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LOCATION: South Orange, NJ
CONFERENCE: Big East
LAST SEASON: 15-15 (.500)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 8-10 (t-8th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Pirates
COLORS: Blue & White
HOMECOURT: Continental Airlines Arena (20,029)
COACH: Tommy Amaker (Duke '87)
record at school 30-30 (2 years)
career record 30-30 (2 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Rob Jackson (Northeastern '74)
Fred Hill (Montclair State '81)
Chris Collins (Duke '96)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 16-12-10-15-15
RPI (last 5 years) 105-95-136-102-92
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NIT first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Well, Tommy Amaker is still in South Orange. He didn't resurface at Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Notre Dame or with the Lakers. It may seem amazing to some how a head coach with a two-year tenure can be in such great demand, but Amaker was one busy man during the off-season. Check that. His name was busy during the spring and early summer. Seems every time a coaching opening was discussed, Amaker was mentioned. And mentioned. When Clem Haskins made his getaway from Minnesota, some in the rumor mill all but had Amaker being fitted for a snowsuit, the better to handle life in Minneapolis. "No way," was Amaker's definitive reply to that scenario. Sure, Tommy, we believed you. He wasn't lying. We may never know how close he came to making a run for any of the jobs or even whether the schools wanted him in the first place, but Amaker is back at Seton Hall, and not by default. The Pirates' program appears to be making some serious strides toward NCAA Tournament contention, and the future is dawning with all the vivid colors of a Jersey shore sunrise. "We have tried to solidify ourselves," Amaker said. "We are on the rise, but there is still the pressure of getting to the postseason. I recognize that we have a long way to go, and we have a lot of strides to make. But I'm happy and pleased that we are on the right track. We're getting there." Amaker's first two seasons have been extremely consistent. He has posted back-to-back 15-15 records, finished 9-9 and 8-10 in Big East play and dropped a first-round NIT game in both seasons. Again, it's amazing that such a resume would create so much outside interest, but there is no denying Amaker has the personality and the smarts to be a big and quick success.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT C+ INTANGIBLES B
By the time March rolls around, coach Tommy Amaker might be pretty happy he stayed. He has a senior-laden backcourt, a fortified frontcourt and a great recruiting class already in the fold. Talk about a good situation. Maybe he looked at all those other jobs and figured they didn't have what was available to him in South Orange right now. It makes sense. Samuel Dalembert is a key to the season. If the NCAA clearinghouse whacks him, Seton Hall will again struggle against the Big East's tougher teams. If the 6-11 freshman is in the middle, then the Pirates become much more formidable, even if Dalembert doesn't score that much. Dalembert was expected to get through the clearinghouse, though, which makes Amaker's life easier. Shaheen Holloway is another big factor. He must continue his growth into a team-first point man, the better to help Seton Hall become the kind of club that can force rivals to guard it all over the court, rather than just focusing on the guy with the ball. If he does that, Gary Saunders, Rimas Kaukenas and Darius Lane will all benefit. If he doesn't, then Ty Shine will, because he'll get the bulk of the minutes. Seton Hall may not be ready for the tournament this year, but a foundation has been laid for what could be huge future success. We can joke all we want about Amaker's job prospects, but right now, he's working for Seton Hall and doing a great job. |
Judging by his recent recruiting efforts, that prosperity may be just around the corner at Seton Hall. This year, Amaker welcomes a four-man class that includes 6-11 prep standout Samuel Dalembert, the type of big-time prospect the Pirates haven't been able to get in three years. (Senior point guard Shaheen Holloway was the last real gem to choose life in South Orange.). Because of this year's new faces which include sophomore Darius Lane, who missed last year as a partial qualifier the Pirates should be more athletic and tougher inside. But the big story is yet to come. During the summer, Amaker received commitments from three standouts, point man Andre Barrett, all-everything forward Eddie Griffin and talented wing Marcus Toney-El, three good friends who toured the AAU circuit together the last few seasons and decided it would be a kick to hang together in college. Also scheduled to debut in 2000-01 is UNLV transfer Desmond Herod, who scored 2,516 points during his prep career second-most in New York state history behind Kenny Anderson and averaged 5.5 points and 1.3 rebounds during the 1998-99 season at Vegas. Their arrivals will give the Pirates a nucleus capable of stacking up against any in the Big East talent-wise. If he can surround the blue-chippers with the requisite bench and hustle guys, look out. At this rate, Amaker might not leave for another three years. Or even four. Dalembert (St. Patrick's (N.J.) HS/Port-Au-Prince, Haiti) is a 6-11, 230-pound pivot who was a third-team Parade All-American after averaging 13.