This five part series will chronicle the past four years and will touch on the individual seasons following the commitments of Isaiah Whitehead and his fellow class of 2018 teammates.
At the conclusion of each season I will attach a grade for head coach Kevin Willard.
2017
Relevant Kenpom stats at the conclusion of the season
#51 Seton Hall (9 seed) BE 21-12 10-8
Conference-only offense 7th
Conference-only defense tied for 3rd
4 way tie for 3rd in final league standings
Lost in second round of Big East tournament to Villanova 55-53
Lost in first round of the NCAA to Arkansas 77-71
Final RPI
# 46
Before we touch on the 2017 season we must look back upon events that occurred prior. One devastating to the program's success the other securing a potential future building block.
First off we go back to the amazing 3 day run the Pirates enjoyed in the Big East tournament in New York. 4 star stud and rising junior Myles Cale unbeknownst to the the Seton Hall faithful was in attendance as he was on his official visit. Kevin Willard and company were rolling the dice on this visit because they had to concentrate on the tournament and not the recruit. A gamble so to speak as most recruits are wined and dined on their visits and what the Hall had to do here was basically ignore the player and his father who accompanied him on the visit.
Fortunately the gamble paid off as Myles was so impressed by the team's run through the tournament that he verbaled on the spot.
Kudos to Fred Hill for initially getting the Hall involved with the rising junior before he became a nationally known figure and kudos as well to Shaheen Holloway and Kevin Willard who closed the deal.
That was the good news. The Bad? Well that came with the roller coaster decision that SHU superstar was mulling regarding leaving school early to put his name in the NBA draft. Was he ready? Would he be drafted in the first round, if at all? Or was it in his best interests to come back to school for his junior season and lead the Pirates to levels they hadn't seen in decades?
Scouts were near unanimous in telling Whitehead he wasn't ready. Undeterred Whitehead visited many NBA teams working out for them that spring. Their response was lukewarm with only his home town Brooklyn Nets providing any hope of possible interest. And even then he was informed at best he would be chosen in the second round with their late pick.
With that info in hand Whitehead made a decision. He was coming back to school and on a joyous Tuesday for Kevin Willard he got a call from his star guard that he was coming back.
Music to the ears for Willard and his staff, but the euphoria was short lived. A day or so later Whitehead tearfully called his coach and told him due to family obligations he had changed his mind and was going to hire an agent and put his name in the draft.
That for all intents and purposes changed the future of the Hall from a top 5 team to a bubble team for the upcoming season.
With Whitehead now gone the Pirates faced a dilemma. The only true point guard on the team was the mercurial Jevon Thomas, and he was coming off a suspension in his sit out year for an altercation he had on campus. 2 guard stud Khadeen Carrington was seen as a player that could man the point in a pinch but that certainly wasn't Willard's first choice.
Enter the name Madison Jones, a player with ACC experience as a starting point guard at Wake Forest who himself had issues and was dismissed from that program when changed with a DUI in the summer of 2015.
Rumors after his dismissal abounded and the thought was that Jones would enroll at Mercer and continue his basketball career there, but that never materialized. Jones then became for all intents and purposes a basketball free agent if any school wanted to take a chance on him. Seton Hall desperate for experience at the point guard position made a decision, they needed a point and after carefully looking into the situation it was decided that an offer would be made to Jones. One that the graduate transfer immediately accepted. Madison Jones was a Pirate and the season with a now full roster was soon to begin.
As seems to be the case with most all of Willard's teams the Hall got off to its usual blazing start manufacturing a 10-2 non conference record with the only blemishes being a 5 point loss to SEC power Florida and a no show defeat to middling Sanford three days later. Both losses occurring at the AdvoCare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista Florida.
Now the challenges of the Big East beckoned and the anticipation of life without Isaiah Whitehead were at hand.
In the years with Whitehead the Pirates got off to hot in conference starts, but 2017 was a far different matter and the team struggled all of January, culminating with a loss on the first day of February to Xavier. That loss dropped the record to 3-6, with a stretch of 5 defeats in 6 games.
Kevin Willard and his players were at a crossroads. Would the season continue its spiral as it did in 2015 or would they instead do what they did one year previously, reach deep within themselves and show the desire, the talent, that led them to a Big East championship?.
