As a section, we’re all very passionate about sports—I mean, we better be, given the position that we’re in.
But the one sport we’re all especially passionate about is basketball. With the Seton Hall men’s and women’s basketball seasons a week away, we wanted to share our excitement and predictions for the year ahead.
But first, let’s introduce ourselves and establish some credibility: what makes us qualified to cover sports like basketball in the first place?
For assistant sports editor Jaden Highsmith, basketball has always been more than just a game. He grew up watching the New York Knicks with his dad and rarely missed a game, regardless of how the team was doing. Together, Jaden and his dad would cheer on the team—an experience that made him fall in love with basketball, and is a huge reason why he is so passionate about covering it today.
“Basketball has always been something that connects people, and it shaped the way I see sports as something that brings people together,” Highsmith said.
“Growing up watching the Knicks made me love the game, but being here at SHU has made me appreciate what it means to cover it,” he added.
Ahead of the season, Highsmith looks forward to seeing how this year’s MBB team comes together, especially with the addition of junior guard Adam “Budd” Clark from Merrimack College.
“His ability to create shots for himself and others could make [Clark] a key piece of SHU’s offense this season,” Highsmith said.
Fellow assistant sports editor Christian Hui is a polymath of sorts when it comes to sports: he has played basketball and golf since a young age; worked in the press box for sports leagues like the Frontier League, the United Soccer League (USL), and Rucker Park Streetball; and completed media work for organizations like the Knicks, Hot 97, Monster Energy, JD Sports, and Roc Nation. At the center of his work is a desire to work at the highest level of basketball someday.
“There’s nothing quite like basketball,” Hui said.“Things are just simpler when the ball is bouncing – from stress, frustration, or on-court squabbles, there’s nothing that a few buckets can’t fix.”
Hui is especially excited to watch senior transfer guard / forward Elijah Fisher, who is no stranger to BIG EAST competition, having played for DePaul University in 2023-2024. He also has high hopes for some of the returning players, like Godswill Erheriene.
“Fisher’s scoring has seen a consistent upward trend since his freshman year,” Hui said.“I anticipate that he’s going to make an immediate impact as an efficient scorer.”
“I’m also curious to see what Godswill has worked on in the offseason,” he added. “He might be one of those players that, once they get the right toolkit, are unstoppable.”
Like Highsmith and Hui, sports have been integral to head editor Zach Mawby’s life for as long as he can remember—from tee-ball in elementary school, soccer in middle school, and basketball in high school (with some overlap here and there), sports have never not been a part of his life.
Focusing on basketball in particular, Mawby has experience both playing and following the sport. In middle school, he played travel basketball and later joined his high school’s varsity team as a senior (yes, he was a junior on JV). Similar to Highsmith, he grew up watching the Knicks with his father, and still tunes in for the NBA playoffs and parts of the regular season each year.
As an English major, Mawby has combined his passion for sports with that of reading and writing through The Setonian. He is grateful to the newspaper and SHU’s athletics department for allowing him a platform to do so.
“Joining The Setonian’s sports section was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Mawby said. “It has led to so many amazing opportunities that would not have been possible without it.”
Mawby is most excited to see how the WBB team fares with all of the new additions to the team.
“After watching them be snubbed from March Madness, then fall in the second round of the WBIT to Portland last season, I felt terrible for the team,” Mawby said. “So I’m hopeful that they approach this season with a vengeance.”
Overall, we as a section are excited to cover yet another season of SHU basketball. Regardless of how the season turns out for either team, it is an honor to cover the university’s sports teams for all of us—but for basketball especially.
With that being said, go Pirates, “Hazard Zet Forward,” and please MBB beat UConn at the Prudential Center again this year—because that’s the best tradition in all of college basketball.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
Christian Hui is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at christian.hui@student.shu.edu.
Zachary Mawby is the head editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at zachary.mawby@student.shu.edu.
