| Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball | |||||||||||||
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| University | Seton Hall University | ||||||||||||
| First season | 1903–04 | ||||||||||||
| All-time record | 1612–1145 (.585) | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Shaheen Holloway (4th season) | ||||||||||||
| Conference | Big East | ||||||||||||
| Location | Newark, New Jersey; South Orange, New Jersey | ||||||||||||
| Arena | Prudential Center; Walsh Gymnasium (capacity: 10,481/18,711; 1,316) | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Pirates | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Blue and white[1] | ||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||||||||||||
| 1989 | |||||||||||||
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| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||||||
| 1991, 1993, 2016 | |||||||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||||||
| 1977, 1992, 1993, 2020 | |||||||||||||
TheSeton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is theNCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program ofSeton Hall University inSouth Orange, New Jersey. The team competes in theBig East Conference and plays their home games in thePrudential Center inNewark, New Jersey. The Pirates are currently coached byShaheen Holloway. Seton Hall has appeared 14 times in theNCAA tournament and were national runners-up in 1989.
Seton Hall's first season of basketball occurred in 1903–04, but the school did not field a team again until 1908–09, the year in which the university achieved its first winning season. The school adopted the Pirate mascot in 1931, and the teams soon gained national prominence with the arrival ofJohn "Honey" Russell in 1936. During an 18-year span, the Pirates racked up a 295–129 record that included an undefeated 19–0 record in 1939–40 as part of a 41-game unbeaten streak.Walsh Gymnasium was opened in 1941 to house the basketball team permanently and featured one of the best Seton Hall teams of all time, termed the "Wonder Five", which led by All-AmericanBob Davies, earned the school's firstNIT bid in 1941. Following World War II, the Pirates were led by starsFrank Saul andBobby Wanzer and regularly played games atMadison Square Garden. The peak of this era occurred in 1953 whenRichie Regan andWalter Dukes defeated rivalSt. John's University for theNIT title. Perhaps the low point for the team occurred in 1961 when apoint shaving scandal sullied the program, but the Pirates rebounded to return to the NIT in 1974 under coachBill Raftery.[2] Seton Hall became a charter member of theBig East Conference in 1979, where they are still a member to this day.
Although Seton Hall did have a lengthy American Football Team, The high point of the Big East era for Seton Hall came whenP. J. Carlesimo was hired in 1982 and the team began playing in theMeadowlands Arena. By 1988, Carlesimo led the Pirates to the school's firstNCAA tournament appearance, and in 1989, he led the Hall to an unexpected tournament run to theNCAA Championship game, where they were defeated byMichigan in overtime. Success under Carlesimo continued with aBig East tournament championship and anElite Eight appearance in 1991, a regular season Big East Championship and Sweet Sixteen appearance in1992, and Big East Regular Season and Big East tournament Championships in1993. Carlesimo left to coach in theNBA following the 1993–94 season, but Seton Hall returned to the Sweet Sixteen in2000 guided by coachTommy Amaker, and appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2006 coached byLouis Orr. In 2006–07,Bobby Gonzalez was hired to lead the Pirates, which moved its home games into thePrudential Center in 2007.[3] Gonzalez amassed a 66–59 record at Seton Hall but was fired at the conclusion of the 2009–10 after a first-round NIT loss to Texas Tech. Concerns were raised in-house about the direction Gonzalez was taking the program, punctuated by several incidents, some involving Gonzalez and others involving student athletes. Shortly after his dismissal Gonzalez was arrested for shoplifting.[4] Seton Hall then hiredKevin Willard for the 2010–11 season.[5]
After struggling to maintain a .500 record through his first five seasons with the program, Willard's Pirates finally broke through in the 2015–16 season, as they won the Big East tournament Championship over the eventual national championVillanova Wildcats. With the win, Seton Hall secured the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 and the first Big East tournament Championship since 1993. However, the magic could not continue in theNCAA tournament, as the team was defeated by the 11th-seededGonzaga Bulldogs in the First Round. In 2017, the Pirates were again eliminated in the First Round of theNCAA tournament by theArkansas Razorbacks, but the Pirates would win their first tournament game in fourteen years upon defeating theNC State Wolfpack in2018's first round before being defeated by theKansas Jayhawks in the Second Round. Following the graduation of starting seniorsKhadeen Carrington,Ángel Delgado,Desi Rodriguez, and Ismael Sanogo, the Pirates would appear in their fourth consecutiveNCAA tournament for the second time in program history in 2019. Led by the play of standout junior guardMyles Powell, the Pirates, at risk of missing the tournament sitting on a 16–12 overall and 7–9 Big East record, won their final two regular season games at home against16th-ranked Marquette and23rd-ranked Villanova and advanced to theBig East Final where they lost a rematch to Villanova by two points. Ultimately, they secured a #10 seed in the tournament following their performance down the stretch, and fell to theWofford Terriers in afirst round game in whichFletcher Magee would break Division I's all-timethree-point scoring record. In November 2021, Seton Hall traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play the then #4 ranked Michigan Wolverines as part of the Big East-Big 10 Gavitt Games. Of note was that the game was the first time the two programs had met since the 1989 NCAA National Championship Game when Michigan beat Seton Hall by one on a controversial foul call. In the 2021 version, Seton Hall upset Michigan, making it the first time Seton Hall had won a road game against a non-conference AP top-five team in university history. They were 0–5 prior.[6]
| Name | Years | Record | Win pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Caffrey | 1908–09 | 10–4 | (.714) |
| Dick McDonough | 1909–10 | 6–2 | (.750) |
| Jim Flanagan | 1910–11 | 4–0 | (1.000) |
| Frank Hill | 1911–30 | 192–75 | (.719) |
| Dan Steinberg | 1930–31 | 12–11 | (.522) |
| Les Fries | 1931–33 | 18–13 | (.581) |
| John Colrick | 1933–35 | 8–22 | (.267) |
| Bob Davies | 1946–47 | 24–3 | (.889) |
| Jack Reitemeier | 1947–49 | 34–12 | (.739) |
| John Russell | 1936–43 1949-60 | 295–129 | (.696) |
| Richard Regan | 1960–70 | 112–131 | (.461) |
| Bill Raftery | 1970–81 | 154–141 | (.522) |
| Hoddy Mahon | 1981–82 | 11–16 | (.407) |
| P.J. Carlesimo | 1982–94 | 212–166 | (.561) |
| George Blaney | 1994–97 | 38–48 | (.442) |
| Tommy Amaker | 1997–01 | 68–55 | (.540) |
| Louis Orr | 2001–06 | 80–69 | (.537) |
| Bobby Gonzalez | 2006–10 | 66–59 | (.528) |
| Kevin Willard | 2010–22 | 225–161 | (.583) |
| Shaheen Holloway | 2022–present | 42–28 | (.600) |
The Pirates have appeared in theNCAA tournament 14 times. Their combined record is 16–14.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 UTEP #1 Arizona | W 80–64 L 55–84 |
| 1989 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | #14 Southwest Missouri State #11 Evansville #2 Indiana #4 UNLV #2 Duke #3 Michigan | W 60–51 W 87–73 W 78–65 W 84–61 W 95–78 L 79–80OT |
| 1991 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #14 Pepperdine #11 Creighton #2 Arizona #1 UNLV | W 71–51 W 81–69 W 81–77 L 65–77 |
| 1992 | #4 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #13 La Salle #5 Missouri #1 Duke | W 78–76 W 88–71 L 69–81 |
| 1993 | #2 | First Round Second Round | #15 Tennessee State #7 WKU | W 81–59 L 68–72 |
| 1994 | #10 | First Round | #7 Michigan State | L 73–84 |
| 2000 | #10 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #7 Oregon #2 Temple #3 Oklahoma State | W 72–71OT W 67–65OT L 66–68 |
| 2004 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 Arizona #1 Duke | W 80–76 L 62–90 |
| 2006 | #10 | First Round | #7 Wichita State | L 66–86 |
| 2016 | #6 | First Round | #11 Gonzaga | L 52–68 |
| 2017 | #9 | First Round | #8 Arkansas | L 71–77 |
| 2018 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 NC State #1 Kansas | W 94–83 L 79–83 |
| 2019 | #10 | First Round | #7 Wofford | L 68–84 |
| 2022 | #8 | First Round | #9 TCU | L 42–69 |
The Pirates have appeared in theNational Invitation Tournament (NIT) 19 times. Their combined record is 13–19. They were NIT champions in 1953 and 2024.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game | Rhode Island Long Island CCNY | W 70–54 L 26–49 L 27–42 |
| 1951 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game | Beloit NC State BYU St. John's | W 71–57 W 71–59 L 59–69 L 68–70 |
| 1952 | First Round | La Salle | L 76–80 |
| 1953 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Niagara Manhattan St. John's | W 79–74 W 74–56 W 58–46 |
| 1955 | First Round | Saint Francis (PA) | L 78–89 |
| 1956 | First Round Quarterfinals | Marquette Saint Joseph's | W 96–78 L 65–74 |
| 1957 | First Round | Xavier | L 79–85 |
| 1974 | First Round | Memphis | L 72–73 |
| 1977 | First Round | Massachusetts | L 85–86 |
| 1987 | First Round | Niagara | L 65–74 |
| 1995 | First Round | Canisius | L 71–83 |
| 1998 | First Round | Georgia Tech | L 70–88 |
| 1999 | First Round | Old Dominion | L 56–75 |
| 2001 | First Round | Alabama | L 79–85 |
| 2003 | First Round | Rhode Island | L 60–61 |
| 2010 | First Round | Texas Tech | L 69–87 |
| 2012 | First Round Second Round | Stony Brook Massachusetts | W 63–61 L 67–77 |
| 2023 | First Round | Colorado | L 64–65 |
| 2024 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final | Saint Joseph’s North Texas UNLV Georgia Indiana State | W 75–72 W 72–58 W 91–68 W 84–67 W 79–77 |
In 2016, while playing for the Pirates,Derrick Gordon became the first openly gay man to play in theMarch Madness tournament.[7]
| Seton Hall Pirates retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Frank Saul | G/F | 1942–43, 1946–49 | |
| 5 | Walter Dukes | C | 1950–53 | |
| 8 | Bobby Wanzer | G | 1942–43, 1946–47 | |
| 11 | Bob Davies | G | 1939–42 | |
| 12 | Richie Regan | G | 1950–53 | |
| 24 | Terry Dehere | SG | 1989–93 | |
| 34 | Glenn Mosley | PF | 1973-77 | |
| 44 | Nick Werkman | G | 1961–64[8] | |
| Year Inducted | Name | Position | Years at Seton Hall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | John "Honey" Russell | Coach | 1936–1943, 1949–60 |
| 1970 | Bob Davies | Player/Coach | 1939–1942, 1946–47 |
| 1987 | Bobby Wanzer | Player | 1942–1943, 1946–47 |
| 2017 | Nikos Galis | Player | 1975–1979 |
| Year Inducted | Name | Years at Seton Hall |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Nikos Galis | 1975–1979 |
| 2013 | Andrew Gaze | 1988–1989 |
31 Pirates have played at least one game in theNBA.
| Name | Draft Year | Draft Team |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Avent | 1991 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Andre Barrett | 2004 | Undrafted |
| Mark Bryant | 1988 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Tommy Byrnes | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Chuck Connors | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Marcus Cousin | 2010 | Undrafted |
| Samuel Dalembert | 2001 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Bob Davies | 1948 | Undrafted |
| Terry Dehere | 1993 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Ángel Delgado | 2018 | Undrafted |
| Walter Dukes | 1953 | New York Knicks |
| Bob Fitzgerald | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Andrew Gaze | 1993 | Undrafted |
| Adrian Griffin | 1999 | Undrafted |
| Eddie Griffin | 2001 | New Jersey Nets |
| Howie Janotta | 1949 | Baltimore Bullets |
| Johnny Macknowski | 1948 | Rochester Royals |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 2021 | Indiana Pacers |
| Mike McCarron | 1946 | Undrafted |
| John Morton | 1989 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Glenn Mosley | 1977 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Al Negratti | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Myles Powell | 2021 | Undrafted |
| Richie Regan | 1953 | Rochester Royals |
| Jared Rhoden | 2022 | Undrafted |
| Ed Sadowski | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Pep Saul | 1949 | Rochester Royals |
| Ben Scharnus | 1946 | Undrafted |
| Bobby Wanzer | 1948 | Rochester Royals |
| Isaiah Whitehead | 2016 | Utah Jazz |
| Luther Wright | 1993 | Utah Jazz |
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