John Fanta is a Seton Hall Alumni who now is a Fox Sports play-by-play broadcaster. He is also the host of Big East Shootaround, where he is seen all over the Big East\u2019s social media pages interviewing players and coaches and breaking down Big East games. Just recently he was in Madison Square Garden for all the exciting games during the Big East Tournament. I got the opportunity to ask him a few questions around the future of Seton Hall basketball, Big East storylines, and he even drops some of his March Madness picks.<\/p>\n
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Cameron Mendler: Seton Hall obviously struggled this year down the stretch, and just recently they opted out of the NIT. Do you know why they did that?<\/strong><\/p>\n John Fanta: <\/strong>Yeah, they did not feel that it was right for them to bubble up for another couple of weeks for essentially a trophy that doesn\u2019t mean enough to them to go down to Texas and risk things with COVID-19. This really came down to fatigue. These kids are getting tested every morning at 7\u00a0 and then doing everything they need to do as student athletes and I think to go all the way down to Texas and play in the National Invitational Tournament, which is the backseat to the NCAA [Tournament], I just don\u2019t think it made sense. If they were a program that had not been to a postseason in a while, then I would sit here and say they should play in it. But when you\u2019ve been to five NCAA tournaments [in a row], or you would\u2019ve been [without the cancelation of the tournament last year], it didn\u2019t make sense for them to go down there. It came down to the amount that they\u2019ve had to do to preserve health and safety combined with the fact that you go down to Texas to compete for a trophy that really doesn\u2019t mean a whole lot to Seton Hall at this point where the program is at.<\/p>\n CM: Next year Seton Hall has some solid players returning and some solid recruits, a 4-star (Brandon Weston) and two 3-stars (Tyler Powell and Ryan Conway). How does next year look and can they find their way back into the tournament?<\/strong><\/p>\n JF: <\/strong>I think they can, and I think that Jared Rhoden is going to be their star and he showed us that he\u2019s more than capable of doing that in the big east tournament. You\u2019ve got to be able to have that moment where it hits and say, \u201cI can be that guy for my team next year.\u201d He was the guy for Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament. When Sandro Mamukelashvili got shut down by Georgetown\u2019s defense, how were they going to be able to respond and they did. It was through Jared Rhoden. So, I think when you combine that with the fact that they had a lot of youth this year, guys still carving out their role, I think that Tyrese Samuel needs a normal offseason of development because I think he has some untapped potential, but Kevin Willard\u2019s got to continue to find it. I think Ike Obiagu coming back is only good for Seton Hall because when you have a 7-footer on your team, you can create a matchup problem. The biggest thing for this team is are they going to be able to generate enough offense consistently. They\u2019re welcoming in Brandon Weston, a wing, and Ryan Conway, a point guard, who are going to be expected to come in and contribute. They have got to find a transfer or two this offseason to try and make that push to the NCAA tournament. You\u2019ve got to be able to find some kids with experience, particularly some NCAA tournament experience, that can win you games down the stretch. Rhoden\u2019s one of those guys, but losing Mamu and Cale, who have been through the ringer and understand what it takes to win is tough. It comes down to getting a transfer or two and identifying who that is. They got one in Aiken, but it didn\u2019t work out. There\u2019s no reason why they can\u2019t get another one. Kevin Willard\u2019s done it in the past with Quincy McKnight and others.<\/p>\n CM: You mentioned needing a transfer, Earl Timberlake, who is a former 4-Star recruit who considered Seton Hall before committing to Miami, just recently announced he is transferring. He doesn\u2019t have the experience but potential wise do you think he could impact Seton Hall if he chooses to go there?<\/strong><\/p>\n JF: <\/strong>I would expect Kevin [Willard] to be in dialog with Earl\u2019s people and I think he absolutely could. The thing about recruiting is that you might get the opportunity elsewhere like Timberlake, who saw something that would fit over Seton Hall at that moment but kind of like the Aiken situation, when you get recruited by a coach, if the coach does it correctly, which Kevin and his staff have done so you always keep that relationship. It\u2019s always kept there that if in the event in which the recruiting gets reopened, you\u2019re able to start right where you left off and that\u2019s the advantage that Willard and his staff have. Here\u2019s the other thing, they had the opportunity to say to Earl, \u201cWe\u2019ve won. You were at a Miami program that doesn\u2019t win, and we do know how to win. You can come here and win, and you can come here and get playing time.\u201d I look at a couple of different things that they have going for them and I fully expect them to be in on Timberlake.<\/p>\n BREAKING from me and @DraftExpress<\/a>: Miami freshman Earl Timberlake plans to transfer, he tells ESPN. <\/p>\n Timberlake was a projected first-round pick before dealing with injuries all season. Immediately becomes a top available transfer.https:\/\/t.co\/Od8t42dnc3<\/a><\/p>\n — Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 14, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n