College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 25-12; 13-7, Fourth in the Big East, NIT Champions

Head Coach: Shaheen Holloway (Third Year; 42-28 at Seton Hall, with no NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

G Chaunce Jenkins – 6’4″, 185 5th-year Senior

G Dylan Addae-Wusu – 6’4″, 237 5th-year Senior

G Isaiah Coleman – 6’5″, 191 Sophomore

F Prince Aligbe – 6’7″, 228 Junior

F Yacine Toumi – 6’10”, 215 5th-year Senior

Experienced Reserves

G Zion Harmon – 6’0″, 184 Junior

G Garwey Dual – 6’5″, 205 Sophomore

W Scotty Middleton – 6’7″, 181 Sophomore

F David Tubek – 6’7″, 220 Sophomore

F/C Emmanuel Okorafor – 6’9″, 225 Junior

Freshmen

G Jahseem Felton – 6’5″, 195

F/C Gus Yalden – 6’9″, 258 (Redshirt)

C Godswill Erheriene – 6’9″, 214

C Assane Mbaye – 7’2″, 195

The Pirates from Orange, NJ, find themselves at a particularly interesting, particularly frustrating crossroads. They play in one of the nation’s most prestigious hoops leagues – the Big East. They absolutely torched the #1 team in the country last year – two-time defending national champions UConn. They won a title themselves – when the NCAA left them out in the cold, they ripped off five straight wins to capture the NIT crown. They’ve got an excellent, young coach who has done nothing but get great, high-effort results thus far in his career – former Pirate and All-Big East star Shaheen Holloway. 

And none of those clear and obvious positives was enough to keep Seton Hall’s veteran core together in hopes of chasing down even bigger things this winter. 

A combination of factors – including the ‘wild west’ which this early iteration of the NIL era has become – has conspired to sap the Pirates of a huge amount of momentum, and has the blue-clad faithful wondering precisely what in the world it takes to hold onto a winning team these days. Fortunately, the clearest and most obvious of the positive which could be taken from last year remains: Coach Sha.

As fiery and passionate a coach as you’ll find, Holloway’s demeanor on the bench is much like his demeanor was as the point guard who led the Pirates to their last Sweet Sixteen, 25 years ago. To a man, his players relish the way he pushes them, and the results of his work as head coach speak for themselves. After taking over his old Pirate program, Holloway has won 42 games in two years. Among the Hall’s 13 conference victories last winter was a thrilling road win at ‘the Dunk’ over Providence, a 15-point drubbing of St. John’s (one half of the Pirates’ regular season sweep of the Red Storm), and an 18-point romp over Xavier, in addition to the defining defeat of Connecticut. 

“This year I wanted to bring in guys that could f***ing compete…My mindset was I’m bringing in a bunch of guys that could play and compete and I think that brings the best out of a team.”

– Shaheen Holloway

That was then. Now, for the second straight year, it falls to Holloway and his staff to whip a whole bunch of new faces into a frothing, contending frenzy.

“This year I wanted to bring in guys that could f***ing compete,” Holloway told Adam Zagoria this summer. “My mindset was I’m bringing in a bunch of guys that could play and compete and I think that brings the best out of a team.”

To lead this new group of Pirates, Big East Dylan Addae-Wusu has been promoted from the crew to First Mate. After three years with St. John’s, Addae-Wusu transferred to the Hall, starting 37 games and averaging more than 32 minutes for Coach Sha last winter. His averages of scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals were largely in line with the past few seasons Addae-Wusu has produced; his shooting figures, sadly, were not. After three years as a 43.2% shooter overall, with a 35.0% mark from the land of trey, Addae-Wusu sank to 35.6% from the floor and 29.0% from deep in his debut for Seton Hall. A big, physical guard who doesn’t mind going toe-to-toe with the toughest customers on the court, Addae-Wusu shared duties with superstar guard Kadary Richmond (who, as you may have heard, is now at St. John’s) in checking the best perimeter scorers on the Hall’s schedule a year ago. Now, he’s going to be expected to lead the way. 

“He kind of just was our glue guy. I’m looking for him to take more of a step up as an all-around player, scoring, ball-handling,” Holloway reflected this summer, speaking about Addae-Wusu. “He was a good defender last year, I’m looking for him to continue that.” When Holloway says that someone is a good defender, it’s high praise indeed. A strong passer who understands situation and spacing, Addae-Wusu can help his team offensively without scoring. This group will need all the scoring he’s got, though. 

Sophomore Isaiah Coleman decided to stick around, too, and given the advantage of familiarity he has with Holloway’s demands, the former 4-star recruit may be in line for considerable improvements. The only rookie who earned his way into Holloway’s everyday rotation, Coleman also earned a spot on the Big East’s All-Freshman team. While he isn’t built like a linebacker the way Addae-Wusu is, Coleman brings good size and length to the lineup – plus a good deal more explosiveness. 

