By JP Pelzman
setonhall.rivals.com
Myles Cale, expected to have a terrific senior season, never found a consistent rhythm, following up dominant games with tepid ones. A solid player who has bled Pirate blue, given everything he has and cared deeply about his teammates, he nonetheless averaged 8.5 points in the final eight games, including three in 23 minutes against Georgetown in the Big East semifinal. Yes, Cale shot 36.9% from three, but it wasn’t quite enough and he surprisingly fell short of 1000 points in four collegiate seasons, with 986.
Jared Rhoden, whom many around the program thought was ready to reach star status this season, was fairly consistent, and averaged 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds. He failed to score in double figures only three times.
With Mamukelashvili almost certainly gone, Rhoden next season will be the man circled on opponents’ game plans. How he handles it will be a key to the efficiency of Seton Hall’s offense. Rhoden surprisingly declined in his three-point shooting, from 33.7% in 2019/20 to 30.3%, and that must improve. His mid-range game remains strong.
As for the bench, this brings us back to the Louisville game, and the twin heartbreaks, physical and emotional, of Aiken and Molson. Aiken, of course, proved to be saddest saga for the Pirates in the Willard era, as a series of injuries limited the sought-after grad transfer from Harvard to 200 minutes and took away a potential game-changer for the Pirates.
One cannot blame Seton Hall for taking him. Even Michigan was after Aiken, although one can't help but think how different Seton Hall's season might have been had the Pirates taken a grad transfer such as Columbia's Mike Smith, who instead wound up in Ann Arbor. The pandemic made it difficult for Seton Hall to know just how troublesome Aiken's leg woes would be.
Worse yet, his unreliability had a ripple effect on the steady Reynolds. The gritty overachiever wound up averaging 29.3 minutes as the starting point guard, way more than anyone around the program had planned. Understandably, late in the season, Reynolds’ play began to suffer a bit because of the strain and he started making uncharacteristic mistakes.
Perhaps the most glaring came late in the loss to the Hoyas when he drove the lane into a triple-team and was rejected. Yes, he was fouled, but the chances of getting a call in that situation aren’t good (just ask ex-Pirate Eugene Harvey). Worse yet, the usually heady Reynolds probably should’ve kicked it out, considering someone had to be open with so many Hoyas converging.
Then again, the way The Hall shot from the outside, who’s to say the Pirates would’ve converted?
In retrospect, it’s almost worse that the Pirates kept holding out hope for Aiken’s return. If, at some point, he had been ruled out for the year, perhaps they would have had no choice but to try to get freshman Jahari Long ready to be the backup point guard, something they finally tried late in the season. Long, according to a source, lost valuable conditioning during the preseason when he was sidelined with COVID.
As for Molson, he played tough and with a motor that was turned to full volume at all times. But he never found his shot from beyond or in front of the arc, and until he drained a three in the second half versus Georgetown, he had not gotten a long ball to fall since the big ball had dropped in Times Square. Yes, that was his first made three of the calendar year of 2021 after missing 20 straight. That simply is unacceptable for a reserve swing.
Worse yet, his defense, while more than adequate, wasn’t game-changing, like say, that of a Derrick Gordon or a Paul Gause. Thus, when Molson came off the bench, usually between after the first and second media timeout, he only sporadically gave the Pirates much of a lift. There are strong rumors he will transfer again.
The defense, usually a hallmark of a Willard team and something the veteran coach stresses 24/7/365, was unusually porous this season. The Hall finished 10th in the Big East in defending the three-pointer, allowing 37.4%, and that came back to bite the Pirates when they blew that lead in the home loss to Creighton.
The interior defense again was solid with 7-0 Ike Obiagu manning the paint. Obiagu, the Big East’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball, will return to pursue a grad degree in professional accounting. He had 77 blocked shots.
