Team: Seton Hall Pirates
2023-24 Record: 17-15, 8-10 Big East
2023-24 Big East Finish: 7th place, finishing one game behind Georgetown and two games ahead of the Butler/Providence tie for 8th place.
Final 2023-24 Her Hoop Stats Ranking: #71 out of 360 teams
Postseason: Seton Hall won their first-round match against #10 seed DePaul but lost in the Big East tournament quarterfinals to #2 seed Creighton. Despite the early exit, they qualified for the WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament) but were defeated 54-47 by Saint Joseph’s in the opening round, ending their season.
Key Departures: The Pirates are losing their top three scorers from the previous season. Azana Baines, who averaged 14.7 points per game, and Kae Satterfield, who contributed 9.2 points per game, were in their fifth year with the team, so their departure was anticipated. Micah Gray, who averaged 11.9 points per game, is moving to Oklahoma State after previously playing at Texas Southern.
Additionally, Seton Hall is also losing their top four rebounders. Baines led with 6.0 rebounds per game, while Satterfield was third with 4.1. A’Jah Davis, second with 5.0 rebounds per game, also contributed 4.7 points per game and was with SHU for only one season after transferring from Northern Illinois. Makennah White is transferring to Missouri State after a single year at Seton Hall, contributing 3.1 rebounds per game.
Other notable departures include Sha’Lynn Hagans, who was in her fifth year and averaged 5.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, and Brazil Harvey-Carr, who played 10.5 minutes per game in 23 appearances with 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds.
Key Returners: Seton Hall retains just three rotation players from last season, including one starter: Amari Wright. Wright, who started all 30 games, averaged 4.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. The other returning players are I’Yanna Lops and Savannah Catalon. Lops, the only player to appear in all 32 games last season, averaged 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 14.0 minutes per game. Catalon, a freshman last year, had a solid debut with averages of 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 31 games.
Key Additions: Seton Hall is bringing in six transfers and three freshmen. Notably, Jada Eads, a 5’7″ guard, is ranked #125 nationally. Another freshman, Baylor Franz, a 5’6″ guard from Oklahoma, joined in late April and is not listed by Blue Star.
Among the transfers, Kaydan Lawson (6’0″ guard/forward) and Faith Masonius (6’1″ forward) are entering their fifth and sixth seasons, respectively. Lawson averaged 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last year at Virginia. Masonius, formerly of Maryland, averaged 6.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last season. Ramani Parker, a 6’4″ forward, had a season-ending injury after two games at Mississippi State last year but previously averaged 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Messiah Hunter, a 6’2″ forward from West Virginia, appeared in just one game as a freshman and averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds last season.
Nicole Melious, a 5’8″ guard from Staten Island, transferred from La Salle, where she averaged nearly 11 points and 3 rebounds per game. Savanna Jones, a 6’2″ forward from Minnesota, averaged 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds at North Dakota College Of Science, a junior college.
Coach: Tony Bozzella is entering his 25th season as a Division 1 head coach and his 12th at Seton Hall. His record with the Pirates stands at 187-141, 373-355 overall in Division 1, and 493-459 as a collegiate head coach.
Outlook: Tony Bozzella is not likely in immediate danger of losing his job, having avoided a losing season in his last five years. However, Seton Hall’s reliance on transfers and players in their final year of eligibility has created a high turnover, leading to a 7th place finish in the Big East last year. With only three returning rotation players and many new faces, including transfers with uncertain previous performances, the Pirates face uncertainty. Although there’s potential for improvement, especially if newcomers like Melious and Jones can adapt well to the Big East, the lack of proven scorers is a concern. Bozzella’s track record includes consistent competitiveness, but his team hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2016, and it’s uncertain if this year’s roster will change that trend.
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