JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Whether Kevin Willard liked it or not, Seton Hall was going to have to enter the post-Isaiah Whitehead Era this season.
After averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds last year, the 6-foot-5 Coney Island native went No. 42 in the NBA Draft and is now being heavily promoted by his hometown Brooklyn Nets as he enters his rookie campaigin.
Willard, meantime, likes his backcourt coming off a year where Whitehead helped the Pirates win the Big East Tournament championship over eventual NCAA champion Villanova.
“You don’t replace Isaiah, but all these guys are a year older,” Willard told me Monday afternoon while recruiting at prep power Hudson Catholic. “They’ve all had great summers and great falls, they’re all going to be a little bit more mature. They’re all going to be a little bit better just from that standpoint, so everybody’s ready to take a step and replace what he gave us.”
To help offset Whitehead’s loss, Seton Hall brought in former Wake Forest point guard Madison Jones, as first reported by SNY.tv. The 6-foot-1 Jones averaged over 20 minutes per game as a Demon Deacon, logging minutes in 96 games over his three seasons. He totaled over 250 assists, recording more than 90 in his sophomore and junior campaigns.
“Madison’s a heck of a defender,” Willard said. “He played 80 ACC games. He’s a guy that played a lot of big time games. He’s got a heck of a maturity about him. He understands the game really well. I’ve been impressed with his maturity and his ability to pick things up.”
Junior Khadeen Carrington, a natural scoring guard who averaged 14.1 points last season, also has experience at the point.
“Khadeen played backup point guard last year for about 18 minutes a game,” Willard said. “He knows what we want and what we’re gonna do. Khadeen’s played a lot of games.”
Jevon Thomas, a 6-1 Queens, N.Y., native and Kansas State transfer, also becomes eligible in December. Long heralded as a talented player, he has had his share of off-court issues, including a reported altercation on campus last February.
“Jevon’s a tremendous defender,” Willard said. “He will change the way we play defensively when he becomes eligible.”
At the shooting guard spot behing Carrington, Seton Hall adds 6-3 freshman Eron Gordon and 6-2 frosh Myles Powell, whom Willard said has shaped up after a let foot injury sidelined him toward the end of last season.
“Myles Powell’s in great shape, he’s lost 35 pounds,” Willard said. “He’s working hard.”
At the small forward spot, Seton Hall returns 6-6 junior Desi Rodriguez, who at times was Seton Hall’s best player last season while averaging 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds and making SportsCenter’s Top 10 with his dunks, and 6-8 sophomore Veer Singh, who could be poised to take his game to a new level.
“Our small forward spot with Desi and Veer is extremely solid,” Willard said.
DOUBLE THE #DUNKINDESI! You gotta see this @Sportscenter! #HALLin https://t.co/6Hg6110mSn
— Seton Hall MBB (@SetonHallMBB) February 28, 2016
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Up front, Seton Hall returns 6-10 junior Angel Delgado, a likely future pro who was the 2015 Big East Rookie of the year, 6-8 junior Ismael Sanogo, 6-9 junior Rashed Anthony and 6-9 sophomore Myles Carter.
After winning the Big East Tournament championship and then getting a tough draw with Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, the goal in the post-Whitehead Era is to get back to the Dance.
“That’s the goal this team has,” Willard said. “That’s the expectations now that this team has.”
SCHEDULE LOOKS TOUGH
When the Big East schedule came out recently, it was obvious that the schedule-makers didn’t do Seton Hall any favors despite their championship last March at Madison Square Garden.
On six occasions, Seton Hall will have fewer preparation days than their opponents. And five of those times, Seton Hall’s opponent is coming off a bye week where they have six or seven days between games.
“It’s going to be extremely tough,” Willard said. “When you’re at a disadvantage in a league like ours, it makes preparation so much harder. It’s something we have to deal with.”
In the non-conference, Seton Hall plays at Iowa; gets Florida and then possibly Gonzaga in the Advocare Invitational; meets South Carolina, Cal and Hawaii on neutral courts; and plays New Jersey rival Rutgers at home.
RECRUITING RUNDOWN
Though Seton Hall missed out on Christ the King point guard Jose Alvarado, who chose Georgia Tech over Seton Hall and Rutgers, the Pirates remain in the mix for two big-time 2017 point guards in Trevon Duval and Nojel Eastern.
Duval’s father, Trevor, was quoted as saying Seton Hall has been “consistent” in his recruitment, although Kansas, Maryland and Oregon are among the others involved.
“They have been very consistent,” he told Maryland’s 247Sports.com site. “I want to go out there and talk to the coaches. If he stays in the gym and works like he’s been working, he can be successful anywhere.”
Meantime, the 6-6 Eastern of Evanston (IL) Township is expected to visit Seton Hall soon, his mom said Monday. Eastern visits Michigan State this weekend and is also considering Ohio State, Purdue, Northwestern and DePaul.
Another 2017 point guard target, Daron Russell of Imhotep Charter (PA), is set to announce on Tuesday after taking visits to Grand Canyon, Rhode Island and La Salle.
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