By Adam Zagoria | For NJ Advance Media


Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway and the Pirates were picked sixth in the Big East by Lindy's.


The Lindy’s College Basketball preview magazine is out and the Big East picks are in.


Under first-year coach Shaheen Holloway, Seton Hall was picked sixth in the 11-team Big East Conference.


Creighton, which ranks No. 4 nationally in the Lindy’s Top 10 behind North Carolina, Houston and Gonzaga, was picked to win the conference.


Here’s the full Lindy’s Big East poll:


1. Creighton
2. Villanova
3. UConn
4. Xavier
5. Providence
6. Seton Hall
7. St. John’s
8. Butler
9. Marquette
10. Georgetown
11. DePaul


Holloway said in a phone interview this week his team has been limited in its ability to practice 5-on-5 due to injuries to several players, including Alexis Yetna, transfer Abdou Ndiaye and freshman JaQuan Harris. He said none of the injuries are major, but have still kept the players sidelined.

If the 6-foot-8 Yetna and the 6-9 Ndiaye are healthy, Seton Hall will have an imposing and diverse frontcourt that also features 6-7 Saint Peter’s transfer KC Ndefo, 6-10 senior Tray Jackson and 6-10 senior Tyrese Samuel.

“We’re not really tall but I got some good size where I can play them in different spots,” Holloway said of his frontcourt players.

“I’ve been letting those guys know, ‘Listen, you guys are my guys, I’m going to rock with you guys,’” Holloway added. “‘I believe in you guys.”

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Giants vs. Panthers: Preview, predictions, what to watch for​

By Paul Schwartz

An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Panthers Week 2 matchup at MetLife Stadium.

Marquee matchup​

Panthers WR D.J. Moore vs. Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson

Yes, we know Robbie Anderson had a big day in the season-opener — a 75-yard touchdown reception doesn’t hurt — but Moore is the main threat here. He had a career-high 93 receptions in 2021, and in 2020 he averaged 18.1 yards per catch.

Will Jackson shadow Moore all game? This will be a battle of former first-round draft picks.

Jackson is coming off a fine opening game, showing physical play as a tackler that is not always a part of his approach.

Paul’s pick​

The Giants did a great job containing Derrick Henry in Week 1, but Christian McCaffrey is much more of a receiving threat and the Titans did score two touchdowns when a running back broke free in the secondary. How long can this defense get by without injured pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari? Maybe Saquon Barkley will be the difference, again.

Giants 24, Panthers 22

Four downs​

Bully pulpit: Teammates were pumped seeing LB Tae Crowder send Derrick Henry to the ground with a punishing hit last week. “Hit a bully, you know what I’m saying?’’ defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence told The Post. Next up: Christian McCaffrey. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale likened Henry to Jim Brown and McCaffrey to Barry Sanders.

“He’s slippery,’’ Lawrence said of McCaffrey. “He avoids the bully. For me, a running back is a running back. McCaffery is just a little more shifty in how he does it, he can get out and catch the ball also. It’s the same plan, getting 11 to the ball, stopping him before he gets going and controlling the line of scrimmage. That’s how you kind of contain a running back.’’

New QB on the scene: Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield did not come out on top last week in an emotional game against the Browns, the team that made him the No. 1-overall pick in the 2018 draft — and traded him away earlier this year. Mayfield struggled early in his Panthers debut. He knows Martindale’s defense from their years together in the AFC North, when Martindale was with the Ravens.

“I said before when he first came out, playing against him, he’s a gunslinger,’’ Martindale said. “Who did they always call gunslinger? Brett Favre. Right? And what did Brett Favre do? He left Atlanta, went to Green Bay, and he took off. Might be the same thing here for Baker.’’

And now for the encore: An even heavier workload for Saquon Barkley? He embarked on his contract year with a brilliant performance, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown, catching a team-high six passes and scoring the winning points on a 2-point conversion shovel pass. The Panthers were shredded on the ground in the season-opening loss to the Browns, allowing 217 rushing yards — 141 by Nick Chubb. The Titans last week did not load up the box on defense to stop Barkley. The Panthers might.

“I think you plan for it,’’ offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I don’t know exactly what they are going to do. I think you plan for those things and you’ve got to have answers within the scheme and within the game plan.’’

Cornering the market: Cornerback Aaron Robinson was one of the biggest question marks in the Giants’ starting lineup heading into this season. He held up fine against the Titans, but is out after having his appendix removed. That makes an already thin position darn-near emaciated. Rookie Cor’Dale Flott is one option. Justin Layne, who spent three years with the Steelers, is another. The most experienced option is Fabian Moreau, 28. He started 16 games for the Falcons in 2021 and could go from the practice squad to a starting spot.

“He knows this league and the receivers in this league and how to play,’’ defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. “He’s a good add for us.’’

How the New York Jets turned a 99.9% chance of losing into a win over the Cleveland Browns​

CLEVELAND -- A strange thing happened on the New York Jets' bench Sunday when they fell behind by 13 points on Nick Chubb's touchdown run with 1:55 remaining in their game against the Cleveland Browns. They started to believe a miracle comeback was possible.

"They gave us our only chance," receivers coach Miles Austin yelled to his players amid the din of a roaring FirstEnergy Stadium -- a sentiment shared by the entire sideline.

Some chance.

At that point, the Cleveland Browns had a win probability of 99.9%, according to ESPN Analytics. The Jets took their 0.1% and ran with it, pulling out a win for the ages, 31-30. They scored two touchdowns to become the first team since the 2001 Chicago Bears to win after trailing by 13 points in the final two minutes.

Six plays swung the game from a near-certain Cleveland victory to the Jets' biggest win since 2015, their last winning season. A closer look at six plays than spanned 115 fateful seconds:

Chubb rumbles around left end for a 12-yard touchdown, eluding cornerback D.J. Reed in the backfield and breaking a tackle attempt by safety Lamarcus Joyner at the 1-yard line. It turns out to be a mistake. Chubb should've stopped short of the end zone, which would've allowed the Browns to run out the clock. The Jets had no timeouts remaining. Score: Browns 30, Jets 17. Jets' probability to lose: 99.9%.

Jets coach Robert Saleh: "I've never been so happy for a missed tackle in my life. That was our only chance."

Reed: "It happened at the right time [smiles]. Serious, though: Chubb is probably the best running back to play the game. Lot of respect for that dude."

Jets quarterback Joe Flacco: "Obviously, when he scores, you're thinking, 'OK, that is not what he's supposed to do.' But I'm sure [the Browns] are thinking, 'OK, it's 30-17.'"

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski: "That's on me to communicate that to the huddle. Having said that, we need to close that game out.”