Three days after their most recent defeat the team traveled to Washington DC to take on the Georgetown Hoyas. But with just 10 ticks left on the clock it was looking like another mark on the right side of the ledger was inevitable. That is until Khadeen Carrington decided otherwise as he received a pass with 3 second left in regulation twisting and turning while taking a right handed hook from inside the paint over the trees in the lane. Miraculously the shot hit nothing but net and what turned out to be the biggest play of the season for the Pirates sent the game into OT where the Hall edged Georgetown on Desi Rodriquez' winning drive to the basket 68-66. The game was saved, but more importantly so was the season.
From there confidence buoyed the Pirates went on a run winning 7 or their final 9 regular season games including the last 4 in a row. Order was restored and the team went from out of the ensuing Dance, to a bubble team. to finally one playing for a seed. All thanks to a game saving right handed hook from the Hall's 6-2 lefty 2 guard.
With the season ended and an NCAA tournament berth secured the Hall could now look forward to defending their conference crown at Madison Square Garden.
A task that started in a positive manner with a 82-76 victory over a Wojo led Marquette team.
Now mighty Villanova, the regular season champ was the next hurdle facing the Pirates and as they did a year earlier the Hall took it to the Wildcats leading virtually throughout. Unfortunately unlike the year prior the big shots down the stretch were made by Nova and not the Hall and a game long lead turned into a 55-53 heartbreak loss. One ending with SHU star center in tears being consoled by his teammates.
The fight was fought well but in ended in defeat. Nova then went on to hammer Creighton in the finals.
The Pirates did not defend their crown but they did for the second year in a row get an invite to the Dance where they as a 9th seed matched up in the first round with 8 seeded Arkansas. And in a game much like the Nova one the Hall squander a late lead falling to the Razorbacks by 6 points in a contest much closer than the final score indicated.
The season was over. One that near the brink of disaster was turned into a successful one with the Pirates finishing 21-12, 10-8 in conference.
Willard had done an amazing job after losing his superstar guard Isaiah Whitehead to the NBA, assumed starting PG Thomas who was dismissed from the team in January, and premier defender and locker room leader Derrick Gordon to graduation.
The accolades didn't match match his Co COY award of the previous season but that took nothing away from what he accomplished in 2017.
Kevin Willard's 2017 season grade: A-
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
At the conclusion of each season I will attach a grade for head coach Kevin Willard.
2017
Relevant Kenpom stats at the conclusion of the season
#51 Seton Hall (9 seed) BE 21-12 10-8
Conference-only offense 7th
Conference-only defense tied for 3rd
4 way tie for 3rd in final league standings
Lost in second round of Big East tournament to Villanova 55-53
Lost in first round of the NCAA to Arkansas 77-71
Final RPI
# 46
Before we touch on the 2017 season we must look back upon events that occurred prior. One devastating to the program's success the other securing a potential future building block.
First off we go back to the amazing 3 day run the Pirates enjoyed in the Big East tournament in New York. 4 star stud and rising junior Myles Cale unbeknownst to the the Seton Hall faithful was in attendance as he was on his official visit. Kevin Willard and company were rolling the dice on this visit because they had to concentrate on the tournament and not the recruit. A gamble so to speak as most recruits are wined and dined on their visits and what the Hall had to do here was basically ignore the player and his father who accompanied him on the visit.
Fortunately the gamble paid off as Myles was so impressed by the team's run through the tournament that he verbaled on the spot.
Kudos to Fred Hill for initially getting the Hall involved with the rising junior before he became a nationally known figure and kudos as well to Shaheen Holloway and Kevin Willard who closed the deal.
That was the good news. The Bad? Well that came with the roller coaster decision that SHU superstar was mulling regarding leaving school early to put his name in the NBA draft. Was he ready? Would he be drafted in the first round, if at all? Or was it in his best interests to come back to school for his junior season and lead the Pirates to levels they hadn't seen in decades?
Scouts were near unanimous in telling Whitehead he wasn't ready. Undeterred Whitehead visited many NBA teams working out for them that spring. Their response was lukewarm with only his home town Brooklyn Nets providing any hope of possible interest. And even then he was informed at best he would be chosen in the second round with their late pick.
With that info in hand Whitehead made a decision. He was coming back to school and on a joyous Tuesday for Kevin Willard he got a call from his star guard that he was coming back.
