Black History Month is a time to recognize the achievements and impact of Black leaders in all fields. At Seton Hall, black athletes and coaches have played a major role in sports programs over the years.
During the 2010s, many black athletes brought national attention to the Pirates through record-breaking careers, championships, and leadership.
Here is a closer look at three black standout athletes and one former-player-turned coach, their accomplishments at SHU, and what they have done since leaving South Orange.
Tabatha Richardson-Smith
Tabatha Richardson Smith had one of the greatest careers in SHU women’s basketball history.
By the end of the 2015-16 season, she became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,925 career points, finishing first in school history with 271 made three pointers and fourth all-time with 221 steals.
That same season, Richardson-Smith was a unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection and an All-Met Basketball Writers First Team honoree. She won BIG EAST Player of the Week three times and led the conference in scoring during league play with 21.7 points per game. She averaged 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting over 83% from the free throw line, one of the best marks in the conference.
Richardson-Smith produced several standout performances as a senior, including a season high of 34 points at St. John’s, which was the highest scoring game by any BIG EAST player that year. She also led Seton Hall with 17 points in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
The season prior, Richardson-Smith averaged 17.8 points per game, ranked third in the BIG EAST, and broke her own school record with 94 three pointers in a single season. She was named Second Team All-BIG EAST, earned All-Met honors once again, and received USBWA National Player of the Week after tying a program record with 38 points in a win over Illinois on Dec. 16, 2014.
As a sophomore in 2013-14, Richardson Smith scored 582 points, which was the third-highest single-season total in program history. She set another school record with 85 three pointers that season and earned Second Team All-BIG EAST honors.
After her four years with the Pirates, Richardson-Smith continued her basketball career overseas, playing professionally in international leagues. Her record-setting career helped bring SHU women’s basketball to multiple NCAA tournaments appearances and made her one of the most important players of the 2010s.
Isiah Whitehead
Isiah Whitehead was one of the most electric guards in SHU men’s basketball program history. During the 2015-16 season, he started 33-34 games and averaged 18.2 points and 5.1 assists per game, putting him near the top of the BIG EAST in both statistics.
Whitehead’s two-way play also earned him unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST honors, an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention, the Haggerty Award as the top college player in the New York metropolitan area and several other district selections.
Whitehead’s greatest moment as a Pirate came during SHU’s historic run to the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament championship. He averaged 23.3 points and 5.7 assists across the three games and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. In the title game against Villanova at Madison Square Garden (MSG), he put on a show, scoring 26 points and hitting the game-winning three-point shot that gave The Hall their first conference tournament title since 1993.
Throughout that season, he produced several other standout performances, including a career-high 33 points against DePaul, a 26-point, 10-assist double-double against Butler and a 24-point, 12-rebound, 6-assist game in the BIG EAST quarterfinals. He was named BIG EAST Player of the Week twice and made the conference honor roll five times for his scoring ability.
As a freshman, Whitehead was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and earned Preseason Rookie of the Year honors. He missed time due to a right foot injury, but still averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Whitehead declared for the 2016 NBA Draft after his sophomore season and was picked in the second round by the Utah Jazz before being traded on draft night to the Brooklyn Nets. After two seasons with Brooklyn, Whitehead made the transition to playing professional basketball overseas, with teams in Russia, Turkey, Greece and China. Currently, Whitehead plays for Ironi Ness Ziona, a team in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
Whitehead is still loved in the SHU community. Earlier this month, the school hosted his bobblehead night, showing how he means to Pirate fans, past and present.
Myles Powell
Myles Powell is probably the most popular player of the 2010s for SHU and one of the greatest scorers in program history.
The Trenton native finished his career with 2,252 points, ranking third all-time for the Pirates. He averaged more than 20 points per game in both his junior and senior seasons, and became known nationwide for his deep-shooting range and ability to take over games.
Powell’s senior season in 2019-20 was historic: he averaged 21 points per game, ranking among the top scorers in the country, and was the winner of the Jerry West Award as the nation’s best shooting guard. He also earned consensus First Team All-American honors from several organizations, including the Associated Press, USBWA and Sporting News, and was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Haggerty Award Metropolitan Player of the Year.
Powell was a top-five finalist for the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award as well, which goes to the top player in the country. During his breakout season, he delivered several classic performances, including 37 points against No. 3 Michigan State and 34 points in a road win at Georgetown.
Powell also had a dominant junior season in 2018-19, averaging 23.1 points per game, which was one of the highest single-season averages in program history. He scored 784 points that year, the most by a Pirate since they joined the BIG EAST in 1979, and set a program record with 107 three pointers in a single season. He earned an All-America honorable mention, unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST honors and a spot on the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.
After his college dominance, Powell went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, but immediately signed with the New York Knicks. He ended up playing for their NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged nearly 18 points per game. He then signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
After a few seasons, Powell continued his professional career overseas, playing for the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League, the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association and now for the Shandong Hi Speed Kirin also in China.
Powell’s scoring ability and embrace of the hometown hero role made him one of the most beloved players in program history.
Shaheen Holloway
Shaheen Holloway is the past, present and future of SHU basketball.
As a player from 1996 to 2000, he was one of the toughest guards in program history. Holloway finished with 1,588 career points, a school-record 681 assists and 231 steals. He earned All-BIG EAST honors three times, was named the conference’s Most Improved Player in 2000 and helped lead the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, including a game-winning layup against Oregon in the first round. Holloway was inducted into the SHU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.
After playing professionally in the U.S. and overseas, Holloway transitioned to coaching and did the unthinkable as head coach of Saint Peter’s. In 2022, he led the Peacocks to one of the greatest March Madness Cinderella runs ever. As a 15-seed, Saint Peter’s took down No.2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State, and No. 3 Purdue to become the first No. 15seed to reach the Elite Eight in tournament history.
After losing to North Carolina in the Elite Eight, Holloway returned home to become the head coach of his alma mater in March 2022. In his second season as Seton Hall’s head coach, he led the Pirates to 25 wins and the 2024 NIT championship, the program’s first since 1953.
Last season was a major struggle, as Holloway and SHU finished 7-25 overall and 2-18 in BIG EAST play. Entering this season, the Pirates were projected to finish last in the BIG EAST preseason poll. Holloway clearly didn’t buy into the media’s narrative, with his team currently at 19-9 overall and 9-8 in conference play, sitting in fourth place and fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid.
As both a former star player and the current head coach, Holloway’s connection to SHU runs deep, and his latest turnaround of the program has once again energized the Pirate fan base.
Black athletes and coaches have played a huge role in building The Hall’s proud sports traditions. The impact of these athletes on South Orange can still be seen across campus today, both in the record books and in the culture of the university’s athletics. Black History Month is a time to honor their contributions and the mark they left on the program.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