After Chubb's touchdown, Browns rookie Cade York -- the hero after last week's game-winning field goal from 58 yards -- misses the extra point. Another opening for the Jets.

York: “I thought I hit it good. ... I was upset that I missed, and I thought I hit it well off the foot. I do not know why it took off right on me. Definitely was not a thought [it would cost us the game]. You just can’t get ahead of yourself in the NFL. Games are so close that you have to make everything that you can.”

On the ensuing possession, Flacco finds a wide-open Corey Davis down the right sideline for a 66-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining. It's a busted coverage by the Browns. Cornerback Denzel Ward passes off Davis, perhaps thinking he has deep help -- except there is none. Safety Grant Delpit is cheating toward the middle of the field, picking up receiver Garrett Wilson. Score: Browns 30, Jets 24. Jets' probability to lose: 98.7%.

Davis: "It was a double move. I'm not sure [what happened]. I think they busted and we scored and we won."

Flacco: "When I threw it, it was like, 'Oh, my gosh ... no one is anywhere near him.' It was really a weird feeling because of how quiet it got down in there. Obviously, we're in Cleveland, so it makes sense, but that feeling was something I'd never felt before, how quiet it actually got out there."

Stefanski: "Obviously guys [were] not on the same page. It was very, very clear what we're doing. We talked about it on the sideline, before everybody went out. We talked to the entire defense about what they're about to do, which was try to throw it over our head. We can't let that happen."

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett: "I can't explain it. Those kind of plays are unacceptable."

Browns safety John Johnson III: “You want to be an elite team ... things like that can’t happen. It’s unacceptable.”

On the ensuing kickoff, the Jets execute the perfect onside play, with Braden Mann uncorking a hard-to-catch sidewinder that was recovered by the Jets' Justin Hardee. Will Parks plays a key role, blasting Amari Cooper just as the ball arrives. It creates a mad scramble. Jets' probability to lose: 81.2%.

Hardee: "We were going out for the play and my guy Will Parks was like, 'Man, I'm gonna smack Amari Cooper. I'm gonna keep the ball alive for you all.' Once the ball was twirling around, all I see is the guy who was supposed to catch it -- and missed it. Another guy, it bounced off his hands. Once it touched my hands, it wasn’t going nowhere else. ... I have never been part of a play like that."

Saleh: "The onsides kick, with the new rules, have been so rare. Once that happened, there was no doubt that we were going to score once we got the ball."

Stefanski: "Well executed by them."

After Hardee's recovery, the Jets run eight plays before Flacco fires a 15-yard touchdown strike to Wilson, taking the lead with 22 seconds left. It's Wilson's second touchdown, capping an eight-catch, 102-yard day. Score: Jets 31, Browns 30. Jets' probability to lose: 2.5%.

Reed: "[Wilson's] got that Justin Jefferson vibe."

Flacco: "When [offensive coordinator] Mike [LaFleur] called the play through my headset, I had a smile inside. That's one of our staples. Their safeties were tight, but they were playing pretty soft. They were playing so soft that I was throwing that ball no matter what."

Wilson: "I went crazy [after the onsides kick]. I'm sure there will be a TV clip. I went absolutely crazy on the sideline. I didn't want my [earlier] drop to be the reason why we lost the game."


The Browns get to their 46-yard line with 12 seconds left, needing one more long completion to get into field-goal range. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett throws for Cooper, but it's intercepted by seldom-used safety Ashtyn Davis at the Jets' 36 to seal the improbable comeback. Final score: Jets 31, Browns 30.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley: "Whew! There were a lot of emotions, enough to realize I didn’t even know we had won the game after the interception. There was a lot going on. ... When Ashtyn got the interception, it was like, 'No, we need more yards, don't go down.' I thought it was a tie game. I didn’t know they missed the extra point."

Davis: "I’ll take 'em however I can get 'em. [Brissett] was staring down the dig [route], so I just jumped the window. It was pretty straightforward for me."

It was Davis' only defensive snap of the game.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. – Sophomore Ana Sarrias Pro (Cadiz, Spain) shot an even-par, 72, in the final round of the Nittany Lion Invitational to pace the Seton Hall women's golf team to a 13th place finish on Sunday.

Sarrias Pro had four birdies and 10 pars in route to an even-par, 72, in round three to tie for 36th place overall. For the tournament, she was 11-over-par with a 79-76-72-227.

As a team, Seton Hall shot a 22-over-par, 310, on Sunday. The Pirates finished their second tournament of the year with a 52-over-par, 305-301-310-916. Host Penn State ran away with the team title at 3-under-par. Seton Hall's lone BIG EAST competition, Butler, finished seventh at 35-over-par.

Graduate student Sarah Fouratt (Santa Maria, Calif.) was the top individual Pirate for the tournament. On Sunday, she used 14 pars to fuel a 4-over-par, 76. For the tournament, she tied for 32nd place overall with a 10-over-par, 79-71-76-226.

Freshman Ashni Solanki (Melbourne, Australia) rounded out her second collegiate tournament with a 9-over-par, 81, in round three. For the two-day event, she was 17-over-par with a 75-77-81-233.

Junior Ginevra Zavagli (Rome, Italy) had a 9-over-par, 81, in round three. For the tournament, she was 21-over-par with a 73-83-81-237.

Senior Ludovica Busetto (Padova, Italy) shot a 13-over-par, 85, on Sunday. For the two-day event, she was 24-over-par with a 78-77-85-240.

Two Pirates were playing as individuals in their first collegiate tournaments. Anne-Sofie Ekman (Copenhagen, Denmark) finished with a 27-over-par, 84-80-79-243. Lara Todorovic (Belgrade, Serbia) turned in the best round of her young career, a 6-over-par, 78. She is 31-over-par with an 85-84-78-247.

Tournament Details:
NITTANY LION INVITATIONAL
Host: Penn State University
Location: State College, Pa.
Course: Penn State Golf Courses (Blue Course)
Course Vitals: Par-72, 6,402 yards
Dates: September 17-18, 2022, Three Rounds


THE COURSE:
Situated deep in the rolling terrain of central Pennsylvania, another world of exhilarating golf awaits you! A place where carefully designed courses harmonize with the natural beauty of the surroundings. A place that will drive you to partake the challenges of the game you love. The Penn State Golf Courses are ready to offer you the very best the game has to offer. Take a trip up our tree-lined drive and experience the finest in course facilities and personalized service. We also offer an award-winning driving-range with the Golf Range Association of America since 2012, with four practice putting greens, a bunker area, and 32 artificial driving range stalls with ample targets on the range.

The relaxing atmosphere continues right off the greens and into the Walker Clubhouse. In this 6,000 sq. ft. facility you'll find a complete Golf Shop filled with the latest in quality golf equipment and merchandise. Let our golf professionals share with you their expertise and answer any of your questions. Next to the Golf Shop is The Nineteenth Hole Cafe. This snack area offers a variety of food and snacks for a quick bite or a relaxing meal. The Cafe's open dining area overlooks the courses and provides the perfect compliments to a round of golf.

THE FIELD:
In addition to Seton Hall and host Penn State, the field was comprised of 14 other teams including: Boston College, Bradley, Bucknell, Central Michigan, Columbia, Eastern Kentucky, High Point, Kennesaw State, Navy, Richmond, Toledo, Towson and Youngstown State. Also in the field is BIG EAST opponent, Butler.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to tournament play next weekend when it plays three rounds of golf at the Princeton Invitational at Springdale Golf Club, September 24-25.

Jets finally win a game in September for the first time since 2018, coming back from down 13 late in the 4th quarter with no timeouts.

Mets win big late. deGrom fans 13 in 5 innings.

Judge goes 4-5 with 2 more homeruns. Now at 59.

Giants 2-0 for the first time since 2016.

Still having issues getting over JP's passing. Miss him so much.

Here's the latest


We, Jerry Carino, I and others in the media are waiting for a date for SHU Media Day. Probably early October. The idea is to have an informal gathering at one of the South Orange pubs after the basketball program's Media Day.

Separately, the school will be dedicating a plaque to JP in the media room at the Prudential Center at one of the early November games.

Jerry and I have been in contact with JP's family and they will be attending.

Amazingly JP's siblings had no idea at all re his accomplishments. They knew he was a sportswriter but that was it. Similar to when his family told me about his academic accomplishments in HS and college.

JP seldom if ever spoke about himself. He was a proud but quiet man. He never made anything about himself.

Last night at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers Bob Ley donated $2M to SHU for its Sports Media program. A who's who was in attendance including Robin Roberts who was given the first-ever Lifetime Professional Achievement Award.

Upon getting the honor she, as did Ley previously, was given a standing ovation. She took the mike and looked at Ley and said, see, I got the same standing ovation you got and it didn't cost me $2M.

College athlete education woefully lacking decades after Dexter Manley​

By Phil Mushnick

On May 18, 1989, Dexter Manley left the nation in shock — at least those who didn’t know the score until then — when he testified before a U.S. Senate panel on literacy.

Manley, at the time, was a star NFL defensive end with Washington. Before that, he’d academically matriculated to become a senior at Oklahoma State under head coach Jimmy Johnson, who later coached in the NFL then landed with Fox Sports.

On that day, Manley revealed that his entire experience as a full scholarship college student-athlete was fraudulent, as he could neither read nor write.

Manley did have a learning disability, making it a greater challenge to succeed in, or even gain admission, to most universities. Yet the system predictably failed him.

Many were left in shock, aghast. Moral outrage as promulgated by the national news media followed.

And that gnashing of teeth over such a sickening win-at-all-costs story lasted about, oh, a week.

Then it was back to big-time college football and basketball business as usual, universities serving as fronts for teams assembled by whatever-it-takes design — including loopholes, winks and nods.

By 1989, TV money had been long established as the root of both semi-literacy and growing criminality among “student-athletes,” thus the incentive to act on Manley’s sorrowful tale was zilch.

The enablers, such as ESPN, made no value judgments beyond national rankings and popularity as to which schools to schedule.

In fact, in an astounding piece of on-air rationalization, ESPN college basketball know-it-all Jay Bilas once declared that it’s not important if recruited players attend classes because just being on campus improves “socialization skills.”

Then there was the University of North Carolina academic scandal, in which athletic recruits, across 18 years, maintained eligibility with A grades in no-show or fabricated courses. Rashad McCants, first-round NBA pick in 2005, claimed that after nearly flunking out, he made UNC’s academic Dean’s List — four A’s included — without attending a class. That claim was refuted by some teammates and coaches.

Today, and virtually every day and for too many consecutive years, NFL and NBA players, not long out of college, demonstrate their minimal literacy and absence of social skills.

Last Sunday, following the Bears’ win over the 49ers, Chicago defensive back Jaylon Johnson, a three-year University of Utah man, was asked to assess the play of opposing QB Trey Lance.

Johnson: “He ain’t do s–t.”

Latest in an endless series.

This is what big-ticket college football and basketball increasingly produces. And for those uneducated semi-literates or without social skills — all college men — the overwhelming majority of whom don’t make the pros can return from where they were recruited.

No upside, all down. Dexter Manley’s shocking Senate testimony was barely worth a shrug.

Texas spent $280,000 on Arch Manning recruitment weekend​

By Ryan Glasspiegel

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the recruiting red carpet.

On the weekend of June 17, Arch Manning and eight other recruits took visits to Austin. Through FOIA requests, The Athletic revealed that the school spent $280,000 on the weekend.

Some of the expenses included over $21,000 on travel, including airfare and car service; $46,696 on 34 hotel rooms for recruits and their families plus some Texas coaches and staffers; $17,319.71 on a lunch buffet plus $1,813.74 in additional desserts and snacks (the scene was described as “enough sugar to make Willy Wonka blush”); $3,359.12 to rent speakers to play music on the field (piping it through the stadium PA would’ve caused acoustic issues in a mostly-empty venue).

Then there was $29,129.40 on a dinner buffet; $11,880 on a “social” between parents and coaches, which included an open bar; $10,226 on a breakfast buffet; $9,497.72 at TopGolf; $36,900 for dinner at the swanky III Forks Steakhouse; and $2,357.50 on a cruise on Lady Bird Lake.

The $280,000 tab on this weekend was actually smaller than the expenditures for the weekend after, when Texas dropped $350,000 on a weekend for 14 potential recruits.

In the end, Texas landed Manning. If he plays anything like the previous quarterbacks in his family — as the son of Cooper, he is the grandson of Archie and nephew of Peyton and Eli — Texas will presumably get back exponentially more in donations than they spent.

Already, the Longhorns have reaped the benefits in their recruiting, receiving a number of commitments in the wake of Manning’s.

“The goal right after I committed was to get good players,” Manning told the Dallas Morning News. “It’s been fun just getting on the phone with guys. Hopefully we can keep building this class.

Manning will be a freshman in Austin next season, with the pressure of being next in a line of quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVPs, five league MVP awards, two NFL Man of the Year awards and 20 Pro Bowls over 47 combined pro seasons. He’ll also have NIL deals to consider and Texas’ move to the SEC looming in 2025.

“I’m just worried about playing football right now,” he said. “My dad’s been dealing with that. I committed to play football and be a student, so that’s what I’m going to Texas to do.”

The Hall finishes the non-conference portion of its schedule at 9-3, it's best mark since 2014.​

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Perri Lucas (Chicago, Ill.), Bianca Bucciarelli (Carate Brianza, Italy) and Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) all reached double-digits in kills as the Seton Hall women's volleyball team swept NJIT, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-21), to claim the Seton Hall Classic title on Saturday.

Seton Hall went a perfect 3-0 during the tournament, dropping only one set, to finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a strong 9-3 record. Walsh was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Lucas led all players with 13 kills to go with only one attack error and a .667 attack percentage. Bucciarelli had 10 kills, only two attack errors, four digs and two blocks. Walsh had 10 kills and only three attack errors.

SET 1:
The Hall held NJIT to a .000 attack percentage in the first set. With the score tied at 10, the Pirates went on a 9-2 run, and a block by Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey) give them a commanding 19-12 advantage. The Highlanders closed the gap to 21-17, but The Hall scored the final four points of the match. A block by Hanna Tulli (Collegeville, Pa.) and Julia Wilkins (Mason, Ohio) put The Hall in set point, and Wilkins followed with the set-winning kill.

SET 2:
NJIT scored the first point of the second set, but never led again. The Pirates went on a 10-0 run to assert itself early and went on to rout the Highlanders in set two. NJIT closed to within five, 11-6, but The Hall responded with a 7-2 run to extend its lead back up to 18-8. The Pirates attacked at a .452 clip in set two in route to a 25-15 victory.

SET 3:
The final set was the closest of the match, but the Pirates' offense was simply too potent for NJIT. The Hall had 16 kills, only two attack errors and a match-high .500 attack percentage in the final set. Trailing 17-14, The Hall went on a 6-0 run, and a kill by Tulli put the Pirates on top, 20-17. The Highlanders made a late run and cut their deficit to 21-20, but The Hall closed out the match with four of the final five points. The night ended on back-to-back kills by Lucas.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Lucas had a match-high 13 kills, only one attack error and a team-best .667 attack percentage.
• Bucciarelli tallied 10 kills, only two attack errors, a .364 attack percentage, four digs and two blocks.
• Walsh had 10 kills, only three attack errors and a .467 attack percentage.
• Tulli erupted for a career-high nine kills, only three attack errors and a .429 attack percentage.
• Taylor Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) had a team-high 25 assists to go with three digs.
• Subasili recorded five blocks and two kills.
• Sophomore Anna Holland (Waukesha, Wis.) had a match-high 13 digs.
• Seton Hall recorded a .429 attack percentage for the match, while NJIT attacked at .129.
• The Pirates had 47 kills, while the Highlanders recorded 29.
• The Hall tallied 34 digs, while the NJIT had 18.
• The Pirates had 6.0 total blocks, while NJIT had 4.0.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Seton Hall improves to 9-3 on the young season, while NJIT drops to 3-12.
• The Pirates finish the non-conference portion of their schedule with a record of 9-3, their best non-conference mark since going 10-3 to begin the 2014 season.
• The Hall improves to 7-1 all-time against NJIT.
• Seton Hall is now 5-0 in three-set matches this season.
• The Pirates are now a perfect 8-0 this season when winning the first set.
• The Hall improves to 9-1 this season when having a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• The Pirates are now 6-0 this season in matches on Saturdays.
• Walsh has now reached double-figures in kills in five straight matches.
• The Seton Hall Classic is the third tournament the Pirates have won this season. The Pirates also won the Temple Invitational and the Seton Hall Invitational.
• Seton Hall's .429 attack percentage tonight is its highest of the season.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to action on Friday, September 23 when it opens BIG EAST Conference play against Connecticut in Walsh Gym. Match time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. The contest will be streamed by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.

South Orange, N.J. – Seton Hall men's soccer opens BIG EAST play on Saturday night as they hit the road to take on No. 24 Xavier. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Seton Hall closed out its non-conference slate with a 1-1 draw at home against Army on Tuesday night. After the Black Knights took the lead in the 56th minute, Johannes Pex (Stephansposching, Germany) equalized just over two minutes later with his second goal of the year. The Pirates generated numerous chances throughout the night as they held an 18-5 edge in shots, however were unable to find the go-ahead goal late.

SCOUTING XAVIER (5-0-1 THIS SEASON)

• Xavier is the lone unbeaten team in the BIG EAST, as they have begun the season with a 5-0-1 mark. The Musketeers are outscoring opponents 10-2 to start the season.
• The Musketeers are ranked No. 24 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.
• Xavier leads the all-time series 7-1-0, with the lone Pirate win coming in 2016. Seton Hall is searching for its first win ever road win at Xavier.
• Each of the last five meetings between Seton Hall and Xavier have been decided by one goal.
• The Musketeers were picked to finish 11th in the BIG EAST preseason poll.

NEWS & NOTES

• The Pirates have scored a goal in each of their first six games to start a season for the first time since 2010.
• Seton Hall has won its last five matches, and 14 of its last 15, when scoring the first goal.
• Quenzi Huerman has points in his last three matches and in five of the first six games to start the season. His eight points on the season are tied for fourth most in the BIG EAST.
• The Pirates' first three wins of the season have all been shutouts, the second time in three seasons that has occurred. Seton Hall has only had its first four wins of a season all be shutouts twice (2020 and 2014).
• The win over Oregon State was the Pirates' first over a top-10 team in the United Soccer Coaches rankings since beating No. 2 Georgetown to win the BIG EAST title on Apr. 17, 2021. The win also marked the first time Seton Hall has defeated a top-10 non-conference foe since winning at No. 3 Virginia in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
• The Pirates conceded just one goal through its first three matches of the season, the program's best defensive start to a season since 2005.

WATCH
All BEDN events can be seen on FloSports, one of the leading streaming services in the world. Special Seton Hall pricing is available only through this link for fans who want to subscribe to watch Seton Hall events, home and away, as well as all other live events on the FloSports platform. Fans with a .edu school address can purchase a subscription for $6.99 per month, and all other fans can purchase a subscription for $12.50 per month. The non-Seton Hall pricing on FloSports is normally $29.99 per month.
The link to watch all Seton Hall Men's Soccer games can be found here.

Dan is prohibited from entering due to inside info.
My 1st Prediction, not Gertrude(again surprised more much gnashing of teeth.
2nd; A SF or C
3rd: A C or SF.
Don't see a need for 1,2 or 4

Troy, N.Y. - The Seton Hall women's tennis team began the 2022-23 season with a bang, winning five out of a possible six championship flights at the Siena Invitational, which was held at Sharp Courts on the campus of RPI.

Senior Arina Gumerova, junior Oliwia Kempinski and junior Emily O'Donovan captured the A, B and C singles championships, respectively, and Gumerova teamed with sophomore Arabella Moen to win the A doubles title while Kempinski and O'Donovan collaborated to take the C doubles title.

Gumerova defended her Siena Invitational A championship, which she won in 2021, with ease as she cruised into the semifinals with 8-0 and 8-2 wins on Friday. She topped Siena's Laia Giralt in Saturday's title match, 8-4.

Kempinski, who competed in the C flight last year, moved up to the B flight this season and was strong with 8-4, 8-3 and 8-3 wins to get into the title match. Also in the title match was senior Hiba El Khalifi, who dispatched her opponents, 8-1, 8-2 and 8-4 to make it an All-Pirates final. Naturally, it went to tiebreakers, and Kempinski prevailed, 8-7(8).

In the C flight, both O'Donovan and sophomore Hili Kronzon advanced to the final. O'Donovan was pushed in the quarterfinals, winning 8-6, but she cruised in the semifinals with an 8-1 win over Marist's Isabella Tonuzi. Kronzon lost just eight games in her three wins leading up to the final. In the end, O'Donovan topped her teammate, 8-4.

In doubles, Gumerova also defended her A flight championship that she won in 2021, but this year she won with a different partner, as she teamed with Moen to come away with 6-1, 6-2 and 6-4 wins, the latter coming against Melania Lysova and Ximena Cano of St. Francis Brooklyn in the final.

Kempinski and O'Donovan also successfully defended their 2021 C flight doubles championship, losing just four games over three matches, and beating Marist's Isabella Tonuzi and Andriana Zaphiris in the title match, 6-1.

The Pirates will be right back in action next week when they head to West Point, N.Y. for Army's West Point Invitational Sept. 23-24.


RESULTS

A Singles First Round (Friday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Avery Oppenheim (Rider), 8-0
Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Lincy Valencia (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-2
Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU) def. Nicolle Romero (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-3

A Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Nikki Ridenour (RPI), 8-2
Laia Giralt (Siena) def. Arabella Moen (SHU), 8-3
Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU) def. Jane Bockman (Marist), 8-5

A Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Melania Lysova (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-6
Laia Giralt (Siena) def. Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU), 8-7 (3)

A Singles Final (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova (SHU) def. Laia Giralt (Siena), 8-4

B Singles First Round (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Cloe Clements (Marist), 8-4
Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn) def. Chloe Hamlin (SHU), 8-4
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Margherita Fiorio (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-1

B Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Maanya Viswanath (Siena), 8-3
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Daniela Naves (Rider), 8-2

B Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-3
Hiba El Khalifi (SHU) def. Alexa Wilson (Siena), 8-4

B Singles Final (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski (SHU) def. Hiba El Khalifi (SHU), 8-7 (8)

B Singles Consolation Quarterfinals (Friday)
Nitya Subramaniam (RPI) def. Chloe Hamlin (SHU), 8-5

C Singles First Round (Friday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Masha Karach (RPI), 8-2
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Mia Skrbinsek (St. Francis Brooklyn), 8-2

C Singles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Madeline DeFaber-Schumacher (Siena), 8-6
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Andriana Zaphiris (Marist), 8-4

C Singles Semifinals (Saturday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Isabella Tonuzi (Marist), 8-1
Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Akanksha Sreenivas (Marist), 8-2

C Singles Final (Saturday)
Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Hili Kronzon (SHU), 8-4

---

A Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Avery Oppenheim/Raquel Bolin (Rider), 6-1
Melania Lysova/Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn) def. Chloe Hamlin/Aina Plana Ventosa (SHU), 6-1

A Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Ellen Zureick/Jane Bockman (Marist), 6-2

A Doubles Final (Saturday)
Arina Gumerova/Arabella Moen (SHU) def. Melania Lysova/Ximena Cano (St. Francis Brooklyn), 6-4

B Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Jade Gautier (Siena)/Lea Lambert (Marist), 6-2

B Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU) def. Nikki Ridenour/Krisia Flores Gonzalez (RPI), 6-0

B Doubles Final (Saturday)
Emma Boggiali/Maanya Viswanath (Siena) def. Hiba El Khalifi/Hili Kronzon (SHU), 6-2

C Doubles Quarterfinals (Friday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Cloe Clemens/Akanksha Sreenivas (Marist), 6-2

C Doubles Semifinals (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Skrbinsek/Fiorio (St. Francis Brooklyn), 6-1

C Doubles Final (Saturday)
Oliwia Kempinski/Emily O'Donovan (SHU) def. Isabella Tonuzi/Andriana Zaphiris (Marist), 6-1

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Junior Perri Lucas (Chicago, Ill.) matched her career-high with 19 kills and both Taylor Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) had double-doubles as the Seton Hall women's volleyball team downed Dartmouth, 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24), on Saturday.

After falling in the third set, the Pirates found themselves in a 23-15 hole in the fourth quarter, but ended the match with a thrilling 11-1 run. The Hall is now 2-0 at the Seton Hall Classic and can claim the tournament title with a win over NJIT tonight.

Lucas had one of the best matches of her career with 19 kills, only four attack errors and a .349 attack percentage.

Jakubowski tallied a match-high 28 assists to go with a season-high 15 digs and five service aces. Walsh tallied 13 kills, a career-high 15 digs and three blocks.

SET 1:
The Hall had a match-high .281 attack percentage in set one, but had to outlast a feisty Dartmouth team. With the score tied at 13, The Hall scored four of the next five points, and a kill by Bianca Bucciarelli (Carate Brianza, Italy) gave it a 17-14 advantage. A Lucas kill extended the Pirates' lead to 23-19, but the Big Green bounced back with three straight to cut their deficit to one. Out of the break, Lucas connected on the set-point and set-winning kills to give The Hall a 25-23 victory. Lucas had seven kills and only one attack error in a terrific opening set effort.

SET 2:
With the score tied at seven in the second set, Seton Hall went on a 5-0 run to jump ahead, 12-7. Dartmouth, however, rallied to tie the score at 19. With the score tied at 21, The Hall closed out the set with four straight points. A kill by Walsh gave The Hall the lead, followed by back-to-back aces by Jakubowski. Finally, Lucas ended the set with yet another kill.

SET 3:
Seton Hall fell behind early in the third set as Dartmouth scored 10 of the first 14 points. Down 20-15, the Pirates went on another 5-0 burst, and a service aces by Mason Woo (Burbank, Calif.) tied the score at 20. A kill by Maddie Klungel (Napa, Calif.) gave The Hall a 22-21 lead, but the Big Green rallied to score three straight and enter set point. A kill by Hanna Tulli (Collegeville, Pa.) cut The Hall's deficit to 24-23, but Dartmouth was able to close out the set, 25-23.

