By Zack Cziryak
The college basketball landscape has undergone a whirlwind of change in recent years and between continued conference realignment, television contract renewals, the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness, a school of limited means like Seton Hall will need a force like Shaheen Holloway to help keep up.
Loughlin is a college basketball fan who has long considered himself “pro-player,” and though the transfer portal has produced a bit of a bonanza between the elimination of the mandatory sit-out year and an extra year of eligibility for student athletes affected by the COVID pandemic, it’s ultimately agency players should be able to explore as they matriculate through their college careers.
“I think the ability to go is good. I think if you were recruited to a place and the staff that recruited you leaves or the bloom is off the rose in terms of play or the school just doesn't live up to what you had hoped for in terms of the environment, scholastically, what have you, and I think you should have the opportunity to move. You're only a college student and player for so long,” he said.
One area related to the portal Loughlin will be watching is the relationship between players and fans, which maybe loses some of its magic as those players are increasingly enticed to move.
"I think it has the potential to significantly change the relationship and I think that's important. I think you want to cheer for somebody 20 years after they helped your team to a Big East championship and think back and tell your kids and share memories with your friends,” he said.
Part of what has made the college game such fun for Loughlin has been experiencing the growth and journey of players like Jared Rhoden, Myles Cale and Sandro Mamukelashvili. It’s an “old school” experience that could be lost, or at least an increasing rarity, as the new age of player movement kicks into gear.
"You could watch somebody get better, lead your school and your team to success and you could stick your chest out with pride. You know, as players are coming in and out and maybe only playing one year - I don't know how that's going to affect the relationship that fans have with the team. Maybe it just simply will be that 'I'm a fan of Seton Hall, whoever is wearing the blue and white that's who I cheer for.’”
Ultimately, the transfer portal is the new way of the world and it’s a tool that Kevin Willard used to great effect in his tenure at Seton Hall. Transfers will yet again make an impact on the Pirate roster as beyond the expected wave of newcomers that result from a coaching change, four of five holdovers from last year’s team also represent athletes that transferred to Seton Hall from another institution.
"I'm happy that Seton Hall has been able to mine that field but you just wonder whether or not you wind up losing as much as you gain,” said Loughlin, who feels the transfer portal will eventually level out.
Perhaps more pressing to fans of the program are the new rules, or lack thereof, around student athletes profiting off their names, images and likenesses, according to Loughlin, who believes the Hall has some level of alumni support that should be able to help the program keep up with the bigger programs and state schools to some extent once guardrails are put into place.
"I'm concerned about, you know, not that players get paid, but just how it's going to play out in terms of who will have the most success because of it,” he said. “So, I think there'll be some rules eventually coming into place. But until they do, who knows?"
Seton Hall basketball remains near and dear to Loughlin’s heart, as evidenced by the continuance of his Pirates Talk podcast through the COVID-19 pandemic and around his duties as radio play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Devils. Loughlin produced 18 episodes across the 2021-2022 season, with the episodes largely comprised of the long form interviews he prides himself on most.
Moving forward, however, Loughlin believes he can and will be able to engage with his audience on a more regular and games-related level throughout the season.
"I've got to figure out how much more I can realistically do and give, but I think there is room for more growth and trying to get a broader audience. I love doing the interviews. I love spending 25 minutes, half hour with coaches or players or media members, alums, etc. and there's an audience for that, but I think there's also very much an audience for almost immediate reaction, if not immediate reaction, and I'm trying to figure out how I can do that,” he said.
