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

Starting lineup

Khadeen Carrington

Carrington will take over the point guard duties in his senior season. He has thrived as a secondary ball handler next to Isaiah Whitehead and Madison Jones in the past, but he needs to adjust to being a full-time lead guard as a senior. The shifty lefty is a terrific scorer (17.1 ppg) and has also shown flashes as a distributor (2.9 apg). If Carrington can transition to the point and become a better (or more willing) facilitator, then the Pirates will be a more well-rounded team.

Myles Powell

Powell is a 3-point specialist who struggled with his efficiency as a freshman. The 6’2’’ New Jersey native shot 33.2% from 3 and shot under 40% from the field, but is a much better shooter than the numbers indicate. Powell provides the much-needed floor spacing to the Seton Hall lineup that opens driving lanes for Carrington and Rodriguez and gives Delgado more space to work inside. Expect a slight increase in Powell’s scoring (10.2 ppg) and a major increase in efficiency as a sophomore.

Desi Rodriguez

Rodriguez has a unique skill set which makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing forwards. At 6’6’’ and 220 pounds, Rodriguez looks like a power forward but has the perimeter skill of a small forward. The senior wing is at his best when he is overpowering defenders around the basket and using his variety of push shots to score, but also has a reliable long-range shot. Rodriguez shot 35.5% from three with 50 makes last season and when he is hitting shots, he is basically unguardable. He averaged 15.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg last season.

Ismael Sanogo

While Carrington, Rodriguez, and Delgado get most of the recognition, Sanogo deserves praise for his crucial contributions. Sanogo’s numbers dipped in his junior season due to a shoulder injury, but if he is healthy he is one of the most valuable defenders in the country. At 6’8’’, Sanogo can guard multiple positions and can use his long arms to get into passing lanes and rack up deflections. Expect him to produce like he did in his sophomore season (5.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 spg 1.1 bpg) rather than his injury-ridden junior season (3.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.6 bpg).

Angel Delgado

Delgado is starting to get recognized as one of the nation’s top players. The 6’10’’ senior is a top-3 player in the Big East and averaged 15.2 ppg and led the country with 13.1 rpg last season. Delgado is primarily an interior player who can score with his back to the basket but does most of his damage on the glass. He has also flashed some passing ability (2.2 apg) and playing through him in the post can take some pressure off of Carrington. Delgado will undoubtedly attract double teams, which will collapse the defense and provide open shots for the perimeter players. He will be a legitimate candidate for Big East Player of the Year and will be among the leaders in rebounding in the country once again.