Top New Jersey H.S. Basketball Player Letrell Duncan Shot & Killed At 16 https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/04/top-new-jersey-h-s-basketball-player-letrell-duncan-shot-and-killed/

Hi Dan -

I'm wondering who the best party would be to speak to about a potential NIL opportunity for our student athletes. It would center around digital assets and physical collectibles. I know Eric seems to be our main guy for all things NIL, but does this fit his scope? Is someone else involved that might make more sense in this case? Any direction you can point me in what would be appreciated.

Thanks

During the upcoming weeks I will post a series of pressing questions as pertains to the program.

Today we'll discuss the team's starting lineup.



Often you hear that the starting lineup is not that important and what really matters is who is on the floor in crunch time. Made even more exacerbated by the fact that SHU coach Shaheen Holloway often plays 10 men or so in his rotation cutting down total minutes.

I understand that thinking but don't totally agree. Often the tone of a game is set early. Imposing your will on the opponent at home gets the crowd into the game immediately and creates momentum. On the road the opposite. It takes the crowd out of the game and sets the opposition on their heels.

With the current coach, new to his roster, with a group of players with few standouts. with the influx of transfers and freshmen, predicting a starting lineup this early without witnessing a practice is haphazardous at best. Still, I'll give it a shot.





PG KADARY RICHMOND

6'6" 210 LBS

If the work ethic meets the approval of the head coach this will be a foregone conclusion. Richmond just might be the best and most important player on the team. He will set the tone for the offense, being the extension on the court of Shaheen Holloway.

Last season Richmond was up and down. Playing spectacular at times and mediocre at other times. He needs to be consistent for the Pirates as the ball will be in his hands a high percentage of the time when he is on the court.

If the opposition controls Richmond they cut the head off the SHU snake. If they do not, well see last season's UConn game.

Stats




2G AL-AMIR DAWES

6'2" 180 LBS

Most Seton Hall fans will not be familiar with the 6-2 shooting guard, a transfer from Clemson where he played 3 years for the ACC school.

Dawes' forte is his shooting accuracy from range. His last two seasons with the Tigers Dawes shot nearly 40% from the arc. That consistency will be sorely needed for his new team.

Will that pressure be too much for the newcomer? Doubtful says those that know him. Dawes has attitude and confidence in his game. Word is he will be a leader on and off the court for the Hall. Difficult for a first year player, but Dawes isn't your usual first year player. He projects to be up for the task and expectations are he will form a lethal starting guard combination with Kadary Richmond.


Stats




C TYRESE SAMUEL

6'10" 235 LBS

Potential. Deadly and infuriating when not met. Look up the word in Webster's dictionary and there's a good chance you'll see a picture of Samuel next to the definition. He can wow at times on the court with his size and athleticism. Or he can disappear when you most need him.

Samuel should be a star on this current team. A go to player in the post or on the wing. Seton Hall fans see that but not with any consistency. One minute you see a player with the ability to soar to the basket and finish in spectacular fashion, or take his defender down low and simply score over him. And then for long periods of time Samuel will disappear on the court.

That must change if he wants to get starter minutes and just as importantly be on the court at game's end.

Stats




PF KC NDEFO

6'7" 206 LBS

My description of Ndefo is simply Seton Hall's version of a Swiss Army Knife. In short a man for all seasons who plays with an intensity which would make former Pirate Derrick Gordon proud.

Having Ndefo listed as a starter is no sure thing. He is prone to collecting fouls due to his on the court work ethic and shot blocking prowess, and the longer he is on the court the better chance he is forced to sit. A crucial aspect because you want him in the game as it winds down. For his defense, for his ability to pass, for his rebounding, and for his total effect on the game.

This position, power forward, can change from game to game. Maybe you see Alex Yetna here. Or maybe the combo forward Tray Jackson. Hell in a pinch Holloway can go small and insert Dre Davis. So look for multiple players inserted at this position during the season.

Stats




SF FEMI ODUKALE

6'6" 205 LBS

Here's another position that has a multitude of candidates. But for my taste until I see differently I am going with the defensively tough Pitt transfer. An intelligent player who can at any time be on the court at the 1, 2 or 3. The issue with Odukale playing a wing position is his shooting accuracy. Plain and simple it is the weakest part of his game. Last season the starting guard did not crack 40% from the field and shot only 33% from the arc. Not ideal for a 2 or 3 and passable at best for a point.

