Final March was a fairytale, and this season will probably be a dream realized.
After Shaheen Holloway made historical past by guiding No. 15-seed Saint Peter’s to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Match, he landed the head-coaching place at his alma mater, Seton Corridor, the job he all the time wished.
“That is too essential to me,” the 46-year-old Queens native advised The Publish after his introductory press convention. “That is house. That is one thing I dreamed about. I can’t afford to mess it up. I gained’t mess it up. I’m going to work, work and work.”
Now comes the arduous half: Constructing off Kevin Willard’s success — the previous coach led the Pirates to 5 of the final six NCAA Tournaments earlier than leaving for Maryland following final season — and taking it to the subsequent degree.
There could also be absurd expectations due to what Holloway achieved for the tiny MAAC faculty, notably when making an allowance for the Pirates misplaced prime scorers Jared Rhoden, Myles Cale and Bryce Aiken from their 2022 NCAA Match group, together with defensive anchor Ike Obiagu. The offseason was plagued by accidents, and ahead Alexis Yenta, one of many key returnees, is out indefinitely with a knee damage.
Holloway, a star level guard for Seton Corridor, and his workers had been busy on the switch market. They landed 4 potential difference-makers: guards Al-Amir Dawes (Clemson) and Femi Odukale (Pittsburgh), wing Dre Davis (Louisville) and ahead KC Ndefo, Holloway’s star at Saint Peter’s. They'll be a part of an unproven core that features returnees Jamir Harris, Kadary Richmond, Tyrese Samuel and Tray Jackson. Seton Corridor was picked to complete seventh within the Huge East, however expectations don’t trouble Holloway. No one anticipated a lot out of Saint Peter’s, both.
“While you get the chance to play within the NCAA Match and make the run that we made into the Elite Eight, to me, I’m hungry now,” Holloway stated at Huge East media day. “Now I need the Closing 4, I need the nationwide championship. That’s the purpose. The purpose is to maintain constructing.
“I’m in one of the best convention with one of the best coaches within the nation, so I gotta step my recreation up.”
Why Seton Corridor will make the NCAA Match
The Pirates become an elite defensive group, Holloway maximizes the potential in Richmond and Samuel, and so they discover a approach to decide up just a few huge wins throughout their daunting non-conference schedule. Excessive-upside wing Tae Davis is without doubt one of the greatest freshmen within the Huge East, and Holloway does extra with much less, as was the case at Saint Peter’s.
Why Seton Corridor will miss the NCAA Match
An excessive amount of is new, from the coach to the roster, which incorporates simply 5 returning gamers. The Pirates are offensively challenged, after shedding its prime three scorers from final 12 months, and start the season slowly on account of myriad offseason accidents, which carried over into the preseason and restricted apply time.
3 Key Questions
Is there sufficient offense?
Final 12 months’s version wasn’t precisely an explosive group on the offensive finish, and the highest weapons moved on. There isn't a apparent No. 1 scorer. Ndefo, the highest newcomer, is greatest recognized for his protection. Fellow transfers Davis, Dawes and Odukale have by no means been go-to scorers. They profile higher as complimentary choices. Richmond and Samuel have but to common in double-figures.
How will Holloway alter to the Huge East?
Sure, he has coached within the Huge East earlier than as an assistant — 9 years at Seton Corridor underneath Willard — and Holloway proved himself in March, however that is nonetheless completely different. There will probably be a studying curve, changes that should be made. Teaching on the high-major degree is new to Holloway, and he gained’t sneak up on anybody.
Is Tyrese Samuel able to emerge?
The 6-foot-10 Canadian actually has no selection however to step to the forefront at this level. Yetna’s knee damage will hold him out firstly of the season, creating a fair larger want for Samuel to understand the potential he arrived with as a top-100 recruit just a few years in the past. The flexibility has all the time been there — Samuel can rating within the put up and shoot from the perimeter — however Seton Corridor has to get constant manufacturing out of the senior now.
X-Issue: Kadary Richmond
He’s Seton Corridor’s most gifted participant, a 6-6 level guard who has battled consistency points all through his faculty profession. However when Richmond is true, he’s a dynamic expertise able to taking up a recreation. Bringing it on a game-by-game foundation, nonetheless, is the problem for the Brooklyn native.
Video games to Watch
At Kansas (Dec. 1)
A visit to Allen Fieldhouse to face the defending nationwide champions is an early alternative for Seton Corridor to make a press release within the annual Huge East-Huge 12 Battle. Kansas misplaced rather a lot off its 2021-22 group, however was ranked fifth within the preseason, returns star wing Jalen Wilson and added difference-making switch guard Kevin McCullar Jr. from Texas Tech.
Vs. St. John’s (Dec. 31)
Contemplating this rivalry is sandwiched between highway video games towards Xavier, Marquette and Creighton, will probably be much more essential for the Pirates to deal with house courtroom on New Yr’s Eve. Seton Corridor has gained the final seven video games towards the Johnnies in Newark.
Vs. Villanova (Feb. 28)
This has grow to be probably the greatest rivalries within the Huge East, and the video games on the Prudential Middle are continuously tense nail-biters. The matchup is sort of all the time the spotlight of the Pirates’ house slate, drawing massive crowds that fill the constructing. However the tenor of these conferences will probably be very completely different now that the coaches have modified, Holloway for Seton Corridor and Kyle Neptune for Villanova.
Nameless Coach’s Take
“The most important factor is consistency. Kadary had video games like towards UConn final 12 months the place he was one of the best participant on the courtroom and there have been others video games they had been in all probability higher off with out him. Tray Jackson had video games he would go for 20 and he would have video games the place he would go for 2 factors. Getting these guys to be constant as juniors will probably be big. Al-Amir Dawes was a starter on an NCAA Match group at Clemson, Femi will probably be a stable piece for them and KC has postseason expertise. [Holloway] introduced in transfers, however he introduced in older transfers, which I believe will assist them out. They’ll be capable to perceive what he’s on the lookout for higher.”
Prediction
18-15, seventh place in Huge East, NIT
Between the offseason accidents and the uncertainty over a lot of the roster, this group has too many unanswered questions. A difficult non-conference schedule will add to the diploma of issue for Holloway in his first season. A late-season run gained’t be sufficient to achieve the NCAA Match.
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