Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball

The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. The team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Pirates are currently coached by Shaheen Holloway. Seton Hall has appeared 14 times in the NCAA tournament and were national runners-up in 1989.

Seton Hall Pirates
2024–25 Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team
UniversitySeton Hall University
First season1903–04
All-time record1612–1145 (.585)
Head coachShaheen Holloway (3rd season)
ConferenceBig East
LocationNewark, New Jersey;
South Orange, New Jersey
ArenaPrudential Center;
Walsh Gymnasium
(capacity: 10,481/18,711; 1,316)
NicknamePirates
ColorsBlue and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament runner-up
1989
NCAA tournament Final Four
1989
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1989, 1991
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1989, 1991, 1992, 2000
NCAA tournament round of 32
1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2018
NCAA tournament appearances
1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
Conference tournament champions
1991, 1993, 2016
Conference regular season champions
1977, 1992, 1993, 2020

History

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Seton Hall's first season of basketball occurred in 1903–04, but the school did not field a team again until 1908–09, the year in which the university achieved its first winning season. The school adopted the Pirate mascot in 1931, and the teams soon gained national prominence with the arrival of John "Honey" Russell in 1936. During an 18-year span, the Pirates racked up a 295–129 record that included an undefeated 19–0 record in 1939–40 as part of a 41-game unbeaten streak. Walsh Gymnasium was opened in 1941 to house the basketball team permanently and featured one of the best Seton Hall teams of all time, termed the "Wonder Five", which led by All-American Bob Davies, earned the school's first NIT bid in 1941. Following World War II, the Pirates were led by stars Frank Saul and Bobby Wanzer and regularly played games at Madison Square Garden. The peak of this era occurred in 1953 when Richie Regan and Walter Dukes defeated rival St. John's University for the NIT title. Perhaps the low point for the team occurred in 1961 when a point shaving scandal sullied the program, but the Pirates rebounded to return to the NIT in 1974 under coach Bill Raftery.[2] Seton Hall became a charter member of the Big East Conference in 1979, where they are still a member to this day.

 
The 1908–09 Seton Hall basketball team recorded the school's first winning record in its second season of play

Although Seton Hall did have a lengthy American Football Team, The high point of the Big East era for Seton Hall came when P. J. Carlesimo was hired in 1982 and the team began playing in the Meadowlands Arena. By 1988, Carlesimo led the Pirates to the school's first NCAA tournament appearance, and in 1989, he led the Hall to an unexpected tournament run to the NCAA Championship game, where they were defeated by Michigan in overtime. Success under Carlesimo continued with a Big East tournament championship and an Elite Eight appearance in 1991, a regular season Big East Championship and Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1992, and Big East Regular Season and Big East tournament Championships in 1993. Carlesimo left to coach in the NBA following the 1993–94 season, but Seton Hall returned to the Sweet Sixteen in 2000 guided by coach Tommy Amaker, and appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2006 coached by Louis Orr. In 2006–07, Bobby Gonzalez was hired to lead the Pirates, which moved its home games into the Prudential Center in 2007.[3] Gonzalez amassed a 66–59 record at Seton Hall but was fired at the conclusion of the 2009–10 after a first-round NIT loss to Texas Tech. Concerns were raised in-house about the direction Gonzalez was taking the program, punctuated by several incidents, some involving Gonzalez and others involving student athletes. Shortly after his dismissal Gonzalez was arrested for shoplifting.[4] Seton Hall then hired Kevin Willard for the 2010–11 season.[5]

 
Khadeen Carrington

After struggling to maintain a .500 record through his first five seasons with the program, Willard's Pirates finally broke through in the 2015–16 season, as they won the Big East tournament Championship over the eventual national champion Villanova Wildcats. With the win, Seton Hall secured the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 and the first Big East tournament Championship since 1993. However, the magic could not continue in the NCAA tournament, as the team was defeated by the 11th-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs in the First Round. In 2017, the Pirates were again eliminated in the First Round of the NCAA tournament by the Arkansas Razorbacks, but the Pirates would win their first tournament game in fourteen years upon defeating the NC State Wolfpack in 2018's first round before being defeated by the Kansas Jayhawks in the Second Round. Following the graduation of starting seniors Khadeen Carrington, Ángel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, and Ismael Sanogo, the Pirates would appear in their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament for the second time in program history in 2019. Led by the play of standout junior guard Myles Powell, the Pirates, at risk of missing the tournament sitting on a 16–12 overall and 7–9 Big East record, won their final two regular season games at home against 16th-ranked Marquette and 23rd-ranked Villanova and advanced to the Big East Final where they lost a rematch to Villanova by two points. Ultimately, they secured a #10 seed in the tournament following their performance down the stretch, and fell to the Wofford Terriers in a first round game in which Fletcher Magee would break Division I's all-time three-point scoring record. In November 2021, Seton Hall traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play the then #4 ranked Michigan Wolverines as part of the Big East-Big10 Gavitt Games. Of note was that the game was the first time the two programs had met since the 1989 NCAA National Championship Game when Michigan beat Seton Hall by one on a controversial foul call. In the 2021 version, Seton Hall upset Michigan, making it the first time Seton Hall had won a road game against a non-conference AP top-five team in university history. They were 0-5 prior.[6]