Music to the ears for Willard and his staff, but the euphoria was short lived. A day or so later Whitehead tearfully called his coach and told him due to family obligations he had changed his mind and was going to hire an agent and put his name in the draft.
That for all intents and purposes changed the future of the Hall from a top 5 team to a bubble team for the upcoming season.
With Whitehead now gone the Pirates faced a dilemma. The only true point guard on the team was the mercurial Jevon Thomas, and he was coming off a suspension in his sit out year for an altercation he had on campus. 2 guard stud Khadeen Carrington was seen as a player that could man the point in a pinch but that certainly wasn't Willard's first choice.
Enter the name Madison Jones, a player with ACC experience as a starting point guard at Wake Forest who himself had issues and was dismissed from that program when changed with a DUI in the summer of 2015.
Rumors after his dismissal abounded and the thought was that Jones would enroll at Mercer and continue his basketball career there, but that never materialized. Jones then became for all intents and purposes a basketball free agent if any school wanted to take a chance on him. Seton Hall desperate for experience at the point guard position made a decision, they needed a point and after carefully looking into the situation it was decided that an offer would be made to Jones. One that the graduate transfer immediately accepted. Madison Jones was a Pirate and the season with a now full roster was soon to begin.
As seems to be the case with most all of Willard's teams the Hall got off to its usual blazing start manufacturing a 10-2 non conference record with the only blemishes being a 5 point loss to SEC power Florida and a no show defeat to middling Sanford three days later. Both losses occurring at the AdvoCare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista Florida.
Now the challenges of the Big East beckoned and the anticipation of life without Isaiah Whitehead were at hand.
In the years with Whitehead the Pirates got off to hot in conference starts, but 2017 was a far different matter and the team struggled all of January, culminating with a loss on the first day of February to Xavier. That loss dropped the record to 3-6, with a stretch of 5 defeats in 6 games.
Kevin Willard and his players were at a crossroads. Would the season continue its spiral as it did in 2015 or would they instead do what they did one year previously, reach deep within themselves and show the desire, the talent, that led them to a Big East championship?.
Three days after their most recent defeat the team traveled to Washington DC to take on the Georgetown Hoyas. But with just 10 ticks left on the clock it was looking like another mark on the right side of the ledger was inevitable. That is until Khadeen Carrington decided otherwise as he received a pass with 3 second left in regulation twisting and turning while taking a right handed hook from inside the paint over the trees in the lane. Miraculously the shot hit nothing but net and what turned out to be the biggest play of the season for the Pirates sent the game into OT where the Hall edged Georgetown on Desi Rodriquez' winning drive to the basket 68-66. The game was saved, but more importantly so was the season.
From there confidence buoyed the Pirates went on a run winning 7 or their final 9 regular season games including the last 4 in a row. Order was restored and the team went from out of the ensuing Dance, to a bubble team. to finally one playing for a seed. All thanks to a game saving right handed hook from the Hall's 6-2 lefty 2 guard.
With the season ended and an NCAA tournament berth secured the Hall could now look forward to defending their conference crown at Madison Square Garden.
A task that started in a positive manner with a 82-76 victory over a Wojo led Marquette team.
Now mighty Villanova, the regular season champ was the next hurdle facing the Pirates and as they did a year earlier the Hall took it to the Wildcats leading virtually throughout. Unfortunately unlike the year prior the big shots down the stretch were made by Nova and not the Hall and a game long lead turned into a 55-53 heartbreak loss. One ending with SHU star center in tears being consoled by his teammates.
The fight was fought well but in ended in defeat. Nova then went on to hammer Creighton in the finals.
The Pirates did not defend their crown but they did for the second year in a row get an invite to the Dance where they as a 9th seed matched up in the first round with 8 seeded Arkansas. And in a game much like the Nova one the Hall squander a late lead falling to the Razorbacks by 6 points in a contest much closer than the final score indicated.
The season was over. One that near the brink of disaster was turned into a successful one with the Pirates finishing 21-12, 10-8 in conference.
Willard had done an amazing job after losing his superstar guard Isaiah Whitehead to the NBA, assumed starting PG Thomas who was dismissed from the team in January, and premier defender and locker room leader Derrick Gordon to graduation.
The accolades didn't match match his Co COY award of the previous season but that took nothing away from what he accomplished in 2017.
Kevin Willard's 2017 season grade: A-
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
COMMENTS
