@SetonHallMBB
To say Seton Hall’s men’s basketball roster is young would be an understatement, yet the freshmen on this team have brought plenty of excitement to South Orange, N.J.
The Pirates took the world of college basketball by surprise, netting themselves the 13th-best recruiting class in the country, according to Rivals.com. Having not made the NCAA Tournament since 2006, there has been little to cheer about when it comes to blue and white basketball. Now, the likes of newcomers Isaiah Whitehead, Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo are giving fans reason to believe.
“It’s been fun to have so many new guys,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “It’s a lot easier integrating six or seven freshman into a system than it is two or three… When you have to teach everything all over I think it’s really good for the older guys too because it almost refreshes them on some of the basic concepts.”
All of the anticipation surrounding this team starts with Whitehead, this year’s preseason pick for Big East Rookie of the Year. Ranked as the 99th-overall best player in college basketball by ESPN, Whitehead, a guard, gives the Pirates a source of talent that they have not seen since the days of Samuel Dalembert and the late Eddie Griffin. In fact, he should be a lot better.
So, why does a guy like that pick a school like Seton Hall when top college basketball programs were lining up to get him? For Whitehead, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., staying close to home was important.
“It’s great,” he said about Seton Hall’s proximity to the city. “That’s one of the reasons that I picked Seton Hall. All of my family and friends can come watch me play.”
That sentiment holds true for all of those guys, as each played high-school ball in the local area. Rodriguez was a teammate of Whitehead’s at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. Carrington, another resident of Brooklyn, went to Bishop Loughlin. Delgado went to The Patrick School in Elizabeth, N.J. and Sanogo comes from Newark, the same city where the program will play its regular season home games.
Rodriguez said it was nice to have his family, who attended the team’s preseason game against Caldwell on Nov. 9, nearby. Sanogo echoed that thought.
“It was a huge factor,” Sanogo said about being close to home. “I still have my parents back home, who I visit every day and take care of even while I’m at Seton Hall. After practice I’ll go back home and do the dishes and help them out around the house.”
He called it regular college kid stuff, serving as a reminder that these guys are in fact just college kids despite all of the attention they are getting.
“It’s something new for me,” Sanogo said of the hype surrounding this class. “I think all of us, all the freshmen, have great personalities and are very humble.”
“It feels great, but at the same time you kind of get tired of it,” Whitehead added. “It’s knowing what you have to do on campus. As long as you’re in the gym, as long as you’re in class, there’s really nothing to worry about.”
Acknowledging that much of the focus is on Whitehead, Willard was sure to show some praise for some of his other freshmen who may not be getting the recognition they deserve.
Rodriguez/Seton Hall Athletics
“Obviously, Isaiah has gotten deservedly most of the attention, being a McDonald’s All-American, but Khadeen Carrington is really going to be a special player,” Willard said. “Khadeen has one of those games that reminds me of Dwyane Wade - he’s a lefty, he’s very smooth in transition. The other really big surprises would be Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo. Both of those guys I think flew under the radar in this class and both have come in and really given us a jump start with their enthusiasm and athleticism.”
Delgado, a forward who hails from the Dominican Republic, said the support system around him has helped in his transition to college life.
“The campus is a great campus,” he said. “I love being at Seton Hall and I love being with these guys, my teammates. I love these guys and I appreciate Coach Willard for everything. I’m so excited because I have a lot of help here. Brandon (Mobley), he’s a senior, he’s a big guy too. He always talks to me, always makes sure I do things right on the court. Everything is good. They show me everything.”
Sanogo agreed, saying that team veterans such as Mobley, Sterling Gibbs and Haralds Karlis have made the shift from high school to college easy for him.
“The transition was actually pretty smooth because of the upperclassmen,” he said. “Yeah, we hang around other freshmen but most of the time we’re with the upperclassmen and they show us the way. Because of them the transition has been smooth.”
With all of the adjustments out of the way, these talented freshmen have their minds set on one common goal now.
“To win as many games as possible,” Whitehead said. “That’s what we’re going for.”
“We just have to work hard and win every game,” a straight-faced Rodriguez added.
Delgado had the same train of thought.
“My goal for the season is to win every game,” he said. “That’s what I want. I don’t like losing. I want to win every game. For the team, I hope we win every time and we never fight and we’re always together. We’re going to be good this year.”
Soon, the freshmen and the rest of this Pirates team will have their first chance to put those words to the test. Seton Hall opens their season on Sunday, Nov. 16 at noon when they take on Mercer at the Prudential Center.
Gary Phillips can be reached at gary.phillips@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @GPhillips2727.
