The Big East coaches all agreed.
Nobody did a better job this season than Shaheen Holloway.
On Wednesday, he was a unanimous choice as the league’s Coach of the Year after leading Seton Hall to a fourth-place finish. Back in October, the Pirates were projected to come in dead last.
“This award is not really an award for me. It’s an award for the whole Seton Hall community,” Holloway said. “Last year [was] a tough season. This year the coaching staff, the managers, the training staff and obviously the players put so much time into believing in me, believing in my vision, putting up with me. I’m not easy to put up with. I’m very demanding. I just want to say thank you to the Seton Hall leadership, thank you guys for believing in me.”
Considering the low preseason expectations along with an almost brand-new roster, it was a strong year for Seton Hall (20-11), even if it has to win the Big East Tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Seton Hall played the league’s two powers, St. John’s and Connecticut, closely in four hard-fought losses and rebounded in a major way after a miserable seven-win campaign a year ago.
“For me to stand up here today is surreal to tell you the truth,” said Holloway, who joined Kevin Willard (2016), Louis Orr (2003) and P.J. Carlesimo (1988-89) as Seton Hall coaches to win the award. “Being a player in this league, being a coach in this league, and now having an opportunity to be Coach of the Year, to me it’s special. Any time your peers pick you, I’m humbled by it, especially in this league.”
Fourth-seeded Seton Hall will face No. 5 Creighton in the quarterfinals Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Marquette’s Nigel James Jr. was named the Big East Freshman of the Year, edging Villanova’s Acaden Lewis and Connecticut’s Braylon Mullins.
A Huntington, Long Island, native, James was the second-leading scorer in Big East play at 19.3 points per game.
It is the highest scoring average by a freshman since Syracuse’s Carmelo Anthony produced 21.4 points in 2002-03.
Afterward, James told reporters he planned to return to Marquette for his sophomore season.
“I want to finish my career at Marquette,” the 6-foot point guard said. “It was never a question with me.”
NBC-4 sports anchor Bruce Beck was chosen as the Big East’s media award winner.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
