Seton Hall Basketball

Seton Hall has suspended men's basketball coach Kevin Willard for his team's exhibition matchup against Misericordia and the Pirates' regular-season opener against Wagner for alleged transfer tampering, per Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press and Zach Braziller of the New York Post. 

"The university-issued suspension is in response to an NCAA investigation into allegations of transfer tampering, sources confirmed," Braziller wrote. "Sources told The Post the player in question is current junior forward Taurean Thompson, who transferred from Syracuse two years ago."

Seton Hall issued a statement, per Carino:

“Seton Hall University has been working collaboratively with the NCAA enforcement staff to address an infraction within our men’s basketball program."

"Our department has been proactive in our review and has been fully cooperating with the NCAA enforcement staff. As head coach, Coach Willard assumes responsibility for the program, including this underlying violation, and has agreed to sit out the October 29 exhibition contest and the November 5 game.  This matter is still in review, and as a result, we will refrain from commenting any further until it is resolved. Seton Hall is and always will be committed to a culture of compliance, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure it."

Carino also wrote that the NCAA is expected to rule on whether the two-game suspension will suffice "in the near future."

Thompson, the player in question, transferred from Syracuse to Seton Hall in 2017 after playing one season for the Orange. He sat out the 2017-18 campaign and averaged 4.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game last year. The 6'10" forward has two years of eligibility remaining.

Willard, 44, is entering his ninth season at Seton Hall's head coach after leading Iona for three years. He's guided the Pirates to four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2016-19 and a Big East title in 2016.

Seton Hall enters the 2019-20 season with the highest expectations ever in the Willard era. The Pirates sit 12th in the preseason Associated Press poll, and Big East coaches picked them to win the conference.

They return their top three scorers from last year, including Myles Powell, who led the Big East with 23.1 points per contest.

Grant Billmeier will coach in Willard's place, although the Pirates' leader will still be allowed to run practices. 

Billmeier, who played for Seton Hall from 2003-2007, has been on Willard's staff for all but one season in his Pirates tenure.

He took the reins for the Pirates' game against Misericordia on Tuesday and will do the same against Wagner on Tues., Nov. 5 at home. Willard is eligible to return for his team's Sat., Nov. 9 game against Stony Brook.

Our freshman guard @Shavarr33 & his teammates had to watch a lot of film today... little did they know that we were just stalling to give Shavar a great surprise...WELCOME HOME MASTER CHIEF REYNOLDS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! #HALLin pic.twitter.com/ajJjP2xBB0

— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 2, 2017

Seton Hall Pirates freshman guard Shavar Reynolds thought he was in the middle of a routine film session with teammates Friday.

Little did he know he was about to receive an early holiday gift.

Per the Pirates' official website, Reynolds' father, Shavar Reynolds Sr., had served in Greece with the United States Navy for the past 11 months before returning to New Jersey on Friday.

The master-at-arms chief went directly to Seton Hall's campus after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, and he and his son enjoyed an emotional homecoming as Reynolds' teammates cheered.

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard honored the returning serviceman's request by ordering pepperoni pizza and wings for the occasion.

Happy holidays, Reynolds family.

[Twitter]

Madison Square Garden played host to a pair of 2017 Big East tournament semifinals Friday night with the top-seeded Villanova Wildcats in action against the Seton Hall Pirates in the first half of the evening's doubleheader. 

The late game, meanwhile, featured the Xavier Musketeers and Creighton Bluejays in a clash of squads looking to bolster their resumes further in advance of Selection Sunday. 

Below, you'll find a recap of the night's action along with an updated schedule as the Big East tournament nears its conclusion. 

Matchup	Result/Start Time (ET)
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 Seton Hall	Villanova 55, Seton Hall 53
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 7 Xavier	Creighton 75, Xavier 72

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Saturday, March 11	Villanova vs. Creighton	5:30 p.m.	Fox

Villanova 55, Seton Hall 53

A year after the Pirates upset the Wildcats in the Big East tournament final, the defending national champions exacted their revenge in a thrilling 55-53 win. 

