence as a freshman. We've seen good international players like Patrik Auda and Haralds Karlis struggle to get acclimated to the American style of play, and they haven't been charged with the task of playing the point, so I'm being prudent and setting the bar low for Maayan.

Looking Forward:

Finally, I can’t pose the above question without at least referencing the (5’6) 800lb gorilla in the room, Aquille Carr. While this question doesn’t apply to him given that he is just now concluding his junior year of high school, he has been dubbed, by many, as the point guard of the future for Seton Hall. Much has been speculated about Carr’s ability to ultimately become eligible for the Pirates, and his bizarre 10-day stint at St. Patrick’s High School, NJ certainly doesn’t pacify a fan’s anxiety. My expectation (hope) is that along with Carr’s current coaches and teachers, Kevin Willard and his staff will continue to help guide this young man in an effort to ensure he is ready to compete in the fall of 2013 for the Pirates while reducing the crime rate in Newark taboot.

As I See It:

Until then (or the Gibbs hardship waiver decision), this question remains more unsettling than a drunken Mel Gibson tirade. Gun to my head, I'd have to say that given the current Seton Hall roster on May 21, 2012, Freddie Wilson is our starting point guard (followed by an asterisks and a "To Be Continued..." sign).

Seton Hall Basketball: Five Questions (in Five Days) Facing the 2012 Pirates

2012-05-19T20:42:00Z

I finally managed to get the dreadful taste of UMASS-defeat out of my mouth, and I'm happy to say that I'm back on the grid again and ready to talk Seton Hall Basketball. As with most teams during the off-season, a cacophony of questions will be raised and debated, and as such, I have generated my own list. In an effort to not inundate you fine people, I whittled my catalogue of questions down to five of what I believe to be the most critical issues facing the 2012 Pirates. I will post one question each morning this coming week (beginning Monday and concluding Friday) and will attempt to answer said questions.

In accordance with what Bill Shakespeare once said, "I am not bound to please thee with my answer", I am quite certain we will have some differing views, but as always, your thoughts and comments are most welcome.

Have a great weekend, Pirate Nation. See you back here Monday morning.

Seton Hall Basketball: Kyle Smyth Transfers to The Hall

2012-05-16T18:58:38Z

According to various sources, including CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman, as well as JP Pelzman, who broke the news, former Iona wing Kyle Smyth will transfer to Seton Hall and use his one year of eligibility remaining playing for the Pirates.

Smyth, like Eniel Polynice was two seasons ago, is a post-graduate transfer, meaning that he can play immediately. According to Jerry Carino,the Don Bosco Prep alum will walk on to the team.

WHAT THIS MEANS: Smyth is a pure shooter. He was recruited by, and played under, Coach Willard at Iona in his system. He won't use up the Hall's one remaining scholarship for next season. It's a win-win all around, and as we have seen, you can never have enough shooting when you play for Coach Willard.

The Pirates are now loaded on the wings even more, with Smyth joining fellow shooters Brian Oliver, Aaron Cosby and Haralds Karlis as well as Fuquan Edwin. If Sterling Gibbs is deemed eligible for this season, watch out. Point guard is the only hole in the roster entering next season, as everyone knows, and if Gibbs can play, he'll have a multitude of options through which to run the offense.

It's low-risk and potentially very high reward, as Smyth shot over 42% in Willard's final season at Iona from the 3-point land.

Seton Hall Basketball: The Overlooked Recruiting Targets

2012-05-13T23:10:05Z

Recruiting info is shared through multiple mediums -- Twitter, message boards, e-mail, blogs. Sometimes, info slips through the cracks and is overlooked. With that being said, here are some Seton Hall recruiting targets that we haven't been discussing.

Class of 2012

Aaron Parks 6'2'' 186lbs PG (Lake Clifton HS, MD) Rivals: n/a

Aaron is likely one of the point guards that has been described as "still in play" by those in-the-know with Seton Hall recruiting. Less than a blip on the recruiting radar, how Seton Hall likes it, Parks has received interested from Seton Hall, DePaul, UMass and Tennessee, per Rivals.

Parks scored 24 points against Aquille Carr and Patterson HS (MD) in a losing effort last season. The Baltimore Sun has hinted at the possibility that Aaron, who is labeled as a "strong, physical guard", is headed to a prep school next season.

Rivals

To peruse the Classes of 2013 and 2014, please follow the jump.

Class of 2013

Karrington Ward 6'5'' 195lbs SG (Kankakee Community College, IL)

A first team JuCo All-American (one of ten players), Karrington averaged 19.6PPG, 9.1RPG, 3.4SPG, 1.5BPG & 1.5APG for Kankakee CC last season. The skinny on Ward is that he will likely need another year at Kankakee to become eligible, or else he would be set to sign and play for a D-I school in the 2012-13 season. While on an unofficial visit to Bradley last month, Ward was apparently the "best player in the gym", for whatever that is worth.

Karrington holds offers from Seton Hall, Wichita State, Baylor, Florida State & Rutgers, among several other mid-majors. He has also received interest from Kansas State, Marquette and West Virginia.

Rivals
Takkle.com Profile (78'' wingspan, 48'' vertical, 185 bench, 175 squat)

Zach Douglass 6'7'' 180lbs PF (National Christian Academy, MD) Rivals: n/a, 247: n/a

There isn't much about Zach on the internet, but he is described as a skilled face-up forward who really hits the glass. DMVElite describes his game here:

Zach has improved since his sophomore campaign, adding upper body strength and really showing the ability to face up. He is at his best when he draws his defender 15-18 feet from the basket and attacks. He will need to be able to hit the shot from this range to be a constant threat. He rebounds well and utilizes a baby hook when he has good post positioning. Zach does need to add strength to his legs so he doesn't get pushed out of the paint. Also, he needs to assert himself and demand the ball more because he is a legitimate option.

Per Rivals, Douglass has received offers from Seton Hall, Delaware, George Mason and Towson. He has also received interest from Maryland, George Washington, and East Carolina.

Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports

DeShaun Morman 6'3'' 190lbs SF/SG (Coolidge HS, D.C.) Rivals: #114th, Scout: n/a, ESPN: n/a

Deemed the "mini Shabazz Muhammad" by Findlay Prep Head Coach Michael Peck, DeShaun has blown up on the recruiting landscape since landing at Coolidge HS last year.

Capitol Hoops evaluation:

The 6'4'' lefty strokes the 3, finishes above the rim, and plays tenacious defense. While he could benefit from some additional ball handling work, the Coolidge star is arguably one of the most complete players on the East Coast.

According to All-Met Elite, Morman is in an academic pickle, which is quite common for Seton Hall recruiting targets. Based on what I read, it looks like Morman might have to prep if things don't work out at Coolidge.

Despite his academic opacity, DeShaun has collected offers from Seton Hall, UNLV, George Washington, Virginia, VCU and Providence since arriving at Coolidge -- the versatile wing previously held an offer from just UMass. Morman averaged 15.3PPG last season.

Ishmail Wainright 6'5'' 210lbs SF (Montrose Christian, MD) Rivals: 32nd, Scout: 4*, ESPN: 27th - 94rating, 247: n/a

Unlike Zach Douglass, there is plenty of information on Ishmail Wainright. One of the highest rated small forwards in his class, Ishmail was originally committed to the Missouri Tigers before de-committing last June.

Ishmail is described as a "physically gifted prospect with great strength and athleticism" by Capitol Hoops.

As expected, Wainright sports a slew of offers from nearly every high-major that one could name, including Seton Hall. Wainright started to receive interest from Duke in March, a clear indicator of his talent level and the fact that he is a stretch target. He told Josh Paunil of Recruiting Spotlight in March that he is favoring Syracuse, Kansas, Missouri and Florida. Arizona and West Virginia are the latest schools to have offered Ishmail.

Rivals, Scout, ESPN, 247Sports
Highlight tape

Class of 2014

Johnnie Shuler 6'0'' 160lbs PG (Roosevelt HS, D.C.) Rivals: n/a, ESPN: n/a

Unless you're a standout player, high school sophomores don't usually receive too much press. Such is the case with Johnnie Shuler. Formerly a back-up point guard at basketball powerhouse DeMatha Catholic, Shuler has since transferred to Roosevelt High, a public school in D.C., after playing his last game for DeMatha in January.

