Kenneth Cook/Staff Photography
It’s one thing to shock the world. But staying on top of it? That’s a different beast altogether.
In his second year at the helm, head coach Tony Bozzella and the Seton Hall women’s basketball team will look to build off of one of the strongest seasons in program history.
Last winter, the Pirates finished with a 20-14 overall record and earned a berth in the WNIT for just the sixth time in school history. The 20-win total was the team’s highest in 19 years.
Bozzella and the Pirates embraced the underdog role in 2013-14. But now, instead of “Why not Seton Hall?” it’s more like “Watch out for Seton Hall.”
The veteran coach won’t approach this season any differently.
“Our goal is to improve, to do the best we can, and give our team the best opportunity to win,” Bozzella said. “That’s how we’re going to coach.”
Seton Hall will return four starters this year, including All-Big East Preseason selections Ka-Deidre Simmons and Tabatha Richardson-Smith.
“I expect them to really raise their game to a different level,” Bozzella said of Simmons and Richardson-Smith. “They worked hard, they’ve gotten a lot better. I think they have a great opportunity to be First Team All-Conference players, and really be great leaders.”
Forwards Bra-Shey Ali and Janee Johnson are also returning for the Pirates. There will also be a lot of new faces that will be suiting up for the blue and white.
Bozzella pointed to Daisha Simmons, a transfer from Alabama, as the newcomer poised to make the biggest impact. The coach also noted that Lubirdia Gordon, a transfer from West Virginia, gives the team greater size and ability in the post.
He added that players like Jordon Mosley and Kathleen Egan will also make an impact based on their knowledge of the system after sitting out last season.
Seton Hall is loaded offensively. The team has ball-handlers and playmakers, size inside and shooters on the perimeter. But, as the saying goes, there’s only one ball. Selfless sharing and ball movement will be key to the team’s success.
“I think it starts on the defensive end—steal the ball and when we have it, it gives us more chances to score,” Bozzella said. “We want to have as many opportunities as we can by getting up and down the floor. We’re transition oriented.”
Bozzella brought up an interesting stat from last year. Teams that scored north of 80 points won 80 percent of their games.
“If we win 80 percent of our games, I think we’ll all be pretty happy,” Bozzella said with a laugh. “As long as they’re the right ones.”
Over the weekend, the Pirates beat Philadelphia, 86-64, in an exhibition game at Walsh Gym.
Simmons tallied 20 points and 10 assists and led an impressive offensive performance that featured five players scoring in double figures. The Pirates had 12 different players get in the scoring column.
“We shared the ball well,” Bozzella said. “Our spacing was great. Defensively, we still have to do a better job with interior defense and guarding people on the ball.”
The Pirates will open up the regular season against Rider in a home contest on Friday, Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. While he noted that there are some holes, specifically on defense, that need to be addressed, Bozzella and the team seem ready and excited to begin the year.
“We are a fun team,” he said. “We really represent Seton Hall in the utmost, best way. As an alum, I wouldn’t allow it any other way.”
He went on to talk about why fans should come out and support the Pirates in their home games this season.
“We play a fast, exciting style,” Bozzella said. “We get up and down the floor, we score a lot of points and, most of all, we try our best all the time. The fans that we had last year really helped raise us…It was their support, especially in the games we were struggling, that really got us over the hump.”
When asked what his season goals were, Bozzella responded with no hesitation.
“Everyone’s going to say, ‘oh it’s to get better,’” he said. “But we want to be realistic—we feel we are an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. I want to make the NCAA tournament. That’s our goal.”
The program has not been represented in the tourney in 20 years.
“We have a long way to go and a lot of great opponents that we have to face,” Bozzella said. “It’s going to be very difficult. But that’s our goal. Let’s say it. Let’s be honest. Let’s talk about it for real.”
We need the fans to come out and support us,” he said. “If they do, we’re going to be an impossible team to beat here.”
Thomas Duffy can be reached at thomas.duffy@student.shu.edu and on Twitter @TJDhoops.