“I’m looking for Isaiah to take a tremendous jump. I’m really, really excited about his potential,” Holloway said during the offseason, making plain his enthusiasm for Coleman’s sophomore campaign. “He showed spurts last year, this year I want him to be more consistent. He’s shooting the basketball really good right now in workouts. You can tell he’s more confident.”

Virtually everyone else who will play a key role in Seton Hall’s rotation is new, and as such, the summer has been spent finding out how the pieces will fit together. This bunch features a mix of proven producers and talented youngsters yet to truly make their mark. In that regard, the Pirates are not so very different from a lot of teams. Chemistry, as much as anything else, will be the key. 

The backcourt has been and probably always will be Holloway’s passion project. As such, Coach Sha has attracted an intriguing group who are linked by their toughness, skill, and drive: traits that their coach cannot do without. Joining Addae-Wusu and Coleman are a trio who will look to orchestrate the attack and carry much of this team’s scoring burden, too. 

A consensus Top 50 national recruit just last fall, Garwey Dual has become yet another guy who arrives in Orange with Big East experience already under his belt. After spending his rookie year at Providence, Dual is looking ahead to a bigger role with the Pirates, and his timing may be just right. Holloway has spoken about his desire to get bigger at the guard spot this offseason. Dual has NBA measurables plus a natural inclination to facilitate for others. It’s not impossible to imagine a near future which sees Dual become a similar sort of downhill-rolling, chance-creating lead guard to the guy who led the Pirates last winter. 

“He’s very athletic…He’s got a really, really, really good upside,” Holloway enthused to Adam Zagoria, speaking about Dual. “He had a really good summer. He was in Chicago in the NBA Draft [Combine] and a lot of teams were real high on him, so I’m interested to see what he do.”

Holloway added two more playmakers to share the responsibilities with Dual by bringing in Chaunce Jenkins and Zion Harmon. The last two years at Old Dominion, Jenkins turned himself into a dangerous scorer who can also cause lots of problems defensively. Even though he’s a guard who stands 6’4″, Jenkins blocked 29 shots in 31 games played last winter, and added 28 steals into the bargain. He makes things happen all over the floor, and Jenkins forces the action, painting his opponents into corners whether he has the ball or they do. With his athleticism, attack-mode mindset, and penchant for creating opportunities, it’s possible that Jenkins will be a featured piece in this lineup that needs somebody to reliably get buckets. 

Two years ago, Zion Harmon was named the Southwest Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Year. Last winter, he was honored as a first-team All-SWAC performer. This season, he’ll put those accolades to the test against outstanding competition. A smaller guard, Harmon has yet to be daunted from getting where he wants to go on the floor. His biggest weapon is that he employs a variety of looks with his jumper/floater game; thus, the most important thing for Harmon is efficiency. At Bethune-Cookman, Harmon had the ball in his hands quite a bit and didn’t have great scoring depth outside of the top handful of guards. As a result, Harmon chucked a few shots of the type that Holloway might not approve of. This Hall team will need floor-stretchers, and Harmon has proven that he’s not shy about launching from the land of trey; he also made 109 of his 117 (93.2%) free throw attempts, so the guy can shoot. It’s possible that Holloway and his staff will employ some similar sets with Harmon to those which they utilized to free up Al-Amir Dawes in recent years. If allowed to settle in as more of a spot-up shooter who can then pick his spots to range nearer the rim, Harmon may really hit his stride. 

Last year as a rookie at Ohio State, Scotty Middleton showed off a dangerous deep shot, functional length at both ends, and mismatch potential – in inconsistent flashes. This year with the Hall, Middleton is likely to get plenty of run, and should have the chance to develop into a valuable 3-and-D player. With the quickness and agility at size which saw him ranked a Top 50 recruit last year by some publications, Middleton can move and certainly looks the part of a perimeter stopper. While in Columbus, OH, Middleton only made 47 shots all year, but 28 of them (at a sparkling 45.2% clip) were launched from long distance. On all 2FG tries, he made just 33.9%, and Middleton made just half of his free throw attempts. Odd splits to be sure, but with a year’s experience and a larger role, Middleton’s splits should come into a more usual balance.

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

78.2% – Team Free Throw Percentage (12th)

0.309 – Free Throw Attempts Per FG Attempt (235th)

33.8% – Offensive Rebounding Rate (20th)

0.487 – Assists Per FG Made (217th)

0.568 – Opponent Assists Per FG Made (322nd)

Finding himself at a crossroads in his own career, Prince Aligbe has made the move from Boston College to the Pirates looking for a chance to bust out. With BC, Aligbe started 45 games and averaged about 20 minutes per game. Despite his energetic defense and toughness as a small-ball power forward, though, Aligbe’s other contributions tended to be sporadic. This year, he should get to let it all hang out. With his physical play around the lane and ability to finish good looks inside, Aligbe should earn his opportunities and start cashing them in. 

