Eric Bossi on Seton Hall Targets
By Colin Rajala
During Eric Bossi’s time covering collegiate basketball he has witnessed Seton Hall’s successes on the recruiting trails from the coup of Eddie Griffin, Andre Barrett and Marcus Tony-El in 2000 to some less than stellar classes lacking Big East starting caliber talent.
Despite some down years following the tumultuous Bobby Gonzalez era, Bossi views Seton Hall’s recruiting efforts on the upswing, beginning with its nationally-ranked 2014 class, which included McDonald’s All American and current NBA player Isaiah Whitehead, top 50 ranked forward Angel Delgado, top 125 ranked guard Khadeen Carrington as well as less heralded forward recruits Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo.
“I think landing a player like Isaiah Whitehead was huge for them in this turnaround that they are engineering,” Bossi said. “A lot of it has been not going out and grabbing the big sexy ranked players and stuff like that, they’ve been finding guys that are maybe a little bit under the radar and a little bit under recruited, especially local guys that they have gotten really good evaluations on.
They have also done a great job developing those guys and its shows.”
Bossi has seen other college coaches taking Seton Hall more seriously on the recruiting trail when Kevin Willard and staff are involved, noting that local coaches are going out to look at some under the radar type recruits that the Pirates’ coaching staff has identified earlier than their peers.
“That might play into why coaches like Willard are not as loose lipped with the media about targets,” Bossi said. “There are some fan bases that really know who the true primary targets for the school are because staff leaks it out the media, but that is not happening at Seton Hall. They are trying to keep guys thrown off so they don’t go and see a Desi Rodriguez or Ismael Sanogo and believe in him early like Seton Hall did. It’s a game of cat and mouse.”
Bossi acknowledges that while Seton Hall would like to attract more Isaiah Whitehead-level players, guys like Sanogo and Rodriguez are a pretty good blueprint for them to continue to build to build the program saying, “when they took those kids, no one thought they could play at that level.
They’ve turned into really good players and they’re going to end up starters for the bulk of three years and probably going to push for, if not first team all-Big East honors, at least second team all-Big East Honors.”
While the Seton Hall staff finds players that want to be on campus in South Orange, N.J. and view committing to the school as a big deal versus a fallback option, Bossi thinks that if the program can continue to build on the success of its 2016 Big East Tournament Championship and NCAA bid, more big name players will view the university as an attractive option.
“It just so happens that we’re in a nice cycle in 2017 and 2018 where I think there is a lot of area kids that are in their wheelhouse whom they can make a move with.”
Bossi recently spoke with Jordan Nwora, a Seton Hall 2017 forward recruit from Buffalo, N.Y. playing at Vermont Academy, at the Adidas Nations event and asked him if Seton Hall’s 2015-2016 season changes things for people and the perception of the program.
Nwora said something to the effect of “you know what, last year absolutely changes things. Seeing Whitehead get drafted, seeing them on TV more and in the NCAA tourney, we definitely take notice of that. I noticed the vibe when I was on campus and Seton Hall is making an impression on guys,”according to Bossi, who noted that while Nwora has visited campus, he will be a tough get for the school as he has a long list of high major suitors from UConn and Oklahoma State to Big East members Marquette and Xavier.
Multiple Big East programs teams involved with a player like Nwora show the conference is “recruiting at a pretty high level right and competing with just about anyone,” Bossi said. He believes there was some skepticism surrounding the conference following the defection of programs like Syracuse, Louisville and Pittsburgh, but the amount of teams making the NCAA Tournament in recent years and the success of a program like Villanova winning the 2016 National Championship makes it a “legit high major basketball conference.”
With the Big East still forging its identity with newer members like Creighton, Xavier and Butler alongside east coast programs such as Georgetown, St. John’s and Providence, Bossi sees the current development of the conference as a time for redefining rivalries on the court and on the recurring trail, making it crucial for Seton Hall to win regional battles as well as win battles on and off the court in the Midwest.
With the perception of Seton Hall on the rise, Bossi sees the program as serious contenders for plenty of 2017 and 2018 recruits, including 2017 four star point guard recruit Isaiah Washington from St. Raymond High School in the Bronx and the New Heights AAU program.