Still Odukale brings other aspects to his game. A warrior's mentality. An excellent passer. A decent rebounder. A strong penetrator. And as noted an excellent defender.

Stats

Hi Everyone, I've been a commenter on this site for a few years. I went to NYU, but have been a Seton Hall fan for as far back as I can remember. A movie I produced called The Greatest Beer Run Ever, comes out next week on AppleTV+ and various theaters throughout the country. I think many folks on this site will enjoy it. It's based on a true story about a guy from Inwood, Manhattan-- Chickie Donohue-- who brought beer to his buddies serving in Vietnam. I made a short documentary on YouTube with the real guys several years ago, and Chickie also wrote a book about his experience.

There is another Seton Hall connection- Tim McLoone's cousin, Kevin McLoone, was one of the guys Chickie gave a beer to. (Kevin isn't featured in the documentary because he was getting knee surgery at the time, but he is depicted in the movie.)

Anyway, hope you all spread the word and check out the movie.

See you at The Rock,
Andrew

At what point do they give the taxpayers a break and kill this football experiment....

I wish NJ was smart enough to lay the frame work like Florida after Sandy. County by county, a comprehensive road map of what needs to be done plus helps those in need to find resources.

Did the presale for season ticket holders happen yet? I don't remember seeing anything but usually do around this time of year?

Mamu played 21 minutes in Milwaukee's preseason game on Saturday and was 2nd in team scoring:

15 PTS, 4 RBS, 3 ASTS

September is always the most difficult month for me to get info. So happy it's almost over as October with SHU Media Day, Big East Media Day, open practice at SHU weekend, Kenpom coming out and the Beefsteak Dinner makes the info flow a lot easier.

While we wait I'll post Blue Ribbon's conference tidbits each day.


ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

BLUE RIBBON FORECAST

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Miami
5. Florida State
6. Virginia Tech
7. Notre Dame
8. Wake Forest
9. Clemson
10. NC State
11. Syracuse
12. Pittsburgh
13. Boston College
14. Louisville
15. Georgia Tech

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-Armando Bacot, SR, North Carolina
F-Jaylen Gardner, SR, Virginia
G-Isaiah Wong, JR, Miami
G-Terquavion Smith, SO NC State
G-Dariq Whitehead, FR, Duke

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Armando Bacot, SR, UNC

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Dariq Whitehead, FR, Duke

2022-23 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT March 7-11,
Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

2021-22 CHAMPIONS
Duke (Regular season) Virginia Tech (Tournament)

2021-22 POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS Postseason record: 18-7 (.720)
NCAA North Carolina (Runner-up)
Duke (Final Four)
Miami (Elite Eight)
Notre Dame (Second round)
Virginia Tech

NIT
Wake Forest (Quarterfinals)
Virginia (Quarterfinals)

TOP BACKCOURTS
1. North Carolina
2. Miami
3. Duke

TOP FRONTCOURTS
1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Virginia

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 2021-22
KenPom Rating: 5th (of 32)

KenPom Rating (last five years): 2-3-4-5-5


ACC NOTEBOOK

With a 14-5 record among its five participating teams, the ACC posted both the most wins and the best winning percentage among multi-bid conferences (.733) in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. …

The ACC put two teams into the Final Four for the seventh time. …

The UNC-Duke matchup in the national semifinal marked the fourth time ACC teams have played at the Final Four. The others were UNC 78, Virginia 65 in 1981, Duke 95, Maryland 84 in 2001 and UNC 83, Syracuse 66 in 2016. …

Seventh-seeded Virginia Tech beat regular-season champion Duke 82-67 in the ACC Tournament final in Brooklyn to become the lowest-seeded team to win the championship. The Hokies, who defeated each of the top three seeds, were also only the second team to win four games in four days on the way to the title, joining Duke in 2017. …

Wake Forest’s 19-win improvement over the previous season was the second-largest turnaround in Division I history. The Deacons’ 25 wins were the third-most in program history and the most since 2004-05. …

There were three triple-doubles in the ACC in 2021-22, the second most ever behind the four that were recorded in 2016-17. Duke’s Wendell Moore, Jr. got the first with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Army on November 12; Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against Syracuse on December 11; and Virginia Tech’s Justyn Mutts posted 12 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, also against the Orange, on February 12. There have now been 36 triple-doubles in ACC history …

