https://setonhall.rivals.com/
By Tyler Calvaruso
June has been somewhat of an action-packed recruiting month for Seton Hall, as it has remained steadfast in pursuit of 2021 prospects while also getting a head start on the Class of 2022.
New targets have emerged and a familiar face has once again become one of the staff’s highest priorities. Ryan Conway is currently the only member of Seton Hall’s 2021 class, but the way things are trending, that could change sooner than expected.
With that being said, let’s get into the latest on Seton Hall’s efforts on the recruiting trail.
Dashawn Davis
Davis Down to 2
Despite receiving interest from the likes of Alabama, DePaul, Oregon, Oregon State and Texas A&M, Trinity Valley Community College guard Dashawn Davis is focusing on two schools moving forward – Seton Hall and St. John’s.
The former Seton Hall commit has long been eyeing a return to the metro area to finish his college career close to home. He has maintained a good relationship with the Pirates’ coaching staff since ascending up the JUCO ranks and is seriously considering a return to the program.
“It’s a perfect situation for me,” Davis said. “The ball is going to be in my hands and I’m going to have the keys to drive the ship. “They wanted me coming out of high school and nothing has changed. They knew I would develop into the player I am today.”
I have been hearing for months that Davis wanted to return to Seton Hall after completing his two-year stint at Trinity Valley. It’s clear that the coaching staff is intent on making the reunion happen. St. John’s is making a push, but the Pirates seem to be head and toe above the Red Storm. Davis plans on going public with his finalists soon and an announcement could come shortly after that.
The Latest on Sam Ayomide
Seton Hall completed a virtual conversation with Sam Ayomide on Tuesday and all indications are that things went extremely well.
I mentioned in my last recruiting update that the staff liked Ayomide’s game a lot. As I predicted, he is now becoming a priority recruit for the Pirates and the interest is mutual. Ayomide likes Seton Hall a lot and the program’s ability to develop bigs in recent years has been a major selling point.
Seton Hall is in a good spot, but I would not go as far as anointing it the favorite right now. There is a lot of competition for Ayomide and that will be the case until he commits. Temple is an intriguing option for the Pennsylvania native, as it has been pushing playing close to home hard. Illinois and LSU also have serious stakes in this recruitment and have been in constant contact with Ayomide since first offering him.
Rafael Castro Update
Seton Hall made the right call getting in early with the local product. Castro has blown up since the Pirates offered, as Dayton, Florida, Miami, Providence and Xavier have all jumped into the mix recently.I had the chance to briefly speak with Castro earlier this month and the Seton Hall offer definitely caught his eye. He appreciated that a local school was the first power program to show interest and he said the staff has done a good job recruiting him ever since.
One school I would keep an eye on in this recruitment is Florida. The Gators have deep connections with Team Rio and have been recruiting Castro heavily since offering. Seton Hall is one of Castro’s top choices right now, but he is not in a rush to wrap up his recruitment. Expect some more twists and turns before he commits.
Daniel Nixon
Some of you might have noticed that Seton Hall made the Top 10 for New York native Daniel Nixon recently. As far as I know the staff has not officially offered and I would not consider the Pirates a serious player in this recruitment right now. Wake Forest seems to be the overwhelming favorite.
New 2021 Targets
Bullis School (MD) SG Erik Reynolds
Offers : East Carolina, George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison, La Salle, Mount St. Mary’s, Old Dominion, Robert Morris, Saint Joseph’s, Stony Brook, Temple, Towson
Analysis : Reynolds’ offer list is somewhat puzzling considering he is a Top-100 recruit who plays at a solid high school program. Tony Skinn is leading the charge here and while I am not sure how high Reynolds is on the coaching staff’s board, there is definitely a level of interest.
Putnam Science Academy (CT) Sean Durugordon
Offers : Binghamton, DePaul, East Carolina, Fairfield, Fairleigh Dickinson, Georgia, Hofstra, Holy Cross, Iona, Marist, Missouri, UMass, NJIT, Old Dominion, Penn State, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, San Francisco, USF, VCU, Vermont, Wagner
Analysis : Seton Hall recently offered the Queens native, but he does not appear to be a priority target for the staff right now and profiles more as a Plan B prospect for Seton Hall. The six recruiting Durugordon the hardest right now are DePaul, East Carolina, Georgia, Hofstra, Missouri and VCU.
