Seton Hall Basketball: Grad transfer guard Bryce Aiken joins the Pirates

After missing almost all of the 2019-2020 regular season due to a sprained ankle, Bryce Aiken looks to face a step up in competition. The former first-team All-Ivy League guard looks to fill the void left by Myles Powell.

Bryce Aiken announced Wednesday he will be attending Seton Hall Basketball as a grad transfer next season.

"Home is my happy place. Home is where my heart is. Home is where my story began and home is where my story will continue. Seton hall, I am home. #Hallin-Bryce Aiken (@BryceAiken) Wednesday April 9th, 2020"

Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard has to be tickled about this commitment. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Bryce Aiken was the 5th most sought after grad transfer in the portal. After losing the 2020 Big East play of the year Myles Powell, the Pirates have a great deal of reloading to do.  Powell was tenth in all of college basketball last year in usage rating at 35.6%. A team losing more than a third of their productivity is never an easy task.

The biggest obstacle for Aiken outside of the step-up in competition is being able to stay on the court. Aiken missed two games his freshman year, eighteen his sophomore year, thirteen his junior year, and twenty-two last season. All together Aiken missed 45% of Harvard’s game during his tenure.

On the plus side, Aiken was very productive when he was healthy. Aiken’s game is similar to the way Damian Lillard played at Weber State. The 6’0 guard has excellent ball-handling skills with the ability to create his own shot off the dribble. Has an outstanding three-point shot along with an effective pull-up jumper.  Aiken’s first step is one of the best in not just the Ivy League but all of college basketball.

In his Instagram post, Aiken referenced “Home” over and over. Well, Aiken is a New Jersey native who attended high school less than an hour from the Seton Hall campus. Which most would tend to believe played a major role in his decision.

The Pirates are coming off a share of the regular-season Big East title and had the three seed in the conference tournament. But with the loss of Myles Powell and two other senior starters, Aiken is going to be expected to make an immediate impact.

Aiken will be joining former Canisius guard Takal Molson who announced his commitment to Seton Hall earlier this month. Giving Seton Hall one of the most veteran backcourts in the country. Let’s just pray Aikens can stay healthy.