It was no secret that former Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard had issues with his locker room. And also no secret that his best teams often policed themselves. It was not in Willard's personality to be face to face confrontational and because of that he preferred to often turn a blind eye to issues that most coaches would have to some degree met head on.
That is no longer a problem with the man who has replaced him, Shaheen Holloway. Quite the opposite. Holloway's fingerprints will be on all aspects of the program. And that includes what goes on off the court. But even with that thought in mind leadership among the players is important and that doesn't always mean from the best or most talented players.
Case in point. The two most physically gifted players, both upperclassmen, are Tyrese Samuel and Tray Jackson. In a perfect world you would want them to lead the locker room. But neither has the personality to do that. Both are well liked but well liked doesn't mean either is a leader. That either has the quality necessary to be the extension behind the scenes of the head coach.
Looking back readers here know that this reporter has sung the praises of Derrick Gordon, the epitome of a great leader. No player in the Willard era did a better job ensuring that his teammates kept their focus all year long, No player commanded the respect that Gordon did. Not because of his talent. He was at best a bench player. But because of his will, his work ethic and his refuse to lose attitude.
Now jumping forward who on the current team has those attributes?
The most obvious player is St Peter's transfer KC Ndefo. He knows Holloway better than any of his teammates. Knows what he wants and how he wants to get there. Add to that the fact that there are few players in the country who play harder every second they are on the court.
Ndefo also has the personality of a leader. He is bright, articulate and wants to lead. Plus he's a 5th year player, so add experience to the equation.
There are other candidates as well.
Jamir Harris for example. Harris has a strong A type personality. He like Ndefo doesn't shy away from doing what must be done on and off the court. But that strong personality at times conflicts with his head coach. Hinted at by Holloway recently telling SHU beat reporter Jerry Carino that he is not happy with his backcourt.
That could be an issue with another potential leader as well, Al-Amir Dawes. He has a similar personality to Harris. And a similar work ethic. Tough as nails he probably is a little more in tune with his head coach than Harris is.
Two other players have the qualities to lead and both play hard and have the respect of their teammates. Femi Odukale and Dre Davis. This reporter has spoken to Odukale and it's clear immediately that he commands your attention. Isn't afraid to communicate his POV and do so effectively.
As for Davis, unfortunately I never got a chance to speak to him as he missed the two NIL events this summer due to his girlfriend's pregnancy. With Davis I can only pass on what I have been told second hand. And that is he is a tough kid who plays hard, and by hard I mean Ndefo type hard. That has caught the eye of his teammates and the coaching staff. They love him but even more importantly they respect him.
So bottom line, choosing a leader for this team is difficult. Every single player profiled above, with the exception of Harris, has never played a second for the Hall. And even Harris is suiting up for the Pirates for only his second year. That makes it tough with limited to no access for anyone to choose a leader for the Pirates. In short in that situation best anyone can do this early is make an educated guess, And know that the guess is based on second hand information. On speaking to the players for just a few minutes. On watching from afar on TV.
So take this with a grain of salt but gun to my head and first impression from speaking to him I see the 6-6 transfer student from St Peter's KC Ndefo as the most likely player to assume the mantle, to be this season's Derrick Gordon, to be the team's locker room voice.
Yet with that said maybe no one particular player commands the team off the court. Maybe a combination of the noted Pirates above earns the trust to have his voice heard when the time arises. That possibly exists when there is no clear leader on a team with so many new players. But I think the adage too many cooks spoils the broth is relevant here. Too many voices cause confusion. So it's probably going to take time before any one player stands alone, stands louder that any other. And that as noted will be KC Ndefo.
