Seton Hall Basketball News and Notes: July 28th

Date: July 28, 2014

by John Fanta

"They've provided a solid foundation for us to build on in the future."

That's what head coach Kevin Willard said following Seton Hall's final game of the 2013-14 season, an 80-74 loss to Providence in the Big East semifinals. That statement, which was made about his first senior class and what they meant to him, will soon either come to fruition or fail. The program has been jumpstarted by Willard. In November, we'll begin to see if what's been done turns into victories.

Outside of the record, the program has done the right things to get on track. The Pirates have done the right things to set up winning in the future with success on the recruiting trail.

While this year's roster will take a dip in veteran talent, with 2013-14 Big East Defensive Player of the Year Fuquan Edwin leading a strong senior class out, McDonald's All-American Isaiah Whitehead created some of the biggest buzz around the program in deciding on SHU. Mr. New York Basketball was the first Seton Hall signee to appear in the All American Game since Andre Barrett and Eddie Griffin did in 2000.

The youth of the team will be thrown into the fire early with a frontcourt that returns only one player that averaged over 20 minutes per game in Brandon Mobley.

Yes, there's question marks, but the excitement surrounding South Orange hasn't been this high in some time.

So, The Hall has been able to execute on the recruiting trail. But what about the vibe inside the locker room? Willard shuffled the locker room throughout last season, with four suspensions in six games. He sat Sterling Gibbs in the Feb. 23 loss to Creighton, a 71-71 setback to Doug McDermott and the Bluejays. And while it didn't look pretty at that moment, Willard's toughness on his players paid off. The Pirates made their biggest run in a Big East Tournament since they went to the semifinals in 2001. Those bold moves look to have set a standard for what Willard is seeking from his players. With a veteran like Gibbs as one of the orchestrators of the offense, his leadership is paramount. His sophomore season was a roller coaster ride, but it ended on a high. This must continue for a young team to find success.

As is, a recruiting class is tough to ease into a program. And recruiting rankings mean nothing when the ball tips off in November. Look at Kentucky in 2012-13. Quite arguably the best recruiting class in the nation did not live up to any hype. Nerlens Noel and company had plentiful talent, but mentally, UK seemed to be lacking chemistry. That led to a disappointing NIT berth and a first round loss to Robert Morris.

The blue bloods of the country have trouble themselves when dealing with some recruiting classes. If this upcoming season is to go well with SHU, staying away from anything that does harm to the locker room besides a loss is a must. Losing is going to happen, but it's how the youth of The Hall handles them that is the difference maker.

But, Gibbs and Jaren Sina have been through a rocky road that ended on a high note. The trust increased between last year's roster and Willard.

Can it carry over? The season can't arrive soon enough.

Koy�9

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