Johnnie averaged 5.9PPG for DeMatha as a sophomore due to sharing playing time with fellow guards Jairus Lyles (2013, Top 150, Seton Hall target), James Robinson (2012, Pittsburgh commit), Marcellous Bell (2012, Binghamton commit) and Kameron Taylor (2012, uncommitted). Johnnie tallied a season-high 12 points against Bishop Ireton (VA) in January.

Per Rivals, Shuler has received interest from Maryland and Seton Hall.

Rivals, ESPN
Shuler in action (first three videos)

Phil Booth 6'3.5'' 175lbs G (Mount Saint Joseph, MD) Rivals: n/a, Scout: 3*, ESPN: n/a, 247: n/a

Booth has received a bit more press than his predecessor, Johnnie Shuler. Most recently, Phil was deemed a breakout performer by Scout.com recruiting analyst Evan Daniels after his showing in the EYBL event in Hampton, Virginia two weeks ago. Daniels saw Phil as "effective both playing on and off the ball. Booth has good size and quickness, to go with a nice ability to score from both around the basket to on the perimeter." Sifting further through analyses of Booth, Alex Schwartz of NBESports and NorthStarBBall had the following to say about Booth last summer:

[Booth] has a chance to be one of the best players in the nation in the class of 2014. A 6’3 combo guard, Booth has a superb frame with long arms. He is an impressive athlete who can get off the ground and finish with authority on the break. Booth does not show much of a jumper, but part of that is because he is able to get to the cup with such ease so much of the time at this level. Regardless, Booth will need to improve his jumper from both mid and long range. He has the ability to become a lockdown perimeter defender due to his combination of length, size and strength.

Booth holds offers from Rutgers, Maryland and most recently, Georgetown. Interest has flooded in from a number of high-majors including Seton Hall, Ohio State, Syracuse, Villanova and Miami (FL).

Hakeem Coney 6'1'' 180lbs G (Quality Education, NC) Rivals: n/a, Scout: n/a, ESPN: n/a

From Anthony Fields to Lekan Ajayi to Jevon Thomas to Cinmeon Bowers, Seton Hall has had an entertaining relationship with QEA. Add another one to the list in Hakeem Coney.

Before arriving in North Carolina to play for Quality Education, Coney hooped for Johnson HS in Savannah, Georgia, hometown of current Pirate Brandon Mobley. After a season at QEA, Carolina Varsity has pegged Coney as the 7th best player in the North Carolina Class of 2014. Digging deeper, Recruit Dirt claims that Hakeem is Quality's "sleeper", a "Derrick Rose clone" and that he is "made of steel, tough as nails, athletic, can shoot it enough to be respected to set up his drive, the boy can flat out go!" Talk about an endorsement.

Coney has assembled interest from Charlotte, VCU, Seton Hall and Dayton.

Rivals, Scout, ESPN

Class of 2015

Ibrahiima Diallo 6'9.5'' 190lbs C (Quality Education Academy, N.C.) Rivals: n/a

A freshman behemoth, Diallo is listed with interest from the same four schools as his teammate Hakeem Coney, suggesting laziness on Rivals' behalf.

Despite being listed as a Class of 2014 player and "Ibrahima" instead of "Ibrahiima" on many websites, Quality Education's roster has pinned Diallo has a freshman (2015) and spells his first name "Ibrahiima", not "Ibrahima". His classification status aside, QEA head coach Isaac Pitts has fluffed Diallo's pillow by describing him as "one of the best freshman in the country." From a more objective standpoint, Phenom Hoops Report has the following to say about Diallo:

Diallo is 6’10 with an impressive 7’5 wingspan and a body frame that can easily add weight and muscle. Diallo has been hampered by growing pains and the long and athletic center was grimacing many times during the course of the day. That being said, Diallo stuck it out and continue playing while on-lookers could easily see the pain in his face. That being said, Diallo has a high ceiling for growth and upside and his potential is unlimited. While he is still somewhat young in basketball experience, all he needs is to continue his steady growth of improvement in the area of offensive skill sets. Diallo had a solid, but not spectacular camp and should be an intriguing prospect over the next few years.