All-time coaching records

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Name Years Record Win pct.
William Caffrey 1908–09 10–4 (.714)
Dick McDonough 1909–10 6–2 (.750)
Jim Flanagan 1910–11 4–0 (1.000)
Frank Hill 1911–30 192–75 (.719)
Dan Steinberg 1930–31 12–11 (.522)
Les Fries 1931–33 18–13 (.581)
John Colrick 1933–35 8–22 (.267)
Bob Davies 1946–47 24–3 (.889)
Jack Reitemeier 1947–49 34–12 (.739)
John Russell 1936–43
1949-60
295–129 (.696)
Richard Regan 1960–70 112–131 (.461)
Bill Raftery 1970–81 154–141 (.522)
Hoddy Mahon 1981–82 11–16 (.407)
P.J. Carlesimo 1982–94 212–166 (.561)
George Blaney 1994–97 38–48 (.442)
Tommy Amaker 1997–01 68–55 (.540)
Louis Orr 2001–06 80–69 (.537)
Bobby Gonzalez 2006–10 66–59 (.528)
Kevin Willard 2010–22 225–161 (.583)
Shaheen Holloway 2022–present 42–28 (.600)

Postseason

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NCAA tournament results

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The Pirates have appeared in the NCAA tournament 14 times. Their combined record is 16–14.

Year Seed Round Opponent Results
1988 #8 First Round
Second Round
#9 UTEP
#1 Arizona
W 80–64
L 55–84
1989 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
#14 Southwest Missouri State
#11 Evansville
#2 Indiana
#4 UNLV
#2 Duke
#3 Michigan
W 60–51
W 87–73
W 78–65
W 84–61
W 95–78
L 79–80 OT
1991 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
#14 Pepperdine
#11 Creighton
#2 Arizona
#1 UNLV
W 71–51
W 81–69
W 81–77
L 65–77
1992 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#13 La Salle
#5 Missouri
#1 Duke
W 78–76
W 88–71
L 69–81
1993 #2 First Round
Second Round
#15 Tennessee State
#7 WKU
W 81–59
L 68–72
1994 #10 First Round #7 Michigan State L 73–84
2000 #10 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#7 Oregon
#2 Temple
#3 Oklahoma State
W 72–71 OT
W 67–65 OT
L 66–68
2004 #8 First Round
Second Round
#9 Arizona
#1 Duke
W 80–76
L 62–90
2006 #10 First Round #7 Wichita State L 66–86
2016 #6 First Round #11 Gonzaga L 52–68
2017 #9 First Round #8 Arkansas L 71–77
2018 #8 First Round
Second Round
#9 NC State
#1 Kansas
W 94–83
L 79–83
2019 #10 First Round #7 Wofford L 68–84
2022 #8 First Round #9 TCU L 42–69

NIT results

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The Pirates have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times. Their combined record is 13–19. They were NIT champions in 1953 and 2024.

Year Round Opponent Result
1941 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Rhode Island
Long Island
CCNY
W 70–54
L 26–49
L 27–42
1951 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Beloit
NC State
BYU
St. John's
W 71–57
W 71–59
L 59–69
L 68–70
1952 First Round La Salle L 76–80
1953 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Niagara
Manhattan
St. John's
W 79–74
W 74–56
W 58–46
1955 First Round Saint Francis (PA) L 78–89
1956 First Round
Quarterfinals
Marquette
Saint Joseph's
W 96–78
L 65–74
1957 First Round Xavier L 79–85
1974 First Round Memphis L 72–73
1977 First Round Massachusetts L 85–86
1987 First Round Niagara L 65–74
1995 First Round Canisius L 71–83
1998 First Round Georgia Tech L 70–88
1999 First Round Old Dominion L 56–75
2001 First Round Alabama L 79–85
2003 First Round Rhode Island L 60–61
2010 First Round Texas Tech L 69–87
2012 First Round
Second Round
Stony Brook
Massachusetts
W 63–61
L 67–77
2023 First Round Colorado L 64–65
2024 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Saint Joseph’s
North Texas
UNLV
Georgia
Indiana State
W 75–72
W 72–58
W 91–68
W 84–67
W 79–77

