Men's Basketball's Kevin Willard Rekindles International Recruiting
12/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
When Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard took over in March, he immediately stated a need to expand the Pirates' vision in recruiting beyond the borders of the metropolitan area, even beyond the confines of the United States. Eight months later, Seton Hall had two international players on the roster and one on the way for 2011-12.
"Seton Hall has had natural recruiting resources overseas for years," Willard said. "We wanted to make it a point to tap into those resources from the start and develop what we hope will turn into a pipeline for future international players."
The Seton Hall men's basketball program is no stranger to international superstars. It's also no coincidence that with three of the Pirates most notable stars from overseas on the roster, the program reached great heights.
Former coach P.J. Carlesimo plucked from Australia an unknown sharpshooter named Andrew Gaze. He played just one year in a Pirates' uniform, but his addition would prove to be the final piece of the puzzle for a national championship contending team. Gaze averaged 13.6 points per game during the 1988-89 season, second-most on the team, and was named MVP of the West Region in the NCAA Tournament. His 20 points vs. Duke in the national semifinal led the team and helped turn an 18-point deficit into a 17-point victory.
In 1990, Carlesimo went back to the international well and brought in a 6-foot-8 forward from Vilnius, Lithuania named Arturas Karnishovas. Karnishovas, who couldn't speak English when he first came to The States, would become one of only two players in Seton Hall history to lead his team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The language barrier was erased quickly and his reputation as a scholar was established with his first of two straight BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in 1993. Karnishovas guided the Pirates two BIG EAST titles in 1991 and 1993 and currently ranks 16th all-time with 1,509 career points.
Most recently, former coach George Blaney signed Rimas Kaukenas in 1996. A fiery, scrappy guard hailing from Karnishovas' hometown of Vilnius, Lithuania, Kaukenas currently ranks 25th all-time on Seton Hall's career scoring list with 1,292 career points. He was the perfect side-kick to Seton Hall's current associate head coach, Shaheen Holloway, as the duo led the Pirates to the Sweet-16 as seniors in 2000. Kaukenas averaged 16.3 points in Seton Hall's three NCAA Tournament games that year.
After nearly a decade without an international presence on the roster, new coach Kevin Willard solicited the help of Seton Hall's past international stars. With the consultation of Gaze and Karnishovas, who has been a leader in international scouting for the NBA, Willard was able to catch the eye of players from one of Europe's most prestigious academies, the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA), in the Canary Islands.
Last summer, Willard announced the signings of Patrik Auda and Aaron Geramipoor, two high-end signings from coach Rob Orellana's CBA. Auda, a native of Brno, Czech Republic has appeared in every game so far this season for the Pirates and has already flashed signs of great potential. Geramipoor, a 6-foot-11 center from Manchester, England, has been sidelined with Mononucleosis to start the 2010-11 campaign, but his ceiling is as tall as his frame.
Last month, Seton Hall had three recruits sign in the early period, Aaron Cosby, Freddie Wilson and Haralds Karlis, a third CBA recruit. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Rigo, Latvia is widely regarded as being an excellent perimeter shooter with a strong work ethic. Karlis is CBA's team captain and comes with high praise.
"Haralds is the type of player that can play the 1, 2 or 3," Willard said. "He has great ball skills and shoots the lights out. Haralds is going to come and give us stability at the wing spot, but we can also put him at the point if we want to go to a big lineup. He gives us a number of options."
Seton Hall's relationship with the Canarias Basketball Academy has infused the team with a new, unique international flavor. Auda, Geramipoor, and now Karlis, have given the program a new look and new direction.
"I've been to the CBA a few times now," Willard said. "It is an extremely well run academy and turns out some of the best prep stars in Europe. Rob Orellana has coached these kids well and Seton Hall is certainly benefitting from it."
Gaze, Karnishovas and Kaukenas brought Seton Hall to national prominence and now, thanks to a renewed sense international recruiting, Auda, Geramipoor and Karlis will be key cogs in returning the Pirates to past glory.
-MAS
