Seton Hall Season Preview - Part I - Freshmen - Seton Hall University Athletics

One of the reasons why Seton Hall was selected to finish as high as third in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll is because it has a good blend of battle-tested veterans and a healthy infusion of youthful newcomers.

In our first part of a three-part season preview, we look at the Pirates who are putting on a collegiate uniform for the first time. Seton Hall has five true freshmen on its 2019-20 roster and all five are factored to make major contributions as soon as this season. Kailah Harris (Ossining, N.Y.), McKenna Hofschild (Prior Lake, Minn.), Mya Jackson (Wilmington, Ohio), Victoria Keenan (Bethlehem, Pa.) and Lauren Park-Lane (Wilmington, Del.) are all coming off stellar high school careers and are now new South Orange residents.

MCKENNA HOFSCHILD #1
Guard – Prior Lake, Minn.
Coach Anthony Bozzella loves Hofschild's potential, but she has been slowed by lingering injuries in the offseason, which has slowed her progress. The point guard has enormous upside and should factor to be a major contributor this year. The 5-foot-5 Minnesota native is quick, shifty guard who is good at creating her own shot, but certainly knows how to create for others.

Prior Lake High School is in Savage, Minn., and Hofschild's was every bit the "savage" on the floor. A three-time All-Conference selection, she scored over 2,000 points in her career and led the State of Minnesota as a junior with over 28 points per game.

She will be vying for time at the point with classmates Lauren Park-Lane and Mya Jackson.

LAUREN PARK-LANE #3
Guard – Wilmington, Del.
With the starting point guard position wide open entering the season, Park-Lane seized hold early and earned the nod in the exhibition against Jefferson on Wednesday. The result? Park-Lane played 29 minutes and dished out a game-high 10 assists without a single turnover. She also scored nine points and recorded a pair of steals. It was certainly an impressive public debut.

Bozzella loves Park-Lane's confidence and her understanding of the pace of the game Seton Hall wants to play. She is a small, but speedy pass-first point guard with an enormous desire to win. She has shown excellent leadership skills so far, attributes fitting of a talented point guard.

An excellent ball distributor, she's certainly capable of knocking down the open shot. She was 3-for-4 from the field against Jefferson and drilled her lone three-pointer attempt. In high school, she was a four-time All-State selection and the 2019 Delaware Player of the Year.

Park-Lane has flourished as the Pirates' point guard early, its likely she'll open the season as the starting 1-guard.

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MYA JACKSON #5
Guard – Wilmington, Ohio
Jackson is another player the coaching staff has been fawning over this preseason. The 5-foot-7 guard is a strong all-around player with a really good attitude and a strong understanding of the game. Jackson is expected to play primarily off the ball, but is capable of playing the point as well. Defensively, she is already one of the better ballhawks on the team.

Jackson got the start against Jefferson in the exhibition and flashed signs of major potential on both ends of the floor. She scored nine points in just over 22 minutes with three assists, two rebounds and a team-best four steals.

She comes from a family of athletes, so she has a healthy understanding of what it takes to excel on the next level and take care of her body physically. Her father played college football and her mother was a volleyball player. Both are still active in athletics. Jackson holds the Wilmington High School record with over 2,000 career points and was the 2019 Dayton All-Area Player of the Year.

Look for Jackson to see major minutes this season. She may not be a regular starter, but she'll be one of the first reserves off the bench.

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VICTORIA KEENAN #23
Guard – Bethlehem, Pa.
One-on-one, she might be the best player on the team. That's the kind of talent Victoria Keenan possesses. That said, she has never played at such a high level, and might need some time to develop and adjust to the college game. The 2-guard has tremendous offensive potential and works extremely hard.

Keenan played just over 10 minutes against Jefferson on Wednesday and knocked down a three-pointer. She also collected two assists and two steals.

The 5-foot-7 Pennsylvania native set a Northampton High School record for three-pointers in a season as a senior and was named the Lehigh Valley All-Area Player of the Year in 2019. A Seton Hall legacy, her maternal grandfather is a Seton Hall alumnus.

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KAILAH HARRIS #33
Forward – Ossining, N.Y.
Seton Hall went back to the Ossining High School well for another forward. Why not?... since the Pirates' last Ossining grad went on to lead the BIG EAST in scoring last season (Shadeen Samuels). Harris has all of the potential to be an excellent forward for the Pirates, although her progress is a little behind due to some lingering injuries.

Bozzella loves Harris' potential, but stressed patience as frontcourt players often take longer to develop. Still, if she can stay healthy, Harris will be an important contributor and provide depth at the 4 and 5 this season.

Harris grabbed four rebounds and had a steal in the exhibition against Jefferson.

A 6-foot-1 powerhouse, Harris was a four-time All-State selection at Ossining and is the school's all-time leading rebounder. She averaged 24 points and 13 rebounds per game as a senior.

2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART II - Experienced Newcomers
2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART III - Veterans