NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 15 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
10. Jaden Bediako (Seton Hall)
For the first four years of his career Bediako flew relatively under the radar, mostly as a backup frontcourt player at Santa Clara. He was solid in a reserve role under Herb Sendek before starting as a senior, but found much more fertile ground for his final collegiate campaign. Bediako opted to transfer last offseason, utilizing his bonus year of eligibility by playing at Seton Hall, facing much stiffer competition in the Big East.
While his numbers weren’t exactly off the charts, Bediako still thrived with the Pirates, averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. The Pirates’ starting center made 61% of his field goal attempts and was the best offensive rebounder in the Big East. With numbers among those leaders in rebounds and blocks, it’s clear that Bediako made a great impact, even helping Seton Hall to an NIT championship.
He actually had a run of double-digit scoring efforts in the opening months of the season, including double-doubles against Iowa and Monmouth. Bediako put up 15 points and 10 rebounds in a tough loss to Creighton and scored 18 against Marquette at week later. His numbers didn’t compare to a few of the elite bigs in the league, but he was a solid weapon for Seton Hall. He’d even put up 14 points and 7 rebounds against Georgia in the NIT semifinals.