It took Yacine Toumi a couple of years to truly grow into his skills, but after a year at Arkansas-Little Rock and a year in junior college, the French forward started putting it all together at Evansville. Two productive seasons later, Toumi has now joined up with the Pirates. Last season, Holloway and his staff turned Jaden Bediako – who had been largely a defense-first pivot for four years at Santa Clara – into a decent scoring option out of the post. Now that Toumi has come aboard, Seton Hall’s coaches see considerable potential in his offensive game. 

“He’s got really good size, his skillset is unbelievable. He’s 6’10” and doing things like a guard can do. He can shoot the basketball, he can do stuff off the dribble. He’s a good passer, good defender,” Holloway gushed when describing Toumi this summer. “I’ll be honest, I’m shocked he came back to school. He had a really, really good [NBA] Draft experience…He wanted to challenge himself at the highest level and I’m very fortunate to have him.” With his soft touch and some shooting range, Toumi knows how to get buckets around the lane. Though his jumper isn’t the most consistent and he will need to keep improving from the free throw line, Toumi can knock down enough shots to keep defenders off balance. If he can defend well enough to play 25 minutes each game against the Big East’s bigs, Toumi should be in line for his best season yet. 

Three young players are going to battle for minutes at the pivot, and their competition should produce quality. Last year, Gus Yalden committed to but never got to suit up for Wisconsin. He took a redshirt following a foot injury and a couple of citations for partying a bit too hard off the court, and Yalden has spoken on social media about his desire to work harder than ever now that he’s boarded Sha’s ship. At his best, Yalden is a big, physical, modern post player whose awareness and passing should be a big asset in the halfcourt. He scores deftly in television lane, can face up to hit short jumpers, and has a diverse overall skillset to develop, and Holloway and his staff see good things ahead for Yalden. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

@ Rutgers – December 14

N VCU – November 21

Shriner’s Charleston Classic 3rd game – November 24

N Nevada/Vanderbilt – November 22

vs Oklahoma State – December 8

Louisville transfer Emmanuel Okorafor saw only 213 minutes of action across parts of two seasons with the Cardinals, but has the size and shot-swatting instincts to help out right away. He’ll flush anything within arm’s reach of the rim, and with a seven-foot-plus wingspan, that’s a lot. Okorafor owns a spectacular 17.0% offensive rebounding rate in his limited action, and figures to earn the Pirates plenty of extra possessions when he’s on the floor. If he can continue scoring efficiently (64.5% FG rate so far), cleaning things up at the back end, and pounding the glass, there will be minutes for Okorafor in Orange. He’s more of a forward, but David Tubek could also help out this year. Like Okorafor, he barely saw the court as a freshman, but Holloway likes Tubek’s powerful athleticism and hopes to see him show his strength and versatility this year.

A couple of freshmen will also vie for minutes, including stretchy young post Godswill Erheriene. With a pro-style physique already, Erheriene looks ready to play in the Big East. He has some finesse, which will grow with experience, but Erheriene’s approach is mostly about making a ruckus around the rim. He plays an aggressive game and doesn’t back down from a challenge. Erheriene sets great screens, rolls to the cup with bad intentions, and contests anything in his area defensively. If he can do all of that without getting into foul trouble, Erheriene could play a significant role right away. 

Holloway is excited for the debut of Jahseem Felton, another big guard who is comfortable with the ball in his hands. His first instincts tend to be about getting buckets, and that’s understandable given how well Felton acquires his points. He’s slick handling ball screens and knows how to slither through the paint, and Felton hits tough, acrobatic shots when the defense collapses. His passing skills are good, and Felton’s vision is becoming more finely honed. With a coach who should put him into position to play to his strengths, Felton has real potential to move up the rotation soon.  The Pirates also added an ultra-long, ultra-thin 7’2″ prospect Assane Mbaye as a developmental guy who may redshirt.

It’s a strange time in college sports, but Holloway and his staff have shown tremendous adaptability lately. They’ve also shown that they can get the most out of whoever decides to buy in and play as hard as possible. Now that they’ve recruited a new crew of hungry young Pirates, Holloway & Co are putting them through the paces to find out what they’ll have once conference play rolls around. 

“If you watch my teams over the years, we get better as the year goes on. To our fans, it’s going to be a process, but we’re gonna get there,” Holloway proclaimed this summer. Nothing has gotten easier in the Big East, but the Pirates are going to charge into the fray like usual. They’ll defend at a high level, share around plenty of bruises and floor burns, and grind out more hard-fought wins. There may not be elite names on this roster, but Coach Sha doesn’t need a cast of superstars to get the job done. The man at the steering wheel knows what he’s doing, and good things are ahead for Seton Hall.