South Orange Juice

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.

Seton Hall Basketball: Former Texas PG Sterling Gibbs to Seton Hall

2012-04-19T17:45:14Z

This morning, SOJ reported that Sterling Gibbs was set to begin his official visit to Seton Hall on Thursday afternoon. The former Freshman Texas point guard wasted little time deciding where he would continue his collegiate career. One hour after his visit was slated to begin, his new teammate, Fuquan Edwin, was first to break the news:

Welcome to the family bro @SterlingGibbs13 #SHUBACK
— Fuquan Edwin (@FuquanEdwin) April 19, 2012

Moments later, Aaron Geramipoor followed suit with, "S/O to my boy @SterlingGibbs13 for joining the family!"

Jordan Theodore, who has been in communication with Gibbs and has been credited for the assist in sealing the deal, added:

Congrats to my bro @SterlingGibbs13. He's finally a Pirate! #SHUBACK
— Trayvon Martin (@J_Theodore_R2R) April 19, 2012

Gibbs and Seton Hall flirted during his senior year at Seton Hall Prep, but the Scotch Plains (NJ) native initially chose Maryland, but after Gary Williams' retirement, he wound up enrolling at Texas.

As a freshman, Gibbs averaged 2.6 points and less than 1 assist in just 7.5 minutes per game, but was buried behind Myck Kabongo on the depth chart. The Longhorns also have top-100 point guard Javan Felix coming in next season, but Gibbs stated the reason behind his transfer was family-related:

"I've had a great year at Texas," Gibbs said. "I've improved as a basketball player and as a person during my time here. If my decision had to do with basketball only, I would not be leaving Texas. But my decision is family-related and involves more than basketball."

Gibbs, an alumnus of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, will attempt to attain a hardship waiver from the NCAA citing a family illness and a desire to play close to home. If granted, the exception would waive the typical year he would be required to sit out as a transfer athlete. First and foremost, our thoughts are with Sterling and his family as they will surely battle the illness together. If he is granted the waiver, he will suit up immediately and will likely step in as the starting point guard under Kevin Willard in the 2012-13 campaign. If the request is denied, he will look to join Aquille Carr in 2013-14, forming quite an exciting backcourt tandem where he will be able to run at either guard position.

Sterling Gibbs will become the first recruit from Seton Hall Prep to don the Pirates uniform since Marcus Toney-El and later, Jamar Nutter. Locking up Gibbs is undoubtedly a terrific get for Kevin Willard as he'll look to possibly reestablish the SHU/SHP pipeline and maybe the Gibbs family pipeline as well. Sterling's brother, Temple, although just an eighth-grader (2016), is expected to be one of the top rated guards of his class.

Whether we see Gibbs this coming year or the season thereafter, please join all of us from South Orange Juice in welcoming our newest Pirate home!

Seton Hall Basketball: Recruiting Roundup - 2012 PG Ian Baker Visited Seton Hall this Weekend and More

2012-04-10T00:29:36Z

Update 04/10 7:30PM: Antwan Tennell told Adam Zagoria that Ian Baker is now fully committed to Providence. Earlier this afternoon, Providence sophomore guard Bryce Cotton announced he would be leaving the program. Cotton's announcement likely sealed the deal for Baker.

On March 30th, multiple reports emerged that had one time Seton Hall target, Ian Baker, headed to Providence to serve as a career backup to Kris Dunn. However, the 2012 point guard of Arlington Country Day School (Jacksonville, FL) visited Seton Hall over Easter weekend and is no longer committed to the Friars according to his AAU Coach, Antwan Tennell via William Gunter of 247Sports.

Following Gunter's tweet, Tennell also spoke with Adam Zagoria telling him that Baker is reevaluating his options after learning Providence point guard, Vincent Council is not leaving school for the NBA Draft. Tennell added that Baker's ACDS teammate, 2012 SG Carlos Morris is also hearing from Seton Hall:

He added that Carlos Morris, also of Arlington Country day, is "wide open" and is hearing from Texas A&M, South Carolina, UConn, Seton Hall, St. John's and Xavier and was waiting to take the SAT later this month.

On January 5th, I learned Seton Hall was hoping to receive a visit from the former South Carolina commit and expected they would make a strong push at securing a pledge from Baker. I was among the many surprised to learn Baker appeared content to accept a backup role instead of heading to a program where he could start and run the show, from day one.

There still seems to be a question surrounding his eligibility as he's slated to take the ACT on April 14th, however Baker doesn't foresee it being a problem, telling the Baltimore Sun:

"I'll definitely be [academically] ready. I'm not going to have any problem with" qualifying.

