Few teams in college basketball will get as big of a boost from the decision of one player the way Seton Hall benefitted on Monday with Angel Delgado's announcement that he will return for his senior season. This is a boon to the Pirates' prospects.
You could argue that no better player got less coverage last season than Delgado, an unshakable beast in the paint. While Purdue's Caleb Swanigan was putting up a national player of the year campaign by posting 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists, Delgado averaged 15.1 points, 13.2 snags and 2.2 assists. Very solid, and obviously critical to the Hall winding up with a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
In getting him back, the Pirates will be competing near the top of the Big East, which will have Villanova, Xavier, Creighton, Butler and Providence all formidable again.
If Delgado becomes even better, he'll have a strong shot at being a First or Second Team All-American next season. Bluntly: If Seton Hall is a top-25 team and Delgado merely matches his 2016-17 output, it's a near-lock he'll be viewed as a top-10 player. And with him in play, Seton Hall should certainly be a well-seeded NCAA Tournament team. The Pirates will be returning a lot, including star guard Khadeen Carrington, plus Desi Rodriguez and Myles Powell.