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2020 Pirate Player Preview: Femi Funeus

Date: July 23, 2020

By: Heaven Hill

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Seton Hall Athletics

Femi Funeus’ basketball career these last four years has been a roller coaster, to say the least. From establishing herself as one of the best basketball players in Florida her junior and senior seasons of high school, to experiencing both highs and lows as a Pirate, it’s been a pretty tumultuous stretch.

Although her first season in South Orange was unfortunately cut short with a torn Achilles tendon, she showed flashes of dominance on the glass and the interior. When Funeus returned to the Pirates rotation for the first time in almost a year this past season, her impact was immediately felt in what was a heartwarming moment.

This upcoming year, with a clean bill of health and an appetite to improve, Funeus has a real chance to shock the world with her production. Let’s take a look at these last few seasons for Funeus, along with highlighting her strengths and what she can provide on the court for Seton Hall.

The Baroness of Broward County

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Sun Sentinel

From 2016 to 2018, Funeus crushed the competition throughout Broward County, leaving rubble and hurt egos in her wake. After transferring from South Plantation High School to American Heritage before her junior season, no one knew what to expect from her. Once the season rolled around, however, Funeus became a position less basketball polymath, stuffing the box score and obliterating her opposition. She averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds-per-game, winning the Sun Sentinel’s 2017 All-County small-schools Player of the Year.

Whether she started at center or point guard, Funeus did whatever it took to win. Her junior season, American Heritage did just that, winning district and regional accolades and going 27-3 on the year including a 19-game win streak before losing in the state semifinals.

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Sun Sentinel

After experiencing the agony of defeat to close out her junior season, Funeus came back the next year better than ever. American Heritage brought in a deeper rotation of guards, allowing Funeus to focus less on playmaking and more on scoring in the post. Also, dynamic scorer Ty Willis returned to the team after an injury the previous season and made it even easier for Funeus on the court. All these pieces for the Patriots came together in what was a magical season as they went 23-7 and won their first girls basketball state championship.

Funeus averaged 21 points and 15 rebounds-per-game, winning the Sun Sentinel’s 2018 All-County small-schools Player of the Year award and wreaking havoc on Florida yet again.

Whether it was her 22 points and 19 rebounds against Lakewood or her 28-point “flu game” against Archbishop McCarthy, Funeus staked her claim as one of the best women’s high school basketball players to come from Florida within the last decade and she did it in style.

With her mission in high school complete, she made the trek to Walsh Gymnasium where her career started off with a bang.

Funeus’ scorching start in Pirate Blue

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Seton Hall Athletics

After ending her high school career in Florida on a high note, Funeus began her next journey at Seton Hall. Despite going from being the primary option at American Heritage to a team with five seniors and other noteworthy contributors, she was unfazed.

 Seton Hall coach Anthony Bozzella said at Big East Media Day that Femi Funeus was “one of the most polished players I have ever seen at the high school level, regardless of position.” Furthermore, he claimed that she could be in the conversation for Big East Freshman of the Year.

Essentially, before she even played an official game on campus, the hype was building to a crescendo. No worries though, as Funeus was more than ready to prove her skills on the hardwood.

In a scrimmage against Jefferson, Femi racked up an easy 13 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Then, in her first week of collegiate play, Funeus was a revelation on the court. In the season opener against Wagner, she went perfect from the field in 20 minutes, adding an assist and block, as well.

In her next game, Funeus exploded to the tune of 21 points and nine rebounds against Kennesaw State, becoming the first Seton Hall freshman to score 20 or more points since Kaela Hilaire in 2016. Using a variety of moves to score inside the arc, she showed her full range of abilities. Off the dribble, back to the basket, you name it; even shooting 11 free throws and using her size to bully Kennesaw State’s frontcourt and impose her will.

Funeus closed out the Seton Hall Tip-Off Tournament with another solid outing, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds against UTSA. This resulted in her being named to the All-Tournament Team. Funeus, Selena Philoxy, and Desiree Elmore feasted on the glass, combining for 12 of the team’s 19 offensive rebounds in what was another commanding win.

So, in her first week of official action, Funeus averaged over 13 points and five rebounds per game, on almost 70 percent shooting from the field. The team went 3-0 and her hot start culminated with a Big East Freshman of the Week award. She made an instant impact and proved her mettle to a new audience, unfamiliar with her game and what she could bring on the court. The future seemed bright for Funeus and she continued to play well off the bench.

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Seton Hall Women’s Basketball on Twitter

Then, disaster struck. In his post-game press conference after a win over St. John’s, Coach Bozzella revealed to the media that Funeus tore her Achilles during practice and that she would be out for the season. With the news of this injury came a saddening conclusion to what was a promising season for Funeus. In fact, she was top-five among conference freshmen in scoring, rebounding, and blocks before her injury and was surely headed for an All-Freshman Team appearance.

Unfortunately, Femi’s first season at Seton Hall was halted by a devastating injury. Nonetheless, she showcased tremendous finishing and rebounding ability, along with above-average athleticism. It was clear that the Pirates had unearthed a starting-caliber prospect in the frontcourt, and fans couldn’t wait for her to come back even stronger.

Return of “Thee Stallion”

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Seton Hall Athletics

Funeus bided her time and continued to progress well in her recovery from the injury. Before we knew it, it had been almost a year since the news. Now, on a new-look Pirates squad, questions were raised about how she would play in her first game back. After all, multiple players in the NBA like Elton Brand, Rudy Gay, and Demarcus Cousins never really looked the same after their Achilles tears.

With the anticipation increasing by the day, Funeus took to the court against the Lafayette Leopards and silenced the doubters. In her first game in 364 days, she finished with 10 points in 10 minutes and looked like the powerful player she was from a season ago.

She scored the final six points of the first half and made her presence known, grabbing two offensive boards as well. Coach Bozzella praised Funeus’ fire and her passion, stating that “she was prepared to play, and when she came back you can see she was ready to play. She played like she never got hurt.”

The rest of the season went fairly well for Funeus. Due to the nature of her injury, her minutes were uneven with each game which made it difficult for her to find a rhythm offensively.

However, while on the court, Funeus made sure to do the little things and make the winning plays she is known for. Not only that, but she made huge strides during her time away as a shooter, contributing to a 93 percent free throw percentage, the highest on the team.

Femi went on to play 18 games this past season, seven more than her first year in Pirate Blue. She improved from the line, adjusted herself nicely to the new rotation, and made a vast difference in the frontcourt. Now, with the departures of Shadeen Samuels and Alexis Lewis, someone will have to pick up the slack with all that offensive production exiting the team.

Will it be “Thee Stallion”?  We will have to wait and see, but the whole world is ready for what a healthy Femi Funeus has to offer the Pirates. Let’s see how she performs as an upperclassman.

Heaven Hill is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports, and can be reached at heaven.hill@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, WSOU, Women's Basketball

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