The Taurean Thompson era at Seton Hall is officially over.
Thompson entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Monday, bringing an end to his career with the Pirates. Thompson has one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to play immediately as a graduate transfer.
The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 4.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in two seasons at Seton Hall. He appeared in only one game this season, registering four points, one rebound and one assist against Florida A&M in November.
Thompson will be remembered by most for his performance against Kentucky in December 2018. Thompson was an integral part of the Pirates’ upset victory over the No. 9 Wildcats at Madison Square Garden, dishing the game-winning assist to Myles Cale with under 10 seconds remaining in overtime. Thompson also became a fan-favorite in his time at Seton Hall, drawing frequent affection from the student section and fans on social media due to his fun-loving ways.
With that being said, Thompson’s legacy at Seton Hall is a complicated one filled with turmoil. After transferring from Syracuse after following a freshman season in which he averaged nearly 10 points per game, Thompson was supposed to be a major part of Seton Hall’s rotation throughout the 2018-19 season. He never lived up to the expectations that followed him to South Orange, quickly falling to the bottom of coach Kevin Willard’s pecking order in the frontcourt.
Thompson’s recruitment following his departure from Syracuse also led to controversy, as Seton Hall was hit with a tampering charge for being in contact with him while he was still on scholarship with the Orange. Willard was suspended two games for his role in the incident, while former Seton Hall assistant and current Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway was hit with a four-game suspension. Seton Hall was also fined, docked scholarships and placed on probation for three years by the NCAA.
With Thompson out of the picture, Seton Hall now has an extra scholarship to work with for next season. Zion Harmon, a 2021 point guard, looms as an option to join the Pirates next season if he decides to commit and reclassify to 2020. Harvard graduate transfer and New Jersey native Bryce Aiken is another option that Willard and his coaching staff are exploring as they work towards replacing Myles Powell, Quincy McKnight and Romaro Gill.
Tyler Calvaruso can be reached at tyler.calvaruso@student.shu.edu. Find him on Twitter @tyler_calvaruso.
