After finishing last in the BIG EAST with a program-record 25 losses, Seton Hall men’s basketball has reloaded its roster with transfers aiming for a comeback.
In a radio interview following their 81-50 loss to UConn—the team’s 24th loss of the season—head coach Shaheen Holloway hinted at the program’s plans for the season ahead: “It’s gonna be some movement [on the roster for the 2025-2026 season],” he said.
And boy, has there been movement.
Adam “Budd” Clark, Senior Guard
Nicknamed “Budd,” Adam Clark joins the Pirates after being unanimously selected to the All-MAAC First Team with Merrimack College last season. The 5-foot-10 guard had 16 games with 20 or more points, and ranked 23rd in the nation with 19.8 points per game in 33 games.
Before Merrimack joined the MAAC last season, Clark was a seven-time NEC Rookie of the Week en route to being named NEC Rookie of the Year as a freshman. In high school, Clark won a State Championship at West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, where he was born and raised.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, the junior guard brings proven scoring ability to SHU’s roster. Although undersized, Clark would be a valuable asset to any college program given his skill and IQ for the game.
Jacob Dar, Senior Guard / Forward
Born in South Sudan and raised in Utah and Nebraska, Jacob Dar announced his commitment to SHU on May 10. The transfer guard / forward joins the Pirates from Rice University, where he appeared in 30 games (starting in 13 of them), while averaging 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Before Rice, Dar played Division II basketball at Emory & Henry University in Virginia. In 2023-24, he led the Wasps with 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. In a freshman season cut short by injury, he averaged 7.9 points over 10 games.
In an NJ.com article published the same day as his commitment, writer Adam Zagoria mentioned that a coach familiar with Dar’s game described him as a “shooter with size.” Last season, the Pirates shot 32% from 3-point range—the second lowest in the BIG EAST—while also making the least amount of 3-pointers (5.3 per game) in the conference. Luckily for the Pirates, Dar is a career 37% from 3-point range and 40% from the field.
The same coach also described Dar as “a disruptive defender with athleticism and length.” With the addition of Dar, SHU hopes to address two of the team’s struggles from last season: perimeter defense and shooting. Capable of being a 3-and-D type player—a role more valuable than ever in high-level basketball, especially the NBA—Dar has the potential to make an impact come November.
Elijah Fisher, Senior Guard / Forward
Toronto, Ontario native, Elijah Fisher, committed to SHU on May 6 from Pacific University. At Pacific, Fisher was the Tigers’ leading scorer. This past season, he started in 33 games and scored an average of 15.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Before Pacific University, Fisher played his sophomore year at DePaul and his freshman year at Texas Tech. At DePaul, the 6-foot-6, 220 pound swingman averaged 10.2 points on 52% shooting and was second on the team with 26 steals. At Texas Tech, he appeared in 28 games with one start as a freshman, averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
“Fisher has the most BIG EAST experience of anyone on Seton Hall’s roster—and the most high-major experience by far,” Jerry Carino wrote in an article for the Asbury Park Press. “That was a major draw for the Pirates’ coaches as they continue to prioritize adding older players with a history of production after busting on several younger, less established imports last offseason.”
Najai Hines, Freshman Forward / Center
The only addition to the roster not to come from the transfer portal, Najai Hines is a true freshman from North Carolina who is set to join SHU this year. After announcing his commitment on July 22, Hines became the highest-ranked recruit for the Pirates since Isaiah Whitehead in 2014—he’s ranked the 36th best player in his class, and 71st best recruit in the nation.
Nicknamed “Baby Shaq,” Hines is a 6-foot-11, 250-pound center who spent last year at Plainfield High School, where he averaged 18.6 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. He helped lead Plainfield to a 29-3 record and its first state championship since 2012.
Hines also played for The New York Renaissance (or “RENS,” for short), one of the premier Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) programs in the nation and a member of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. At this summer’s Peach Jam—the annual EYBL circuit championship tournament—Hines and the RENS reached the title game before falling to Brad Beal Elite. In eight games at the tournament, he averaged 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks.
Before choosing SHU, Hines received offers from the University of Kansas, Indiana University, North Carolina State University, and in-state rival Rutgers University. Before playing for Plainfield, Hines lived in North Carolina, where he was widely recruited as a tight end in football in his first three years of high school. He received offers to play football for schools like West Virginia University, University of South Carolina, University of Houston, and Temple University.
Trey Parker, Sophomore Guard
Sophomore guard and North Carolina native Trey Parker announced on June 4 that he is leaving his home-state program at North Carolina State University to join the Pirates in the BIG EAST.
As a freshman, Parker played in 27 games for the Wolfpack, only starting in one of them. He averaged 4.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in ~12 minutes per game, with a brief rise in playing time during the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season.