Bossi said Washington’s stock was on the rise before he put up 36 points in 25 minutes in the Under Armour Elite 24 game this past weekend against top prospects, including Trevon Duval and Jahvon Quinerly.
“He had a great summer. While he’s not the biggest point guard around, he’s not the tiniest. He was always looked at as a tough kid and maybe a little bit wild and inconsistent with some people saying he was a little bit of style over substance and I think that he has cut down on some of that, now he is all about winning and it rubs off on those who play with him. He’s a competitor.”
Bossi see Minnesota as another possible landing spot for Washington due to his long standing relationship with assistant coach Kimani Young, despite the pressure on the coaching staff to succeed after three straight losing season in the Big Ten conference including a 2-16 showing last season.
With Washington’s stock higher than ever, Bossi sees a program as Syracuse as a serious competitor for the point guard’s commitment due to Washington noting that the Orange were his “dream school” in published reports.
“Does he bolt for the greener pastures of a bigger name with curb appeal that has been recruiting him for less time or does he stick with the program that has been really building that relationship for a while,” Bossi said. “I think location and ability to come in and perhaps help out right away will give Seton Hall a real legit shot with him.”
Outside of Washington, Seton Hall is targeting point guards Jose Alvarado and Nojel Eastern in 2017.
Bossi described Alvarado as a winner and a traditional point guard saying, “He’s out there to get other people involved first, second and third and then score if he has to. He’s a vocal leader and kids buy into what he’s doing. There are guys that are fake vocal because they think it looks good, but he is genuine in what he does out there.”
While Bossi noted that Alvardo appears right in Seton Hall’s wheelhouse as a local recruit, he said it has been tough to get a good feel of “who is really on him and who is in it” as he has listed the same group of schools for a couple of years, including Rutgers, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Miami.
Ultimately, Bossi thinks Alvarado’s recruitment will continue into the spring period to “see if he is going to set up more visits,” finding that he’s “a little more of a mystery man at this point.”
Eastern will be an extremely tough commitment for Seton Hall to get as major players in the Big Ten, including Michigan State and Purdue, are vying for his services. Ultimately, Bossi sees Eastern sticking around the Midwest due to his familiarity with the Big Ten programs and the close relationship he has with his mother.
By Colin Rajala
During Eric Bossi’s time covering collegiate basketball he has witnessed Seton Hall’s successes on the recruiting trails from the coup of Eddie Griffin, Andre Barrett and Marcus Tony-El in 2000 to some less than stellar classes lacking Big East starting caliber talent.
Despite some down years following the tumultuous Bobby Gonzalez era, Bossi views Seton Hall’s recruiting efforts on the upswing, beginning with its nationally-ranked 2014 class, which included McDonald’s All American and current NBA player Isaiah Whitehead, top 50 ranked forward Angel Delgado, top 125 ranked guard Khadeen Carrington as well as less heralded forward recruits Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo.
“I think landing a player like Isaiah Whitehead was huge for them in this turnaround that they are engineering,” Bossi said. “A lot of it has been not going out and grabbing the big sexy ranked players and stuff like that, they’ve been finding guys that are maybe a little bit under the radar and a little bit under recruited, especially local guys that they have gotten really good evaluations on.
They have also done a great job developing those guys and its shows.”
Bossi has seen other college coaches taking Seton Hall more seriously on the recruiting trail when Kevin Willard and staff are involved, noting that local coaches are going out to look at some under the radar type recruits that the Pirates’ coaching staff has identified earlier than their peers.
“That might play into why coaches like Willard are not as loose lipped with the media about targets,” Bossi said. “There are some fan bases that really know who the true primary targets for the school are because staff leaks it out the media, but that is not happening at Seton Hall. They are trying to keep guys thrown off so they don’t go and see a Desi Rodriguez or Ismael Sanogo and believe in him early like Seton Hall did. It’s a game of cat and mouse.”
Bossi acknowledges that while Seton Hall would like to attract more Isaiah Whitehead-level players, guys like Sanogo and Rodriguez are a pretty good blueprint for them to continue to build to build the program saying, “when they took those kids, no one thought they could play at that level.
They’ve turned into really good players and they’re going to end up starters for the bulk of three years and probably going to push for, if not first team all-Big East honors, at least second team all-Big East Honors.”
