{"id":282521,"date":"2025-10-06T21:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T21:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/282521\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T21:10:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T21:10:14","slug":"after-dreadful-season-at-seton-hall-shaheen-holloway-promises-change-this-team-is-going-to-be-a-joy-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/282521\/","title":{"rendered":"After dreadful season at Seton Hall, Shaheen Holloway promises change: \u2018This team is going to be a joy to watch\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a dreadful season in which he said he got \u201chumbled<\/a>\u201d by a 7-25 overall record and a 2-18 Big East mark, Shaheen Holloway promises change is coming to Seton Hall.<\/a><\/p>\n

Holloway and his staff hit the transfer portal to the tune of 10 of the team\u2019s 11 new players. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis team is going to be a joy to watch,\u201d Holloway said at Seton Hall\u2019s media day on Monday in the program\u2019s brand new $55 million practice facility<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re different, we\u2019re fast, we\u2019re quicker, we got more athletic, and we\u2019re deep. I think when you bring all those things together, now it\u2019s time for me to do my job as a coach and put it all together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are a few highlights from Holloway\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

A three-guard lineup is in the works<\/b><\/p>\n

Holloway wants to utilize a three-guard lineup along with a wing and a big. Transfers Adam \u201cBudd\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went out and got three guards that I thought that could handle the team if one guard is down or something like that,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cSo that\u2019s the No. 1 priority, to go out and get a few guards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 5-foot-10 Clark averaged 19.8 points per game and was the second-leading scorer in the MAAC, <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a winner,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cHe\u2019s a Philly kid. He\u2019s tough, he plays my style of basketball. He\u2019s fearless. He\u2019s got a chip on his shoulder bigger than anybody I know, and he\u2019s got something to prove, and that\u2019s why I love the qualities that he got. He scored a lot last year, but I don\u2019t think people understand how good of a playmaker he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former DePaul wing to play key role<\/b><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking at Elijah to kind of be like a Dre Davis-type player,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cYou know, obviously Dre was really good for us. So that\u2019s how I\u2019m looking at Elijah being one of those type players like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freshman big man is a \u2018rock star\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Freshman big man Najai Hines<\/a>, 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\u2019t start to begin the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very impressed with the ways he\u2019s been practicing, very impressed with the way he\u2019s been carrying himself,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cHe\u2019s like a rock star around campus. Everybody love him. You know, he\u2019s like a big teddy bear off the court. On the court, he\u2019s a different type of player.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Still looking for a vocal leader<\/b><\/p>\n

As is often the case, the coach is still seeking a vocal leader to take charge of his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still looking for that vocal leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI got a few guys but I\u2019m still looking for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Future GM plans<\/b><\/p>\n

Many college basketball programs have GMs now to handle NIL issues, most notably Adrian Wojnarowski at St. Bonaventure.<\/p>\n

Holloway was asked if he plans to hire a GM moving forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something I talk to my boss B-Felt [AD Bryan Felt] about,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that we\u2019 re looking into. It\u2019s something that we\u2019re gonna address in the offseason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three games at Walsh<\/b><\/p>\n

Seton Hall will host three games at cozy Walsh Gym this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, some things are out of your control, right?: the coach said. \u201dObviously, 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.”<\/p>\n

New practice facility is \u2018beautiful\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

The new $55 million practice facility hosted media day and also now hosts practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful building,\u201d Holloway said. \u201cObviously, you guys get a chance to see our lounge. You know, this is beautiful. The players have something to call their own. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you could get people on visits, most guys don\u2019t 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, \u2018Oh, wow.\u2019 This is a beautiful building, one of the best out there, by far. I\u2019ve been a lot of places…and then I think it\u2019s a game -changer. And it\u2019s what was needed. It definitely was needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three Big East teams in the Final Four would be \u2018great\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Holloway isn\u2019t thinking about other Big East teams at this point, but told that Dan Hurley<\/a> and UConn and Rick Pitino<\/a> and St. John\u2019s are preseason Final Four contenders, Holloway was on board.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good for the conference, for sure,\u201d he said. \u201cGreat for the conference. Hope both of them get to the Final Four along with us. It\u2019d be three teams in there, that\u2019d be great right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Secret scrimmages coming up<\/b><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got two scrimmages coming up, so so we\u2019re gonna see how the scrimmages are, and then kind of make adjustments from there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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