Seton Hall Basketball: 3 takeaways from Pirates loss to Louisville

Bryce Aiken needs to stay healthy

One of the narratives surrounding the new-look Pirates is the addition of New Jersey native Bryce Aiken. Originally passing on Seton Hall to attend Harvard, Aiken has returned to his home state to help usher the team into the post-Myles Powell era.

During his time at Harvard, Aiken showed that he was a legitimate scoring threat and could help spark a struggling offense when in the game. His ability to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor should be a major advantage to Willard and his staff as they look to replace their main scoring option from the last two seasons.

In the limited time he played tonight, coming off the bench as he recovers from a lower-body injury, Aiken immediately brought life to what looked like a disjointed Pirates offense. This spark was short-lived as Aiken rolled his ankle in what seemed to be a freak accident. He did not return to the game.

Even though an ankle sprain should be considered a minor injury and Aiken was most likely held out for precautionary reasons, his health is vital to the Pirate’s long-term success. If Seton Hall has any aspirations of being a tournament team Aiken will have to be apart of the rotation.

Injuries have been a concern for Aiken in the past, only playing 65 games total in his four years at Harvard, but if he is able to overcome his injury history the team should have no problem competing into March.

As Seton Hall begins to develop chemistry their play will only continue to improve, with the rise of Sandro Mamukelashvili and the addition of Bryce Aiken the team is set up for long-term success. Coaches, players, and fans alike should be optimistic about the rest of the season after tonight but it may be hard to think ahead after coming so close to stealing this game.