Pirate Preview: Dylan Addae-Wusu

Published: Monday, September 9, 2024

by Joe Morales

The Seton Hall Pirates wrapped up an incredible 2023-2024 season, winning the program's first NIT Championship since 1953. The team returned home to a massive crowd celebrating outside the University Center on a cloudy afternoon, where coach Shaheen Holloway and captains Kadary Richmond, Al-Amir Dawes, and Dylan Addae-Wusu thanked the fans for their support throughout the season.

The supporters were loud and thrilled that the long journey had culminated in a championship. After Richmond and Addae-Wusu spoke, the crowd chanted “One More Year,” hoping to convince the captains to return for another season. However, Richmond was poached by Big East rival St. John’s, and Addae-Wusu announced he had entered the transfer portal.

This left the Pirates with Isaiah Coleman and David Tubek as the only returners from the NIT Championship team. The Hall appeared to be starting from scratch—that is, until Addae-Wusu announced on May 23 that he would return to South Orange, much to the relief of Pirate fans everywhere. The graduate student provides a crucial presence in the Pirates' starting lineup as the only starter returning from last year's team. His role in 2024 will be much different.

Addae-Wusu is coming off a season in which his 61 steals ranked fourth in the BIG EAST. Offensively, he wasn’t relied upon as much, with Dawes’ three-point shooting, Richmond’s driving ability, and Davis’s shooting taking center stage. This allowed Addae-Wusu to focus on his defense, where he excelled. Coach Holloway described him as a hard-nosed, gritty player who wasn’t afraid to dive on the floor or get his hands dirty.

Addae-Wusu also posted impressive numbers in other areas. He was one of 19 players in the conference to record multiple double-doubles in conference games. After spending three years at St. John’s, Addae-Wusu was already familiar with BIG EAST competition when he arrived at Seton Hall. He also finished second on the team in three-pointers made, with 42.

This year, the Pirates will need Addae-Wusu to take another step offensively, given the influx of new faces in the program. He is more than capable of becoming a 10-13 point-per-game scorer, and if he can reach that threshold, Seton Hall will be in contention for another first-round bye in the BIG EAST Tournament. His experience will be invaluable to Holloway, who will rely on Addae-Wusu to lead the new generation of Pirates. With 11 newcomers on the 2024 roster, Addae-Wusu is a likely candidate for team captain.

“Unfinished Business” will be the motto of the 2024-2025 Seton Hall Men’s Basketball team, and they are fortunate to have a player like Dylan Addae-Wusu in the program. This will be his final year of eligibility in college basketball, and he will be looking to finish strong with the Pirates.

Joe Morales is the Sports Director at WSOU and can be reached at joseph.morales@student.shu.edu. 

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