Notable players and coaches

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In 2016, while playing for the Pirates, Derrick Gordon became the first openly gay man to play in the March Madness tournament.[7]

Honored and retired jerseys

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Seton Hall Pirates retired numbers
No. Player Position Career
3 Frank Saul G/F 1942–43, 1946–49
5 Walter Dukes C 1950–53
8 Bobby Wanzer G 1942–43, 1946–47
11 Bob Davies G 1939–42
12 Richie Regan G 1950–53
24 Terry Dehere SG 1989–93
34 Glenn Mosley PF 1973-77
44 Nick Werkman G 1961–64[8]
Year Inducted Name Position Years at Seton Hall
1964 John "Honey" Russell Coach 1936–1943, 1949–60
1970 Bob Davies Player/Coach 1939–1942, 1946–47
1987 Bobby Wanzer Player 1942–1943, 1946–47
2017 Nikos Galis Player 1975–1979
Year Inducted Name Years at Seton Hall
2007 Nikos Galis 1975–1979
2013 Andrew Gaze 1988–1989

Pirates in the NBA

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31 Pirates have played at least one game in the NBA.

Name Draft Year Draft Team
Anthony Avent 1991 Atlanta Hawks
Andre Barrett 2004 Undrafted
Mark Bryant 1988 Portland Trail Blazers
Tommy Byrnes 1946 Undrafted
Chuck Connors 1946 Undrafted
Marcus Cousin 2010 Undrafted
Samuel Dalembert 2001 Philadelphia 76ers
Bob Davies 1948 Undrafted
Terry Dehere 1993 Los Angeles Clippers
Ángel Delgado 2018 Undrafted
Walter Dukes 1953 New York Knicks
Bob Fitzgerald 1946 Undrafted
Andrew Gaze 1993 Undrafted
Adrian Griffin 1999 Undrafted
Eddie Griffin 2001 New Jersey Nets
Howie Janotta 1949 Baltimore Bullets
Johnny Macknowski 1948 Rochester Royals
Sandro Mamukelashvili 2021 Indiana Pacers
Mike McCarron 1946 Undrafted
John Morton 1989 Cleveland Cavaliers
Glenn Mosley 1977 Philadelphia 76ers
Al Negratti 1946 Undrafted
Myles Powell 2021 Undrafted
Richie Regan 1953 Rochester Royals
Jared Rhoden 2022 Undrafted
Ed Sadowski 1946 Undrafted
Pep Saul 1949 Rochester Royals
Ben Scharnus 1946 Undrafted
Bobby Wanzer 1948 Rochester Royals
Isaiah Whitehead 2016 Utah Jazz
Luther Wright 1993 Utah Jazz

Pirates in international leagues

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Awards and honors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Athletics Communications". SHUPirates.com. July 10, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  2. ^ "2017-18 Seton Hall Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). 2017. p. 26. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  3. ^ 2008–09 Big East Media Guide: The Record Book: The Big East in Postseason Play (All-Time) (PDF). 2008. p. 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  4. ^ "Former Seton Hall coach arrested for shoplifting". ESPN.com. 6 July 2010.
  5. ^ "Seton Hall announces Willard as its next coach". ESPN.com. 29 March 2010.
  6. ^ spassner (2021-11-18). "Seton Hall upsets #4 Michigan in Ann Arbor". Big East Coast Bias. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  7. ^ "WATCH: The First Openly Gay Athlete to Play in March Madness". March 18, 2016.
  8. ^ "2017-18 Seton Hall Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). 2017. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  9. ^ "2017-18 Seton Hall Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). 2017. p. 32. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  10. ^ "Myles Powell Named 2018 BIG EAST Most Improved".
  11. ^ a b "Seton Hall's Gill Named Defensive Player of the Year & Most Improved Player Creighton's Mahoney Selected for Sixth Man Award Baldwin, Mosely and Holt Share Sportsmanship Award".
  12. ^ a b Prunty, Brendan (10 March 2014). "Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin named Big East Defensive Player of the Year". Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  13. ^ "Seton Hall's Nzei Named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year".
  14. ^ "Seton Hall's Ike Obiagu Named Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year".
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