Seton Hall Pirates enter the 2026-27 season with a mostly rebuilt roster, bringing in eight new transfers as head coach Shaheen Holloway begins his fifth year. The Pirates, who finished 21-12 last season and secured fourth place in the Big East, face a significant challenge replacing the bulk of their scoring and experience after losing nearly their entire lineup.
Only Trey Parker, a 6-foot junior who averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, and potentially Elijah Fisher, a 6-foot-6 graduate seeking a fifth year of eligibility, remain from last year’s team. Seton Hall’s departures include Adam Clark, who led the team with 12.7 points per game before transferring to Ole Miss, and Najai Hines, who moved on to Connecticut after averaging 6.5 points. Other notable losses include AJ Staton-McCray (11.8 PPG, graduated), Tajuan Simpkins (9.7 PPG, transferred to Mississippi State), and Mike Williams (7 PPG, Tulsa).
Holloway faces a daunting task rebuilding with fresh faces from a mixture of backgrounds. The new roster includes transfers from power conferences, mid-major programs, junior college, and international recruits. Among the most prominent arrivals is Rodney Brown Jr., a 6-foot-6 senior who averaged 14 points and 2.4 rebounds at Loyola Marymount and previously played for Cal and Virginia Tech. Roddie Anderson III, a 6-foot-3 graduate transfer from Xavier, brings 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, though he is a career 29.6% shooter from beyond the arc.
Texas transfer Simeon Wilcher, a 6-foot-4 senior familiar to Villanova fans after spending his first two seasons at St. John’s, adds depth with 5.6 points per game on 33.7% three-point shooting. Inside, 6-foot-10 junior Devin Williams arrives from Florida Atlantic, averaging 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, with some range at 30.6% from three-point land. Del Jones, a 6-foot-3 junior from Radford, is another scoring option, having posted 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from the floor.
The Pirates also welcome 6-foot-5 junior Kareem Thomas from Dartmouth, who averaged 15.9 points and 3 rebounds on 44.7% shooting from three, and Mihailo Petrovic, a 6-foot-2 junior transfer from Illinois expected to contribute despite a modest 1.6 points per game last season. Mayar Wol, a 6-foot-8 senior from Bowling Green, adds 10.5 points and 1 steal per game with a 39.1% three-point percentage.
Seton Hall’s incoming freshman class features Darien Moore, a 6-foot-2 four-star recruit ranked 141st nationally by 247Sports, and two international prospects: 20-year-old Italian Theo Airhienbuwa, who averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds in the Italy U20 European Championship, and 21-year-old Israeli Ilay Dolinski, who posted 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds. Junior college transfer Terry Copeland Jr., the NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Player of the Year from Howard College, joins as a 6-foot-9 junior with averages of 19.8 points and 7.9 rebounds. Finally, 7-foot junior Abdulai Fanta Kabba comes from Western Carolina, shooting 67.4% from the field with 4.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Seton Hall’s Big East coaches ranked the Pirates ninth in the preseason poll, ahead only of Georgetown and Butler. The departures of Clark and Hines leave a noticeable gap in scoring and experience. Holloway’s roster now blends players who underperformed at power conference programs, high scorers from smaller conferences stepping up, international talent, and fresh faces adjusting to Division I basketball.
The team’s outlook depends heavily on the contributions of Williams, Wilcher, and Anderson. Eligibility for Elijah Fisher remains pending, but if granted, it could provide some much-needed stability. After last season’s turnaround from 7-25 to 21-12, the Pirates aim to build on that success, though the path looks challenging with so many new pieces.
Holloway has a reputation for maximizing his players’ potential, which could help Seton Hall exceed expectations. The Pirates will likely maintain their characteristic intensity and physicality, but the aesthetic quality of their games may suffer as the new roster gels.
As of now, Seton Hall prepares to navigate a Big East schedule with a heavily revamped team, with Holloway entering his fifth season tasked with blending diverse talent into a competitive unit.
According to Yahoo Sports.
