SHU's Official Site on yesterday's Big East Media Day

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Delgado and Whitehead Earn Preseason All-BIG EAST Honors

Sophomore standouts land on Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team

Reigning BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Angel Delgado and classmate Isaiah Whitehead were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team Wednesday

Oct. 14, 2015

NEW YORK - Sophomore Seton Hall men's basketball stars Angel Delgado (Bajos De Haina, Dominican Republic) and Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y.) have been named to the BIG EAST Preseason All-Conference second team, the conference announced at its annual media day at Madison Square Garden Wednesday.

The preseason order of finish, according to a coaches vote, was also unveiled Wednesday, and the Pirates have been picked to finish seventh.

Seton Hall was one of only three teams in the 10-member conference to place two student-athletes on one of the two preseason All-Conference teams (Villanova & Butler).

The 6-9 Delgado is coming off an outstanding rookie campaign that saw him earn BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and Met Writers Co-Rookie of the Year honors. A three-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, Delgado averaged 9.3points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over 31 games. His 9.8 rebounds led thenation among all freshmen and was 22nd overall. In BIG EAST play, Delgado averaged a conference-best 10.7 rebounds, making him just the second freshman to win the conference's rebounding title (Troy Murphy - 1999).

Whitehead, though limited to only 22 games in his freshman season, earned BIG EAST All-Rookie team accolades after averaging 12.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists. A two-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, Whitehead ranked second on the Pirates in points, assists and steals. He was named the Joe Calabrese MVP of the Garden State Hardwood Classic after scoring a game-high 25 points in a win over Rutgers. He was one of only three freshmen among the high-major conferences to average at least 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists (D'Angelo Russell - Ohio State & Xavier Rathan-Mayes - Florida State).

Delgado and Whitehead are among seven returners that account for 49 percent of the team's scoring and 60 percent of the team's rebounding. The Pirates have added six newcomers to the squad, including graduate transfers Braeden Anderson (Okotoks, Alberta) and Derrick Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) as well as three talented freshmen vying for playing time. Led by head coach Kevin Willard, Seton Hall will look to build on its 2014-15 season that saw the Pirates win the Paradise Jam and Garden State Hardwood Classic championships, defeat two Associated Press top 15 teams and earn the program's highest Associated Press ranking (No. 19) since 2001.

The 2015-16 season tips off with an exhibition againstBaruch College on Oct. 31 at Walsh Gymnasium, and the Pirates will begin the regular season on Nov. 13 against Dartmouth at Prudential Center. Season tickets start at just $153 and can be purchased by calling (973) 275-HALL.

http://www.shupirates.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101415aaa.html

 

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Richardson-Smith Tabbed Unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST Pick

Two-time All-Conference performer is a repeat member of the Preseason All-Conference team

Senior sharpshooter finished third in the BIG EAST in scoring (17.8 ppg) for a 28-win Pirates team last season

Oct. 14, 2015

NEW YORK – Seton Hall women’s basketball senior forward Tabatha Richardson-Smith (Bay City, Texas) was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team, the league announced at Media Day on Wednesday (Oct. 14). A two-time All-Conference selection in her career, Richardson-Smith was one of seven unanimous selection the 11-member team, voted on by the 10 BIG EAST head coaches. Also announced by the league was the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which tabbed The Hall for a fifth-place finish.

The Preseason All-Conference nod for Richardson-Smith comes after the forward led the Pirates in scoring with 17.8 points per game last year, good for third in the BIG EAST. The sharp-shooter drained a program-record 94 three-pointers on the year, most in the league, and set the Seton Hall all-time career mark with 199 triples. She enters her senior season ninth on The Hall’s all-time scoring list with 1,321 points.

A strong two-way player, Richardson-Smith added to her scoring accolades by finishing eighth in the BIG EAST with 6.8 rebounds per game and second in the league with 2.4 steals per contest. In conference play she upped her rebound total to 8.5 boards per game, third-best in the league. Richardson-Smith currently ranks in the top-15 all-time in eight statistical categories at The Hall and owns two of the program’s four-best single-season scoring marks.

The fifth place selection for The Hall comes after a record-breaking 2014-15 campaign that saw the Pirates set a program-record with 28 wins and clinch their first regular season BIG EAST title with a 15-3 league record. Under BIG EAST Coach of the Year Anthony Bozzella, The Hall set a single-season scoring record and ranked 22nd in the nation with 75.6 points per game. The Pirates also boasted the BIG EAST’s best field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.7 percent shooting.

In addition to Richardson-Smith, The Hall returns seven letterwinners from last year’s squad. Tiffany Jones (New York, N.Y.) is second among returners in scoring and rebounds after averaging 7.0 points and 5.8 boards a game in 22 contests off the bench in ’14-15. The Pirates gain the services of Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.) for ’15-16 after the Iona transfer and All-MAAC performer sat out last year and also welcome impact transfer Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.).

The Hall opens the 2015-16 season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. against the Bryant Bulldogs. The Pirates will face a challenging slate that includes opponents from the ACC, Big Ten and SEC along with in-state rivals and 2015 NCAA Tournament teams Rutgers and Princeton, both at historic Walsh Gymnasium.

Pirate Women's Basketball Home

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