Villanova scored a season-low 20 points in the first half and trailed by seven at the break, but a sensational performance from Josh Hart down the stretch allowed the Wildcats to sneak past the Pirates and into the title game. 

Hart finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and his put-back bucket through contact with 9.6 seconds remaining in regulation propelled Villanova in front for good, as FS1 documented on Twitter: 

ALL HART. JUST UNREAL. JOSH HART. @NovaMBB's game winner over Seton Hall called by Gus Johnson. #BEtourney https://t.co/dbSOrgV365

— FS1 (@FS1) March 11, 2017

Jalen Brunson (13 points) was the only other Wildcats scorer to finish in double-figures on a night when Villanova shot a shaky 41.7 percent from the field and 5-of-19 from three. 

Seton Hall, on the other hand, received double-figure contributions from three players. Desi Rodriguez led that pack with 14 points, while Myles Powell and Khadeen Carrington dropped 11 points apiece. Angel Delgado also shined against Villanova's small frontcourt to the tune of eight points and eight boards. 

By virtue of the Kansas Jayhawks' loss to the TCU Horned Frogs on Thursday, the Wildcats are now in line to capture the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed if they can cap their week off with one more win on Saturday night.  

Creighton 75, Xavier 72

As it turns out, the drama wasn't limited to Villanova and Seton Hall. 

Locked in a heated battle with the Musketeers, the Bluejays survived in a 75-72 thriller thanks to a game-winning three from Marcus Foster with 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation. 

FS1 relayed footage of Foster's clutch bucket, which came on the heels of a game-tying three from Xavier's Trevon Bluiett: 

ONIONS! MARCUS FOSTER! BALLGAME!

*Gus Johnson voice* WOOOOOOOOOOOO. #BEtourney https://t.co/IwCT5bFyaD

— FS1 (@FS1) March 11, 2017

Foster finished his heroic effort with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Justin Patton also dropped 21 points as he shot a wildly efficient 10-of-13 from the floor. 

The story for Xavier revolved around backcourt marksman J.P. Macura, who poured in 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting (6-of-11 from three). 

The Bluejays will now turn their attention to the Wildcats, who bested them twice during the regular season, including a 79-63 romp on Feb. 25. 

Kevin Willard can't handle it.

The Seton Hall coach lost it when sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead drove to the basket in the final 20 seconds of the Big East tournament on Saturday, drawing a foul and completing the three-point play to take a one-point lead over Villanova.

Willard literally couldn't stand it; he was that overwhelmed:

The Pirates won the tournament crown, holding off the Wildcats in the final moments at Madison Square Garden, 69-67.

[Vine, Twitter]

Seton Hall guard Jevon Thomas reportedly became involved in an altercation during an intramural basketball game Thursday night and is alleged to have choked the referee.  

David Heim, Olivia Mulvihill and Gary Phillips of the Setonian reported Thursday that Thomas was upset with a call made by Kevin Matthews, a graduate assistant working as the game official, and the incident ensued. The outlet included an eyewitness account of the chaos from student Alex Washington:

All I saw was the two of them arguing when our opponents were supposed to be taking a free throw. They continued to argue and then Kevin kind of told him (Thomas) to leave but he wouldn't. And Kevin didn't push him but like put his hands on (Thomas') chest to move him back. And J.T. (Thomas) shoved him (Matthews). That's when everyone came and separated them. I thought everything was going to be fine then. But a few moments later the dude J.T. was choking him with two hands from behind the backboard too close to the glass by the weight room.

Seton Hall University released a statement, but it didn't discuss the specific incident in question, according to the Setonian report.

"The University does not comment on individual student situations," the school said. "However, any allegation of student misconduct is immediately referred to the Dean of Students Office for investigation and adjudication."

The Setonian noted the South Orange Police Department and paramedics were called to the Richie Regan Recreation Center. Matthews reportedly had red marks on his neck, but he did not suffer any serious injuries.

Thomas, who spent the previous two seasons at Kansas State, is currently sitting out the Pirates' 2015-16 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules. He'd have two years of eligibility left starting next season.

The 22-year-old guard averaged 4.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds while playing a shade under 26 minutes per game for the Wildcats last season. Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber told Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle in May 2015 that the Queens, New York, native transferred to be closer to home.

No further information was released about what type of punishment Thomas could potentially receive as a result of the situation.

Seton Hall basketball landed one of its biggest commitments in recent memory Saturday as promising point guard Myles Powell announced his intention to play for the Pirates.

Powell, who 247sports rates a a 4-star prospect, made the news official via his Twitter account.

According to 247sports, the 6'1" guard from Trenton, New Jersey, is the No. 17 prospect at his position in his class, and the No. 86 overall player nationally.

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com highlighted the importance of Powell's commitment to Seton Hall:

BREAKING: 2016 guard Myles Powell has committed to Seton Hall, per his twitter page. Huge get for the Pirates. Shooter with range. #shbb

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 19, 2015

Per Rothstein, the Pirates are also working on another point guard from New Jersey in Bryce Aiken, who is visiting the school along with Powell. Aiken is a 4-star recruit as well, per 247sports.

It has been a decade since Seton Hall last qualified for the NCAA tournament, there is hope for a brighter future due to the addition of Powell and the fact that head coach Kevin Willard has led the Pirates to a record of .500 or better in each of his two seasons with the school.

Seton Hall has a far better chance to make noise in the current version of the Big East than it did previously, and if it can continue to reel in the state's top recruits, such as Powell, then it may be on the verge of returning to prominence for the first time in years.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

NEW YORK — There was a time, not too long ago, when Seton Hall was a contender.

With P.J. Carlesimo at the helm in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Pirates made six consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1987 to 1994. In the season of 1988-89, Seton Hall made it all way to the National Championship but fell by a point to a Michigan team led by future NBA star Glen Rice.

When Carlesimo left to pursue a coaching career in the NBA, things went south in South Orange.

The Pirates have taken part in the Madness just three times since Carlesimo’s departure about 20 years ago. They’ve also earned seven sporadic appearances in the NIT.

Current coach Kevin Willard took over the program back in 2010, and has led the team to a .500 record of 66-66.

Last season, Seton Hall finished 17-17. More importantly, the team was 6-12 in the Big East. Somehow, though, the eighth-seeded Pirates won two thrillers in the conference tournament before getting bounced by the eventual champion, Providence, in the semis.

Despite being located in the heart of one of basketball’s best breeding grounds—the New York/New Jersey area—the Pirates have failed to create any sort of substantial buzz in recent memory.

But change is coming.

And his name is Isaiah Whitehead.

The incoming freshman was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation before he decided to come to the Hall last summer.

ESPN ranked the 6’4”, 195-pound Whitehead as the No. 2 shooting guard in the nation, and the 14th overall prospect out of the Top 100.

Whitehead, a native of Brooklyn, is not alone in his quest to put Seton Hall back into contention. Angel Delgado (No. 48 in the Top 100), Desi Rodriguez (Whitehead's high school co-star), Khadeen Carrington and Ismael Sanogo will also don the Blue and White in 2014-15.

This is Seton Hall’s best freshmen class since landing the No. 1 recruit, Eddie Griffin, back in 2000.

But in the end, it’ll be Whitehead who ultimately controls how things turn out in New Jersey.

The New Face of Seton Hall

When asked where Seton Hall’s recruiting class ranks—in both the conference and the nation—at Big East Media Day, the soft-spoken Whitehead didn’t even blink.

“I think we have the best one,” he told B/R.

By the end of the year, the freshman’s claim may ring true. But for now, scouting service Rivals.com has the Pirates’ class ranked at 13, with Duke and Kentucky filling the top spots.

“We’re all complete players in our group,” the McDonald's All-American said. “We all had the attitude that everyone came in and worked so hard over the summer, and now we’re in shape and ready for the season.”

Whitehead was named as New York’s Mr. Basketball, an award for the state’s top senior player, last season. During his four years at Lincoln High School in Brooklyn—yes, the same one that Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson attended—Whitehead shined.

"It's great," Whitehead said of playing so close to home. "That's one of the reasons I picked Seton Hall, so all my family and friends could watch me play."

In his senior year, Whitehead put up 23.5 points, 6.7 boards and 5.4 assists on a nightly basis. When it came time for Lincoln to start chasing a state title, his points stayed constant at 23, but his rebounds and assists climbed to 9.8 and 6.2, respectively.

The kid is big-time.

Whitehead can get to the rim at will. The Brooklyn native has the ability to dish with either hand if the defense collapses on him, or, if he's left in isolation, can use his Kyrie Irving-like touch around the rim. Whitehead also has great range and can knock down shots from all over the floor.

While he'll probably start in a three-guard set alongside returning players Sterling Gibbs and Jaren Sina, the freshman star is likely to become Seton Hall's offensive focal point, especially now that Fuquan Edwin has graduated.

The Pirates do have some talent coming back, including 6'9" forward Brandon Mobley, who noted that the star-studded newcomers have been humble and hard-working so far.

Whitehead is going to be a star for Seton Hall this year. But what if he's too good—as in, you know, one-and-done? Would an early exit diminish the impact he could have on the program?

Seton Hall has had 9 NBA scouts out so far to see freshman @Isaiah_W15 Isaiah Whitehead

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 22, 2014

 Gulp.

How Whitehead Affects SHU's Future

Here’s a plot twist: Willard wants Whitehead to leave for the NBA.

Generally, coaches who want what's best for their players—and have a proven track record of it—are better recruiters.

“The window is this year and I’m focused on this year, I’m not worried about next year,” the coach told Adam Zagoria of SNY.

“If he does as well as I think he can and if he’s going to be drafted next year, then we’re going to have a very good year. It’s going to go hand-in-hand. You look at all the guys who get drafted, very rarely do they get drafted and their teams don’t have a good year. If he’s going to have that year, which I think he has the ability to, then we’re going to have a good year.”

Kevin Willard on Isaiah Whitehead: "Do I think he's an NBA player? Is that you're question, yes."

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 22, 2014

Kevin Willard on Isaiah Whitehead : 'I hope that he can go to the NBA at the end of this season.'

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 22, 2014

Willard knows that 2014-15 could be a make-or-break campaign for him. That’s why he gave Whitehead’s high school coach, Dwayne “Tiny” Morton, a spot on the Pirates’ bench as an assistant before landing the standout guard.

Let’s say that Seton Hall doesn’t win the Big East, finishes with a mediocre record and watches Whitehead bolt. All are far-from-unlikely scenarios.

Sounds like a nightmare, right? Not exactly.

If the Pirates are able to make some serious noise this year, they’ll have succeeded—regardless of what Whitehead decides to do after the season.

And making the NCAA tournament is an immensely important part of that.

“This is the year, man,” senior forward Haralds Karlis said of making the tourney. “It has to be. It’s very important for us, for the program, for the fans, for everyone right now.”

For far too long, the school has failed to capitalize on its location. Whitehead said it himself: He chose Seton Hall in part because it’s close to his home.

But why haven’t others done the same?

Look at Kentucky—the team has different players every year, but is always in national contention. High-profile HS prospects want to win and, more importantly, they want to move on the pros.

Therein lies the problem. Seton Hall’s last player to be drafted was Samuel Dalembert 13 years ago, one of two SHU players to have been drafted in the past two decades.

If other New York/New Jersey prospects—and there are tons of them—watch Whitehead rise to stardom, Seton Hall suddenly becomes a desired destination.

That’s why Whitehead could realistically turn the Pirates’ tide for years to come, even if he leaves after this season.

Or rather, especially if he leaves after this season.

John Morton remembers it like it was yesterday.

So does anyone else fortunate enough to have witnessed one of the greatest runs in college basketball history.

The 1988-89 Seton Hall Pirates will forever be remembered for their Final Four appearance and near-upset win over Michigan in the NCAA championship.

But for that team, and for everyone across the country who watched the Pirates make history, it was much more than just a couple of days in Seattle. It was a season like no other.

Seton Hall was founded in 1856, but it would be 132 years before Morton and the Pirates put the university on the map.

To get a full sense of what they accomplished, it's worth noting that the 1980s was a great decade for college basketball.

Michael Jordan, who would go on to lead the Chicago Bulls to six titles, won the national championship with North Carolina in 1982. Dereck Whittenburg's shot (you can call it a pass if you'd like) ended up in the hands of Lorenzo Charles, who dunked it home to give North Carolina State an upset win over Houston in 1983. The Villanova Wildcats, led by Rollie Massimino, did the unthinkable and shocked the Georgetown Hoyas in 1985. Keith Smart hit a baseline jumper that won it for Indiana in 1987.

Then came the 1988-89 season at Seton Hall, when a group of young men and an up-and-coming coach cast a national light on South Orange, New Jersey.

On Wednesday night, that Seton Hall team will be inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame. Two- and-a-half decades after that memorable season, the greatest team in school history will be recognized for making Seton Hall basketball, and thus the university itself, part of history.

The event will take place at the annual Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame Dinner inside Walsh Gymnasium. All players, coaches and managers will be honored.

"I definitely think it's good on Seton Hall's part to induct this whole team that's meant so much to the school, to the history, to New Jersey and to basketball as a whole," Morton, who led the team in scoring that year and who is now an assistant coach at Fordham, said on Tuesday. "It's definitely a great thing.

"Twenty-five years have gone by; it's like it just happened yesterday. The time flew fast, but the history and everything is still there."

It's called March Madness for a reason. But for that Pirate team, it was more than just those three weeks in March: It was about the whole season.

Morton, along with teammates like Andrew Gaze, Gerald Greene, Ramon Ramos and Daryll Walker, and led by head coach P.J. Carlesimo, won 31 games that year.

It was a close-knit group that made history. While Morton, who was a senior, averaged 17.3 points per game, it was a team effort from start to finish that ultimately led to the Pirates having their best season ever.

"I never played on another team like that in my whole career," Morton, who was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997, said. "I played on some great teams, but this team was exceptional. There was total unity—always team-first, no me-first players worrying about their stats.

"We enjoyed playing basketball and enjoyed hanging out and being around each other. The unity that we had as friends, teammates and then going into battle was tremendous."

Seton Hall had some National Invitation Tournament experiences, but its first NCAA tournament appearance didn't come until the 1987-88 season.

Morton had a goal from the first day he stepped on campus.

"As freshmen, we came in to help rebuild the program," Morton said. "We accomplished that and a whole lot more.

"Just becoming America's team during that run was a great thing to experience. It brought a lot of awareness to Seton Hall University, to us, to New Jersey basketball and to New York metropolitan basketball.

"I'm glad to have been a part of that history and knowing that we had a lot to do with building that program to the point where guys followed in our footsteps and continued the tradition.

"It was a great accomplishment."

Seton Hall won its first 13 games in 1988-89, but it was the run in the NCAA tournament that people remember.

The Pirates beat Southwest Missouri State, Evansville, Indiana and UNLV to advance to the Final Four in Seattle.

Then they beat Duke 95-78 in the semifinal game, advancing to the championship two days later, where they would take on Michigan.

In that game, which will go down as one of the greatest ever played, the Pirates found themselves down by 12 points in the second half. But Morton, who scored 25 points in the second half and finished with a game-high 35, knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 71-71 with 25 seconds left.

Morton was so good that night. He scored 17 of Seton Hall's final 20 points in regulation. But in overtime, Rumeal Robinson knocked down two free throws with three seconds left to give the Wolverines an 80-79 lead and ultimately the championship. 

It's a performance, scene and season that Morton will always remember.

"You can't forget it because the game is always around every Final Four, which is a great thing," he said. "I had reached that zone probably three times my senior year where I came out and shot well in the second half and played that way. It was a great feeling knowing that you were putting up shots and your teammates were getting you the ball, that things were rolling and we were catching up and getting into the game."

Carlesimo, who graduated from Fordham in 1971 and became an assistant coach there that same year, would guide the Pirates for 12 seasons, winning 212 games. Morton, now a coach, appreciates what Carlesimo did for him and for the team.

"Now that I'm in coaching you look back and see the hard work he and his staff put in, the sleepless nights in the office," Morton said. "I can see the hard work it took to get to that point, to get us to understand what we needed to do as a team. He and his staff did a great job preparing us and picking the right guys with the right character to mesh together.

"Everybody sees him as this guy screaming on the sidelines," Morton added, "but he was definitely a great role model to us because he kept us in line, showed us the right way to do things and mentored us on being professionals on the college level—from the way we dressed, to the way we carried ourselves off the court, to the way we prepared and stayed mentally prepared for games. He did a great job in that sense."

Morton spent three seasons in the NBA playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. He then moved on to the CBA before playing in Spain, Italy and the Philippines.

When Morton's daughter, Schyler, was six, she suggested to her dad that he become a coach. That's exactly what he did. He started in 2005-06 as an administrative assistant at Seton Hall, then spent five seasons as an assistant at Saint Peter's College before joining the Fordham staff in 2010.

"The thing we're dealing with now in this era of basketball, as San Antonio just proved to a lot of people, is that it has to be team-first," Morton said, referring to the Spurs, who just won the NBA championship. "That's the one thing we're trying to stress to these guys—doing team-oriented stuff to get these guys used to being around each other and trusting each other.

"The team's got to be first. If you are a solo act, that won't get it done on this level. Everything has to be team-first. You have to have guys with good character that want to play basketball the right way."

Morton talks about giving back and about how coaches have to be in it for the right reasons. He says it's about teaching, about helping his players become men.

It's something he learned at Seton Hall. Tonight, he'll be able to share those experiences with his former teammates and coaches.

"No matter how far you move or how long you don't see one guy, we're still a family," Morton said. "It's a joy to get a chance to spend a moment here and there with those guys, because they're family that you always have the memories with."

Memories that will last forever.

Quotations in this article were obtained firsthand.

Charles Costello covers the Fordham Rams for Bleacher Report. Twitter: @CFCostello.

One of the nation's elite shooting guards, Isaiah Whitehead, shook up the college basketball landscape Wednesday when he announced his commitment to Seton Hall, according to Jerry Meyer of 247Sports.

The 6'4'', 195-pounder is a 5-star recruit, and he is listed as the No. 17 player in the 2014 class by 247Sports' composite rankings. He chose the Pirates over Indiana, St. John's, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Syracuse, among others.

Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News gave us some insight into why Whitehead chose Seton Hall:

It was Pirates coach Kevin Willard and his staff’s consistency in its recruitment, and an opportunity to be the face of its program, that ultimately led Whitehead to the Garden State.

“It appealed to me greatly,” Whitehead said of being the face of Seton Hall basketball. “That’s the reason I’m going there, to tell you the truth.”

He didn’t feel that would be the case had he stayed in the city and went to play for St. John’s and coach Steve Lavin.

“They really didn’t see me as the face of St. John’s before,” Whitehead said, “so I don’t understand why they would now.”

The commitment is an immediate boost to a Seton Hall squad that is sorely in need of one. The Pirates sputtered to a 2012-13 record of 15-18, including a hapless 3-15 conference slate in the former Big East. 

Despite their recent struggles, Seton Hall is pulling in a solid recruiting class that has turned elite with Whitehead's announcement.

He joins 4-star power forward Angel Delgado and 3-star guard Khadeen Carrington to bolster a recruiting class that climbed 15 spots in the 247Sports team rankings to No. 4 in the nation. 

Whitehead will add to a backcourt that has the potential of becoming one of the nation's best upon the shooting guard's arrival. 

Point guard Sterling Gibbs is now eligible after transferring from Texas and sitting out a year. Meanwhile, incoming guard Jaren Sina is the 118th-ranked player in the 2013 class, via 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Whitehead is a prolific scorer with a physical style of play that allows him to cut toward the basket with ease. As the Pirates make the transition from the old Big East to the new Big East, they'll get a leg up with this young flock of potential stars. 

After his second losing seasons in three years at the helm, head coach Kevin Willard must love seeing his team generating a lot of buzz after feeling the heat from last season. 

If Seton Hall can take advantage of its newfound talent, it should have no problem making its first NCAA tournament since 2005-06 in the coming seasons.