SET 4:
Set four started out like a repeat of set three with The Hall falling into a deep deficit early. Dartmouth scored seven of the first eight points. Facing an eight-point deficit, 23-15, everything turned around. The Hall closed out the match with an 11-1 run. A kill by Lucas was their eighth straight point to tie the score at 23, but a Pirate attack error put the Big Green in set point, 24-23. A Dartmouth attack error tied the set at 24, before another kill by Lucas gave The Hall match point. Finally, an ace by Walsh completed the Pirate comeback for a dramatic 26-24 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Lucas tied her career-high with 19 kills to go with only four attack errors and a .349 attack percentage.
• Jakubowski had 28 assists, 15 digs and five aces.
• Walsh had 13 kills, a career-high 15 digs, three blocks and three assists.
• Woo had a career-high 18 digs to go with four aces in the best match of her young career.
• Sophomore Anna Holland (Waukesha, Wis.) had a team-high 20 digs.
• Freshman Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey) tallied a match-high seven blocks to go with four aces.
• Seton Hall recorded a .158 attack percentage for the match, while Dartmouth attacked at .146.
• The Pirates had 53 kills, while the Big Green recorded 47.
• The Hall tallied 92 digs, while the Dartmouth had 78.
• The Pirates had 9.0 total blocks, while Dartmouth had 7.0.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Seton Hall improves to 8-3 on the young season, while Dartmouth drops to 7-2.
• The Hall improves to 3-1 all-time against Dartmouth.
• Seton Hall is now 3-2 in four-set matches this season.
• The Pirates are now a perfect 7-0 this season when winning the first set.
• The Hall improves to 8-1 this season when having a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• The Pirates are now 5-0 this season in matches on Saturdays.
• Walsh collected exactly 13 kills for the fourth straight match.
• Lucas has now collected at least 15 kills in a match seven times in her career.
• Jakubowski's double-double is her third of the season and the 26th of her career, which leads all active Pirates.
• With nine kills and eight digs, Bucciarelli surpassed the 200-kills mark and the 100-digs mark for her career.
• Holland has now reached at least 20 digs four times this year and nine times in her career.

UP NEXT:
The Pirates' finale of the Seton Hall Classic will be later today when they host NJIT in Walsh Gym. Match time is 7:00 p.m. The contest will be streamed by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.

Walsh and Bucciarelli combine for 24 kills and only four attack errors as the Pirates open the Seton Hall Classic in style.​

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Sophomore Jenna Walsh (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) and junior Bianca Bucciarelli (Carate Brianza, Italy) combined for 24 kills and only four attack errors as the Seton Hall women's volleyball team swept Central Connecticut State, 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-17), on Friday.

In one of their more dominant performances of the young 2022 season, The Hall dominated its way to an easy victory in its opener of the Seton Hall Classic. The Pirates had a .277 attack percentage for the match, and limited Central Connecticut State to just .055.

Walsh led The Hall with 13 kills, only four attack errors and a team-high .429 attack percentage. Bucciarelli was had 11 kills and no attack errors with an attack percentage of .393. She also added six digs and three blocks in a strong all-around effort.

SET 1:
Seton Hall never trailed in the opening set and jumped out to an 8-4 lead on back-to-back aces by freshman Asli Subasili (Tekirdag, Turkey). CCSU closed its deficit to 17-13, but The Hall scored the next three points, and the second of two straight kills by Walsh put it on top, 20-13. The Blue Devils again cut their lead to four points late, but The Hall was able to hold them off in a 25-19 set one victory. The Pirates had a match-high .325 attack percentage in the opening frame.

SET 2:
The Pirates utterly dominated the second set, holding the Blue Devils to a -.030 attack percentage. The Hall burst out of the gate by scoring 12 of the set's first 13 points and forced CCSU to burn both of their timeouts early. A kill by Walsh extended The Hall's lead to 13 points, 20-7, and the rout was on. The Pirates took the second set, 25-13.

SET 3:
The third set was the closest of the match with CCSU grabbing an early lead, but it didn't last. Trailing 5-3, the Pirates went on a 15-4 run, and a kill by Bucciarelli put them on top, 18-9. The Blue Devils cut their deficit to 21-15, but The Hall scored three of the next four points to enter match point, 24-16. After a Pirate service error kept CCSU alive, a block by Subasili and Walsh ended the match in Seton Hall's favor, 25-17.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Walsh led all players with 13 kills, only four attack errors and a team-high .429 attack percentage.
• Bucciarelli had 11 kills, no attack errors, a .393 attack percentage, six digs and three blocks.
• Subasili had a match-high five blocks to go with five digs, three kills and two aces.
• Sophomore Anna Holland (Waukesha, Wis.) had a match-high 17 digs.
• Junior Taylor Jakubowski (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) tallied a match-high 15 assists to go with four digs.
• Seton Hall recorded a .277 attack percentage for the match, while Central Connecticut State attacked at .055.
• The Pirates had 42 kills, while CCSU recorded 26.
• The Hall tallied 54 digs, while the Blue Devils had 44.
• The Pirates had 7.0 total blocks, while CCSU had 1.0.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Seton Hall improves to 7-3 on the young season, while CCSU drops to 5-4.
• The Hall improves to 13-1 all-time against CCSU.
• Seton Hall is now a perfect 5-0 in three-set matches this season.
• The Pirates are now a perfect 6-0 this season when winning the first set.
• The Hall improves to 7-1 this season when having a higher attack percentage than its opponent.
• TGIF… The Hall is now a perfect 3-0 this season on Fridays.
• With 15 assists and four digs tonight, Jakubowski surpassed the 1000-assists and 500-digs milestones for her career.
• With 13 kills today, Walsh reached the 200-kills mark for her career.
• With 17 digs today, Holland surpassed the 600-digs mark for her career.
• Walsh collected exactly 13 kills for the third straight match.

UP NEXT:
Seton Hall will return to action when the Seton Hall Classic continues tomorrow. The Pirates will host Dartmouth at 12:30 p.m. and NJIT at 7:00 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live by the Pirate Sports Network and shown on FloSports.

