Seton hall officially added three transfers to complete the 2015-16 roster.
Joining the Pirates are Braeden Anderson, a native of Okotoks, Alberta in Canada and a former student-athlete at Fresno State, Derrick Gordon, a Plainfield, N.J., resident and former student-athlete at Massachusetts, and Jevon Thomas, a former student-athlete at Kansas State originally from Queens.
Gordon, the first openly gay Division 1 men’s basketball player, and Anderson are eligible in 2015-16. Thomas, whose commitment was first reported by SNY.tv in May, must sit a year.
“We are excited to welcome Braeden, Derrick and Jevon to the Seton Hall Basketball family,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “We have identified three talented individuals who each bring different skill sets and a wealth of experience to our team, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that they have chosen to continue their educations and basketball careers at Seton Hall.”
Anderson, who has earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology – Forensic Behavioral Sciences from Fresno State, will attend Seton Hall University Law School will be eligible immediately. Gordon, who graduated from Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, will enter graduate school at Seton Hall and is also eligible immediately. Thomas, in the middle of earning his bachelor’s degree, will sit out the 2015-16 season and will be able to compete on the court beginning in 2016-17.
Anderson, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, attended Fresno State for three years and played two seasons for the Bulldogs, appearing in a total of 27 games, 14 of them in the starting lineup, and averaging 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds. Prior to that, he attended the Wilbraham & Monson Academy and averaged 18 points and nine rebounds to earn New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) honorable mention. He also was the 2011 Mr. Canada Basketball award winner. During his recruitment, Anderson was rated a three-star, top 50 power forward prospect.
“Braeden is one of the most determined young men I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting,” Willard said. “He has a clear goal of succeeding both in law school and in basketball, and we’re excited that he’s chosen Seton Hall to pursue both of his dreams. He is a strong defender and rebounder and is going to be a major asset for the team on the court.”
Gordon, a 6-3, 205-pound shooting guard and outstanding defender, is a 1,000-point scorer in his three-year college basketball career across two institutions. He was a third-team All-Sun Belt guard at Western Kentucky in 2011-12, leading the team in scoring (11.8 PPG) and rebounding (6.7 RPG) while helping the Hilltoppers win the Sun Belt Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament. After transferring to Massachusetts and sitting out a year, Gordon then helped the Minutemen to the 2014 NCAA Tournament after averaging 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In 2014-15, he improved to averages of 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game and had eight games of at least 10 points and seven rebounds. Gordon is a graduate of St. Patrick High School, where he was a state champion in 2009, Union County Player of the Year and first-team All-State in 2011 and was rated a four-star and top 150 recruit.
“Derrick is already an accomplished college basketball player, a winner and a leader,” Willard said. “He will be a hard-nosed, lock-down defender for us and someone who attacks the rim on offense. We’re excited he’s come home to New Jersey as he pursues both a Master’s degree in the classroom and excellence on the basketball court.”
Thomas, a 6-0, 185-pound point guard, appeared in 52 games at Kansas State, averaging 3.7 points and 3.0 assists per game while sporting a 1.67 assist/turnover ratio. As a sophomore, he led the team in assists, averaging 3.3 per game, including a team-high 48 during Big 12 play. Off the court, he was a two-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient. When in high school, Thomas was rated a top 25 point guard in his class. He averaged 16 points and 12 assists during his senior season at Quality Education Academy, helping the program reach No. 7 in the state of North Carolina in 2012.
“Jevon is a gifted athlete and a very intelligent young man,” Willard said. “He has tremendous vision on the court, which helps make him a great passer and playmaker. He will make our team better in practice this upcoming season and will be an important player for us in 2016.”
Anderson, Gordon and Thomas give the Pirates six commits for the 2015-16 season, joining guard Dalton Soffer (San Diego, Calif.), wing Amarveer Singh (New Orleans, La.) and forward Myles Carter (Chicago, Ill.), who will all enter Seton Hall as freshmen.