NC State’s Terquavion Smith made 96 3-pointers, the most by a freshman in school history and fourth-most by an ACC rookie. …

Duke’s Paolo Banchero was taken No.1 overall in the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. He is the fifth former Blue Devil to be the first player selected, joining Zion Williamson in 2019, Kyrie Irving in 2011, Elton Brand in 1999 and Art Heyman in 1966. …

The ACC had six players taken in the first round, the most of any conference. The other picks were Duke’s Mark Williams (No. 15 to Charlotte), Duke’s A.J. Griffin (No. 16 to Atlanta), Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia (No. 19 to Memphis), Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley (No. 25 to San Antonio) and Duke’s Moore (No. 26 to Minnesota). …

The ACC is the only conference to have had at least three first-round picks in each of the last 13 NBA Drafts. …

Matthew Cleveland is the fourth straight Florida State player to be voted the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year, following in the footsteps of Mfiondu Kabengele (2019), Patrick Williams (2020) and Scottie Barnes (2021). …

Duke’s Jon Scheyer and Louisville’s Kenny Payne are the two first-year coaches in the ACC this season. Both won national championships at their respective schools. Payne won his with the Cardinals in 1986, beating Duke in the title game. Scheyer, who replaces retired legend Mike Krzyzewski, won his championship with the Blue Devils in 2010 with a win against Butler. …

Coach K might have missed out on the storybook ending to his career with a loss to UNC in the national championship game, but he did make it to his 13th Final Four before bowing out. His final career record was 1,202-368, including a 1,129-309 mark at Duke.

So Timme is making more $$$ in college vs NBA, wonder how many Bunny autograph type sessions that takes

what kind of deals are these guys getting? Do any of our players have individual deals?


Drew Timme told @John_Fanta he will make more money through NIL than he would have in the NBA.

That's big news for college basketball:

NEW YORK – Seton Hall's Andrea Borg (Sliema, Malta) was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the conference announced on Monday.

Borg scored the game-winning goal in Saturday night's 2-1 win over St. John's. Borg received a pass from Quenzi Huerman (Vannes, France) at the top of the penalty area, found space from his defender, and struck one with his left foot into the back of the net in the 85th minute. The goal was Borg's third of the season, and was his second game-winning goal of the year.

The Pirates remain home on Wednesday as BIG EAST play continues, with DePaul coming to Owen T. Carroll Field for a 6:56 p.m. kickoff.

HAMPDEN, MASS. – Despite high wind conditions, junior Wanxi Sun (Danville, Calif.) shot an even-par, 72, on Sunday and paced the Seton Hall men's golf team to a third-place standing after round one of the UConn Invitational.

The field of 14 teams were dealing with gale-force winds due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian making its way up the east coast. Scores were up across the board as a result.

Sun managed to play well despite the difficult conditions. The junior had four birdies and an eagle on the par-5, No. 8 hole to fuel an even-par, 72. Sun trails Rhode Island's Brandon Gillis and Rider's Rick Van Der Nat by only one stroke for the individual lead with 36 holes remaining.

As a team, the Pirates shot a 17-over-par, 305, on Sunday. Host Connecticut is just one stroke ahead of The Hall at 16-over-par. St. John's currently leads the field after round one at 13-over-par.

One additional BIG EAST team, Xavier, is currently 29-over-par.

Freshman George Fricker (Woodbridge, England) had two birdies and 11 pars in route to a 4-over-par, 76, in round one. He's currently tied for 18th among 78 individual golfers.

Sophomore Angus O'Brien (Barwon Heads, Australia) is currently tied for 30th after a 6-over-par, 78. Meanwhile, only one stroke behind him is teammate Wenliang Xie (Zhaoqing, China). Xie had three birdies in route to a 7-over-par, 79.

Jack Bosworth (Simsbury, Conn.) had a brutal stretch in which he was 9-over-par through holes No. 6-9, but showed maturity beyond that of a freshman and bounced back. He was 3-under-par in holes No. 10-14. For round one, Bosworth shot an 8-over-par, 80.

Tournament Details:
UCONN INVITATIONAL
Host: University of Connecticut
Location: Hampden, Mass.
Course: The GreatHorse
Course Vitals: Par-72, 7,093 yards
Dates: October 2-4, 2022


THE COURSE:
From the elevated tee boxes to the lush fairways, our thoroughly re-imagined and redesigned world-class course traverses breathtaking terrain. Brian Silva's par-72 layout incorporates natural wetlands, mountainous views and over 207 bunkers. The real championship tees offer golfers over 7,600 yards of pristine golf action.