Panthers (0-1) at Giants (1-0)​

1 p.m. ET | FOX | Spread: NYG -2 (43.5)

What to watch for: This game will prominently feature the top two picks of the 2018 NFL draft, Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Giants running back Saquon Barkley. The third overall pick, quarterback Sam Darnold, is on injured reserve for Carolina, too. Mayfield is on his second team and looking to bounce back from a mediocre debut for the Panthers, while Barkley is hoping to build on a turn-back-the-clock performance (194 total yards in the opener vs. Tennessee) in his redemption campaign following three injury-plagued seasons. -- Jordan Raanan

Bold prediction: Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will get involved early and rush 24 times for 130 yards and a touchdown against a Giants defense that gave up only 93 yards rushing in the opener. McCaffrey was limited to 14 touches and 57 yards in the opener, and this will be McCaffrey's first 100-yard rushing performance since Week 10 of the 2019 season (108 yards on 20 carries at Green Bay). -- David Newton

Stat to know: Mayfield was 2-6 in eight road games last season (4-2 at home). His 41 Total QBR on the road ranked 25th in NFL.

Injuries: Panthers | Giants

What to know for fantasy: He's baaaaack. Barkley went off for 194 yards and a touchdown on his 24 Week 1 touches. In Weeks 3-4 last season, before getting dinged up and battling injuries, he had consecutive games with 50-plus rushing yards, a rushing score and five catches for the first time in his career. He did that and much more last Sunday ... look out. See Week 2 rankings.

Betting nugget: The Panthers are 5-13 ATS in the past two seasons, tied with the Jaguars for the worst mark in the NFL, including 2-13 ATS in their past 15 games. Read more.

Moody's pick: Giants 24, Panthers 22
Walder's pick: Panthers 23, Giants 10
FPI prediction: CAR, 58.0% (by an average of 2.4 points)

Jets (0-1) at Browns (1-0)​

1 p.m. ET | CBS | Spread: CLE -6.5 (39.5)

What to watch for: The Browns are seeking their first 2-0 start since 1993. Cleveland owns the longest drought without a 2-0 start -- 25 years -- in NFL history. But it is 2-6 in its past eight games against the Jets, who are trying to avoid their fourth straight 0-2 start. -- Jake Trotter

Bold prediction: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will record two sacks against the Jets' leaky offensive line and the immobile Joe Flacco. That will give him 62.5 for his career, surpassing Clay Matthews (62.0) to become the all-time franchise leader since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Garrett has great success against the Jets (eight sacks in four games), and he's coming off a two-sack performance. As Jets coach Robert Saleh said, "It looks like Myles is on a mission." -- Rich Cimini

Stat to know: Chubb has rushed for at least 100 yards in 23 games since 2018, tied with Derrick Henry for the most in the NFL. And he needs 109 rushing yards on Sunday to become the third Browns player with 250 rushing yards in the first two games of a season (Jim Brown twice, Jamal Lewis).

Injuries: Jets | Browns

What to know for fantasy: Flacco spread the ball around plenty in the Week 1 loss against the Ravens, and that seems to be a theme. In Mike White's three high-usage games filling in for Zach Wilson last season, 39% of his targets went to the backfield. It may not be pretty, but in PPR leagues, you could do worse than either Jets running back (Michael Carter and Breece Hall). See Week 2 rankings.

Betting nugget: The Jets are 1-9 ATS in their past 10 September games and failed to cover each of the past seven. And Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett is 8-5 ATS as a starting QB when his team is favored. Read more.

Moody's pick: Browns 24, Jets 16
Walder's pick: Browns 21, Jets 13
FPI prediction: CLE, 76.6% (by an average of 8.4 points)

Pirates Host Trio as part of Seton Hall Classic - Seton Hall University Athletics

The Pirates will return to Walsh Gymnasium this weekend to host their second tournament of the season, the Seton Hall Classic. The Hall will host Central Connecticut

shupirates.com

The Hall will welcome CCSU, Dartmouth and NJIT to South Orange Friday and Saturday.​

By Colin Rajala

Continued.......

That internal drive and competition was evident in the season’s opening tournament as six Seton Hall golfers recorded rounds at even or below par.

“We have a lot of capable guys and what makes a great golf team is depth. If our top guy is having a bad round, we have faith our fifth guy is going to have his back. I think that's the type of squad we had last year and that’s the type of squad we have this year,” Harper noted.

The Hall’s win in its first tournament of the season was also Harper’s first career win as head coach.

Harper, who played for the Pirates from 2013 to 2015 and served as an assistant from 2019 to 2021, succeeded Clay White, who stepped down from the helm of the program after 18 years, just weeks before the tournament.

White, who Harper revered for his “character and integrity,” left to take over as the head coach for the University of Pennsylvania, which finished the Lagowitz Memorial 11th out of 14 teams at 18-over-par.

“He [White] had been here for such a long time and I didn’t expect this to happen at all. He helped us get to this point. I was looking at being his assistant for a while, but I am fortunate to have such a good set of young men that have taken the work ethic of the program to an entirely new level because they want it so bad. That’s what carried the team to the Big East Championship last year and that’s what Gregor Tait, Andres Acevedo and Clay White left the program to continue on with,” Harper said.

Harper took over a group of five returning players and three newcomers that he describes as “racing to practice” whenever there is opportunity to improve their games.

He finds that the biggest asset he can bring to current and future Seton Hall golfers will be “instructing the golf swing,” something he has been doing since 2017 at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J.

“A lot of our guys have their own coaches, so I tread carefully when it comes to some of my players and their golf swings. I’ve spent the last six years instructing golf swings, so I’m trained enough to know what they're trying to accomplish to fill in for their other coaches’ ideas,” Harper said.

“I think it is good to have somebody that they trust and relay what their coach is saying and working with them. The guys on the team are super smart and know their golf swing and we’ll be on the range and they’ll be helping me as well,” he said, noting that he is a proponent of individualized instruction and coaching one player entirely different from the teaching of another player.

Harper also believes his experience and intangibles having been around the sport for so long will benefit current and future Pirates.

“Through my failures and successes and growth, I became a better golfer probably two years after I graduated. If I can fast track that for our freshman, growing the amount that I grew in college in say five years, in their first two years, then that's when they get to blossom their junior and senior seasons and play the kind of golf that our seniors played last year and Wen and Xie are off to this year.”

While he wants the best for his players, Harper is also looking out for their best interests off the course in their academic and personal lives.

“Clay’s focus on the individual is something that I wanted to continue to carry on. It is all grooming great young men who graduate and do things the right way. It’s the importance of being on time, working hard, being respectful and appreciative. I learned a lot about that playing for him and coaching alongside him,” Harper said.

Ultimately, Harper’s goal is to build Seton Hall into “a force to be reckoned with.”

“ I think we made a name for ourselves last year and we are off to a good start this year, but we have more to do to be the prominent Northeast school. I don’t think that is out of reach with the golf facilities we have surrounding campus, the talent we've been able to bring in and our graduates and alumni who are supportive. Building the program into a powerhouse is not going to happen overnight, but I will look at big picture things and fundraise and create as much buzz as I can to get to where we want to be, tops in the Northeast.”

