Seton Hall
The impact of Seton Hall's 2014 recruiting class
Date: August 25, 2020By: Joe Cammarota
Gabe Rhodes/Seton Hall Athletics
Seton Hall Men’s basketball has not always been the perennial contender they are today. Seton Hall has made the NCAA tournament four years in a row and would have been five if COVID-19 did not cancel the 2020 tournament. Before the Pirates appearance in 2016, they had not made “The Dance” in a decade.
Everything changed in 2013, though, as they landed some of the most influential student-athletes since the days of PJ Carlesimo and Terry Dehere. The first athlete to commit to Seton Hall was Ismael Sanogo out of Newark, New Jersey. Sanogo was a glue guy who was a lock down defender. Although Sanogo was not a blue-chip recruit, he was one of the most important players on the team in his time in South Orange, N.J. He consistently locked down big-name players and did the dirty work that is necessary on all great teams.
The second piece to fall into place was one of the most loved Pirates of all time: Angel Delgado. The rebounding machine out of the Dominican Republic committed to Seton Hall on Aug. 16, 2013. At the time he was also being recruited by programs like Kentucky and Louisville but eventually chose to be a part of coach Kevin Willard’s project at the Hall. Delgado eventually finished as second all-time rebounder in Seton Hall’s history. Delgado was the emotional leader of the Pirates from 2014-2018 and gave the Pirates a winning and “never-give-up” attitude that was badly needed.
The pieces kept falling for the Pirates to create a winner, as a shooting guard out of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School named Khadeen Carrington committed to Seton Hall. Carrington’s career in South Orange, N.J. was incredible and landed him into Seton Hall’s top-10 scorers of all-time as he scored a whopping 1,846 points over his collegiate career. Carrington was clutch and could take over towards the end of the game if needed. His improvements from freshman to senior year was important as well. As a freshman, Carrington shot 28% from behind the arc, but by the time he was a senior, he shot 36%. His improvements throughout the years mirrored the Pirates’ improvements and helped them win their first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The biggest recruit Seton Hall got in 2014 was McDonalds All-American Isaiah Whitehead. Whitehead not only brought incredible skill the Pirates, but also brought a winning attitude. While Whitehead was only in a Pirates uniform for two seasons, he was the main reason for their 2016 Big East Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth. In addition to Whitehead’s electric play, he brought his teammate Desi Rodriguez with him to the Hall.
Rodriguez, a skilled slasher with a good three-point shot, joined his fellow Abraham Lincoln High School teammate and committed to Seton Hall on Dec. 13, 2013. Rodriguez was electrifying on the court as his he would often cap off Seton Hall runs with a strong slam dunk or a nothing-but-net three. While Rodriguez did not have the same pedigree coming out of high school that Whitehead and Delgado had, he developed into one of Seton Hall’s most important players and could get a bucket whenever he was called on.
The final student-athlete of the 2014 recruiting class was Michael Nzei. Nzei was redshirted his first season by Willard, but his hard work and determination led him to become a key piece off the bench in both the 2018 NCAA Tournament and in the 2018-19 season.
One of the reasons the 2014 recruiting class is so important to Seton Hall was it instilled a winning culture. After an awful end to the 2014-15 season, when Seton Hall missed out on both the NCAA Tournament and the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), the team did not fold. They came back and won the Big East Tournament.
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
After years of Seton Hall teams either being non-competitive or folding at the end of seasons these group of men turned it around. This work ethic and success transitioned to recruiting classes that followed. In addition to their time at Seton Hall, the class still comes back and helps. In an article by Howie Kussoy from the New York Post, Rodriguez informed Kussoy that he was still reaching out the Seton Hall team and telling them to stay focused on the main goal of the NCAA Tournament rather than early success. Even Isaiah Whitehead is still very invested in Seton Hall, with his twitter feed including may tweets about Seton Hall and welcoming new recruits to the program.
Yessirrrr Welcome ☠️ https://t.co/2D5OTHpER3
— Isaiah Whitehead (@isaiahwhitehead) April 28, 2020
Myles Powell was able to grow into the leader he was and the player he was by following the footsteps of his teammates from that class. Much of what he has done for Seton Hall was because of how they influenced him, and now he is doing the same to those who follow him.
Jared Rhoden is someone who Myles Powell actively took under his wing. It was not rare to see Powell and Rhoden in the gym getting shots up together in their spare time. This showed, as Rhoden vastly improved by his sophomore year. In his freshman year, he averaged only 3.4 points-per-game, but in his sophomore season he had a huge jump to 9.4 points-per-game.
Seton Hall Athletics
The current Seton Hall work ethic and winning culture goes all the way back to the 2014 recruiting class. It is not a surprise due to their legacy; high profile recruits have chosen the Hall for its prestige. Seton Hall’s 2020 class consists of two out of state players, and they are not from bordering states.
Jahari Long is from Texas, and Dimingus Stevens is from Maryland, yet both are making the trek up to New Jersey to play for the Pirates. It would not be unreasonable to say that one reason Seton Hall landed these players’ is because the Hall has been consistently good these past five years. Seton Hall is still feeling the effect of their loaded 2014 recruiting class, and by the looks of it, the affects may be permanent.
Joe Cammarota can be reached at joseph.cammarota@student.shu.edu.
Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU
