Not every team in the new mega monster that is the Big East has reaped the benefits of this spectacular new league.  As a matter of fact the Seton Hall Pirates were not sure they even wanted to join the Big East when they got the opportunity.   The program from South Orange New Jersey almost didn’t pay the 25,000 dollar entry fee as the Administration did not know if they could compete in this super league.  After all the Pirates had never even been to the Big Dance even though there roster has been filled with some pretty dang good players.  They had done well in the NIT but with that prestigious tournament fading into second tier status the Pirates realized they had some work to do if they were going to be able to compete with the Goliaths of the new conference.  It didn’t help when a couple of Pirate players were ‘implicated’ in the point shaving scandal that took out powerhouse NYU.   Though these players were never charged the admin was not taking any chances and deemphasized basketball.  The once proud Pirates have languished in mediocrity since but when the powers to be came calling to Newark there was a decision to be made.  The big four pot stirrers of Georgetown, Syracuse, St. John’s and Providence invited the Pirates to join them in their new league along with Boston College, Connecticut, Rutgers and Holy Cross, all of whom had a history of being basketball powers on the East Coast.  Seton Hall might was by no means last on the list but it was kind of surprising they were invited over the likes of Pitt and Penn State and especially schools from the Big Five in Philly (of course we know that changed rather quickly).  Still, the Pirates were reluctant to join these beasts from the East but obviously no one knew what was about to happen to this conference once this new TV network decided to plant a flag and fill some of their massive open air space with these cats from just up the road (do you see now why UConn was invited?). Reluctantly, but smartly, the Pirates did ante up the 25,000 entry fee and joined the new league last year and took the leap of faith into the Abyss.  Perhaps the folks from Holy Cross and the Pirates biggest rival in Rutgers should have made that same leap but we have recently seen all things seem to get worked out in the wash.  Things did not go so well in that first year as this veteran team was not quite able to keep up with the athleticism of their new mates.  That same administration of the oldest Diocesan University in the country is not filled with the liberal group of people and thus change is hard but change was needed if this team is going to be able to compete in this brave new world.  2

Part of the change was the retirement of legendary Coach John ‘Honey’ Russell.  Russell decided that he did not want to join the new league and instead wanted to go and give his own basketball career another chance.  Russell has been one of the greatest ambassadors of the fledgling game playing on just about any team he could and in any game that wanted him for year.  He seemingly gave that up and got Seton Hall basketball off the ground but loved (like his own life) being an independent and thus turned in his retirement papers last year.  This gypsy got restless quick and this season he joined the Boston Celtics for one last hurrah.  So with Russell moving onto ‘greener’ pastures who would the Pirates turn to as they started this brand new journey?   Well they looked no further than just to the south in Staten Island and pilfered the coach from the Wagner Seahawks.  Ironically this new coach was coming off the worst season he had in the Northeast conference (formerly the ECAC) but his reputation as an incredible motivator and game technician precedes him. Of course it doesn’t hurt that his father was the head guy for the NIT for years which the Pirates in their heyday used to choose over the fledgling Big Dance so they could play close to home at the old Madison Square Garden.  New Coach P. J. Carlesimo has the advantage of having an experienced team going into this season.  Too bad most of the experience was in the backcourt and at center and what they really needed were some wing players to keep up with the athleticism of the Big East Conference.  Of course that is the reason PJ came to the Hall was to bring in some fresh new talent and blend in with the veterans to make a cohesive unit while building for the future.  Let’s see how that works out!

First on the agenda for PJ will be replacing the beast underneath that is Ed Sadowski.  The square headed 6’5 240 stud is a legend in Newark (though he hails from Akron) as he has the perfect game and attitude for the hard working people that this region is known for.  I do not think the term power forward existed before Sadowski started his brilliant career for the Pirates.  Big Ed takes up more space and causes more damage in the key than a bear in an outhouse.  Sadowsky has the kind of wide body that a lead car has to go in front of on the freeway to warn traffic he is coming.  But don’t get me wrong Sadowsky is just not a big body underneath, this man can flat play.  How good was he?  Well he led the Pirates to an almost undefeated season while still playing as an independent before losing in the semis of the NIT to LIU at MSG in a game they still talk about up and down the Jersey Shore.  Yep, Snooki and the Situation and JWOWW were there.  Sadowsky is a supreme scorer muscling his way in for easy basekts and is just as tough on the boards and will be impossible to replace but Carlessimo has a few guys waiting for their shot.  As for this ‘Moose’ of a man Sadowsky will no doubt be playing at the next level and causing harm (rumors are he and Anthony Soprano hung out on campus before ‘Tony’ dropped out a few years back) wherever he goes. 

Leading the way in his final year for the Pirates will be point guard Bob Davies.  Davies is a magician with the ball and is wonderful at setting up teammates.  He is as gifted a passer as there is and can also get the ball to the hoop.  He has a great following and there may be as many people coming to see his antics as there is for the game itself.  Davies may be the most popular player in the greater New York area and without doubt gets the most press.  The Harrisburg Houdini as he is called (he is from Pennsylvania after all) was every bit as important as Sadowsky in those glory days a few years back.  In their NIT run he had the fans going nuts when he performed the first behind the back dribble in a game against Stanford.  He didn’t just use it for showboating either as he got by his man for an easy layup and then used it again and when the weak side defense came he hit an open cutter for a layup.  This maneuver is now part of his repertoire as it is with many others but Davies has had a harder adjusting to the new perimeter game.  Lil’ Abner (his other nickname which tells you how old he is as he did skip a year due to being in the military) is not a great shooter and with the three point line he has taken a step back (HA) on the pantheon of great point guards.  All these new kids are coming in firing off the dribble and ol’ Bob is still trying to drive by everyone to the hoop.  Don’t get me wrong Davies is the best at what he does which is the drive and dish but the times they are a changing but for at least one more year in Jersey Davies will be captaining the Pirate ship.

With all of the attention Davies get his sidekick in crime for the last two years usually falls into the shadows.  Fellow senior guard Bobby Wanzer has played next to Davies in every game he was here until he got called off to duty in the military. Wanzer came back from the military and wants his old job back but Carlesiomo has made it clear he will have to earn it and he has plenty of ample players, many who got time last year, looking to play.  Heck, Carlesimo, who has coached many national teams in overseason tourneys has found a few gems on the wings on his journeys and brought them back to Jersey.   Wanzer is usually the guy hitting the open jumpers that HH is kicking to him.  At 6’0 170 Wanzer is better suited for the point guard position but with Davies around moved to the two spot and excelled.  He is a terrific mid-range shooter (and a ridiculous free throw shooter who shot over 90% last year) and a superb defender but like Davies is having a hard time keeping up with the changes in the game.  This kid grew up in the Big Apple and he is be tough as nails but guarding guys that are four or five inches taller and 30 or 40 pounds heavier is not what the doctor ordered.  Bobby is an iron horse and does not miss much time but eventually this will catch up with him but if he thinks it is tough now wait until he gets to the next level which he and Davies almost assuredly will do and perhaps even together.  Of course the guys Wanzer has to cover in this new league are about as big and athletic as any he will face at the next level but no matter who he is up against I would not bet against Bobby! 

 On the other wing and about as far across the planet as they can be as far as the way they play the game is another Senior Nick Werkman.  Nick the Quick can flat get up and down the court and is phenomenal around the basket.  Werkman is a wonder on the boards for only six three and works his tail end off to get good looks.  He led the team in scoring the last two years at over 22 a game the first year though he did drop back to only 17 last year.  He may be the most underrated player on the East Coast but this supreme offensive weapon did take a step back last season against this much higher competition.  Nobody benefited as much as Nick when the admin cut back the schedule to only local teams after point shaving incident as his height (or lack thereof) was not an issue and he dominated offensively.  He is a great complement to the backcourt and the beneficiary of many Davies passes for easy buckets.  Werkman was not on those great teams with Davies, Wanzer and Sadowsky (he was in the first group of kids who had to sit out a year due to the no freshmen playing rule) and became the focal point of the offense when Davies was gone in the military.  He loves to use his quickness in the post and knows all of the angles including increasing his rebounding totals by shooting the ball off the backboard and then going and getting the rebound for an easy put back.  This Jersey kid (Trenton) is incredibly popular as the fans at the Prudential Center love his ‘werk’ ethic.  He is always balls to the wall and never quits working.  