Harper is off to a good start in that quest as evidenced at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial.

In the final installment of our series we get a temperature check on how coaches feel the sport is doing amid massive NCAA changes​

By Matt Norlander





CBS Sports' Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander surveyed roughly 100 coaches for our annual Candid Coaches series. They polled everyone from head coaches at elite programs to assistants at small Division I schools. In exchange for complete anonymity, coaches provided unfiltered honesty about a number of topics. This is the final poll question in our summer survey on the state of college basketball.

The NCAA is in the process of overhauling its rulebook and infrastructure, a mammoth undertaking by the Division I Transformation Committee that will redefine and (ideally) streamline what it means to be a D-I program moving forward. College basketball stands to be impacted by this in significant, if still undetermined, ways.

For as much worry, intrigue and curiosity that exists over what's to come, those feelings are buttressed against the thrum of the past five years. College basketball has undergone -- through fits and starts -- constant change and been hit with a barrage of off-the-court headlines and legislative reworks that have kept the sport somewhat off-balance. It started almost five years ago to the day, when the FBI announced its covert investigation into bribery and fraud in recruiting.

Since then, a Mark Emmert-appointed commission was formed, mostly didn't do anything to change basketball, and dissolved. The IARP was formed, has only adjudicated one case to date, and will be disbanded come 2023. NIL legislation, the transfer portal, a global pandemic, new transfer rules, emergence of the G League and Overtime Elite, conference realignment and even Baylor winning a national title have all transpired in recent years. What was once unthinkable became reality.

It would be an exaggeration to state college basketball is at a crossroads. But it's a tender time -- depending on the lens one looks through. Our final question in this year's series is a sport-wide temperature check.

Quotes that stood out​

Great​

• "The landscape is changing with the transfer portal, NIL, COVID bonus years, etc., but the mission still remains the same. Players/teams get incredible exposure through monster TV deals, they are provided with educational opportunities because of the game of basketball, and young people get the opportunity to play college basketball on the national stage."

• "There are many challenges that have come up in the last few years (NIL, portal, COVID-19). The NIL and portal were necessary changes in my opinion. We just need to implement some better standards and guidelines in both cases. COVID-19 taught us that the sport can withstand a crisis and now that we are (hopefully) through the very worst of it, the sport is in a stronger place. I thought the 2022 NCAA Tournament was phenomenal, ending with an awesome Final Four."

• "College basketball is in a great spot. Talent level will be strong. Guys are sticking around because of possibilities to make money. Should be a great season, and will only continue to get better. Especially with college hoops being abnormally old."

• "It's still the greatest show on earth with the greatest winner-take-all tournament."

Good​

• "College basketball is the best f------ thing in the world. It's really good, fun to be around and I'm blessed to be able to do it, but there's also concern. Concern for the product, the student-athletes we're putting out into society based on their experience with college athletics. How few of them are able to maintain a profession in this spot and what that means in terms of their habits once they leave. A big part of why we coach is to prepare young people for those things, when they can draw from these experiences when s--- matters. When you have to go get a job and perform and now your livelihood is impacted by that differently. That's where I think there's a difference in terms of what's at stake."

• "We're all getting paid quite well, the players are getting a cut, the facilities are nice, and I damn sure like private plane travel. What is not to like?"

• "I think it's strong enough and there's enough excitement around it. Yes, there's a lot of negative things that are happening in some people's eyes with the transfer portal, NIL and conference realignment. ... College basketball is going through a lot of changes, it has always evolved, people have adjusted to it and that's where we are now. When they added the 3-point line, then pushed it back, there's been change that people have thought 'Man, what's going on with the game?' but it always ends up surviving."

• "A number of great players stayed in college. Teams will still be older with the combination of NIL keeping some of those players and COVID eligibility still impacting things. I think this will make for terrific nonconference games and conference races. Concerned some about where conference realignment turns next and what that potentially means for the NCAA Tournament."

Ambivalent​

• "It is a completely different job. It is a different business. Different skillset required. Without a governing body and the ability to do whatever you want, in many regards, the model is unlike any there has ever been. I have said hundreds of times over the last 18 months: There will be more coaches hired/fired and retired in these next five years than any 10-year period in the history of college athletics."

• "Game-changing variables have been introduced in such a short period of time. Personally, I hope to be on the right side of change before I'm left out."

• "The bottom line has always affected ethics and our decision-making. The bottom line from TV contracts is impacting everything from this. Folks are super-greedy and our game is the best it's ever done financially, but I'm concerned with the amount of greed to distort and change it, to make more and bigger power conferences."

Concerned​

• "(There are too many) commissioner- and president-driven decisions that put basketball in the hands of football-centric decision-makers more than ever. (You have to) run your program with a front office/coaching mix, in that order, and you'll be able to compete. (You have to) get one or two administrative people that have a genuine seat at the school's decision-making and priority table -- and then you have a chance. Without that, you'll be run over by football decisions and entitled boosters."

• "No direction or leadership. We need a college basketball leader that sits and works with the head of the NCAA. Also got to start thinking of college basketball without football. Might not be a bad thing. Proactive, not reactive."

• "We are the only sports entity where every day is free agency."

• "Initial meetings with kids now, it used to be about, 'Am I going to start, how much playing time am I going to get?' Now that's the last thing on the list. The portal, that whole thing is a disaster. Tampering is a disaster. These things are good for the student-athlete, but the ideal and what it's supposed to be is all great, but that's not what's happening right now. How do you build rosters, teach lessons, fight through adversity?"
• "Every rule has taken control away from the coach and given it to the teenagers. Every new rule is anti-program building but pro-individualistic. The coach has less control over his program than ever before."

• "NIL combined with transfer portal combined with Overtime Elite and the G League Ignite combined with conference realignment (because of football and TV revenue) combined with a lack of leadership in NCAA makes for very unstable ground. If you don't know where you want to go, any road will get you there. Feels like we don't know where we want to end up with all of this."

• "We don't have great leadership from the NCAA and need a strong personality with great knowledge about the college basketball landscape to provide guidance at a pivotal time."

• "The transfer portal is the least of my concerns. I wouldn't say that if I was at a mid-major. But NIL is the biggest. To boil it all down, every organization and every entity comes down to leadership. We have a leadership vacuum at the NCAA level. I think we've got good leadership at the NABC level. I think Craig Robinson's doing as good of a job as he can do. We need absolute autonomy as a sport and we have to figure out what's best for our sport as a whole. ... The problem basketball coaches run into: the presidents want men's basketball to be treated just like every other sport and we're not like every other sport. We're different than field hockey, baseball, lacrosse. I think every sport should be given that autonomy to some degree."