12/1/2015 10:15:15 AM
By Sean Brennan, Special to BIGEAST.com
Al McGuire, the legendary former Marquette coach and TV color commentator once said "the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard is hoping McGuire was right. And judging by early-season results so far, it looks as though Al was on to something.
Willard brought in a much-hyped freshman class last season, led by former Lincoln H.S. (Brooklyn) star Isaiah Whitehead, and much was expected in Pirate Land last year. But the 2014-15 Pirates campaign didn't go as planned, finishing as a mix of the good and bad. The good – Seton Hall climbing as high as No. 19 in the national polls as the Pirates jumped out to a 12-2 record which was capped by a victory over then-No. 6 Villanova. The bad – losing Whitehead for almost seven weeks with a foot injury and, as a result, the Pirates went into a tailspin late in the season and lost 11 of their final 14 games and with it any chance at some meaningful basketball in March.
But Whitehead said last year's collapse was a lesson learned and this year that painful end to the season is what is fueling Seton Hall this time around. And judging by their 5-1 start – with just a three-point loss to Long Beach State blotting their ledger – the Pirates are on a mission to become a player in the BIG EAST this season.
"I definitely think last season is motivation and the last game, too, because of the way we went out," Whitehead said, referring to the Pirates' early exit in the BIG EAST tournament. "For me, Khadeen (Carrington) and Desi (Rodriguez), that's our home court, Madison Square Garden, so going in there and losing that way to Marquette (78-56) it definitely gave us a lot of motivation coming into the season. I think now it's showing how hard everybody worked in the offseason."
Both Seton Hall and Whitehead have had a nice break from the season's starting gate as the Pirates have won five of six, including back-to-back victories over SEC schools Mississippi and Georgia, while Whitehead, fully recovered from his foot injury, has scored 17 points or better in five of his six games, including two games in which he topped 20 points. Going into Seton Hall's game at George Washington on December 2, Whitehead leads the Pirates in scoring (16.8 ppg.), assists (22), minutes played (29.3) and three-pointers (14) while placing second in free throw percentage (72%).
But Whitehead is adding another facet to his game this season – leadership. Last season, with veterans such as Sterling Gibbs, Jaren Sina and Brandon Mobley around, Whitehead could blend in during his first season. This year, however, this team is Whitehead's to lead.
"I think my new role is basically to lead by example," said Whitehead, who poured in a season-high 22 points in Seton Hall's 69-62 victory over Georgia last Saturday. "Be out there on the floor and tell guys what to do and just do all the right things. I mean who wouldn't like to be the leader of a BIG EAST team? It's a blessing and I think my teammates have been on the same page so far."
Willard has seen the growth in Whitehead from last year to this season and while he thinks there is still more work to be done by his sophomore guard, the early returns are very encouraging.
"It's something that's going to be a work in progress," Willard said. "The sophomores (Carrington, Rodriguez and Angel Delgado) are young but they played a lot last year so they are experienced. But more or less when we're on the court we're relying heavily on Isaiah. I think he's really starting to provide good leadership in practice. He's bringing it every day and playing at a high level and getting guys to be doing what they're supposed to be doing in practice. So early in the year more than anything he's shown really good leadership from that standpoint."
Whitehead was just beginning to show the talents that made him such a sought-after recruit before his foot injury sidelined him for seven weeks last season. Now that he's fully recovered, what kind of player can Seton Hall fans – and the BIG EAST in general – expect to see from him this year?
"I'm a guy who can play on a high level and as I watch more tape I'll know how to get my teammates involved more and more," Whitehead said.
Willard thinks his prized sophomore is already playing at a higher level now than he was before the injury last year.
"He was out for almost seven weeks last year with that foot injury," Willard said. "He tried to stay in shape but when he come back, that first game back is the ninth game of the BIG EAST schedule so it's tough to get your stride back at that point. But now he's controlling the game which is what he was doing last year before he got hurt. This year I think he's been even better. His game has improved and to be honest with you I expect him to get better, better, better as the year goes on."
Familiarity will also play a role in any Seton Hall success this season because as Whitehead points out, last season was not the first time he, Carrington, Rodriguez and Delgado played together.
"It helps that we all played together before we came to college," Whitehead said. "A lot of people look at it as if we've been only playing together for one year but we've all been playing together since we were young. Me, Desi, Angel and Khadeen we were all playing together before we all committed to Seton Hall so that has helped a lot. Me and Desi went to Lincoln together but we played against each other in high school in all-star games. We all know each other's strengths and weaknesses and we work with each other to get better and that helps us once we started playing games."
A healthy Whitehead with something to prove and a Pirates team itching to become a major player in the BIG EAST. Two reasons to be excited this season at Seton Hall?
"I'd say so, one hundred percent," Whitehead said. "I think we're really hungry and I think a lot of people are going to be surprised at what we do this year."
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