The bench for the Pirates is deep and experienced and will have a distinctly international feel to it.  Backing up Davies at the point will be Senior Richie Regan once again.  For all of the showmanship and glitz that Davies is Regan is just the opposite.  He is as by the book, workmanlike, no frills point guard as there is.  And he gets the job done.  He is the perfect complement to Davies as he comes in and gives his fellow Senior ten to fifteen minutes a game of solid relief and stabilizes the team more off the court then on sometimes.  He started some games last year with Wanzer gone but is better suited coming off the bench as he nowhere near the shooter Bobby is.  He bleeds Seton Hall blue blood and is dedicated to the team as there is.  He was elected team captain and will do whatever it takes for this program to succeed.  He is nowhere near the offensive player as Davies but he is a terrific defender and floor general.  He guided the team well when Davies missed some games but the losses showed that Carlesimo needed to bring in some of his more athletic recruits.      Senior Pep Saul is the primary wing off the bench early as a defensive specialist but he is awful  small for the athletic wings of the Behemoth East.  Still, Saul was a huge part of this program’s success in the past (he started some games last year) and CArlessimo is obligated to give him a shot.  Even at 6’2 Saul can play and most importantly he will do whatever it takes to win.  Look up winner in the New Jersey dictionary and there is a picture of a smiling Pep Saul.  Another senior to be Dick Gaines brings some athleticism to the wing.  Gaines can flat score getting to the hoop but is only 6’2 (some say six foot) and had a hard time last adjusting to the new conference.  It is hard to go inside against these trees but Gaines will get some minutes, how many depend on how well he adjusts which includes developing a bit more of a perimeter game which this team needs badly.  Junior Greg Tynes gives them some of that but at 6’1 and a svelte 154 he got pushed around some last year.  This hometown kid is a fan favorite as he hustles all over the court but unless he gets a bit stronger he will be stuck deep on the bench like he was last year when not in JV games.  There is no JV once you hit junior status in college so for Tynes this is his make or break year and with all of those veterans (and some cat quick pg recruits PJ is bringing in) coming back Greg’s days seemed numbered for the Pirates.  Of course things can change quickly and there are is at least one big time back court player who might not be coming back to Jersey.  Now for the foreigners!  First is junior Nicos Galis who was actually born and bred in Union City New Jersey but is the son of Greek immigrants.  Galis has toiled on the bench behind the upperclassmen for the last two yearsbut when he has got on the court he has shown an incredible ability to score.  Nick the Greek is only six two but man can he get to the hoop and finish.  He is also a solid outside shooter though like the guy he is battling for PT, Wanzer, has not yet spread his game out to the three point line.  But he is the master of the mid-range game with an incredible pull up jump shot that relies on the fact he hesitates at the top of his shot and waits for the defender to go down before shooting.  This allows the undersized but thick guard to get off his shot against just about anyone.  Ask Michael Jordan about this as NC played Galis’ Greek national team last summer in Europe and he threw a 40 spot down on him.  REALLY!   Galis was getting frustrated playing behind Davies, Wanzer and Regan and took off for a summer trip to his Homeland (he had never been there) and fell in love with the place.  And his game improved as did his legend.  Nicos combined the gangster game he has learned playing in New York with this brilliant jump shot he usually takes high off the glass (he played the summer before up in Boston with the Celtics and Sam Jones but hurt his ankle and missed half of last year) to average over 30 points a game.  Galis loved playing there so much there were rumors he was staying and playing there.  PJ had to go over and convince him to come back and I am sure more PT was part of the discussion.  Will he be playing ahead of Wanzer?  Who knows but one thing is for sure Galis might be the most unique talent on a squad full of uniquely talented players.  And he will be on the court.  Often!  Galis is a unique player in that he is the son of Greek emigrants and started boxing before his mother persuaded him to play basketball.    Carlessimo was not stopping there as he decided to hit up a few overseas studs while he was over there.  This is a good plan as the game is changing more towards the perimeter and these guys have been playing that style for quite some time.  Rumors are the biggest catch Carlessimo got on this fishing (and retrieval) trip was a kid from Australia so this program which is known for not recruiting much outside the greater NYC area will suddenly become international. Good for the Pirates and PJ. 

 It must be nice to have the ability to rotate in so many good players on the perimeter without really missing a beat.  Carlesimo did the same kind of rotation up front but the problem was he never really found the drummer.   Ringo has apparently left Madison Square Garden.  The Pirates obviously have a ton of experience in the backcourt and they do have one big man with experience down low.  And I do mean bifg.  Senior Walter Dukes is a true seven footer who has the size and athleticism to be very effective down low.  Dukes is almost as fast as he is big and has the potential to be one of the elite big men in the country.  Dukes is a terrific board man who can match up with these new Goliaths of this conference very well indeed.  He does not back off and holds his own in the paint.  I cannot wait to see him continue his battles down low with Patrick Ewing as the two had a couple of prodigious battles in the Hoyas’ version of this Pirate veteran.  Sadly they only play once this year down in DC but that should be must watch as well.  Two problems though.  Dukes is a fouling machine and he is just not a very good shooter.   Besides that he is great!  Dukes led the country in fouling out of games and this hurt the Pirates especially at the end of games.  He needs to be on the court more than 26 minutes a game.  He also really only scores on dunks and put backs though he is a nimble and skilled big man.  He acquiesced too much of the scoring responsibility in the paint to Sadowsky and Werkman the last few years.  This year he has his shot to show he is not just a one dimensional player if he wants to get a shot at the next level.  Or should I say how big of a shot he gets at the next level because of his size and toughness he will play.  But if he can develop a go to shot in the paint Dukes has the potential of being a superstar. 

Replacing Sadwosky at the four will be no easy thing but Carlessimo does have two guys already on the roster who have the skills to step into those big shoes.  Sophomore Mark Bryant and Junior Glenn Mosley are set for an epic battle for the starting role with Mosley having the slight edge due to seniority which is a big deal around here.  Or was before PJ got here and Bryant is one of his first recruits.   Mosley is a blue collar overachiever who can flat board all day long.  There will not be many offensive boards for the other team if he and Dukes are together in the game.  Mosley always seems to overcome big obstacles such as bigger men and the fans in South Orange love him.  Fellow junior Ken House is also in the mix but he is only six five and does not have the bulk to bang at this level.  He had some big games in his first year when Seton Hall was in a much shallower pool but last year looked over his head when swimming with these new sharks.  There might be a new competitor for that four spot as Carlessimo might have pulled off the coup of the recruiting year when he got Philly phenom Eddie Griffin to sign with the Pirates.  Griffin is a six foot ten 220 stud who can do it all on the cout.  He is the biggest recruit in Seton Hall history and is ranked top ten in the country.  If this kid is able to handle the physicality of the leap from HS to the Big East his future is extremely bright.  Of course he is not the only freshman coming into the Hall as Carlessimo has a deep recruiting class but none of them are near the talent of Griffin.   

The Seton Hall Pirates might have had a few rough roads over the past few years but they are now locked in as one of the pioneer programs of the mighty Big East.  The Pirates have went through a ton of changes including losing legendary coach John ‘Honey’ Russell to the greener pastures of the Boston Celtics but still have a ton of experience and talent as they attempt to move up the totem pole in this new league.  Coach PJ Carlessimo’s goal is to be able to implement his defense first system in with the wily veterans while slowly bringing in some new blood that can compete with the athleticism of this level.  The fans in Jersey are a patient bunch and it has been a few years since they have compete but as they look around and see all the publicity their brethren are getting at St. John’s and Syracuse and Georgetown they are wondering why that isn’t their beloved Pirates.  Especially when you have a nucleus of players with the experience and talent of Davies, Wanzer and Dukes.  Sure, these might not be household names outside the five boroughs and Jersey but these are some great players that not too long ago were at the forefront of college basketball.  Oh how quick we forget!  This is that trio’s last hurrah and perhaps with a little help from their friends and some coaching that actually stops the other team sometimes these Pirates might put their brand back on the national map.