THE FIELD:
In addition to Seton Hall and host UConn, the field includes 12 other schools: Bryant, Fairleigh Dickinson, Hartford, Iona, Lafayette, Long Island, Rider, Siena, Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island. St. John's and Xavier are also in the field making the BIG EAST's presence in this tournament four schools.

THE FORMAT:
Teams will play five golfers and count the four lowest scores per round.

THE SCHEDULE:
The teams will play 18 holes over three days, Sunday through Tuesday.

THE RESULTS:
Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament via Golfstat.com. Complete results of each day's events will also be available following competition at SHUpirates.com.

Having a fencing team? Was cleaning the garage and found my long lost Sr yr SH yearbook. Bousikaris still had if going in 75. Dont remember when we stopped fielding a team.

DeSantis and Rubio voted against Sandy relief

During the upcoming weeks I will post a series of pressing questions as pertains to the program.

Today we'll discuss the team's X factor


Simply put the X factor is defined as a circumstance, quality, or person that has a strong but unpredictable influence. It is not the best player. It is not someone whose impact is considered a certainty.

So with that said and knowing that there are many candidates that would fit the above description but only being able to choose one my pick came down to returning 6-10 players Tyrese Samuel or Tray Jackson. With my eventual choice being Jackson.

Why? Simple. Last year's staff as well as this year's staff believe that Jackson is the most physical gifted athlete on the team. And at 6-10 the tallest as well. That combination, especially when you add long range shooting accuracy to the puzzle should be a player vying for All Big East honors and not one fighting for minutes and a starting position. Yet that is where Jackson is at right now.

His impact on the team is a question mark. But a question mark with a ridiculously high ceiling.

When Jackson first transferred to the Hall he initially had to sit out his first year here. But COVID changed that and halfway through the season he was deemed eligible. Yet despite that he barely played with the explanation from his head coach being he lacked confidence in his game and had to find out where he fit in.

Now it's two seasons later. The experience he garnered last year under Willard and now all summer long playing for Holloway should serve him well. But will it?

Word is that Jackson is still an enigma. There are days, as there were last year, when he's the best player in the gym. But those days are often followed by his disappearing on the court mainly due to his proclivity to wandering on the perimeter looking to shoot from distance and not using his size and athletic ability to maximize his impact.

Jackson is my X factor because of his potential. But that potential could result in his positive contributions or it could result in it being unfulfilled.

I have no feel for what lies ahead for Tray Jackson and I hear that the staff feels the same. That to me is the epitome of what an X factor is.

Getty Images

Last month, the professional organization representing FBS athletic directors issued what amounted to a veiled ultimatum. The "overwhelming majority" of those ADs at a Lead1 Association meeting in Washington D.C. had a "strong preference" the NCAA continue running major-college football if the association "can be more streamlined and less bureaucratic."

Or else … what?

The answer has opened the door to perhaps not a breakaway of major college football and basketball but at least a forming picture of what a new structure would look like. A growing number of those ADs believe they have a unique and powerful hammer as leverage if the NCAA doesn't clean up its act.

"If not," a Lead1 executive said. "We would explore other options."

Among those implied options, CBS Sports has learned, is leveraging schools' participation in the NCAA Tournament. While a separate basketball tournament operated outside of the NCAA isn't likely anytime soon, the ADs' realization they could create such an event provides a picture as to how the NCAA's two biggest sports will be run in the future.

A football breakaway has long been discussed -- it is more likely than one in basketball -- as the NCAA's power diminishes as membership has demanded a reorganization of the 117-year-old organization.

Approximately 80 FBS ADs traveled to Lead1's mid-September meeting in person. Another 20 participated virtually, putting 100 out of 131 total in attendance. They saw two compelling presentations made by former West Virginia AD and NCAA executive Oliver Luck and North Carolina associate professor of sports administration Erianne Weight.

One presentation was a model with college football continuing to operate inside the NCAA. The other showed the FBS going "completely independent" of the NCAA, according to a source.

"It was about as unanimous as it could get," Lead1 CEO Tom McMillen said of his membership's reaction to football governance. "It was, 'Fix it or we will seriously consider move options.'"......................