It might be a nitpick, but the one thing he could improve on defensively, is in being able to block shots into the hands of teammates, something predecessor Romaro Gill was adept at. Yes, sometimes it’s just luck. But not only does he often swat shots out of bounds, but unfortunately for the Pirates, sometimes his blocks go right back to the opponents for weak-side put backs. An occupational hazard, yes, but a frustrating one. Still, his presence in the paint will be welcome for a young team. It would be nice if he could improve on offense. The give-and-go was sorely missing, except when Mamukelashvili executed it with Reynolds.
Expect the 2021-22 Pirates to look a lot different. Incoming freshman Ryan Conway might get the keys at point guard, although Long figures to compete with him, as will Reynolds. (Sources indicate he is considering returning.) Still, for the Pirates to maximize their potential, Reynolds likely would fit better in 2019-20 role off the bench, that is, if he is willing to accept it.
Dimingus Stevens, who was glued to the bench as a freshman, already is leaving, so he won’t be that potential spot-up shooter. Could four-star wing player Brandon Weston be that guy? Or could it be a transfer such as American’s Jamir Harris?
Tyrese Samuel (5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds as a sophomore) figures to be a big piece of the puzzle in 2021-22. He showed tantalizing flashes this past season, and it was surprising he didn’t play in the second half against Georgetown after helping the Pirates climb back into the game late in the first half. Missouri transfer Tray Jackson should be in the mix too, and the program hopes to finally get Jeff Ngandu over from Canada after he missed what was supposed to be his freshman season.
California prep forward Tyler Powell has a last name that evokes recent memories of Seton Hall royalty even though there is no relation, and he knows all about more distant Seton Hall history--1989, that is--considering one of his assistant coaches at Ribet Academy is Pookey Wigington.
It has been a tough two years for Seton Hall, from the unfinished business and shattered dreams of 2020, to the collapse and squandering of a seemingly sure NCAA at-large berth 12 months later. But one must keep in mind that realistically this is a program that was NCAA-Tournament caliber five years in a row until 2021. Major surgery isn’t needed, especially after a season which was unspeakably difficult physically and emotionally. But the proper incisions and antibiotics are in order, in conjunction with a long-term plan for success
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Myles Cale, expected to have a terrific senior season, never found a consistent rhythm, following up dominant games with tepid ones. A solid player who has bled Pirate blue, given everything he has and cared deeply about his teammates, he nonetheless averaged 8.5 points in the final eight games, including three in 23 minutes against Georgetown in the Big East semifinal. Yes, Cale shot 36.9% from three, but it wasn’t quite enough and he surprisingly fell short of 1000 points in four collegiate seasons, with 986.
Jared Rhoden, whom many around the program thought was ready to reach star status this season, was fairly consistent, and averaged 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds. He failed to score in double figures only three times.
With Mamukelashvili almost certainly gone, Rhoden next season will be the man circled on opponents’ game plans. How he handles it will be a key to the efficiency of Seton Hall’s offense. Rhoden surprisingly declined in his three-point shooting, from 33.7% in 2019/20 to 30.3%, and that must improve. His mid-range game remains strong.
As for the bench, this brings us back to the Louisville game, and the twin heartbreaks, physical and emotional, of Aiken and Molson. Aiken, of course, proved to be saddest saga for the Pirates in the Willard era, as a series of injuries limited the sought-after grad transfer from Harvard to 200 minutes and took away a potential game-changer for the Pirates.
One cannot blame Seton Hall for taking him. Even Michigan was after Aiken, although one can't help but think how different Seton Hall's season might have been had the Pirates taken a grad transfer such as Columbia's Mike Smith, who instead wound up in Ann Arbor. The pandemic made it difficult for Seton Hall to know just how troublesome Aiken's leg woes would be.
Worse yet, his unreliability had a ripple effect on the steady Reynolds. The gritty overachiever wound up averaging 29.3 minutes as the starting point guard, way more than anyone around the program had planned. Understandably, late in the season, Reynolds’ play began to suffer a bit because of the strain and he started making uncharacteristic mistakes.
