Seton Hall Athletics
Entering his senior season with the Pirates, 6-foot-9 inche forward Brandon Mobley knows his role and is ready to do it well on a freshmen-heavy squad, highlighted by Isaiah Whitehead and company.
“My job is to just come out here each day and lead these guys,” Mobley said.
The Savannah, Ga., forward is just one of three seniors for the blue and white heading into 2014-15, alongside Haralds Karlis and Stephane Manga. The three will be asked to shovel the load this season for a group where program experience is at a premium. Departures from last year’s team including Fuquan Edwin, Brian Oliver, Eugene Teague and Patrik Auda put even greater emphasis on the veteran leader, a role that Mobley is looking forward to serving.
“It’s how you talk to the guys,” he said. “The right times to talk to them, because emotions tend to run high sometimes. You may be saying the right things, but sometimes how you’re saying it might be wrong.”
One area that is sure to add to Mobley’s leadership is dealing with adversity. Though he was able to suit up in all 34 games for the Pirates last season, he has previously lost significant time due to injury. Such was the case in 2012-13, when Mobley missed 11 of the team’s 33 games, including the team’s final seven games of the 2012-13 season, when he suffered a shoulder injury in February, which required season-ending surgery.
Prior to his sophomore season, Mobley was limited to 25 games, missing the team’s first nine games. He would eventually make it into the lineup, making starting in six for the Pirates. He averaged 5.6 points, 0.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds in his freshmen campaign.
Despite injuries and limited time in those first two seasons, Mobley had a strong junior season averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He led all Pirates in blocks with 31 and free-throw percentages with an 88.0 percentage from the line.
With a full season under his belt, and the prospect of being a regular starter, after making 16 starts last season, Mobley has put the injury woes behind him, entering the season stronger and as a result, less vulnerable to further injury.
The lone senior among a crowd of freshmen forwards, Mobley has a few things though to prove to himself after conditioning for the season.
“Maintain my body and strength and where I’m at with that,” he said following Sunday’s exhibition against Caldwell University, where he totaled five points on the afternoon and recorded a team-best nine defensive rebounds while playing 23 minutes.
Mobley will figure to be a regular in handling minutes for the blue and white this season. Maintaining his health and being a force on and off the court with the young core will be vital for immediate and down-the-road success to the program. For Mobley though, it’s another day at the office and he’s taking it one day at a time, but wasn’t vague about his expectations for the team.
“All I care about is winning,” Mobley said. “Winning is fun, nobody wants to come into practice and hear all this and that.”
Looking ahead to the regular season, which begins at home against Mercer on Sunday, Nov. 16, Mobley said he’s not looking too far ahead, but added that leading this group to the NCAA tournament remains the overarching goal.
Neal McHale can be reached at neal.mchale@student.shu.edu or on twitter @nealmchale.