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and an eye-popping 8.0 blocked shots last year. He may not be all that polished offensively, but he provides a much-needed defensive presence and some board pop that Seton Hall was lacking. The Pirates weren't the biggest, toughest team around last year, particularly when Damian Dawkins left the squad after just five games with a heart condition. Once he gets over a broken bone in his right foot which could sideline him until mid-December, Dalembert should start right away and make a run at the league's all-defensive team. Because he played only a season-and-a-half at St. Patrick's, one of the nation's top prep programs, Dalembert is equal parts project and prodigy. Expect to see evidence of both this season. "He's a big presence inside," Amaker said. "He runs and blocks shots well. He has a chance to be a tremendous player in this league." If Dalembert is ready to go, the Pirates can pair him and 6-10 freshman Charles Manga (3.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), who demonstrated the ability to rebound and defend last year but needs considerable work on his offensive game. He shot just .396 last year, even though he was hardly firing away from long range, and just .477 from the free-throw line. By the end of last year, Amaker considered him the team's most-improved player and expects big things now that Manga has added nearly 15 pounds of muscle. "Playing as many minutes (20.4 mpg) as he did last year is going to benefit him, especially now that he's stronger," Amaker said. "He should be more confident." Amaker knew that adding Dalembert wasn't going to solve all of the Pirates' interior needs, so he went trolling in the junior college waters for another banger and found 6-7, 220-pound junior forward Kevin Wilkins (Tallahassee (Fla.) CC & Atlantic City HS/Atlantic City, N.J.). Wilkins averaged 15.1 points and 8.0 rebounds two years ago at Tallahassee. He didn't play last year because he graduated in December, but he possesses the athletic skills to score, defend and rebound inside. "He's an older kid who has some experience, and he is good around the basket," Amaker said. "He can bang and help us at the four spot. He may even be able to hit the 15-foot jump shot." It would seem as if 6-7, 225-pound freshman Greg Morton (Adelphi (N.Y.) Academy & Cameroon) would be ready to crack some heads down low, too, but Amaker said the newcomer must get stronger and gain some confidence before he can be given a full assignment. Morton averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds last year and will be counted on for defense, rebounding and five fouls this season, while his offense comes along. "His future is bright, but he's not polished," Amaker said. "He's a very good post defender who runs the floor." Another frontcourt newcomer who could use a dose of Amaker's optimism and cajoling is 6-8, 215-pound freshman forward Al Harris (Winchendon (Mass.) School & Miramar HS/Hollywood, Fla.). Harris missed the first part of last year with an injury and failed to show sufficient fire upon his return, a miscalculation that led to his demotion to the Winchendon "B" team. He averaged 16.0 points and grabbed 9.0 rebounds, but needs to use his athletic ability and strength on a consistent basis if he wants to get some playing time in a suddenly crowded frontcourt that also includes 6-8 junior Reggie Garrett (1.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg), a solid rebounder and defender. "I feel good about our frontcourt now," Amaker said. "It's young, but the newcomers can certainly help us." Amaker did not address the backcourt during last year's recruiting period because the Pirates are set for the moment. The senior trio of Gary Saunders, Rimas Kaukenas and Holloway is experienced, talented and capable of big things. The key, however, is Holloway (9.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 141 assists, 42 steals), who has yet to reach the lofty heights that were predicted for him when he chose The Hall. He continues to struggle with his shot, making just .358 of his field goals and only .221 from three-point range last year. Holloway did cut back on his turnovers last year, but he needs to become more productive scoring and distributing for the Pirates to take any kind of serious step this year. "Shaheen has made a lot of strides in a lot of areas," Amaker said. "He has adjusted his game for the sake of the team, and I'm pleased to see him make that happen. I want to see him show more leadership. And I don't want him to take fewer shots. I want him to take better shots. The time and score have more to do with the shots he takes. Shaheen needs to do the best thing at the right time." Amaker thought Saunders (13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 67 assists, .470 FG), who transferred to Seton Hall from Georgia Tech last year, would be an immediate scoring threat, and he was right. Now, the 6-5 senior needs to become more than just a slasher. "He needs to be more consistent with his jumper," Amaker said. That's not a problem for the 6-4 Kaukenas (13.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 60 assists, .400 3 PT), a long-range specialist who also plays strong defense. He may lose some minutes this year, particularly if the Pirates employ some of that new frontcourt talent, but he provides a valuable resource on a team that lacks perimeter pop. Expect 6-4 sophomore Darius Lane (Totino-Grace HS/Fridley, Minn.) to create some excitement this year. A partial qualifier who missed last season, Lane averaged 27.1 points and 12.1 rebounds during his senior season at Totino-Grace and can get to the basket. "He's powerful and explosive, but his conditioning will be important," Amaker said. "It may take him a little time to get back into the feel for the game, but he has proved he can score from the wing." Sophomore Ty Shine (7.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 85 assists) also proved himself last year, so much so that the 6-0 point took some minutes away from Holloway. Expect to see him continue his development into a solid Big East point man this season. Rounding out the backcourt is 6-3 senior walk-on Brian Campbell (St. Rose HS/Manasquan, N.J.).
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