After a dreadful season in which he said he got “humbled” by a 7-25 overall record and a 2-18 Big East mark, Shaheen Holloway promises change is coming to Seton Hall.

Holloway and his staff hit the transfer portal to the tune of 10 of the team’s 11 new players.

“This team is going to be a joy to watch,” Holloway said at Seton Hall’s media day on Monday in the program’s brand new $55 million practice facility. “We’re different, we’re fast, we’re quicker, we got more athletic, and we’re deep. I think when you bring all those things together, now it’s time for me to do my job as a coach and put it all together.”

Here are a few highlights from Holloway’s comments.

A three-guard lineup is in the works

Holloway wants to utilize a three-guard lineup along with a wing and a big. Transfers Adam “Budd” Clark (Merrimack), Trey Parker (NC State) and Mike Williams (LSU) figure to play key roles, along with AJ Staton-McCray (Miami), Tajuan Simpkins (Elon) and holdover Jahseem Felton.

“I went out and got three guards that I thought that could handle the team if one guard is down or something like that,” Holloway said. “So that’s the No. 1 priority, to go out and get a few guards.”

The 5-foot-10 Clark averaged 19.8 points per game and was the second-leading scorer in the MAAC,

“He’s a winner,” Holloway said. “He’s a Philly kid. He’s tough, he plays my style of basketball. He’s fearless. He’s got a chip on his shoulder bigger than anybody I know, and he’s got something to prove, and that’s why I love the qualities that he got. He scored a lot last year, but I don’t think people understand how good of a playmaker he is.”

Former DePaul wing to play key role

At the wing position, Holloway plans to utilize Elijah Fisher, the former DePaul forward who averaged 15.7 ppg last year at Pacific; Rice transfer Jacob Dar; and Fordham transfer Josh Rivera.

“I’m looking at Elijah to kind of be like a Dre Davis-type player,” Holloway said. “You know, obviously Dre was really good for us. So that’s how I’m looking at Elijah being one of those type players like that.”

Freshman big man is a ‘rock star’

Freshman big man Najai Hines, the 6-foot-11, 265-pound big man from Plainfield High School and the NY Rens, figures to play a key role down low, even if he doesn’t start to begin the season.

“I’ve been very impressed with the ways he’s been practicing, very impressed with the way he’s been carrying himself,” Holloway said. “He’s like a rock star around campus. Everybody love him. You know, he’s like a big teddy bear off the court. On the court, he’s a different type of player.”

Overall, Holloway will utilize four big men in his rotation, presumably with Hines, Stephon Payne (Jacksonville), Patrick Suemnick (Oklahoma State) and holdover Godswill Erheriene.

Still looking for a vocal leader

As is often the case, the coach is still seeking a vocal leader to take charge of his team.

“I’m still looking for that vocal leader,” he said. “I got a few guys but I’m still looking for that.”

Future GM plans

Many college basketball programs have GMs now to handle NIL issues, most notably Adrian Wojnarowski at St. Bonaventure.

Holloway was asked if he plans to hire a GM moving forward.

“That’s something I talk to my boss B-Felt [AD Bryan Felt] about,” he said. “It’s something that we’ re looking into. It’s something that we’re gonna address in the offseason.”

Three games at Walsh

Seton Hall will host three games at cozy Walsh Gym this season.

“You know, some things are out of your control, right?: the coach said. ”Obviously, with the dates, with the Prudential, and then the Big East dates and stuff like that. I think some fans like it, right? Some fans like it. I think two games is good. Three games [is] probably like a little stretch, but at this point, nothing you could do about it.”

New practice facility is ‘beautiful’

The new $55 million practice facility hosted media day and also now hosts practices.

“It’s a beautiful building,” Holloway said. “Obviously, you guys get a chance to see our lounge. You know, this is beautiful. The players have something to call their own.

“When you could get people on visits, most guys don’t want to come on visits no more. They just care about the money. But when you could get people on visits, you know, they come in and look at it like, ‘Oh, wow.’ This is a beautiful building, one of the best out there, by far. I’ve been a lot of places…and then I think it’s a game -changer. And it’s what was needed. It definitely was needed.”

Three Big East teams in the Final Four would be ‘great’

Holloway isn’t thinking about other Big East teams at this point, but told that Dan Hurley and UConn and Rick Pitino and St. John’s are preseason Final Four contenders, Holloway was on board.

“That’s good for the conference, for sure,” he said. “Great for the conference. Hope both of them get to the Final Four along with us. It’d be three teams in there, that’d be great right now.”

Secret scrimmages coming up

The Hall has two secret scrimmages over the next two weekends – one at a neutral site and one in Walsh Gym. Holloway did not want to publicly disclose the opponents.

“We got two scrimmages coming up, so so we’re gonna see how the scrimmages are, and then kind of make adjustments from there,” he said.

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