Navarro College (JUCO) C Souleymane Doumbia
Offers : Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia, Houston, TCU
Analysis : Considering the staff’s level of interest in Ayomide, Doumbia is probably a Plan B target right now. However, his skillset is extremely impressive. He is athletic, runs the floor well and has a soft touch in the low post. He can also shoot relatively well, making him an inside-out threat that would fit in Kevin Willard’s offense. Doumbia is the kind of player that could make an instant impact at Seton Hall if he were to commit to the Pirates. He has the size to bang down low in the Big East and his game is only going to become smoother as his college career progresses.
2022 Offers
I’ve been doing my best to keep track of all of Seton Hall’s 2022 offers since the contact period opened up. I’m not going to offer any analysis here yet, but here are some targets that have either been offered or the staff has talked to recently to keep an eye on down the road:
Mt. Clemens (Mich.) SG JaVaughn Hannah
OSL (NY) G Jaquan Sanders
Archbishop Spalding (MD) Cam Whitmore
First Love Christian Academy (Miss.) PG Mason Manning
Blair Academy (NJ) G/F Kyle Cuffe Jr.
Calvin Coolidge Senior High School (MD) F Stephaun Walker
Worcester Academy (Mass.) G Dasonte Bowen
Nike UPlay (Canada) PG DJ Jackson
Roselle Catholic (NJ) PG Corey Floyd
Gonzaga College High School (DC) PG Judah Mintz
Woodrow Wilson (MD) F Darren Buchanan Jr.
o Note: Buchanan was teammates with Dimingus Stevens at Woodrow Wilson before Stevens transferred.
Lewiston Porter Senior (NY) SG Roddy Gayle Jr.
St. Thomas Aquinas (NJ) G Jaquan Harris
Oak Hill (Va.) G Zion Cruz
Blair Academy (NJ) G/F Otega Oweh
Dwight-Englewood (NJ) PG Jayden Lemond
Vermont Academy (VT) SF Chisom Okpara
Northwood Temple Academy (NC) SG Jaquante Harris
Westtown School (Pa.) F/C Dereck Livley
West Oaks (Fla.) F Fray Nguimbi
Trinity Academy (NC) G/F Noah Ross
Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.) PG BJ Edwards
South Cobb (Ga.) PG Zocko Littleton
By Tyler Calvaruso
June has been somewhat of an action-packed recruiting month for Seton Hall, as it has remained steadfast in pursuit of 2021 prospects while also getting a head start on the Class of 2022.
New targets have emerged and a familiar face has once again become one of the staff’s highest priorities. Ryan Conway is currently the only member of Seton Hall’s 2021 class, but the way things are trending, that could change sooner than expected.
With that being said, let’s get into the latest on Seton Hall’s efforts on the recruiting trail.
Dashawn Davis
Davis Down to 2
Despite receiving interest from the likes of Alabama, DePaul, Oregon, Oregon State and Texas A&M, Trinity Valley Community College guard Dashawn Davis is focusing on two schools moving forward – Seton Hall and St. John’s.
The former Seton Hall commit has long been eyeing a return to the metro area to finish his college career close to home. He has maintained a good relationship with the Pirates’ coaching staff since ascending up the JUCO ranks and is seriously considering a return to the program.
“It’s a perfect situation for me,” Davis said. “The ball is going to be in my hands and I’m going to have the keys to drive the ship. “They wanted me coming out of high school and nothing has changed. They knew I would develop into the player I am today.”
I have been hearing for months that Davis wanted to return to Seton Hall after completing his two-year stint at Trinity Valley. It’s clear that the coaching staff is intent on making the reunion happen. St. John’s is making a push, but the Pirates seem to be head and toe above the Red Storm. Davis plans on going public with his finalists soon and an announcement could come shortly after that.
The Latest on Sam Ayomide
Seton Hall completed a virtual conversation with Sam Ayomide on Tuesday and all indications are that things went extremely well.
I mentioned in my last recruiting update that the staff liked Ayomide’s game a lot. As I predicted, he is now becoming a priority recruit for the Pirates and the interest is mutual. Ayomide likes Seton Hall a lot and the program’s ability to develop bigs in recent years has been a major selling point.
Seton Hall is in a good spot, but I would not go as far as anointing it the favorite right now. There is a lot of competition for Ayomide and that will be the case until he commits. Temple is an intriguing option for the Pennsylvania native, as it has been pushing playing close to home hard. Illinois and LSU also have serious stakes in this recruitment and have been in constant contact with Ayomide since first offering him.