Cincinnati, Ohio -- Senior goalkeeper Grace Gordon (Chester Springs, Pa.) made multiple acrobatic saves and tallied a career best 14 saves but her efforts wasn't enough as Xavier proved to be too much for the Seton Hall women's soccer team as the Pirates fell to the Musketeers, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon.

How It Happened

Gordon made seven stops in the first half, withstanding significant pressure from the home side through the first 30 minutes of the game. However, the Musketeers broke through in the 31st minute with a goal to take a 1-0 lead.

The Pirates came out more organized after halftime as Caroline Lipton (Alexandria, Va.) put a shot on goal in the 46th minute. In the 51st minute, the Musketeers drew a penalty and converted the penalty kick to take a 2-0 lead. Despite shots on goal by sophomore Rachel Gerrie (Litleton, Colo.) and junior Skyler Matusz (Kearny, N.J.), the Pirates couldn't add a tally of their own as Xaver powered its way to a 2-0 win at home.

News & Notes

• Gerrie, Gordon, sophomore Natalie Tavana (Middletown, Conn.) and sophomore Chiara Pucci (Munich, Germany) played the full 90 minutes.
• The Pirates faced 29 shots and Gordon made 14 saves.
• All four of Seton Hall's shots came in the second half.
• Lipton now has six shots and four shots on goal this season.

Up Next

Seton Hall returns to Owen T. Carroll Field on Thursday when the Pirates welcome Marquette for a 6 p.m. contest.

Princeton, N.J. - Senior Arina Gumerova won four singles matches in three days at the ITA Regional Championship held at Princeton's Lenz Tennis Center, including three wins over seeded opponents, to advance to the ITA Super Regional. Gumerova will move on to compete in the quarterfinals of the tournament Oct. 21-24 at Yale.

Gumerova, one of 95 players competing in singles, toppled a pair of players ranked in the [17-32] range and one player in the [9-16] range to ensure she is one of the final eight women in the tournament. She was one of five Pirates who competed on the weekend. Senior Aina Plana Ventosa and junior Oliwia Kempinski each advanced to the second round of the singles tournament, and Gumerova teamed with sophomore Arabella Moen to advance to the second round of the doubles tournament.

Gumerova, who has been a stalwart at No. 1 singles for the Pirates, competed against Lalita Devarakonda of St. John's in the first round and overcame a first set loss to take set two and the tiebreaker. She moved on to face [17-32] ranked Arina Valitova of Rutgers, who had a first-round bye. Gumerova again lost the first set, 6-2, but then won the second set 6-1 and took the tiebreaker to get into the third round.

Next up was [9-16] ranked Veronika Kulhava from Temple, and Gumerova went up 3-0 before Kulhava had to retire. Then in the fourth round, she went up against Princeton's Grace Joyce, ranked [16-32] and came away with a straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 victory, to clinch her spot in the final eight.

Gumerova is now 9-2 in fall competition, including an A singles championship at Siena.

Seton Hall is next scheduled to head to the Fordham Invitational in the Bronx, Oct. 22-23, and Gumerova will head to New Haven, Conn., Oct. 21-24, where she will compete against Princeton's Zoe Howard in the ITA Super Regional quarterfinals.

RESULTS

Singles First Round
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Lalita Devarakonda (STJ), 3-6, 6-2, 1-0(8)
Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU) def. Amelia Haley (SBO), 7-6(3), 4-6, 1-0(6)
Bente Vandeputte (STF) def. Arabella Moen (SHU), 6-1, 6-3
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Anastasia Gubanova (SBO), 6-2, 6-2

Singles Second Round
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. [17-32] Arina Valitova (RU), 2-6, 6-1, 1-0(8)
[17-32] Jayden Nielsen (STJ) def. Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU), 6-3, 6-4
[17-32] Shivani Ingle (NJIT) def. Oliwia Kempinski (SHU)

Singles Third Round
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. [9-16] Veronika Kulhava (TEM), 3-0 ret.

Singles Fourth Round
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. [17-32] Grace Joyce (PRIN), 6-3, 6-1 (Gumerova advances to ITA Super Regionals)

Doubles First Round
Kelly Dowouna/Anoek Pruijmboom (STF) def. Aina Plana Ventosa/Chloe Hamlin (SHU)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Ananyaa Bhargava/Kaitlyn Ferguson (HOF)

Doubles Second Round
Elinor Storkaas/Leopoldine Boisseau (LIU) def. Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU)

Deep State all along

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