While the Seton Hall staff finds players that want to be on campus in South Orange, N.J. and view committing to the school as a big deal versus a fallback option, Bossi thinks that if the program can continue to build on the success of its 2016 Big East Tournament Championship and NCAA bid, more big name players will view the university as an attractive option.
“It just so happens that we’re in a nice cycle in 2017 and 2018 where I think there is a lot of area kids that are in their wheelhouse whom they can make a move with.”
Bossi recently spoke with Jordan Nwora, a Seton Hall 2017 forward recruit from Buffalo, N.Y. playing at Vermont Academy, at the Adidas Nations event and asked him if Seton Hall’s 2015-2016 season changes things for people and the perception of the program.
Nwora said something to the effect of “you know what, last year absolutely changes things. Seeing Whitehead get drafted, seeing them on TV more and in the NCAA tourney, we definitely take notice of that. I noticed the vibe when I was on campus and Seton Hall is making an impression on guys,”according to Bossi, who noted that while Nwora has visited campus, he will be a tough get for the school as he has a long list of high major suitors from UConn and Oklahoma State to Big East members Marquette and Xavier.
Multiple Big East programs teams involved with a player like Nwora show the conference is “recruiting at a pretty high level right and competing with just about anyone,” Bossi said. He believes there was some skepticism surrounding the conference following the defection of programs like Syracuse, Louisville and Pittsburgh, but the amount of teams making the NCAA Tournament in recent years and the success of a program like Villanova winning the 2016 National Championship makes it a “legit high major basketball conference.”
With the Big East still forging its identity with newer members like Creighton, Xavier and Butler alongside east coast programs such as Georgetown, St. John’s and Providence, Bossi sees the current development of the conference as a time for redefining rivalries on the court and on the recurring trail, making it crucial for Seton Hall to win regional battles as well as win battles on and off the court in the Midwest.
With the perception of Seton Hall on the rise, Bossi sees the program as serious contenders for plenty of 2017 and 2018 recruits, including 2017 four star point guard recruit Isaiah Washington from St. Raymond High School in the Bronx and the New Heights AAU program.
Bossi said Washington’s stock was on the rise before he put up 36 points in 25 minutes in the Under Armour Elite 24 game this past weekend against top prospects, including Trevon Duval and Jahvon Quinerly.
“He had a great summer. While he’s not the biggest point guard around, he’s not the tiniest. He was always looked at as a tough kid and maybe a little bit wild and inconsistent with some people saying he was a little bit of style over substance and I think that he has cut down on some of that, now he is all about winning and it rubs off on those who play with him. He’s a competitor.”
Bossi see Minnesota as another possible landing spot for Washington due to his long standing relationship with assistant coach Kimani Young, despite the pressure on the coaching staff to succeed after three straight losing season in the Big Ten conference including a 2-16 showing last season.
With Washington’s stock higher than ever, Bossi sees a program as Syracuse as a serious competitor for the point guard’s commitment due to Washington noting that the Orange were his “dream school” in published reports.
“Does he bolt for the greener pastures of a bigger name with curb appeal that has been recruiting him for less time or does he stick with the program that has been really building that relationship for a while,” Bossi said. “I think location and ability to come in and perhaps help out right away will give Seton Hall a real legit shot with him.”
Outside of Washington, Seton Hall is targeting point guards Jose Alvarado and Nojel Eastern in 2017.
Bossi described Alvarado as a winner and a traditional point guard saying, “He’s out there to get other people involved first, second and third and then score if he has to. He’s a vocal leader and kids buy into what he’s doing. There are guys that are fake vocal because they think it looks good, but he is genuine in what he does out there.”
While Bossi noted that Alvardo appears right in Seton Hall’s wheelhouse as a local recruit, he said it has been tough to get a good feel of “who is really on him and who is in it” as he has listed the same group of schools for a couple of years, including Rutgers, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Miami.
Ultimately, Bossi thinks Alvarado’s recruitment will continue into the spring period to “see if he is going to set up more visits,” finding that he’s “a little more of a mystery man at this point.”
Eastern will be an extremely tough commitment for Seton Hall to get as major players in the Big Ten, including Michigan State and Purdue, are vying for his services. Ultimately, Bossi sees Eastern sticking around the Midwest due to his familiarity with the Big Ten programs and the close relationship he has with his mother.
