Seton Hall Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Pirates

Seton Hall basketball returns their main contributors from last season’s NCAA Tournament team. What is Seton Hall’s ceiling for 2017-18?

The Seton Hall Pirates earned their second straight NCAA Tournament berth last season, finishing with a 21-12 record, but failed to advance past the first round. The Pirates lost to Arkansas in a game that will be remembered for a controversial intentional foul call late in the contest.

While last season ended on a frustrating note, Seton Hall fans should be filled with optimism. The Pirates return six of their seven key rotation players including their top four scorers. Their only major loss is point guard Madison Jones, who provided a steady presence, was a solid defender, and was capable of running the offense.

Seton Hall’s core is built off their stellar 2014 recruiting class, which changed the direction of the program and took Kevin Willard off the hot seat. In 2015-16, all five starters were part of the 2014 class and were the driving force behind Seton Hall’s Big East Championship run. After Isaiah Whitehead left early for the NBA Draft, many thought the Pirates would fall off, but the 2014 class led them back to the tourney.

This season, the four starters are back for their senior seasons and final chances at a tournament run. Angel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington, and Ismael Sanogo have played a ton of minutes and have gained valuable experience throughout their careers. They have established themselves as some of the best players in the Big East and Delgado has been appearing on preseason All-American lists.

With Seton Hall’s returning talent and experience, they have their best team since the P.J. Carlesimo era. Expect the Pirates to challenge Villanova for the Big East crown in the last go-around for the program-changing 2014 recruiting class.

This article will analyze Seton Hall’s starters, reserves, and non-conference schedule. It will conclude with a team overview where I rank the Pirates both nationally and in their conference.