Perhaps the most glaring came late in the loss to the Hoyas when he drove the lane into a triple-team and was rejected. Yes, he was fouled, but the chances of getting a call in that situation aren’t good (just ask ex-Pirate Eugene Harvey). Worse yet, the usually heady Reynolds probably should’ve kicked it out, considering someone had to be open with so many Hoyas converging.
Then again, the way The Hall shot from the outside, who’s to say the Pirates would’ve converted?
In retrospect, it’s almost worse that the Pirates kept holding out hope for Aiken’s return. If, at some point, he had been ruled out for the year, perhaps they would have had no choice but to try to get freshman Jahari Long ready to be the backup point guard, something they finally tried late in the season. Long, according to a source, lost valuable conditioning during the preseason when he was sidelined with COVID.
As for Molson, he played tough and with a motor that was turned to full volume at all times. But he never found his shot from beyond or in front of the arc, and until he drained a three in the second half versus Georgetown, he had not gotten a long ball to fall since the big ball had dropped in Times Square. Yes, that was his first made three of the calendar year of 2021 after missing 20 straight. That simply is unacceptable for a reserve swing.
Worse yet, his defense, while more than adequate, wasn’t game-changing, like say, that of a Derrick Gordon or a Paul Gause. Thus, when Molson came off the bench, usually between after the first and second media timeout, he only sporadically gave the Pirates much of a lift. There are strong rumors he will transfer again.
The defense, usually a hallmark of a Willard team and something the veteran coach stresses 24/7/365, was unusually porous this season. The Hall finished 10th in the Big East in defending the three-pointer, allowing 37.4%, and that came back to bite the Pirates when they blew that lead in the home loss to Creighton.
The interior defense again was solid with 7-0 Ike Obiagu manning the paint. Obiagu, the Big East’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball, will return to pursue a grad degree in professional accounting. He had 77 blocked shots.
It might be a nitpick, but the one thing he could improve on defensively, is in being able to block shots into the hands of teammates, something predecessor Romaro Gill was adept at. Yes, sometimes it’s just luck. But not only does he often swat shots out of bounds, but unfortunately for the Pirates, sometimes his blocks go right back to the opponents for weak-side put backs. An occupational hazard, yes, but a frustrating one. Still, his presence in the paint will be welcome for a young team. It would be nice if he could improve on offense. The give-and-go was sorely missing, except when Mamukelashvili executed it with Reynolds.
Expect the 2021-22 Pirates to look a lot different. Incoming freshman Ryan Conway might get the keys at point guard, although Long figures to compete with him, as will Reynolds. (Sources indicate he is considering returning.) Still, for the Pirates to maximize their potential, Reynolds likely would fit better in 2019-20 role off the bench, that is, if he is willing to accept it.
Dimingus Stevens, who was glued to the bench as a freshman, already is leaving, so he won’t be that potential spot-up shooter. Could four-star wing player Brandon Weston be that guy? Or could it be a transfer such as American’s Jamir Harris?
Tyrese Samuel (5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds as a sophomore) figures to be a big piece of the puzzle in 2021-22. He showed tantalizing flashes this past season, and it was surprising he didn’t play in the second half against Georgetown after helping the Pirates climb back into the game late in the first half. Missouri transfer Tray Jackson should be in the mix too, and the program hopes to finally get Jeff Ngandu over from Canada after he missed what was supposed to be his freshman season.
California prep forward Tyler Powell has a last name that evokes recent memories of Seton Hall royalty even though there is no relation, and he knows all about more distant Seton Hall history--1989, that is--considering one of his assistant coaches at Ribet Academy is Pookey Wigington.
It has been a tough two years for Seton Hall, from the unfinished business and shattered dreams of 2020, to the collapse and squandering of a seemingly sure NCAA at-large berth 12 months later. But one must keep in mind that realistically this is a program that was NCAA-Tournament caliber five years in a row until 2021. Major surgery isn’t needed, especially after a season which was unspeakably difficult physically and emotionally. But the proper incisions and antibiotics are in order, in conjunction with a long-term plan for success
