Seton Hall Basketball Preview

Going into the 2003- 04 basketball season, not many people outside of the Pirate program looked for more than an NIT bid. But thanks to the leadership of point guard Andre Barrett, the coaching of Big East Coach of the Year Louis Orr, and an underrated supporting cast, Seton Hall advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sure, the blowout loss to eventual Final Four participant was a tough way to end the season, but one game does not overshadow the leaps and bounds by which this team improved. But the losses of Barrett, arguably the greatest point guard to ever play in South Orange, and “glue guy” Marcus Toney-El leave a sizeable void to be filled by the 2004- 05 squad. Thanks to three returning starters, the sixth man, and an excellent recruiting class, there is reason for optimism. The out of conference schedule provides a couple of challenges, but with another solid season in league play, this team should once again find itself in the field of 65 come March. Below is a summary of this season’s team.

2003- 04 Record: 21-10 overall, 10- 6 Big East

Coaching Staff: Head Coach Louis Orr; Assistants Brian Nash, Billy Garrett, and John Dunne.

Due to their success last season, Coach Orr was rewarded with the honor of Big East Coach of the Year at the end of the season. It was a title richly deserved, given the fact that the Pirates were only one game over .500 in their out of league schedule. And when you play in a league as tough as the Big East, that isn’t suicide, but it’s darn close. This may be a young staff, in terms of both age and experience, but they can coach with the best of them. As with last season, when having their bubble burst the previous year was used for inspiration, there should be no problem finding a way to motivate this team. The primary task for this staff is finding a point guard, most likely freshman phenom Justin Cerasoli, who can run the offense without making too many silly mistakes. No one person can replace what Barrett did for this program, but a committee can help offset the loss. This staff can definitely find a way to get it done.

Point Guard: Justin Cerasoli (FR) 6’5”, 180 lbs.

Justin comes in with those surrounding the program expecting him to take the reins and lead this team back to the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully further along the road. Assuming the point guard position puts a lot of weight upon his shoulders, but Cerasoli can definitely get the job done. He has the same build as a Shaun Livingston, just a tad shorter. Seton Hall has never had a point guard of his size and skill level, with the majority of Pirate greats hovering around the 6-foot even area (Gerald Greene, Shaheen Holloway, and Barrett, to name three). The key for Justin: play his game while keeping the turnovers to a minimum. He can add a little flash to his game, sometimes too much of it. How far this team goes is dependent on his growth at the point.

Shooting Guard: John Allen (SR) 6’5”, 207 lbs.

Luckily for Cerasoli, he has this hard-nosed competitor with experience as his backcourt partner. Allen averaged 12.4 points per game last season for the Pirates, but don’t let that overshadow is solid effort on the defensive end. A streaky offensive performer last year, Allen had the maddening ability to follow up superlative showings with occasional disappearing acts. The Pirates will need a more consistent effort from him this year, but being that this is his last go-round, that should not be a problem. If Allen can add leadership to this team, something that he did not have a problem with last year, the entire team will reap the benefits.

Small Forward: J.R. Morris (JR) 6’5”, 206 lbs.

This is the only spot in the starting five that may be up for grabs, but the edge goes to Morris over freshman Brian Laing due to experience. Morris came off the bench as the team’s sixth man last season, supplying an offensive spark to the tune of 10.1 points per contest. The best returning perimeter shooter, Morris suffered from the same consistency “bug” that plagued John Allen. The defensive effort for J.R. must improve, especially with Laing waiting in the wings with the ability to defend the 2 and 3 positions on the floor. Some may feel that Morris may have to score even more to help this team, but the small forward position could be the spot where the coaching staff looks for some of the intangibles that were supplied by Marcus Toney-El last season.

Power Forward: Andre Sweet (SR) 6’6”, 215 lbs.

The Duke transfer from the Bronx finished second on the team in rebounds, snatching 6.0 per game, despite the fact that on most nights he was shorter than his opponent. You can’t coach heart, and this is definitely the case with Sweet. He could stand to improve on his 10.1 points per game, and that is a definite possibility. With more height on the bench, Sweet could see some time at the small forward position, allowing him to get out on the perimeter more on the offensive end. Look for help from 6’10” freshman Marcus Cousin on the interior as well. The goal for Sweet should be to improve while adding senior leadership to this team, given that he and Allen are the only seniors on the roster.

Center: Kelly Whitney (JR) 6’8”, 240 lbs.

After missing the first semester of the season due to grades, Whitney came back in a major way, leading Seton Hall in rebounds with 6.9 per contest along with 13.6 points per game. The major breakthrough for Whitney came during the NCAA Tournament, where he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in games against Arizona and Duke. Expect the ball to go down into the paint more, since he more than proved that he can be a major offensive option for this team. Seton Hall is deeper on the blocks this season, but he still cannot afford to pick up cheap fouls and end up on the bench. The silver lining to his having to sit out the first half of last season: Grant Billmeier gained valuable experience as a freshman.

Bench:

The Hall is deeper this season, boasting the ability to go eight or nine players deep. Expect help at the point from junior Donald Copeland and sophomore Jamar Nutter. Nutter sat out last season, can help at both guard slots, while Copeland was an absolute defensive pest when he saw action last year. If one man can’t get it done alone at the point, the coaches can do it by committee. Freshman Brian Laing is expected to see time on the perimeter as well, and classmate Marcus Cousin can help on the glass down low. Grant Billmeier, who started games before Whitney returned to the team, is a year older and a year wiser, so he should be better equipped to handle the Big East without racking up as many touch fouls. Postmen Mani Messy and Alex Gambino may be able to contribute some as well, but they may be only seen in times of severe injury of foul trouble.

So, how far can these Pirates go? It’s tough to say, but anything less than an NCAA bid could be considered a disappointment. Two of their three toughest out of conference games, Richmond and Texas, are at home, with a trip to Rhode Island highlighting the docket. Other than that, along with a possible trap game at Northwestern, the Pirates should head into Big East play with a solid record. With Virginia Tech and Miami gone, two cupcakes leave the league, but Seton Hall only faces UConn, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame just one time apiece. And with the firepower that’s joining the Big East next season, a lot of the teams on the “second tier” of the league will be scratching and clawing for every win this year. But as long as the intangibles and the point guard position are taken care of, this Pirate team can win 20 games once again.