| 2020–21 Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball | |
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| Conference | Big East Conference | 
| Record | 14–13 (10–9 Big East) | 
| Head coach | 
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| Assistant coaches | |
| Home arena | Prudential Center Walsh Gymnasium  | 
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Villanova | 11 | – | 4 | .733 | 18 | – | 7 | .720 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Creighton | 14 | – | 6 | .700 | 22 | – | 9 | .710 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UConn | 11 | – | 6 | .647 | 15 | – | 8 | .652 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. John's | 10 | – | 9 | .526 | 16 | – | 11 | .593 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seton Hall | 10 | – | 9 | .526 | 14 | – | 13 | .519 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Providence | 9 | – | 10 | .474 | 13 | – | 13 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xavier | 6 | – | 7 | .462 | 13 | – | 8 | .619 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown † | 7 | – | 9 | .438 | 13 | – | 13 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marquette | 8 | – | 11 | .421 | 13 | – | 14 | .481 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Butler | 8 | – | 12 | .400 | 10 | – | 15 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DePaul | 2 | – | 13 | .133 | 5 | – | 14 | .263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2021 Big East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2020–21 Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team represented Seton Hall University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by eleventh-year head coach Kevin Willard. The Pirates played their home games at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange, New Jersey as members of the Big East Conference. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 14–13, 10–9 in Big East play to finish in a tie for fourth place. As the No. 5 seed in the Big East tournament, they defeated St. John's in the quarterfinals before losing to Georgetown in the semifinals.
Previous season
The Pirates finished the 2019–20 season 21–9, 13–5 in Big East play to finish in a three-way tie for first place; the program's first regular season title since 1992–93. However, the season ended due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prior to playing a game in the Big East tournament, which was canceled during the first quarterfinal round game, following a campaign in which the Pirates were projected to receive an at-large bid to the also-canceled 2020 NCAA tournament regardless of how they fared in the Big East tournament.
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy McKnight | 0 | G | 6'4" | 185 | Senior | Bridgeport, Connecticut | Graduated | 
| Anthony Nelson | 2 | G | 6'4" | 180 | Sophomore | New York City, New York | Transferred to Manhattan | 
| Myles Powell | 13 | G | 6'2" | 195 | Senior | Trenton, New Jersey | Graduated | 
| Taurean Thompson | 15 | F | 6'11" | 235 | Senior | New York City, New York | Transferred to Detroit Mercy | 
| Asiah Avent | 30 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Senior | Springfield, New Jersey | Graduated | 
| Darnell Brodie | 32 | F | 6'9" | 265 | Sophomore | Newark, New Jersey | Transferred to Drake | 
| Romaro Gill | 35 | C | 7'2" | 255 | Senior | St. Thomas, Jamaica | Graduated | 
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Aiken | 1 | G | 6'0" | 180 | Graduate Student | Randolph, New Jersey | Graduate transfer from Harvard. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. | 
| Tray Jackson | 2 | F | 6'9" | 205 | Sophomore | Detroit, Michigan | Transferred from Missouri. Under NCAA transfer rules, Jackson was initially to sit out 2020–21 season, however due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic the NCAA ruled on December 16, 2020 that all transfers are immediately eligible. Will have three years of remaining eligibility. | 
2020 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahari Long  PG  | 
Houston, TX | Episcopal HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 20, 2019 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: | ||||||
| Dimingus Stevens  SG  | 
Washington, DC | Bishop Walsh School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 6, 2019 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
 Sources: 
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Roster
| 2020–21 Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  | 
 
 
 
 
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV  | 
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance)  city, state  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 27, 2020* 4:00 pm, ESPN2  | 
at Louisville | L 70–71 | 0–1 | 
22 – Mamukelashvili | 10 – Mamukelashvili | 3 – Tied | KFC Yum! Center  Louisville, KY  | ||||
| November 30, 2020* 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
Iona | W 86–68 | 1–1 | 
26 – Rhoden | 10 – Rhoden | 3 – 3 Tied | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| December 2, 2020* 7:00 pm, CBSSN  | 
at Rhode Island | L 70–83 | 1–2 | 
25 – Mamukelashvili | 10 – Mamukelashvili | 3 – Reynolds | Ryan Center  Kingston, RI  | ||||
