Seton Hall Basketball: A Legacy of Pirates on the Court
The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program represents Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, competing in NCAA Division I. As a member of the Big East Conference, the team plays its home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Currently, Shaheen Holloway coaches the Pirates, guiding them in their pursuit of basketball excellence.
Early Years and the "Wonder Five"
Seton Hall's basketball journey began in 1903-04. After a brief hiatus, the program was revived in 1908-09, marking the university's first winning season. The adoption of the Pirate mascot in 1931 coincided with a rise to national prominence, spurred by the arrival of John "Honey" Russell in 1936. Over an 18-year period, Russell's leadership resulted in a 295-129 record, including an undefeated 19-0 season in 1939-40, a feat that was part of a 41-game unbeaten streak.
In 1941, Walsh Gymnasium opened, providing a permanent home for the basketball team. That year also saw one of Seton Hall's all-time best teams, the "Wonder Five," led by All-American Bob Davies, earn the school's first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bid.
Post-War Era and NIT Success
Following World War II, stars like Frank Saul and Bobby Wanzer continued the Pirates' tradition of excellence, with regular appearances at Madison Square Garden. The pinnacle of this era came in 1953 when Richie Regan and Walter Dukes led the team to an NIT title, defeating rival St. John's University.
The Big East Era and Carlesimo's Impact
The hiring of P. J. Carlesimo in 1982 marked the beginning of Seton Hall's Big East era, with the team playing its home games in the Meadowlands Arena. Carlesimo transformed the program, leading the Pirates to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1988. The following year, in 1989, he orchestrated an unexpected tournament run that culminated in the NCAA Championship game, where they were narrowly defeated by Michigan in overtime. 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.
Read also: Affording Seton Hall University
Carlesimo's success continued with a Big East tournament championship and an Elite Eight appearance in 1991, a regular season Big East Championship and Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1992, and Big East Regular Season and Big East tournament Championships in 1993.
Continued Tournament Appearances
After Carlesimo's departure to the NBA following the 1993-94 season, Seton Hall reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2000 under coach Tommy Amaker and appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2006, coached by Louis Orr.
The Gonzalez and Willard Years
In 2006-07, Bobby Gonzalez took over as head coach, and the Pirates moved their home games to the Prudential Center in 2007. Despite a 66-59 record, Gonzalez was fired at the end of the 2009-10 season after an NIT loss to Texas Tech due to concerns about the program's direction and several incidents involving Gonzalez and student-athletes.
After struggling to maintain a .500 record in his first five seasons, Kevin Willard's Pirates broke through in the 2015-16 season, winning the Big East tournament Championship over the eventual national champion Villanova Wildcats. This victory secured the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006 and first Big East tournament Championship since 1993. However, they were defeated by the 11th-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs in the First Round of the NCAA tournament.
Recent Tournament Runs
In 2017, the Pirates were again eliminated in the First Round of the NCAA tournament by the Arkansas Razorbacks. However, they broke their fourteen-year tournament win drought in 2018, defeating the NC State Wolfpack in the first round before falling to the Kansas Jayhawks in the Second Round.
Read also: Impactful Alumni: Seton Hill University
Following the graduation of key seniors Khadeen Carrington, Ángel Delgado, Desi Rodriguez, and Ismael Sanogo, the Pirates made their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance in 2019, marking the second time in program history they had achieved this feat. Led by junior guard Myles Powell, the Pirates, with a 16-12 overall and 7-9 Big East record, won their final two regular season games at home against 16th-ranked Marquette and 23rd-ranked Villanova and advanced to the Big East Final, where they lost a rematch to Villanova by two points. They secured a #10 seed in the tournament but lost to the Wofford Terriers in the first round, a game in which Fletcher Magee broke the Division I all-time three-point scoring record.
Upsetting Michigan
In November 2021, Seton Hall traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and upset 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.
Read also: Funding Your Education at Seton Hall
tags: #seton #hall #basketball #history
