Seton Hall Men’s Basketball News and Notes as Practice Begins

Seton Hall University, Basketball, College

September 26, 2023

The Seton Hall Men’s Basketball team took the court Monday for their first official practice of the 2023-2024 men’s basketball season. This practice time is pivotal for the new faces on the roster to build chemistry before the start of the season. In what will be a loaded Big East Conference, the Pirates will rely on the leadership of three returning major contributors from last season.

Shaheen Holloway has named Kadary Richmond, Al-Amir Dawes and Dre Davis captains for the upcoming season. These three leaders will be relied upon to build chemistry with the new faces on the court, if the Pirates want to a chance to dance this season.

Last season, Seton Hall desperately lacked depth at the center position. Holloway addressed this issue during the off-season with key additions down low. The Pirates severely lacked depth at the center and power forward positions on the floor. They would often play the undersized KC Ndefo at the center position in the bruising Big East last season, when Tyrese Samuel was in foul trouble. The rebounding disadvantage hurt the Pirates drastically last season. Coach Holloway addressed that issue by bringing in two experienced transfers who can compliment one another at the center position, in Jaden Bediako and Elijah Hutchins-Everett.

Coach Holloway also brought in Turkish freshman center Arda Ozdogan, who will likely be looked at as a developmental piece, but will help with added depth at the position on the practice floor. The Pirates also added much needed depth to the power forward position. Freshman David Tubek and Boise State transfer Sadraque NgaNga will provide depth behind Davis, who will be used as a wing along with playing down low.

The biggest Achilles heal for the Pirates last season was the lack of outside shooting. Coach Holloway made that an emphasis this off-season. Seton Hall added Dylan Addae-Wusu, a proven scorer and outside shooter from Saint John’s. Addae-Wusu went to the same high school as Seton Hall sophomore Jaquan Sanders.

He will help mentor Sanders, who showed the ability to shoot the ball well from behind the arch his freshman season. Coach Holloway also brought in a four star scoring freshman Isaiah Coleman. These additions along with the development of Sanders, will provide floor spacing and give secondary options for the Pirates offense. This will help Dawes, who was the focal points off opposing defenses last year, as he was one of the best three point shooters in the league.

The additions to the roster are paramount but nothing will be more vital to this roster than health. Last season, the Pirates lost Richmond and Davis for extending periods of time. These two captains for the upcoming season are the keys, if Seton Hall is going to make any noise in a loaded Big East Conference. Both are potential all league players. Richmond, who is a physical scoring guard has taken over games for the Pirates and is a nightmare to defend. Davis has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor at a high level and can guard multiple positions. If both can stay healthy I expect them to perform at a high level this season.

To be successful in college basketball you have to have good guard play. Coach Holloway is confident in his back court and believes he has the best in the conference. Richmond, Dawes and Addae-Wusu provide one of the best backcourts in the league.

The first opportunity to watch the Pirates will be Saturday October 14th. It is Seton Hall weekend on campus in South Orange and the men’s basketball team will practice inside of Walsh Gymnasium from 12:45-1:30 p.m. There will also be an official groundbreaking for the new basketball practice facility that morning at 10:30. Jersey Sporting News will be back next week to dive into the full Seton Hall schedule. College basketball is right around the corner!