I will break this up as John gives some very long answers
By JP Pelzman
Welcome to the third and final installment of my chat with broadcaster and Seton Hall grad John Fanta. This time around, we discuss Shaheen Holloway’s substitution patterns, the sudden retirement of Jay Wright, John’s other career ventures outside of play-by-play and some terrific personal news in his life.
J.P. Pelzman: John, I realize that Sha has had plenty of success using a nine- or 10-man rotation and playing guys no more than an average of 25 or 26 minutes. And I understand how that can work at the mid-major level. But now he will have to recruit a higher caliber of player. I've been pretty steadfast on this. I am not sure it can work at the Power 6 level. How do you see it?
John Fanta: It's a great point. I do think Shaheen has the ability to bring a team together. And it just comes down to player fit. And it also comes down to his mentality that ‘if we win, team success breeds individual success.’ He’s got the best example to show them. … Anyone he goes to recruit, he now carries the cachet into the that room of taking one of the great underdogs in NCAA men’s basketball history and making them an Elite Eight program. In other words, it’s much harder for a kid to question (Holloway’s philosophy) when you look at what the recent results have been. So I do think it’s a challenge to get guys to play less minutes, and you’re going to ride your best player if you need to, but I also think Shaheen has this ability and this authenticity that rubs off well enough that he’ll look out for a kid’s best interests, but you better buy into what he wants you to do.
When KC Ndefo was not playing good basketball early in the season last year (for Saint Peter's), Shaheen Holloway had no issue sitting him. He has no issue benching anyone.
By JP Pelzman
Welcome to the third and final installment of my chat with broadcaster and Seton Hall grad John Fanta. This time around, we discuss Shaheen Holloway’s substitution patterns, the sudden retirement of Jay Wright, John’s other career ventures outside of play-by-play and some terrific personal news in his life.
J.P. Pelzman: John, I realize that Sha has had plenty of success using a nine- or 10-man rotation and playing guys no more than an average of 25 or 26 minutes. And I understand how that can work at the mid-major level. But now he will have to recruit a higher caliber of player. I've been pretty steadfast on this. I am not sure it can work at the Power 6 level. How do you see it?
John Fanta: It's a great point. I do think Shaheen has the ability to bring a team together. And it just comes down to player fit. And it also comes down to his mentality that ‘if we win, team success breeds individual success.’ He’s got the best example to show them. … Anyone he goes to recruit, he now carries the cachet into the that room of taking one of the great underdogs in NCAA men’s basketball history and making them an Elite Eight program. In other words, it’s much harder for a kid to question (Holloway’s philosophy) when you look at what the recent results have been. So I do think it’s a challenge to get guys to play less minutes, and you’re going to ride your best player if you need to, but I also think Shaheen has this ability and this authenticity that rubs off well enough that he’ll look out for a kid’s best interests, but you better buy into what he wants you to do.
When KC Ndefo was not playing good basketball early in the season last year (for Saint Peter's), Shaheen Holloway had no issue sitting him. He has no issue benching anyone.
