It’s been a while since Seton Hall basketball brought a proven collegiate sharpshooter into the program – four years, since Al-Amir Dawes came aboard from Clemson in 2022.
That changed Tuesday when Dartmouth transfer Kareem Thomas committed.
Here are three things to know about the 6-foot-5 sophomore shooting guard.
1. He shot the lights out this past season
Thomas averaged 15.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range (46 of 103) and 79.5 percent from the free-throw line (136 of 171). He hardly played as a freshman in 2024-25, making a big leap this past season as the Big Green finished 11-16 overall and 5-9 in the Ivy League. Thomas ranked second in the league in 3-point percentage.
In Dartmouth’s lone game against high-major competition, at Florida, Thomas scored 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. In two road games against Mountain West foes Wyoming and Colorado State, he averaged 19.5 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 17-of-23 from the free-throw line.
For context, Seton Hall’s only had three players ever to shoot better than .447 from deep for a full season (minimum of 40 makes): John Leahy in 1991-92 (.561 on 46-of-82), Terry Dehere in 1990-91 (.460 on 105-of-245) and Arturas Karnisovas in 1992-93 (.449 on 48 of 107). Yes, Big East defenses are harder to shoot against, but at the same time the 3-point line is two feet further out now than it was then. Since the line moved to its current distance of 22-1 in 2019, no Seton Hall player has shot 40 percent with at least 40 makes.
It’s worth noting that the last Pirate to transfer in from the shooters-rich Ivy League, Bryce Aiken, peaked at .398 from deep at Harvard and shot .353 for the Hall in 2021-22. So even though Aiken’s rate dropped a fair amount, he still shot respectably at the Big East level (Aiken was a bit different because he had the ball in his hands so much, but you get the idea). If Thomas declines at a similar rate, to 40 percent next season, everyone in the program will gladly take it.
2. Thomas is not a specialist
Although he was deadly from deep, Thomas scored from all over the floor, and in particular the way that Hall coach Shaheen Holloway likes most – he got to the free-throw line and converted. He led the Ivy League in both free throws made and attempted by a wide margin. Against Colorado State for example, he shot 14-of-17 from the charity stripe. At 6.6 free throws attempted per game, he far outpaced the Hall’s top free-throw-getter from this past season, Budd Clark, who was at 3.9 per game.
So Thomas can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim, and he can beat you from deep. That first skill should make it harder for opponents to defend the second, especially if the Pirates can screen, move the ball in the air and run sets for him.
As a side note, Thomas hails from Wilmington, Delaware. The last Delaware import worked out pretty well for the Hall, a five-year contributor by the name of Myles Cale.
3. With Trey Parker returning, backcourt continues to grow
Seton Hall's first four in-transfers this offseason have been guards, all of whom have logged at least two years of college ball, with heights at 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-5. Add in sophomore point guard Trey Parker, who will be the lone returnee from this past season after affirming his return Tuesday, and that's a lot of experience in the Hall's 2026-27 backcourt so far.
Thomas is different from the others, complementary in the sense that he brings a unique skill. The Pirates need at least one more high-percentage bomber to take some of the pressure off of him, but this is a big step toward fulfilling Holloway’s promise to address the program’s shooting shortcomings. A plan is starting to take shape.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball adds Kareem Thomas, sharpshooter from Dartmouth