PirateCrew: Seton Hall Pirates Football & Basketball Recruiting
The definitive source for all PirateCrew news.
By JP Pelzman
The excitement in Duane Woodward’s voice, even over the phone, is palpable. And the reason is obvious. He's speaking about the talent on Seton Hall’s roster, and the eagerness that comes with working every day to try to enhance that talent and get it ready for the upcoming season and a grueling schedule.
Any discussion of the Pirates’ 2021-22 roster has to begin with wing Jared Rhoden. With Sandro Mamukelashvili gone to the Milwaukee Bucks, the mantle of go-to guy shifts to the 6-6 Rhoden, as does the responsibility of being the leader.
Woodward believes Rhoden is up to all of these challenges.
“We're very, very excited for him,” the veteran Seton Hall assistant coach told PirateCrew, “because he’s a guy that’s going into his fourth year in the program and he’s shown something more every single year. Obviously, as a freshman, you saw little glimpses of what he was able to do in the limited playing time that he got, but he made a big jump as a sophomore. And as a junior, he made even more of a step forward. So, there is a lot of stuff to his game that he kind of worked on over the summer and we’re excited to show those little additions to his game.”
And as far as his intangibles, Woodward said, “He’s a leader, vocally and I think the guys will really, really follow his lead.”
Of course, Rhoden won’t be going it alone. He will have plenty of talent around him, including one of the more sought-after talents on the transfer market, former Syracuse guard Kadary Richmond, penciled in to run the point for the Pirates.
“He’s a phenomenal talent,” Woodward said. “I think people understand, but I think once people see him in person they’ll get a huge idea of what he can potentially be. He can do a lot. He’s a very unselfish player, loves to pass the ball and get people involved. He's taller than we’ve seen in the past. I think he’s a legit 6-6 at the lead guard spot. He's a guy in the past who’s shown that he can score the ball and with getting in the gym a lot he’s improved his shooting. So, we’re expecting a lot and I think he’s expecting a lot from himself.”
Are the expectations too high?
“I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure,” Woodward said. “He's not going about it himself. There’s a lot of talent on the team, but we’re really, excited. His court vision is phenomenal and again, he’s the type of player that we can move him around and get him going at different places. Again, it’s just about getting him acclimated to how we do things and being able to play a little differently than he’s played in the past at his previous school. He's a phenomenal talent, so the sky’s the limit.”
Another transfer in the backcourt is three-point marksman Jamir Harris from American. His younger brother, Jaquan Harris, is scheduled to join The Hall as a freshman next season.
“He was someone we wanted to make sure we targeted in the transfer portal when he became available,” Woodward said of Jamir Harris. “He is somebody who is a specialist at his position and is able to stretch the court. I don’t think we had that consistent shooter last year and so he’s been a wonderful addition.”
“He can do other things,” the coach added. “He can move around, he can come off screens, he can come off dribble handoffs he can even shoot off the dribble. He's a big-time scorer.
As Woodward noted, the Pirates shot only 32.1% from long distance last season. Thus, Harris could help turn that weakness into a strength.
Many people expected Myles Cale to leave via the transfer portal. That is, except Cale himself, who is back as a so-called “super senior,” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-wracked 2020-21 season.
“It was a no-brainer for us once he decided to come back,” Woodward said. “We love the way he carries himself on and off the court. He’s a really, really phenomenal leader, not as vocal (as Rhoden) but he’s definitely a leader. He's a great locker-room guy and a really good player.
“We know what to expect from him,” the coach added. “He's been really consistent on the offensive and defensive ends. We're looking at him to do even better things than he’s done in the past. He's improved (overall), he’s improved his shooting throughout the summer. Those are the things we’re looking for from him as the season goes on.”
Also taking advantage of the extra year is injury-plague Bryce Aiken, the Harvard transfer whose lone year in South Orange was wrecked by leg woes. Woodward was asked how much of a lift the team would get if Aiken could contribute, considering how hard he has worked to get back.
“I think emotionally it would go a long way,” he said. “The guys honestly are really, excited about Bryce. They know how much this kid works. Bryce is someone who you will never doubt the amount of work he puts in on the court. He’s there before practice. He’s there after practice. He's there early. He stays late. He's a guy who you will never question the work ethic he puts into getting back and staying sharp. Obviously, we know the kind of talent that he is and that he’s been in the past and he’s shown us some glimpses of it, small windows of it because he kept getting injured. But he’s done a phenomenal job of getting healthy and I think his game will speak for itself.
“He's gotten back to a point where mentally he’s calm,” Woodward added. “He's not putting too much pressure on himself at this point.”
Woodward said Jahari Long has improved his game after his conditioning was affected as a freshman by contracting COVID just before the season.
“Catching the virus prior to the season wasn’t beneficial to him,” Woodward said. “He's improved his shooting. … We just can’t wait for him to start showing (his improvement) on a day-to-day basis.”
As for freshmen Brandon Weston, Ryan Conway and Tyler Powell, Woodward said, “We're very excited about all three freshmen. Obviously, they got hampered by the pandemic and not having a season or having a shortened season.”
He noted that Powell had a limited season.
“Obviously them getting game minutes and getting game-ready is going to take some time,” he added, “being that they didn’t play last season. ... Getting them back into playing shape is our first goal. And then obviously they have to learn the offense and it’s a learning process (as a whole) as well.
“We're excited about Brandon Weston,” Woodward continued. “He's a top 75 player. He has great size, athleticism and he has a toughness about him so we’re anticipating good things from Brandon. Ryan Conway is a tremendously hard worker. He shoots the ball really well. Tyler Powell plays really hard and has a strong body."
In short, the feeling when you talk to Woodward is a good one for Pirate fans. A feeling that he cannot wait for the 2021-22 season to begin. And it all starts Wednesday Nov 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
