Yes, the head coach seemed to like much of what he saw as his 2026-27 Pirates put in preseason work with 13 new players and two returnees. Afterward he discussed the state of the team as the calendar turns to October.
Q. What’s your early impression of this group?
A. “We have four new guys who just started when school started – the three Europeans and Elijah (Fisher). We’ve got some work to do. The thing I’m excited about is this team’s got a lot of room for growth.
“These guys are getting used to playing with each other. A lot of these guys were the man on their team, and now I’m preaching sharing the basketball and getting a Seton Hall shot. The first week was tough with them because they did not know what to expect.”
Q. Will there be a high-usage point guard like last year, or guys sharing that position?
A. “I don’t know – I’m still trying to figure that out. MP (Mihailo Petrovic) didn’t have a good practice today, but he was really good yesterday. It’s hard to keep him out of the lane. He’s coming off a shoulder injury that kept him out for almost two weeks, so he’s still a little timid with that, but he’s a pure point guard, makes everyone around him better. He’s got some work to do on defense, though. Yesterday (Sunday) he was the best guy on the court, him and (wing) Rodney (Brown). Today, he struggled a little bit playing on consecutive days.”
“We’ve got a couple of guys who can play that spot, so we’ll have to see how that goes. Roddie Anderson can play that spot as well.”
Q. Anderson stood out in practice today, I thought.
A. “He’s a guy who played in this league. He was on Xavier for two years; he sat out the first year (2024-25), and averaged double figures in scoring last year, so that experience is good for us to have.”
Q. How are the Euro bigs faring so far?
A. “Theo (Airhienbuwa) was having trouble sleeping. The time difference was messing him up. Him and (Ilay) Dolinski, they’re starting to understand the physicality of everything. I’ve got to try to figure out how to play those guys.”
Q. What’s it like having Elijah back?
A. “It’s good because he’s a guy that knows what I want. He started on a team that had a good season last year. His mindset is completely different this year – he’s super aggressive. He’s shooting the ball better than he did last year and he’s showing more athleticism. It’s good to have him back and I hope it stays that way.” (Note: Fisher is eligible for a fifth season right now as part of the Glancey v. NCAA case in California; the next hearing is Oct. 20).”
Q. Do you have captains?
A. “Not yet. Guys got to earn it.”
Q. Who is showing leadership? I saw Simeon Wilcher talking a lot on the court.
A. “Yeah, Sim’s talking. Today he was good. Everything happens when you make shots, and today he made some shots. The guys who have been the most outspoken have been (forward/center) Devin Williams and (center) Terry Copeland. Those guys have been really vocal.
“Devin’s been super impressive. He was sick and was out for a week. He lost 12 pounds, and losing 12 pounds for a guy who already was thin (at 205) is not good. But he’s a very good passer, he can shoot threes. I brought him in because he blocked a lot of shots last year.
“Kabba (7-foot center Abdulai Fanta Kabba) is out right now (with a leg injury). From the summer to now, he’s made the biggest jump.”
Q. What do you think of these bigs and how they’ll play together?
A. “They bring different things. Devin is more versatile and Terry is a banger. Kabba is a bruiser who throws his body around.
Q. How has the 3-point shooting been?
A. “Obviously that was one of the main things for us (to address) this offseason. We’re starting to make shots now. Guys were hesitant before. I’m telling guys, ‘You’re open, shoot it. I’m going to take you out if you don’t shoot it.’ Once you make shots, the court opens and (point guards) Del (Jones) and Petrovic are going to get into the lane anytime they want.”
Q. What has surprised you most so far?
A. “How well the team has jelled. You bring in 13 new guys and you have no idea what to expect, especially when the guys are from all over the place. We have three Europeans and three West Coast guys. For them to come in and jell right away, that surprised me most. This team is super tight.”
Q. How are they handling being coached hard?
A. “It’s been good. All those guys, that’s what they were told while we were recruiting them. But you can be told something, then you’ve got to experience it. Some days are better than others, but they all know that as much as I get on them, I’ll praise them. It’s a balance.”
Q. How are you handling having 15 scholarship players? Are you seeing the beginning of a rotation yet?
A. “It’s a lot – and not yet. That stuff is going to work itself out. I tell the guys all the time, ‘If I can’t trust you in practice, I can’t trust you in a game.’ It’s a matter of competing. Guys got to show me that they want it. I’ve got two or three guys for every spot, so they’ve got to bring it every day.”
Q. You’re going to be ranked near the bottom of the Big East again in all these preseason predictions. Will you use that as motivation with your guys?
A. “Nah. Everybody (who does the rankings) gets caught up in who’s got the most money and who got names (out of the transfer portal). That’s how that stuff happens, and I don’t really care about it.”
Q. The Protect College Sports Act, if it becomes law, would limit undergrads to one transfer without penalty. What do you think of that, and what kind of impact could it have for your program?
A. “I think that’s good. I don’t know too much about (the PCSA); I don’t get to involved in the politics of it. But I like that part. Now you can develop, you can build a team. Guys were getting better as players, too (before free agency). Right now, half our practice is skill development; I’ve got to get these guys’ skills up so we can practice.
“But I think that is fair. Man, our sport is in a tough place right now. But I’m working. No matter what’s going on in the world, I just work.”
Big East basketball media poll
- Connecticut, 163 points (13 first-place)
- St. John's, 150 (2)
- Villanova, 129
- Marquette, 119
- Providence, 102
- Creighton, 92
- Xavier, 68
- DePaul, 51
- Seton Hall, 48
- Georgetown, 46
- Butler, 16
Preseason player of the year: Silas Demary, UConn
All-Big East preseason team
Nigel James, Marquette*
Braylon Mullins, UConn*
Tounde Yessoufou, St. John's*
Tyler Perkins, Villanova
Miles Byrd, Providence
Quinn Ellis, St. John's
*unanimous selection
Best newcomer: Tounde Yessoufou, St. John's
Breakout star: Ian Jackson, St. John's
The 15-voter poll was conducted by the Omaha World-Herald.
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 coach Shaheen Holloway preseason Q&A