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Seton Hall Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Pirates

By Tristan Freeman

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 06: Angel Delgado
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 06: Angel Delgado /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates celebrates his shot in the first half against the Butler Bulldogs during quarterfinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates celebrates his shot in the first half against the Butler Bulldogs during quarterfinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Projected Starters

JR Quincy McKnight

A two-year starter at Sacred Heart, McKnight averaged 18.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 3.0 apg in the 2016-17 season. He’s a physical guard that rebounds well for his 6’3 and 180-pound size while getting to the free throw line seven times a night.

McKnight is more of a shoot-first point guard who isn’t the greatest at facilitating the offense, evident by his 4.6 turnovers per game average two years ago. The hope is that will be better supporting cast, the former Sacred Heart star will improve in that category.

JR Myles Powell

The Pirates didn’t lose all of their production from the previous season, with Powell returning from a breakout sophomore season. He averaged 15.5 ppg, while scoring at least eight points in every single game. The 6’2 guard is better playing off the ball, where he can use his three-point shooting ability the best. Expect him to be the team’s leading scorer for 2018-19.

SO Myles Cale

The 6’6 wing was productive as a freshman, scoring 4.3 ppg in 17 mpg off the bench. He was a solid defender and showed that he can be a reliable scoring threat when given the chance. If Cale can average around double-digits as a sophomore this season while locking up his opponent, he’ll be a big contributor for Seton Hall.

SR Michael Nzei

The lone senior on the roster, Nzei already has 34 career starts on his resume. Although he’s listed at only 6’7, the Nigerian forward rebounds well for his size, averaging nearly double-digits per 40 minutes all three prior seasons. Nzei may not be an elite offensive threat but if he can at least replace most of the lost production on the boards from Delgado, the senior it’ll be a satisfactory job on his part.

SO Taurean Thompson

One of the biggest transfers for the Big East is Thompson, a 6’10 forward who averaged 20.6 ppg and 8.5 rpg per 40 minutes at Syracuse. His offensive potential is through the roof and he could end up being the best low-post scorer in the conference even as just a sophomore. He’ll have to avoid getting in foul trouble but look for the former Orange big man to provide the necessary offensive balance so that McKnight and Powell can excel on the perimeter.

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