Sounds like a stereotypical "project" big man following in the Bigfoot size footsteps of former Seton Hall target and visitor Lekan Ajayi. While watching Diallo play for Southern Select (AAU), 247Sports added that Diallo "is a big body with good hands and a high ceiling. Showed a couple of good post moves and battled for rebounds." Furthermore, SlamOnline sees Diallo as "pretty coordinated and already owning a gritty demeanor in the paint" while adding that Diallo "makes much more of an impact on the defensive end at this stage of the game, he’s definitely a name to remember for the future."

While this is just a fraction of Seton Hall's recruiting profile, it looks clear to me that the coaching staff is honing in on the Mid-Atlantic, specifically the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia). As you probably know by now, assistant coach Chris Pompey, who is arguably Seton Hall's most talented recruiter, thrives in this region. Stay tuned for more recruiting coverage this summer as the AAU circuit heats up.

Seton Hall Basketball: 2011-12 Attendance Figure Rises, Ranking Drops

2012-05-11T21:31:26Z

The NCAA released the official attendance figures for the 2011-12 season yesterday.

Seton Hall ranked 76th in the country with an average attendance of 6,941, both figures are down from last campaign (62nd & 7,937, respectively.) However, more total Pirate fans took in games at the Rock (and Walsh Gym) this season (124,935) than last (119,060). For all you non-math majors out there, its obvious that more games were played at home this season (18) than last (15) -- the NIT helped here (sort of, see: average attendance.)

Compared to the rest of the Big East, which ranked 4th in average conference attendance, Seton Hall placed 14th -- four spots lower than their ten-spot ranking for the 2010-11 season -- only two schools were watched less than Seton Hall: Rutgers (15th) and South Florida (16th.) Like last season, Syracuse led the conference in attendance, averaging 23,618 attendees per game.

By now, you're probably wondering how and why Seton Hall's attendance figures dropped so sharply. Well, the NIT is the answer. The official attendance numbers for the two NIT games played at Walsh were 1,674 -- both sellouts. If the total attendance from the NIT games (3348) is subtracted from the total season attendance (124,935) and divided by the modified total home game amount (16) a new average attendance number is born: 7,599.

With this new average attendance figure, Seton Hall ranks 71st in the country, but still 14th in the Big East and still 338 less than last season, despite more wins and an arguably more appealing home non-conference line-up.

For the NCAA's breakdown of the attendance figures, click here.

Around the Country:

Creighton shattered last season's title of Highest Ranked Mid-Major by finishing 6th (16,665/g) compared to 22nd (13,507/g.)
Walk of Shame - Colgate (545), NJIT (461) and Chicago State (429) finished in the basement of college basketball attendance. Colgate grads were busy making six figures and/or producing toothpaste, but the other two schools have no excuses.
On average, 31 less people attended college basketball games this season compared to last.

Seton Hall Basketball: Sean Grennan to Transfer

2012-04-24T14:08:06Z

According to CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman, Pirates guard Sean Grennan will transfer out.

Grennan's name can be found on his extensive list of transfers, which can be found here.

Grennan saw action in 18 games this season, averaging just under 4 minutes per game with 0.6 PTS and 0.5 AST. By far his best game of the season came at Longwood, where he scored 5 PTS on 2-2 shooting with one made three. In fact, the guard from Sea Girt, coming in with a reputation as a shooter, did not miss a single shot this season in 4 attempts, 2 from three-point distance.

We wish Sean all the best in his future endeavors on and off the court.

WHAT THIS MEANS: Pirate fans concerned about scholarship limits now have their answer to their worries about exceeding the Men's Basketball limit of 13. With this transfer, Seton Hall now has one more scholly to give out with Sterling Gibbs transferring in. They could opt to use it this year, or they could wait until next year, when Aquille Carr is expected to come in. Of course, as always, keep an eye on SOJ for all your offseason news/notes.

Either way, this is a mutually beneficial transfer. Grennan is a good kid who worked hard in practice this past season, but was too far down on the depth chart to see any regular burn, and he barely saw any action in Big East play. Hopefully he finds a school where he can receive some more steady playing time.

Best of luck, Sean!

Editor's Note: At the time of JP's post, I'm told Grennan will likely look to land in the Colonial Athletic Association or the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.