Big East Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season

2020-21 season record: 14-13 (10-9)

The Pirates had four key players that contributed the vast majority of production last season. The star was Sandro Mamukelashvili, the Co-Big East Player of the Year who averaged 17.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 3.2 apg and was the catalyst for everything that went well. He and starting point guard  Shavar Reynolds are gone but the team not only returns a fair amount of talent but also brings in plenty more too.

Seton Hall has senior Jared Rhoden (14.9 ppg and 6.7 rpg), along with double-digit scorer Myles Cale electing to take a 5th year. Forwards Tray Jackson and Tyrese Samuel are back, along with shot-blocking center Ike Obiagu. Then there’s South Florida transfer Alexis Yetna, who dealt with injuries the past two years but when healthy, is a double-digit scorer and talented post scorer.

Speaking of health, the Pirates will be hoping that former Harvard star Bryce Aiken will be good to go next year. After averaging nearly 20 ppg in four years in Ivy League play, Aiken was limited to 14 games off the bench. He may not be a 20 ppg scorer for Seton Hall but he’ll be tasked with being a facilitator for the offense, along with incoming Syracuse transfer Kadary Richmond.

Another transfer joining the roster is Jamir Harris, who averaged 20 ppg last season at American. Top-100 freshman wing Brandon Weston adds even more depth for the Pirates, a team that won’t be as top-heavy but will have a better overall rotation that should be better suited to succeed in the Big East. If Yetna, Richmond, and Harris can have a big impact, this team will be in great shape.