PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
The definitive source for all PirateCrew news.
By Tyler Calvaruso
Where do you think Seton Hall goes from here now with two scholarships left open?
“I think there’s a lot of options. I think there’s a lot of different ways they can go. I’m curious to see what they do with Jakai [Robinson] and if they decide if he plays a similar position to Brandon or if he can play alongside him and Tyler in some respect. I’m curious what they do with that one. I’m also curious to see what they do with Rafael Castro. If you look at his highlights from the summer, he’s a guy who has kind of come into his own, so I think he could be a target to really look into. Micawber [Etienne] is another one and so is the kid Sam [Ayomide].
There were obviously some crystal ball projections for Brandon, but it seemed like the Conway buzz was a lot higher with Seton Hall than with Brandon, so it seemed like Conway was much more of a sure thing than Brandon. So, as we’ve seen, Seton Hall has thrown its offers out there and they're going to see which guys... Jakai, Rafael, Sam and some other guys, which ones are really feeling them. Maybe Nisine Poplar, too. He’s really talented, but mainly those guys I think.”
Who are some 2022 guys they should be taking a hard look at?
“In talking with (sources) a couple of times about the class, obviously, you’ve seen it, 2022 in New Jersey is insane. It’s an important class for them. The first guys that come to mind are the Jaquan Harris’s of the world, the Denver Anglin’s of the world. They’ve mentioned those guys to me, those are guys that they’re interested in. Obviously, Mark Armstrong’s a stud. Zion Cruz just transferred but he’s still a Jersey kid. There are like six guys that are top-100 level players and then there are four or five more like Jayden Pierre who are in the 120-150 range. This class in Jersey is super important for Seton Hall to capitalize on and there’s a lot for them to pick from. From what I’m hearing, it’s really early, so they’re kind of just sending their offers out there and keeping an eye on things slowly but surely saying, ‘These are going to be some of our guys.’ I don’t know if they’ve identified those specific players yet, but they’re super jacked up about this class with it being a stacked Jersey class"
Why do you think it is that Seton Hall and Rutgers have difficulty keeping a lot of the top New Jersey recruits home?
“I get asked that question quite a bit. I think it’s one of those things where New Jersey itself...its high school basketball has a ton of hype around it. So, for example, if we’re talking about a kid like Scottie Lewis, he had a ton of attention on him since eighth grade. He could’ve gone to any program he wanted to throughout the country. I think what people need to realize is that a lot of these guys the Seton Hall fans and the Rutgers fans want, they’re just not going up against just other Big East teams. You’re going up against the blue bloods and everybody around the country, it's going to be a struggle, because New Jersey basketball is really, really good. It has some of the best basketball in the country. I think you have to realize [Seton Hall and Rutgers] are competing against blue bloods here. That’s something to take into consideration. It makes it that much harder.”
When you talk to people in the industry, whether it be high school coaches, AAU coaches or college coaches, what seems to be the consensus and opinion on Kevin Willard and the way he has run Seton Hall’s program?
“I think early on a lot of people crushed him, but I think if you look at the previous staff that was there before, it takes time to really undo what they did. I think people were getting a little impatient there, but now, a lot of people have a lot of respect for Kevin. I think Brandon hit the nail on the head in what he said about player development and I think that’s pretty clear to everybody. It’s pretty clear that Willard knows how to develop his guys.
Just look at Desi Rodriguez and Khadeen Carrington. You can say all you want about him, but there’s a lot to say about Kevin Willard’s development with those guys. I think that’s one thing that really stands out about Kevin. It has become a thing now that they’ve had so much success, there is now a certain type of Seton Hall kid. When you go down to these tournaments, you’ll hear, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s a Seton Hall kid.’ A Seton Hall kid is tough, gritty and competes. That’s a real thing. It seems like they’ve formed a real culture and there wasn’t one there for a long time. You know a program that has culture and you know a program that is trying to form one. It seems like Seton Hall has formed one. Kevin likes his guys that are super gritty and super tough and he develops (them). I think that’s his rep from what I’m hearing around the country.”
When Seton Hall finally gets its practice facility, what do you think that’s going to do for the program?
“Oh yeah, that’s going to help a ton. Whether people want to admit it or not, facilities, first impressions like that, they help. Facilities and those types of features are a huge way to get the kids in the door. How you coach them, how you develop them is how you keep them. I think that’s going to help a ton. It just shows a ton of growth and like we talked about before, perception is everything. That’s going to help the perception of the program. Whether people like to admit it or not, those things matter.”
When you talk to recruits, what have you gathered as their main priorities when deciding where they want to commit?
“The first thing I hear is getting to the NBA. From my conversations, a lot of their answers are focused around the NBA and what is going to help them develop to the place they want to be. I think it’s all centered around there, but they also want a coach that is understanding, too. The relationship is a huge thing, because they want to know what they’re getting into. There’s the coach that recruits you and the coach that actually coaches you. I think the relationship is super important. I think they want to have someone there who isn’t going to be their best friend, but will hold them accountable and understand them. I think specifically with Seton Hall, they have a lot of coaches who hold their guys accountable, but are still very understanding. I think Kevin has done a great job with that as well. So, I think track record, seeing guys they’ve had success with prior and also how they’re going to plan for you and help you achieve your goals is the key."
What do you make of the impending transfer rule? Do you think there is going to be sort of a free agency in college basketball?
“I think it would be a little bit premature to make an absolute statement on it, but yeah, I think it could lead into a little bit of free agency and a little bit of craziness early on. Maybe that will smooth out over time, but yeah, I think it would be a little premature to make an absolute statement as much as I would love to give you that. I think we just gotta wait and see how things play out a bit. It’s a little concerning, but again I think you have to wait and see how things play out.”
Thank you for talking the time to talk to us and good luck with The Front Office.
"Anytime."
