This may be a fantastic time for an evaluation and reset for Seton Hall Athletics. As we wait for our new Men's Basketball Coach to be put in place it will be vital to have a clear vision for SHU Athletics moving forward. This is the time to be on top of all aspects of athletics. SHU Basketball has established a more than respectable brand and is a great funding resource to The University. We the alumni have to do better with our donations as a whole.
Coach Willard and the prior staff did an excellent job in several areas of building back the program. One for sure was scheduling in the OOC and playing power conference schools. Bringing some top teams into Prudential or games at MSG helped to facilitate qualifying for The NCAA Tournament. As far as games played at Prudential this year's attendance should be scrutinized by the Athletic Department. There was definitely a falloff for a multitude of reasons debated here quite frequently. Hopefully, the new coach will install a more exciting brand of basketball although we really can't say the games were boring. In addition, the vibe around Newark needs to improve to some degree. It's about time there is a dedicated SHU merchandise store in that place if the room exists. The pandemic was an issue without question and the expense of going to games were real issues and not excuses as you often hear. It may be a temporary situation, but they need to make sure patterns aren't developing. We do know that winning games cures a lot of problems. With SHU grads and fans moving further and further away from the area attendance might be a challenge moving forward.
Finally, "ALL" the sports teams must start improving. The records are not acceptable in any way. Obviously, money and resources are limited. If programs have to be eliminated, then that should be considered. There is a limited amount of space on that campus. It's great that a practice facility is on the way. I believe the school should take one last look at a reconfigure using the soccer/baseball field as a place to build on. is there a way to use that space more wisely? Can they move the soccer field to Ivy hill Park and baseball off campus? These may not be reasonable options after the University invested to fix the current venue, but they are options. Right now, there is Basketball and everything else. It's a tough situation. The truth is the average SHU Basketball fan can live with last places finishes in every sport as long as basketball stays relevant. There is a window here to change things or stay with the current formula. Use the time wisely as they say. This is a very important time for The University.
Coach Willard and the prior staff did an excellent job in several areas of building back the program. One for sure was scheduling in the OOC and playing power conference schools. Bringing some top teams into Prudential or games at MSG helped to facilitate qualifying for The NCAA Tournament. As far as games played at Prudential this year's attendance should be scrutinized by the Athletic Department. There was definitely a falloff for a multitude of reasons debated here quite frequently. Hopefully, the new coach will install a more exciting brand of basketball although we really can't say the games were boring. In addition, the vibe around Newark needs to improve to some degree. It's about time there is a dedicated SHU merchandise store in that place if the room exists. The pandemic was an issue without question and the expense of going to games were real issues and not excuses as you often hear. It may be a temporary situation, but they need to make sure patterns aren't developing. We do know that winning games cures a lot of problems. With SHU grads and fans moving further and further away from the area attendance might be a challenge moving forward.
Finally, "ALL" the sports teams must start improving. The records are not acceptable in any way. Obviously, money and resources are limited. If programs have to be eliminated, then that should be considered. There is a limited amount of space on that campus. It's great that a practice facility is on the way. I believe the school should take one last look at a reconfigure using the soccer/baseball field as a place to build on. is there a way to use that space more wisely? Can they move the soccer field to Ivy hill Park and baseball off campus? These may not be reasonable options after the University invested to fix the current venue, but they are options. Right now, there is Basketball and everything else. It's a tough situation. The truth is the average SHU Basketball fan can live with last places finishes in every sport as long as basketball stays relevant. There is a window here to change things or stay with the current formula. Use the time wisely as they say. This is a very important time for The University.