| December 4, 2020* 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
vs. No. 21 Oregon | L 70–83 | 1–3 | 
17 – Reynolds | 6 – Mamukelashvili | 8 – Reynolds | CHI Health Center Omaha  Omaha, NE  | ||||
| December 6, 2020* 8:00 pm, BTN  | 
at Penn State | W 98–92 OT | 2–3 | 
30 – Mamukelashvili | 8 – Rhoden | 7 – Reynolds | Bryce Jordan Center  State College, PA  | ||||
| December 8, 2020* 5:00 pm, FS1  | 
Wagner | W 78–45 | 3–3 | 
22 – Rhoden | 11 – Rhoden | 5 – Reynolds | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| Big East regular season | |||||||||||
| December 11, 2020 4:30 pm, CBSSN  | 
St. John's | W 77–68 | 4–3 (1–0)  | 
32 – Mamukelashvili | 9 – Tied | 5 – Reynolds | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| December 15, 2020 8:00 pm, FS1  | 
Xavier | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Cintas Center  Cincinnati, OH  | ||||||||
| December 17, 2020 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
at Marquette | W 70–63 | 5–3 (2–0)  | 
17 – Mamukelashvili | 8 – Rhoden | 7 – Mamukelashvili | Fiserv Forum  Milwaukee, WI  | ||||
| December 20, 2020 4:30 pm, FS1  | 
Providence | L 77–80 OT | 5–4 (2–1)  | 
20 – Mamukelashvili | 9 – Obiagu | 6 – Mamukelashvili | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| December 23, 2020 5:00 pm, FS1  | 
Georgetown | W 78–67 | 6–4 (3–1)  | 
30 – Cale | 12 – Rhoden | 6 – Aiken | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| December 30, 2020 7:00 pm, FS1  | 
at Xavier | W 85–68 | 7–4 (4–1)  | 
18 – Mamukelashvili | 8 – Rhoden | 6 – Reynolds | Cintas Center  Cincinnati, OH  | ||||
| January 2, 2021 4:30 pm, FS1  | 
Butler | W 68–60 | 8–4 (5–1)  | 
24 – Mamukelashvili | 9 – Mamukelashvili | 6 – Mamukelashvili | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| January 6, 2021 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
at No. 7 Creighton | L 53–89 | 8–5 (5–2)  | 
14 – Mamukelashvili | 5 – Mamukelashvili | 2 – Tied | CHI Health Center Omaha (1,689) Omaha, NE  | ||||
| January 9, 2021 2:00 pm, FS1  | 
at DePaul | W 76–68 | 9–5 (6–2)  | 
18 – Rhoden | 8 – Mamukelashvili | 4 – Reynolds | Wintrust Arena  Chicago, IL  | ||||
| January 16, 2021 3:00 pm, CBSSN  | 
Xavier | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||||||
| January 19, 2021 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
at No. 3 Villanova | L 74–76 | 9–6 (6–3)  | 
23 – Mamukelashvili | 9 – Mamukelashvili | 5 – Mamukelashvili | Finneran Pavilion  Villanova, PA  | ||||
| January 22, 2021 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
at Butler | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Hinkle Fieldhouse  Indianapolis, IN  | ||||||||
| January 27, 2021 9:00 pm, FS1  | 
No. 17 Creighton | L 81–85 | 9–7 (6–4)  | 
27 – Aiken | 9 – Cale | 6 – Reynolds | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| January 30, 2021 3:00 pm, FOX  | 
No. 3 Villanova | L 72–80 | 9–8 (6–5)  | 
13 – Reynolds | 9 – Mamukelashvili | 3 – 3 Tied | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| February 3, 2021 7:00 pm, FS1  | 
at Providence | W 60–43 | 10–8 (7–5)  | 
20 – Mamukelashvili | 7 – Tied | 4 – Reynolds | Alumni Hall  Providence, RI  | ||||
| February 6, 2021 12:00 pm, FOX  | 
at UConn | W 80–73 | 11–8 (8–5)  | 
22 – Mamukelashvili | 7 – Mamukelashvili | 3 – Tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion  Storrs, CT  | ||||
| February 14, 2021 3:00 pm, FS1  | 
Marquette | W 57–51 | 12–8 (9–5)  | 
20 – Rhoden | 9 – Mamukelashvili | 4 – Rhoden | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| February 17, 2021 8:30 pm, FS1  | 
DePaul | W 60–52 | 13–8 (10–5)  | 
25 – Mamukelashvili | 11 – Mamukelashvili | 5 – Reynolds | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| February 20, 2021 5:30 pm, CBSSN  | 
at Georgetown | L 75–81 | 13–9 (10–6)  | 
22 – Mamukelashvili | 9 – Rhoden | 4 – Tied | Capital One Arena  Washington, D.C.  | ||||
| February 24, 2021 7:00 pm, CBSSN  | 
at Butler | L 52–61 | 13–10 (10–7)  | 
14 – Rhoden | 6 – Samuel | 6 – Reynolds | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,524) Indianapolis, IN  | ||||
| March 3, 2021 6:30 pm, FS1  | 
UConn | L 58–69 | 13–11 (10–8)  | 
20 – Mamukelashvili | 10 – Mamukelashvili | 4 – Reynolds | Prudential Center  Newark, NJ  | ||||
| March 6, 2021 7:00 pm, FS1  | 
at St. John's | L 71–81 | 13–12 (10–9)  | 
15 – Mamukelashvili | 10 – Mamukelashvili | 4 – Mamukelashvili | Carnesecca Arena  Queens, NY  | ||||
| Big East tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11, 2021 3:00 pm, FS1  | 
(5) | vs. (4) St. John's  Quarterfinals  | 
W 77–69 OT | 14–12 | 
20 – Mamukelashvili | 16 – Rhoden | 4 – Mamukelashvili | Madison Square Garden  Manhattan, NY  | |||
| March 12, 2021 6:00 pm, FS1  | 
(5) | vs. (8) Georgetown  Semifinals  | 
L 58–66 | 14–13 | 
22 – Rhoden | 10 – Mamukelashvili | 5 – Mamukelashvili | Madison Square Garden  Manhattan, NY  | |||
*Non-conference game.  #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.      All times are in Eastern Time.  | |||||||||||
Rankings
| Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final | 
| AP | RV | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 
| Coaches | RV | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 