Nicknamed “Showtime Trey,” Parker is known for his elite athleticism and flashy dunking ability. In high school, he was one of the most exciting players in his class, amassing a huge online following as a result.
Before NC State, Parker played two seasons in Overtime Elite, a junior pro-league based in Atlanta, Georgia, that showcases some of the best talent in high school basketball. In a collaboration post with the league and Parker on Instagram, the caption read, “Seton Hall just got the bounciest player in the NCAA.”
Stephon Payne, Senior Forward / Center
Junior Stephon Payne is trading the Sunshine State for the BIG EAST, announcing his commitment to SHU on May 1. Payne spent his sophomore and junior seasons (2023–25) at Jacksonville University after playing the 2022–23 season at the University of the Incarnate Word.
At Jacksonville, Payne started in 23 out of the 28 games he played. He had a total of 25 blocks and 31 steals, averaging 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his junior year. He scored a career high of 18 points in his sophomore year.
At Incarnate Word, he started 16 of 30 games, while averaging 6.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and leading the team with 39 blocks.
Payne told NJ.com that he can guard all five positions and brings shot-blocking, rim-running, and the low- and mid-post scoring to SHU’s roster. These and more made Payne’s decision easy for him.
“After a workout and conversations with the coaching staff, I felt it was [the] best fit,” he said.
Joshua Rivera, Senior Forward
With his commitment to SHU on April 21, junior wing and New Brunswick native Joshua Rivera returns to New Jersey after two seasons with Fordham University. Last season, Rivera averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds—both third best on the team—in 32 games for the Rams.
At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Rivera brings further size and length to the roster. With Rivera, Dar, Fisher, and Simpkins, SHU will have strong depth and versatility at the wing / forward position, and be able to adjust based on matchups—whether that means exploiting a smaller forward or utilizing a “bigger guard” to create mismatches.
Tajuan “TJ” Simpkins, Junior Guard
“Big guard” is the best way to describe Elon University transfer Tajuan “TJ” Simpkins. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound guard averaged 14.6 points in 29 games for the Phoenix, while also leading the team in steals (45).
Although a proven scorer, the addition of Simpkins should primarily benefit the team on the defensive end—something that has led both the program and its head coach to success in the past. Given his size, length and strength, Simpkins will not only be a matchup nightmare for most opposing guards (who typically range anywhere from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-2) but will also be able to guard multiple positions.
With the influx of guards for the Pirates this offseason, Simpkins will likely see more playing time at the wing / forward position. Nevertheless, Simpkins remains a multi-positional player who allows SHU versatility on both ends of the floor.
AJ Staton-McCray, Graduate Guard
Like Simpkins, the addition of AJ Staton-McCray comes with defense in mind. Entering his sixth collegiate season, Staton-McCray joins SHU from the University of Miami, where he played in all 31 games for the Hurricanes, starting in 17 of them. He averaged 7.3 points, was second on the team in total steals with 33, and recorded four multi-block games last season.
Before Miami, Staton-McCray spent four seasons at Samford University, where he finished among the top five in steals per game in three of those years. In his final season with the Bulldogs, he was selected to the Southern Conference All-Defensive Team and the Southern Conference Third Team.
Patrick Suemnick, Graduate Forward
Transferring from Oklahoma State University (OSU), graduate forward Patrick Suemnick announced his commitment to play his last year at SHU on June 9. Before OSU, Suemnick played at West Virginia University from 2022 to 2024 and at Robert Morris University in 2021.
Appearing in all but one game at OSU, Suemnick averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game.
Following Suemnick’s announcement, Ivan White, a sports media student at OSU, outlined in an article for Sports Illustrated how the transfer forward’s move to South Orange might be the best thing for him and his career.
“As he heads to Seton Hall, Suemnick might have a chance to break through in a way he was unable to in the Big 12,” White said. “[His] move to Seton Hall could open up a larger role for him than he could have seen in Stillwater this season, [especially] given all of OSU’s moves.”
Mike Williams, Junior Guard
Also at the guard position, the Pirates added Mike Williams from Louisiana State University (LSU). A 6-foot-3 junior from Baltimore, Williams started 22 games for the Tigers his freshman year while averaging 7.2 points per game. Last season, after LSU picked up several veteran guards from the transfer portal, Williams saw his average minutes and points per game decrease.
And yet, despite his numbers dropping from his freshman to sophomore year, Williams has already proven himself to be a reliable option. He will look to recreate the promising freshman campaign he had in his junior year with the Pirates and show what he is capable of when given a true opportunity.
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
Sofia Kasbo is the Managing Editor of The Setonian. She can be reached at sofia.kasbo@student.shu.edu.
