Seton Hall men’s basketball has officially added their first frontcourt piece for the 2026-27 season, bringing in 6-foot-9 forward Nathan Mariano, a Brazilian prospect with professional experience, who committed to The Hall on Sunday
Last season, Mariano played in the NBA G League with the Valley Suns (the Phoenix Suns’ GLeague affiliate), where he averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in limited minutes.
Although his role was a smaller one, Mariano nonetheless competed against professionals every night—experience which could play a key role in the ever-physical BIG EAST.
Before joining the G League, Mariano developed in his home country of Brazil, where he began building his game at the professional level. His international path makes him one of the more unique additions in SHU’s incoming group, as the Pirates continue to look for players with experience and upside.
With his addition, Mariano will be the first player during head coach Shaheen Holloway’s tenure to return to college basketball after playing at the professional level.
At 6-foot-9, Mariano gives SHU something it really does not have right now: size in the frontcourt. As the roster stands, he is the only true forward or big man, which makes his role even more important going into next season. His length and athleticism should help right away on the glass and on defense.
The addition of Mariano is a good start for the Pirates, but they will still need to bring in more size and depth to fill out the rest of their roster.
The Hall has been active in the transfer portal after a huge wave of departures via the transfer portal this offseason. If Mariano can adjust quickly and turn his pro experience into production, he could become a valuable piece in the Pirates effort to compete in the BIG EAST with what’s shaping to be an almost entirely new roster.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
