The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

By Paul Roper

During my last year as a student at Seton Hall, I broadcasted many a game and witnessed the ups and downs of the University's sports teams as a fan. Unfortunately, the downs were more frequent than the ups my senior year, with some of SHU's marquee sports stumbling towards the ends of their respective seasons, leaving only a questionable future ahead of them in 2008-2009.

However, there were a few bright spots, and it’s only right that I point out the good before I point out the shortcomnigs.


THE GOOD:


Baseball – Although it took six years, Coach Rob Sheppard finally built his own legacy within the SHU Program, aside from the one left by his father, and guided Seton Hall to a Big East tournament berth. The last time the Pirates were there, in 2001, they won the Big East Title with a 31-25 record, thanks to a great mix of terrific starting pitching and an improving offense (Rob Sheppard was Interim Coach). The talent has gotten better thanks to Sheppard’s tireless recruiting within New Jersey, which has long been considered a baseball hotbed in the Northeast. The team produced two first-day picks in the 2008 MLB amateur draft , lefty pitcher Corey Young(TEX) and right-handed hurler Greg Miller (MIL). Returnees like A.J. Rusbarsky, Chris Spagnuolo, Chris Affinito and Sean Black will lead a Pirates team in 2009 that should end up in the middle of the pack in the Big East.


Sacha Kljestan – He may not be on the Pirates anymore, but Sacha is doing Seton Hall proud with his performances on the field for Chivas USA as well as for the United States National Team. Kljestian is considered to be one of the best midfielders in MLS and it was argued that he might have been the best player for the United States in the Olympics. Sooner than later, Sacha will go overseas where his popularity will increase but one thing is for sure, he should figure into the plans of the United States National Team as they qualify for the 2010 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa.


Prudential Center – The new building in Newark is the first step towards improving the men’s basketball program. The closer proximity to South Orange, better convenience and atmosphere make the previous experience at Continental Airlines Arena a mere afterthought, even though the Pirates played basketball there for nearly a quarter-century. The intimate atmosphere provided by the perfectly placed curtain-drapes generates a home-court advantage not seen since the early-1990’s. The one knock on “The Rock” is it's location and the bad conotation put on 'Newark, N.J.'. Having worked within the city of Newark for most of the summer, it is my opinion that the media have blown the “Newark is unsafe” mantra out of proportion. Couple that lack of open mindedness with the narrow-minded who are dead-set against stepping foot in the Brick City, and you get the uneccessary perception that the Prudential Center carries a bad rap. In fact. it is just the opposite. Go see a Pirates game at the brand new jewel of Newark and I guarantee you will walk away a satisfied fan.


Golf – One complaint I heard throughout my time as a Seton Hall sports journalist and broadcaster was that the “minor sports” never got credit. The linksmen of Seton Hall deserve some press for their third-place finish at the Big East Championship, one of the better finishes for a Pirates team this season. To add to the success, Kyle Morris performed well off the green, earning a prestigious post-graduate scholarship en route to continuing his education.



THE BAD


Women’s Basketball – The several season long hot-and-cold stretch for the women’s team continued, with a poor season following a WNIT second round appearance in 2006-2007. They came on strong out of the gate in 2007-2008 but lack of experience, along with key injuries, led to the Pirates struggling through much of their conference play. The team lost their final ten games of the season. With a promising freshman class and most of the core players returning, their trend of hot-and-cold luck should have the Pirates on the warmer end of the spectrum this year. Expect better things in 2008-2009.


Volleyball – Probably unfair to put them in the bad category, but their struggles at the start of conference play did cost them a Big East Tournament berth. The team does deserve credit for a great run at the end of the season but fans who aren't satisfied with almosts will continue to wonder what could have been. The Pirates do have one of the best middle blockers in the conference with Tricia Meyers and won’t have lost many players going into 2008, but the pundits have placed Seton Hall 10th in the pre-season poll, perhaps painting a bleak picture for the season. Hopefully they are wrong. I personally think the team can still improve their size to compete with the height of the Big East.


THE UGLY


Men’s Basketball – While I didn’t expect a great season, the lack of improvement in certain areas should be of concern to fans. Certain players have transferred out, others have not yet found their eligibility confirmed and the team defense could be an issue; there doesn't appear to be an answer to the Pirates' post problems. The sophomore slump of Eugene Harvey? The departure of two 1,000 point machines in Laing and Nutter? Will John Garcia be able to handle another season with his weary knees? Who leads this team now?


Softball – The once dominant program of the Big East had a 20-33 season in 2007-2008, losing all but six of their games on the road. It’s a somewhat unsettling situation over at Ivy Hill because the team was back-to-back champions just two years ago, but since then, they have had two of the worst seasons in program history. Kealan Waldron will try to make sure she brings the team back some respect for the 2009 season, especially since their baseball counterparts are on their way up.


Where’s Eliseo? – Like the Baltimore Colts leaving for Indianapolis in 1983, Eliseo Guisfredi disappeared in the middle of the night as well. The marquee player of Seton Hall’s men’s soccer team vanished from campus life, and rumors began to swirl about overseas signings with a foreign teams. However, nothing has surfaced to date on where Eliseo is and whether his soccer career will in fact continue, making him New Jersey’s most-sought after missing person since Jimmy Hoffa (at least to Seton Hall soccer fans). Don't worry though...he certainly isn't hiding under the 'turf at Giants Stadium.


Despite these lukewarm times, there has been success:

The move to Prudential Center

The Field Turf installation at Owen T. Carroll Field

The great fund-raising efforts by Pirate Blue
(though Bryan Felt deserves most of the credit there)



I offer two pieces of advice: “Be careful what you wish for” and “Give the man some time.”



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