2020 Pirate Player Preview: Jahari Long

Date: June 22, 2020

By: Daniel LeMoine

Seton Hall Basketball on Twitter

Who is Jahari Long?

Jahari Long is a 3-star point guard who is ranked 231^st nationally according to 247Sports. Long attended Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas while also playing AAU for Cooz Elite. Long has excelled in his high school career, being named a 2018-19 finalist for the Guy V. Lewis Award for the top high school player in Houston. He has also earned All-Southwest Preparatory Conference honors twice. He is one of just two incoming freshmen for the Pirates, with the rest of the team’s additions being transfers.

Long checks in at 6-foot-3 and 165 pounds. He was also considering Minnesota, TCU, VCU, Wichita State, Louisiana Tech and Rice. The Texas native committed to Seton Hall in July of 2019 after visiting campus in May of that year.

On Long, Head Coach Kevin Willard said, “Jahari possesses exceptional ballhandling skills and is an elite level passer.”

His AAU coach, P.J. Cousinard, described Long as “even-keeled” and said, “he’s a better kid than he is a player.”

Long has already proven that he is a terrific passer, making his teammates around him better with his great court vision and selflessness. In addition, his motor is unmatched. He will provide the Pirates’ energy off the bench and endless effort both offensively and defensively.

On the offensive end, he can push the pace and get into the paint with ease and on the defensive end, he sets the tone and can guard any player you match him with. With this competitive mentality and talent, Long will certainly earn the trust of the coaching staff and work with them to improve on some weaknesses and become more polished for an increased role in 2021-22.

On his commitment to Seton Hall, Long said, “I chose them because they gave me the best opportunity to play my first year.” However, he did not get ahead of himself, stating, “I know I’m going to have to work for my minutes, but I have confidence in myself that I can make an impact right away.”

Take a look at some of Long’s best highlights:

Video Courtesy: Ball So Hard TV

Seton Hall’s Backcourt Situation

Coming off of one of the best seasons in program history, despite a chance for national glory, it became clear that Seton Hall would need to bring in the necessary talent to replace their core group of seniors. The Pirates’ backcourt of Quincy McKnight, transfer from Sacred Heart, and Myles Powell, arguably the greatest player in program history, graduated this past year leaving an empty void in the starting lineup.

It is expected that senior guard Shavar Reynolds, Jr. will take a larger role. Anthony Nelson has transferred to Manhattan College after struggling to find consistent playing time for the Pirates. Then, just two months ago, Seton Hall announced that they landed the highly coveted grad transfer from Harvard, Bryce Aiken. With all that being said, where does this leave incoming freshman point guard Long?

With Long coming to campus in the fall, it is apparent that pressure will not be put on him to necessarily fill the shoes of McKnight. Aiken, the Harvard transfer, will take the starting point guard spot. Aiken is a New Jersey native who played high school ball at The Patrick School. Coming out of high school, Aiken was a four-star, nationally ranked player and chose Harvard, after giving much thought to Seton Hall, Finally, a few years later and he is a Pirate who looks to continue his success he had with the Crimson.

Being plagued by injuries, some of his best numbers came in his junior season when he posted 22.2 points per game on 43.4% shooting. Then, in his shorted senior season, Aiken averaged 16.7 points per game and registered 30 points in a game against Maryland. He will carry much of the offensive load with Powell and McKnight leaving, and also provide a spark of leadership this team might need.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

As for the second spot in the Pirates’ backcourt, this void will most likely be filled by a combination of transfer guard Takal Molson and former walk-on Reynolds, Jr. It is even possible that when or if Willard chooses to play small ball, senior Myles Cale would slide into the backcourt due to his athleticism and ball-handling abilities.

Molson is a junior and will be entering his first season at Seton Hall, after leaving Canisius College of the MAAC. He is a 6-foot-5-inches, 205-pound guard who averaged 16.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his last season, earning first-team All-MAAC honors as a sophomore. An increased role is also expected for Reynolds, Jr. who was huge for the Pirates last season, on both ends of the floor. His ability to lock up offensive threats defensively is what he’s best known for. But he is also a reliable ball-handler on offense who is capable of shooting the three, shooting 47.8% from behind the arc.

Long’s Projected Role at Seton Hall

Despite the veteran teammates ahead of him in projected rotations, Long has a key opportunity this season to earn the trust of Head Coach Willard and really become the next great Pirate guard. He stated, “All of our players will benefit from playing with Jahari,” due to him being “an unselfish player who makes plays for his teammates.” Long has continued to improve day by day in his high school career and will have the chance to be the team’s starting point guard in the 2021-22 season.

Seton Hall also added four-star point guard Ryan Conway from the class of 2021. With Long’s ability to improve and a year under the Pirates’ coaching staff, he will be sure to compete with Conway for the starting position in 2021, after Aiken and Reynolds, Jr. graduate from the program. Long perfectly fits the Pirates’ system, centered around the defensive end of the court. With Long’s ability to defend and offensive poise on the ball, minutes are to be earned for the young freshman.

From the neighborhood 2 the stage #committed ⚪️‍☠️ #Hallin pic.twitter.com/dckklhbj9M

— jahari (@jboogi11) July 20, 2019

His motor from day one will push other teammates around him and make the starters better, similar to Nelson’s previous role in practice with McKnight. In addition to just the practices, Long should earn steady minutes for a freshman and will be used in different in- game scenarios such as when defense is especially needed or when energy is needed off the bench to spark a comeback of some sorts.

Although the Pirates lost two amazing players in th r backcourt, they now feature depth at those positions and a diversity of skills and talent. Long possesses tremendous ability and poise for such a young player. He is dynamic on the offensive side of the ball and fights through traffic in the paint to get to the rim. His 6-foot-3-inch frame provides him an early advantage as a freshman to come into an already physical Big East Conference and make an instant impact.

Long also, while not his first option, has the ability to shoot it from deep and be a dual threat guard. He is everything a point guard is supposed to be, serving as the leader on the court and being an absolute force as a playmaker, making life easier for him and his teammates.

The Pirates are looking to continue their success after one of their greatest seasons in program history and make the NCAA Tournament once again. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Cale, and company will lead the way but if Long can come in and bring his energy to the squad, he can certainly be impactful in his first season and build the foundation for his tenure as a Pirate. Pirate fans are in for a treat with Long, a player who will positively represent the team on and off the court, and soon be the floor general of the team at the point guard position.

Daniel LeMoine is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports and can be reached at daniel.lemoine@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU