(This post exists purely on accident. I wrote the preview and tweeted about it like I was supposed to do it, when in fact it is Matt Ambrose's Job. Read his too, he writes amazing pieces for Seton Hall).

Seton Hall Preview 2018-2019

Question: How can a coach that lost 4 of his players to graduation succeed in the following year? How do you deal with two potential top 10 teams in your conference and a perennial conference killer? Can you recruit well enough out of the state to make the team seem worth it to the in-state athletes? These are the questions that plague Seton Hall basketball.

The Answer: a few transfers and the development of key pieces that are still on the team, along with self discipline and tough defense. This is the solution to part of the the problem. Recruiting is luck.

Head Coach: Kevin Willard

Last Season’s Record: 22-12, 10-8 in the Big East

Place in the Big East: 3 way tie for third with Providence and Creighton

Postseason: They entered the Tournament as an 8 seed, beating NC State but ultimately losing to Kansas 83-79. While it seems close, it was only because Khadeen Carrington made a ton of shots, which caused Seton Hall to foul, and the game to end.

Who’s Gone?

4 of the 5 starters. Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, Ismael Sanogo all graduated. The Jordan Walker saga is over, and Eron Gordon left soon after. Both left as transfers to Tulane and Valparaiso. Both players had it rough at Hall, for one reason or another. Losing so much without a star player coming in is going to be tough. The theme for this next season is "Development and patchwork".

Who’s New?

Let’s start with two transfers. Quincy McKnight and Taurean Thompson. McKnight impressed Coach Willard in workouts, and averaged close to 19 points and 3 assists. He earned All-NEC First Team Honors as well at Sacred Heart. He will no longer be the Go-to option, but a solid second or third for Seton Hall, and that may suit him better. Then there’s Taurean Thompson. As a freshman on a decent Syracuse team, he averaged 20 points and 8.5 rebounds per 40 minutes. He’s comparable to Delgado, and he will most likely start this year. He should see plenty of touches.

Then there is the freshmen class. Guards Jared Rhoden and Anthony Nelson add some much needed depth. They were both 3-Star guards, with Rhoden likely to see playing time at the 3 spot in Willard's offensive system. The Pirates lost out on 3-Star center Valdir Manuel from The Patrick School (Grant Billmeier’s old high school) to St. Joseph's in Philly.

Most Likely to Start:

G- Myles Powell

G- Quincy McKnight

G/F - Myles Cale

F- Michael Nzei

F- Taurean Thompson

One Big Thing: Myles Powell is the Man

This is the leader of this Seton Hall team. He embodies what it means to play for the Pirates. He has been in this system almost as long as Michael Nzei, but is twice as impactful. His goal this season should not just be to win All-Big East awards, it should be to create a winning atmosphere. Last season players looked visibly frustrated with their performance that the results. Jordan Walker nearly quit on the team and would end up transferring anyway. Myles Powell, I look to you to take the reigns and be the 20 point scorer Desi Rodriguez was.

Powell had a true shooting% of 58.3%, shot 38% from the field according to KenPom. He touched the ball 21% of the time and expect that to shoot up to about 25% this season. He’s fairly efficient, I would like to see him with the ball in his hands and he would run the offense with McKnight.

How the team will play:

Willard’s system is defense focused and old school, with a lot of touches going to the bigs down low. Taurean Thompson will be the replacement for Delgado, splitting rebounds with Michael Nzei. The 3 Guard Combo of Powell-Cale-McKnight will hopefully click well on both ends of the floor. Sophomore Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili(my God that’s a mouthful) Should see solid minutes alongside the Freshmen Anthony Nelson and Jared Rhoden. Depending on Rhoden’s development in the preseason, look to him to be the guy running the second team with Nelson.

Non-Conference Outlook:

As the season looms, here’s what I expect to happen with the schedule. 2 tune-up wins over Wagner and New Haven(Exhibition). Then in the Gavitt Games they play Nebraska on the road, which they could win as well. At home at St. Louis should be a fun game, again with the Pirates taking the W. Playing GCU is tough, even if it’s neutral site. It’s a 50/50 game, but I could see the Pirates losing this one on the road. Their next big games come against Louisville, which is exciting to watch two Agent 47s duke it out in Newark again. Chris Mack’s return to the Rock will be exciting, and that’s another game where it has to be played. Their next games are rough. Kentucky at MSG, Rutgers and Maryland are all tough games. Kentucky is expected to be a loss, while Rutgers and Maryland could go either way. There’s another Tuneup game in there against Sacred Heart, McKnight’s old school.

What I want to see:

A physical, play 94 feet type defense that wears down the opponent’s offense. A solid mix of high and low basketball with pick and rolls. The big are too talented not to get touches, and the sheer amount of size Seton Hall has is impressive. They have to space the floor well to allow Nzei to cut to the basket for lobs and easy layups, Thompson needs to command the post and be a factor on both ends of the floor. Most importantly ,they need to keep their composure.

What’s realistic:

We’re probably gonna see the same team as we have the past few seasons. Flashes of great guard play and a dominant big man. One defense their strength will be rebounding, but their focus is preventing the 3-Pointer. The same 3-Point that Villanova and Xavier will rely on this year.