Over a month into its offseason, Seton Hall men’s basketball announced recent progress in regards to next season’s schedule and roster. From team honors to a new big man, here’s an update on what the Pirates have been up to.
Non-conference schedule
Seton Hall will travel to Kentucky to take on Louisville as part of next season’s non-conference schedule, according to Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press. The matchup pits Kevin Willard against his mentor, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.
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Angel Delgado was named the 2017 Haggerty Award winner. Joey Khan/Photography and Digital Editor.[/caption]
The game will be part of a home-and-home series, where the Cardinals will come to the Prudential Center in the 2018-19 season. A team that is getting picked as a top-five team in many preseason rankings, Louisville is a potential big resume builder for SHU.
With the addition, Seton Hall’s non-conference schedule is taking shape. It is rumored that Seton Hall will have a home-and-home with VCU, while the Pirates will also be involved in the NIT Preseason Tip-off, Gavitt Games and the Under Armour Reunion. SHU also has games set up with Fairleigh Dickinson and Rutgers for non-conference play.
Metropolitan honors
Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Kevin Willard have all been recognized by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association for the 2016-17 season.
Delgado also received the Haggerty Award, which is the MBWA’s recognition for the best Division I men’s basketball player in the New York area. He was also named to the All-Met first team, alongside Khadeen Carrington.
“It feels good,” Delgado told The Setonian of Haggerty Award. “I’m not the only one that deserved that, I think the whole team deserved that.”
Desi Rodriguez was named to the All-Met second team after being picked for the third team last season.
Each a member of the 1,000-point club at Seton Hall, head coach Kevin Willard expounded on the measure of the players’ achievements.
“All year long, Angel, Khadeen and Desi have worked hard to ensure that our team reached its goals and achieved great success,” Willard said in a statement to The Setonian. “I’m very proud of what they have accomplished, and it is exciting to see them receive individual recognition after a job well done.”
Willard was named the Peter A. Carlesimo Met Writers Coach of the Year. This is his second straight year with the honor, becoming one of four coaches to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
As for Delgado’s NBA draft process, he has no update, saying there is no word yet if he has a combine invite.
“I’m just going through the process, like everybody else too,” Delgado said.
No matter where he goes, he has goals in mind on what he wants to improve in the offseason.
“I just got to work on my shot, try to become a better player,” Delgado said. “I think of myself I can do better than what I did this year, and that’s what I’m going to work for, to be a better player.”
New big man
SHU men’s basketball has landed a new power forward for the 2017-18 season in Sandro Mamukelashvili. The 6-foot, 10-inch, 222-pound forward announced his decision on Twitter on April 20 after making his official visit to Seton Hall that Tuesday.
Mamukelashvili is a three-star recruit out of Montverde Academy in Florida. He is a stretch four who has the ability to handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter.
The power forward joins Darnell Brodie and Myles Cale in next season’s incoming class. Seton Hall still has two scholarships open for incoming players for the 2017-18 season.
Top point guard Trevon Duval, who has Seton Hall among his final five schools, still has to announce his decision.
Elizabeth Swinton can be reached at elizabeth.swinton@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @eswint22.
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