Seton Hall Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Pirates

Key reserves for Seton Hall Basketball

Guard – Bryce Aiken (Graduate Student)

When Bryce Aiken is healthy, he can be one of the most dynamic guards in the conference. However, he rarely seems to be healthy which is why I have him penciled in as a reserve, but I really hope we can see him get some serious run this season. A transfer from Harvard, Aiken only saw action in 14 games for Seton Hall last season.

Seton Hall has plenty of other options for guards, but Aiken is the most gifted scorer. If he can remain relatively healthy and contribute even just 15 minutes per game, he could be a great weapon off the bench for Seton Hall.

Guard – Jamir Harris (Graduate Student, American transfer)

Jamir Harris averaged 20.5 PPG and 3.5 APG for American University last season, granted that was in just 10 games. He also led the nation making 3.9 3-point field goals a game. I don’t think it’s fair to expect him to have that kind of production in the Big East, but his shooting and offense will be a welcomed addition to a team that struggled to shoot from deep last season.

Minutes distribution will be interesting to watch from the guard positions for Seton Hall, but I imagine we may see plenty of 3-guard lineups with their depth.

Forward – Tyrese Samuel (Junior)

Tyrese Samuel will pair nicely with the addition of Alexis Yetna. I give the edge to Yetna to start, but Samuel will be a more than capable replacement off the bench. Seton Hall fans have been waiting to see Samuel take the next step and become a consistent offensive threat. Samuel has all the tools to be an all-around player for Seton Hall: size and length on the defensive end and confidence and skill offensively.

However, you’re just not sure what you’re going to get when Samuel enters the game. Samuel scored in double figures only four times last season, averaging 5.4 PPG in 17 minutes of action per contest. He also averaged 3.3 rebounds a game, a number that I expect to jump up assuming Yetna doesn’t eat into his minutes too much. Will Samuel step up as a more consistent option in his junior year?

Guard – Jahari Long (Sophomore)

Jahari Long played in 19 games last season, although he only averaged 6.8 minutes per contest. The backcourt is deep so Long will have to have shown some overall improvement in his game, especially his shooting if he plans to build on his freshmen season.

Wing – Brandon Weston (Freshman)

Seton Hall’s incoming freshmen class is headlined by four-star, top-100 wing, Brandon Weston. Weston will have to earn his minutes behind a talented group of veteran guard/wings but look for Weston to be a key future piece in Seton Hall’s sustained success in the Big East. I would look for him to come on later in the season, especially since Seton Hall has an unforgiving non-conference schedule and Big East play doesn’t get any easier.