Seton Hall Season Preview - Part II - Experienced Newcomers

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 second part of a three-part season preview, we look at the Pirates who will be seeing game action in a Pirate uniform for the first time, but aren't new to the college game. Seton Hall has five players with varying amounts of past college experience and are now eligible to play in games for The Hall this season. These players include Alexia Allesch (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Barbara Johnson (Toronto, Ontario) and Alexis Lewis (Pittston, Pa.), all of which were Pirates last year, but could not play in games due to NCAA transfer regulations. Jocelyn Jones (Richmond, Va.) transferred to Seton Hall this year, but was granted a waiver to play immediately, and Jasmine Smith (Houston, Texas) is a junior college transfer.

BARBARA JOHNSON - #0
Guard – Toronto, Ontario
With all of the praise and anticipation aimed at Pirate stars Shadeen Samuels and Desiree Elmore this offseason, it's easy to overlook two Pirates, Barbara Johnson and Alexis Lewis, who are easily the most-underrated and may be Seton Hall's best-kept secrets.

First Barbara… the Canadian spent all season last year with the Pirates, never complained and never missed a practice even though she couldn't play in a game due to NCAA transfer regulations. After spending two years at Chipola College, she played the 2017-18 season at the University of Mississippi, and appeared in 31 games for Ole Miss.

A hard-worker willing to put in extra hours to hone her craft, Johnson is a volume-scoring shooting guard determined to out-work her opponents. A starter in the exhibition game against Jefferson, she scored 17 points and made three of six attempts from three-point range in under 25 minutes of action.

Although this will be her only year in South Orange, the Pirate coaching staff loves her potential this season. Look for Johnson to be in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

JOCELYN JONES - #4
Guard/Forward – Richmond, Va.
Jocelyn Jones transferred from perennial national power University of North Carolina and was granted a hardship waiver to play immediately for the Pirates. An incredibly bright individual, she was able to graduate in only three years at UNC, but still has two years of eligibility remaining for Seton Hall. She missed the entire 2016-17 season as a Tarheel due to an injury.

At UNC, Jones appeared in 64 games over three years, and saw action in all 33 contests last year, while helping lead the Tarheels to the NCAA Tournament. Her career-high of 14 points came last year against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament.

Although capable playing the guard position, Jones' physicality profiles better as a frontcourt player. A tremendous offensive rebounder, she is highly unselfish, sets good screens and understands the game well. Unfortunately, she too has been besieged by a myriad of lingering injuries, which has slowed her progress in the preseason.

When physically able, she has the potential to be a great asset for The Hall.

ALEXIS LEWIS – #10
Guard/Forward – Pittston, Pa.
Despite having never played in a regular season game yet for Seton Hall, many believe that Alexis Lewis may be one of the best pure shooters the program has ever had. A three-year standout at Iona College in nearby New Rochelle, N.Y., Lewis sat out last season and has one year of eligibility remaining for Seton Hall.

A three-time All-MAAC selection at Iona, she averaged 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore, and 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds as a junior. Lewis' form is nearly flawless, firing from long range with relative ease. Making her game more dangerous is the fact that she can just as easily post-up and score from inside as well. Lewis is in tremendous shape and simply doesn't get tired.

A valuable asset to the Pirate rotation, Lewis is capable of playing any position 2-through-5 and the coaching staff wouldn't be at all surprised if she was an All-Conference player by season's end. Perhaps the biggest complement a coach can provide, Bozzella said Lewis "makes me very comfortable when she's on the floor."

Lewis is about as close to a lock in the starting lineup as you can get.

JASMINE SMITH - #21
Guard – Houston, Texas
The Pirates are excited about the addition of Jasmine Smith to the backcourt this season. Her ability to provide instant offense off the bench will provide a major weapon for Bozzella this season.

Smith began her collegiate career at the University of New Mexico, where she appeared in 30 contests as a freshman. From there, she transferred to Trinity Valley Community College closer to her hometown in Texas where she blossomed as an offensive star. At Trinity, Smith averaged 11.5 points per game and helped lead her team to a 29-5 record and a national semifinal berth of the NJCAA Tournament. Smith transferred to Seton Hall this year and will have two seasons of eligibility left for the Pirates.

Inconsistent at times, Bozzella believes Smith has the ability to win some games off the bench for The Hall this season. She has the ability to score in clusters and turn a four-point Seton Hall lead into a 10-point cushion in a matter of moments.

Smith showed her explosiveness in last week's exhibition game against Jefferson. The 5-foot-8 guard erupted for 10 points, which included a pair of made three-pointers, in only 15 minutes of action. Expect to see Smith as one of the first backcourt players off the bench this season.

ALEXIA ALLESCH - #31
Forward – Basking Ridge, N.J.
A local product from Basking Ridge, N.J., Alexia Allesch sat out last season after transferring from the University of Massachusetts. With the minutemen, she averaged 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds 7.8 minutes off the bench as a freshman. As a redshirt-sophomore, she has three years of eligibility remaining, including the 2019-20 season.

Allesch has a ton of untapped talent and will provide the Pirates with depth in the frontcourt. She is a great student, who was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team last season. She shoots the ball very well, but lingering injuries have slowed her development.

Prior to her time at UMass, Allesch was a three-time All-Area standout at nearby Gill St. Bernards's High School in Gladstone, N.J.

If she can stay healthy, look for Allesch to compete with the other front court players like Selena Philoxy, Femi Funeus, Jocelyn Jones and Kailah Harris for time off the bench.

2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART I - Freshmen
2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW PART III - Veterans