Sports

The pressure just got cranked up on Seton Hall’s freshmen

Hold off on those NCAA Tournament plans, Seton Hall fans.

Seton Hall’s best recruiting class in 13 years has drawn plenty of buzz to the New Jersey program, but next year’s team took a major hit with the news Patrik Auda won’t be returning to South Orange for his senior year, adding even more pressure to coach Kevin Willard’s top recruiting class.

The Pirates officially have learned Auda, a versatile 6-foot-9 forward, can’t come back after he signed with Polish club AZS Polfarmex Kutno of the Tauron Basketball League, taxing the depth of a thin frontcourt.

There is senior forward Brandon Mobley and a host of unknowns up front. There are the incoming recruits, 6-foot-8 forwards Michael Nzei of Our Savior New American and Angel Delgado of The Patrick School in New Jersey, redshirt freshman Rashed Anthony and Northwestern transfer Chier Ajou, who was used sparingly by the Big Ten school.

The strength of Willard’s consensus top 10 class, however, resides in the backcourt, with McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Whitehead of Lincoln and Khadeen Carrington, the all-time leading scorer at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn. They will team with holdovers Sterling Gibbs and Jaren Sina to form what will have to be a potent foursome of guards for the Pirates to reach postseason play.