NEWARK — Isaiah Whitehead is trying to get another Isaiah to join him at Seton Hall in 2015.
Isaiah Briscoe, that is.
“He said he’s coming. He said in the summertime he’s coming,” the 6-foot-4 Whitehead told SNY.tv with a straight face.
Asked if he was serious about what Briscoe had told him regarding his future, Whitehead said, “Yes.”
And how good could the two Isaiahs potentially be together in the Seton Hall backcourt in 2015?
“Best backcourt in the country,” said Briscoe, the Roselle (N.J.) Catholic guard who is also being recruited by Louisville, Arizona, Florida, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Rutgers and St. John’s, among others. “We proved that in the [Nike] EYBL already. When [Whitehead] was there we lost two games. Unstoppable.”
Said Whitehead: “I don’t think anybody could beat us.”
Whitehead is the top recruit in Seton Hall’s 2014 class, and hopes to make the McDonald’s All-American Game when the teams are announced Jan. 19.
“He going to make it,” Briscoe said. “He deserves it, why not?”
Asked what it would mean to him if he made the game, Whitehead said, “Everything.”
He is part of a five-man class that also includes Lincoln teammate Desi Rodriguez, as well as Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado and Ismael Sanogo.
“They gonna be nice next year,” Briscoe said. “They just gotta add a couple big men and everything will fall into place”
SLEW OF JERSEY RECRUITS WATCH SETON HALL
Seton Hall hosted a Who’s Who of New Jersey recruits during its 83-67 loss to No. 8 Villanova.
In addition to the Seton Hall-bound duo of Whitehead and Rodriguez, the Pirates hosted Briscoe, Chris Silva, Pierre Saar, Asante Gist and Ganlandou Cisse of Roselle Catholic; Veer Singh, Najja Hunter and Nate Pierre-Louis of St. Peter’s Prep (who was offered by the Pirates in the seventh grade); and Eli Cain and Trevon Duval of St. Benedict’s Prep.
The top coaches around New Jersey all agree that if Seton Hall can add several of these players to what they already have, they could be a potent force going forward.
“Seton Hall had enough talent at their game watching that if they all went there, they would compete for a national title down the road,” St. Ben’s coach Mark Taylor told SNY.tv.
“Seton Hall made a big splash in recruiting with their most recent class,” RC coach Dave Boff said. “If they can back that up with another class next year, now you are on your way to building a championship team.”
Said Todd Decker of St. Peter’s Prep: “Seton Hall has done a great job of recruiting and having a presence in the tri-state area. Kids notice that and respect it. They are moving things in the right direction. Any of our guys they are recruiting would be a very good ‘get’ for them.”