Rafael Castro Update
Seton Hall made the right call getting in early with the local product. Castro has blown up since the Pirates offered, as Dayton, Florida, Miami, Providence and Xavier have all jumped into the mix recently.I had the chance to briefly speak with Castro earlier this month and the Seton Hall offer definitely caught his eye. He appreciated that a local school was the first power program to show interest and he said the staff has done a good job recruiting him ever since.
One school I would keep an eye on in this recruitment is Florida. The Gators have deep connections with Team Rio and have been recruiting Castro heavily since offering. Seton Hall is one of Castro’s top choices right now, but he is not in a rush to wrap up his recruitment. Expect some more twists and turns before he commits.
Daniel Nixon
Some of you might have noticed that Seton Hall made the Top 10 for New York native Daniel Nixon recently. As far as I know the staff has not officially offered and I would not consider the Pirates a serious player in this recruitment right now. Wake Forest seems to be the overwhelming favorite.
New 2021 Targets
Bullis School (MD) SG Erik Reynolds
Offers : East Carolina, George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison, La Salle, Mount St. Mary’s, Old Dominion, Robert Morris, Saint Joseph’s, Stony Brook, Temple, Towson
Analysis : Reynolds’ offer list is somewhat puzzling considering he is a Top-100 recruit who plays at a solid high school program. Tony Skinn is leading the charge here and while I am not sure how high Reynolds is on the coaching staff’s board, there is definitely a level of interest.
Putnam Science Academy (CT) Sean Durugordon
Offers : Binghamton, DePaul, East Carolina, Fairfield, Fairleigh Dickinson, Georgia, Hofstra, Holy Cross, Iona, Marist, Missouri, UMass, NJIT, Old Dominion, Penn State, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, San Francisco, USF, VCU, Vermont, Wagner
Analysis : Seton Hall recently offered the Queens native, but he does not appear to be a priority target for the staff right now and profiles more as a Plan B prospect for Seton Hall. The six recruiting Durugordon the hardest right now are DePaul, East Carolina, Georgia, Hofstra, Missouri and VCU.
Navarro College (JUCO) C Souleymane Doumbia
Offers : Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia, Houston, TCU
Analysis : Considering the staff’s level of interest in Ayomide, Doumbia is probably a Plan B target right now. However, his skillset is extremely impressive. He is athletic, runs the floor well and has a soft touch in the low post. He can also shoot relatively well, making him an inside-out threat that would fit in Kevin Willard’s offense. Doumbia is the kind of player that could make an instant impact at Seton Hall if he were to commit to the Pirates. He has the size to bang down low in the Big East and his game is only going to become smoother as his college career progresses.
2022 Offers
I’ve been doing my best to keep track of all of Seton Hall’s 2022 offers since the contact period opened up. I’m not going to offer any analysis here yet, but here are some targets that have either been offered or the staff has talked to recently to keep an eye on down the road:
Mt. Clemens (Mich.) SG JaVaughn Hannah
OSL (NY) G Jaquan Sanders
Archbishop Spalding (MD) Cam Whitmore
First Love Christian Academy (Miss.) PG Mason Manning
Blair Academy (NJ) G/F Kyle Cuffe Jr.
Calvin Coolidge Senior High School (MD) F Stephaun Walker
Worcester Academy (Mass.) G Dasonte Bowen
Nike UPlay (Canada) PG DJ Jackson
Roselle Catholic (NJ) PG Corey Floyd
Gonzaga College High School (DC) PG Judah Mintz
Woodrow Wilson (MD) F Darren Buchanan Jr.
o Note: Buchanan was teammates with Dimingus Stevens at Woodrow Wilson before Stevens transferred.
Lewiston Porter Senior (NY) SG Roddy Gayle Jr.
St. Thomas Aquinas (NJ) G Jaquan Harris
Oak Hill (Va.) G Zion Cruz
Blair Academy (NJ) G/F Otega Oweh
Dwight-Englewood (NJ) PG Jayden Lemond
Vermont Academy (VT) SF Chisom Okpara
Northwood Temple Academy (NC) SG Jaquante Harris
Westtown School (Pa.) F/C Dereck Livley
West Oaks (Fla.) F Fray Nguimbi
Trinity Academy (NC) G/F Noah Ross
Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.) PG BJ Edwards
South Cobb (Ga.) PG Zocko Littleton
