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SportsLine.com Report
June 6, 2000

A glance at 2001

The future is ... wow. The Pirates lose two starters in Shaheen Holloway and Rimas Kaukenas, but everyone else is back, and figure that Sam Dalembert, Darius Lane and Greg Morton will be that much better with a year of starting behind them.

Then add in what is perhaps the best recruiting class in the country, and the expectations for next year will be off the charts. Eddie Griffin, a 6-9 forward rated by several scouting services as the No. 1 prospect in the country, will step into the starting frontcourt immediately next year -- provided he doesn't jump directly to the NBA. The loss of Holloway hurts, but Amaker landed one of the top high school point guards in the country in 5-8 Andre Barrett of Rice High School in New York City.

And Seton Hall still has the talented Ty Shine, who is currently Holloway's backup. Sitting out this year is Nevada-Las Vegas transfer Desmond Herod, an instant-offense type who wound up as the No. 2 scorer in New York City high school history (behind Kenny Anderson) with 2,516 points. He's a 6-4 guard.

Then there's time that has to be found for Top 50 recruit Marcus Toney-El, a sleek 6-6 athlete. The Pirates will be loaded next year.

The Coach

Former Duke assistants seem to be all the rage these days in the coaching ranks, and Amaker is leading the charge. In three years at his first head coaching assignment, the 34-year-old Amaker has led the Pirates to three straight postseason appearances. Their NCAA Tournament bid this year is the school's first since 1994. And he has managed to create an even brighter future, putting Seton Hall on the map nationally once again because of an incoming class that is rated No. 1 in the country by several recruiting services.

The one drawback to all of that? Every time a major job opens, Amaker's name surfaces (Georgia Tech being the most recent example at the end of this year). That makes Seton Hall fans nervous, but Amaker (as do all coaches) insists he's happy where he is.

Who'll Be Back

Dalembert, Morton and Lane are the three returning starters -- and imagine how good all will be next season now that they've been through a year in the college ranks. If Dalembert is serious about becoming an offensive force, he has the potential to be a major star. Backup point guard Ty Shine also returns, as do key reserves Al Harris, Charles Manga and Kevin Wilkins.

Herod, a 6-4 scoring machine, is currently sitting out and will have three years of eligibility starting next season. All of that gets added to the best recruiting class in Seton Hall history -- provided the headliner, Griffin, doesn't opt for the lure of the NBA directly out of high school. In a normal year, Seton Hall would desperately miss graduating seniors Holloway and Kaukenas. But next year isn't a normal year for the Pirates, who will have an embarrassment of riches.

Who's Gone

Holloway and Kaukenas will be missed, if only for the leadership they provide. Holloway departs as the school's career leader in assists and after earning second-team All Big East honors as a senior. He also shared the league's Most Improved Player Award with Pittsburgh's Ricardo Greer. And if incoming freshman Barrett isn't quite ready to pick up where Holloway left off at point guard, the Pirates can always call on the talented Shine, who will be a junior next year. Kaukenas isn't one of those players who is difficult to replace in terms of talent, just in terms of leadership, work ethic and intangibles. He was a solid three-year starter who went out and did his job without much fanfare.

Key Newcomers

The anticipation for next season has been so frenzied that many Seton Hall fans seemed to forget that this season has been a pretty good one as well. It showed in the home attendance, with fans failing to warm up to the Pirates until the final weeks of the regular season. But with the heralded recruiting class that Amaker is bringing in next year, it's understandable why so many people are looking ahead.

• F Eddie Griffin (6-9, 215, Fr.): One of the leading contenders for National Player of the Year honors, Griffin is clearly the star of this recruiting class. The one drawback to the spectacular senior year he's having at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia is that NBA scouts have been flocking to his games on a regular basis. He keeps saying he wants to go to college. If he does wind up at Seton Hall, the Pirates will be a Top 10 team to start next season.
• F Marcus Toney-El (6-6, 195, Fr.): Versatile, athletic frontcourt player who is among the top five players in New Jersey while playing for one of the state's premier programs at Seton Hall Prep. Led his high school to an unbeaten season and its first Tournament of Champions title as a junior before a broken foot curtailed his senior season.
• PG Andre Barrett (5-8, 165, Fr.): Rated as one of the nation's top five point guards, Barrett plays for powerhouse Rice High School in New York City, which means he should be ready to step in and start immediately with Holloway gone.
• PF Damion Fray (6-8, 220, Fr.): The least heralded member of the incoming class, Fray probably has the most upside because he started playing basketball late. He's strong and athletic, and won't have to be rushed. But he has the potential to be a contributor in the future.
• SG Desmond Herod (6-4, 177, So.): A transfer from Nevada-Las Vegas, where he averaged 5.5 points in 15.5 minutes as a freshman two years ago. He'll have three years of eligibility.