In other 2012 PG news:

Former Pirates target, Madison Jones (Ravenscroft, NC) is headed to Wake Forest. The Pirates previously offered Jones, but when he announced in the fall he would sign with Seton Hall or American, the word around the Pirates was that they were not willing to accept a commitment. However, Seton Hall stayed in communication with Jones and the player continued to list the Pirates throughout his entire recruitment all the way up until his decision.
Daiquan Walker (Constitution High, PA) and his teammates won the PA State title (PIAA Class A) on March 23rd in front of Kevin Willard who attended both the semi final and championship games hosted at Penn State. Last week Adam Zagoria reported the Pirates are still working hard on a commitment from Walker, however he may end up prepping next season.
JUCO PG Trivante Bloodman (Olney CC, Illinois) took an official visit to Seton Hall in March and was recently watched by Pittsburgh and Western Kentucky. Bloomdman will visit Milwaukee on Friday according to Zagoria and possibly Western Kentucky in the days after.
Former Mississippi State commit Josh Gray, spoke with new Bulldogs Head Coach, Rick Ray and still plans on asking for his release. Ray believes Gray is open to remaining a Bulldog and recommitting to Mississippi State for the third time. I can't wait until Gray's name lands on a dotted line, somewhere, anywhere. I've spent far too much time following his multiple recruitments. The only thing we know for certain -- Gray seems to be loving the attention as he retweets every potential secondary recruiting violation that is sent his way from multiple fan bases. Seriously, scroll through his page.

Wednesday marks the beginning of the Spring signing period with a point guard remaining as Seton Hall's first priority and only one scholarship to give, I'd expect we'll learn of a commitment sooner than later.

Seton Hall Seniors Jordan Theodore & Herb Pope Invited to Portsmouth Invitational

2012-04-06T21:05:31Z

Seton Hall Seniors Jordan Theodore & Herb Pope Invited to Portsmouth Invitational

Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope were named to Portsmouth Invitational rosters this afternoon, with JT running with Portsmouth Partnership and Herb Pope lacing em' up for Sales System Ltd.

Games are set to begin on Wednesday, April 11th. Hit the link to view the complete rosters of all invited seniors.

Western Kentucky Freshman Derrick Gordon to Transfer; Considering Seton Hall?

2012-04-05T23:05:53Z

Derrick Gordon, a freshman shooting guard from Western Kentucky has decided to transfer. The news was first reported by the WKUHerald and later confirmed by Gordon. The former St. Patrick's (NJ) star intends to choose a landing spot closer to his Plainfield, New Jersey home with Seton Hall reportedly among one of his considerations. In a statement this afternoon, Gordon said:

I have gone back-and-forth with this for many months. It is important to me that my family be able to see me play more frequently and for me to be able to visit everyone, including my brother, more regularly, and I believe it is best for me to continue my playing career closer to home.

This afternoon, Adam Zagoria caught up with St. Patrick's head coach, Chris Chavannes:

Gordon is considering Dayton, Seton Hall, Penn State and Virginia Tech, St. Patrick coach Chris Chavannes told SNY.tv.

However, Gordon then told Jeff Goodman there is no list, though he would like to land in New Jersey at a school where he can refine his point guard skills. He also spoke on the reason behind the transfer:

"It honestly had nothing to do with the coaching staff," Gordon told CBSSports.com. "I want to get back towards New Jersey, so my family can watch me play and so I can see my brother."

This season, Gordon averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 33 minutes for the Hilltoppers despite shooting just 37% and 27% from deep. Due to their scholarship situation, the Pirates aren't in a position to hand out schollies to many transfers, especially those who will not be granted a hardship waiver. That said, there will always be exceptions and Gordon may just be one of them.

Gordon's poor 3PT shooting doesn't exactly fit Coach Willard's system, but the possibility of adding a scoring/rebounding guard to the Pirates backcourt in 2013 can not be overlooked. Of course, whether the Pirates choose to target Gordon will depend on how quickly he decides on his next school and what other 2012 recruiting options the Pirates are faced with. If they can bring in a player who will contribute immediately, they have an easy decision on their hands. However, if they need to decide between a player that will take a couple years to develop and Derrick Gordon, it might be wise to roll with the latter. That all said, a 2012 point guard is this program's number one priority and we will have a recruiting roundup focusing on the search later this weekend.

Derrick Gordon St. Patrick's Highlights: