Choppy waves, until very recently, crashed the hull of the Connecticut Clipper. The Big 12 Conference spent the last two weeks renewing their interest in bringing aboard the University of Connecticut. Had they joined, UConn would have become full members in all but one league-offered sport starting in 2026. Those conversations are currently on pause.
Debates and arguments broke out among three groups of fanbases during that suspenseful stretch. A handful of Big East fans worried about the Huskies leaving their conference again. Most Big 12 fans seemed to like the idea. UConn Nation, meanwhile, took both sides.
Uneven waters are also in the Seton Hall Pirates’ path following their extensive roster turnover. Four out of Seton Hall’s top five scorers and their top three rebounders stand out among the team’s personnel losses. Only five players return from last season’s Pirates’ team that, despite going 17-15, stayed close with the nationally-ranked USC Trojans and Princeton Tigers.
But just because seven graduate students and one senior departed does not mean the sky is falling in South Orange, New Jersey. It should not be, anyway, especially with Big East All-Freshman Team guard Savannah Catalon among Seton Hall’s five returnees.
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Catalon came off the bench in all but three of her 31 games and provided the Pirates with dominating outings. The two-time Big East Freshman of the Week scored 15+ points half of the eight times where she crossed double digits while recording 65 assists and 45 steals. If she can shoot better from the floor, Catalon could join Lauren Park-Lane and Tabatha Richardson-Smith on a list of franchise icons.
Graduate guard Amari Wright provides a veteran voice in Seton Hall’s underrated backcourt. The longest-tenured Pirate best exhibited her leadership skills in the transition game with 160 dimes and 62 steals. Only Nika Mühl, the UConn women’s basketball team’s all-time leader in assists, averaged more of the former in the Big East Conference at 6.5. Although she stands just 5-foot-9, Wright complements her command of the floor with a vertical reach that turned away 11 shots.
Second-year graduate forward I’yanna Lops, the lone Pirate who appeared in all 32 contests, brings that same aggressive energy in the post. Lops rejected 27 shots and became one of the league’s deadliest defensive forces despite averaging just 2.8 rebounds. If the St. Bonaventure transfer earns a spot in Seton Hall’s starting lineup, classics like her five-block performance against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights may happen more often.
Connecticut natives Shailyn Pinkney and Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick could also become household names in New Jersey. The team felt Pinkney’s impact on the boards (she grabbed 45 rebounds in 9.6 MPG). Bland-Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, showcased flashes of her potential as an efficient scorer.
The UConn men’s basketball team found themselves in the same position during the 2022 offseason that the Pirates are in; they too had only five returning scholarship players. A championship might not be a guarantee this season, but head coach Tony Bozzella found several quality athletes through his seven-person transfer portal plunge.
La Salle transfer Nicole Melious gives Seton Hall their next three-point threat. 219 of Melious’ 326 points from her first-year campaign came from long range. The Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team guard, who shot 34.1% from downtown, also made a name for herself on the boards. Melious had seven contests where she landed 4+ three-pointers and grabbed at least five rebounds in three of them.
Junior college transfer Dakota Jones will almost always be on double-double watch. Jones, a Mon-Dak All-Conference First Team forward, averaged 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds during her lone season at the North Dakota State College of Science. She and Mississippi State transfer Ramani Parker should shore up most of the Pirates’ frontcourt holes. Parker averaged 15 minutes two years ago but could be in for a revenge tour after missing most of last season with a knee injury.
Seton Hall’s non-conference schedule contains a near-perfect balance between cupcakes and marquee matchups. Juju Watkins’ Trojans and Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers, both of whom reached the Elite Eight, significantly stand out amongst the Pirates’ 11 confirmed non-Big East opponents.
It will not be smooth sailing on the Bozzella boat, especially very early in the season. Conference foes will take the Pirates more seriously, however, if they can weather their out-of-conference slate. From there, Seton Hall could make waves in the Big East’s seven seas and set themselves up for a March Madness return after nine long years.
How the Huskies can defeat Seton Hall next season
Offensive rebounds provide a basketball player with their best opportunity at redemption. Despite their middle-of-the-pack averages last season, both Big East charter members should see a noticeable increase in the number of second chances they earn. The Pirates possess three returning guards who can give the team an extra life on offense. The Huskies have at least four.
Paige Bueckers, Ashlynn Shade, Caroline Ducharme and Kaitlyn Chen each hauled in 20+ rebounds when they most recently played 30+ games in a season. Bueckers and Shade will consistently go after each shot that their teammates miss. Chen should pick up where she left off; she collected 11 of her 27 offensive boards in her final 10 games as a Tiger.
Ducharme, despite playing in just 23 contests over the past two years, can be a potent force down low when she is fully healthy. Like the Milton, Massachusetts native, redshirt senior wing Aubrey Griffin could be a wild card on the glass. Griffin grabbed an offensive rebound in 13 out of her 14 games last season and continued UConn’s possessions multiple times on nine separate occasions.
Seton Hall’s reputation as a defense-heavy program has not changed, not even with their offseason roster overhaul. Each play after a missed shot will matter; if the Huskies are not fighting for every rebound, the Pirates will gain more opportunities at pulling off an upset. Conversely, should Connecticut have an aggressive outing on the boards, their 30-year winning streak over Seton Hall will likely continue.
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