2019-2020 Saint Peter’s Preview: Holloway continues rebuild in Jersey City

Former Seton Hall standout guard Shaheen Holloway was named head coach of the Saint Peter’s basketball team in 2018. The Peacocks won the CIT Tournament in 2017, the school’s first postseason championship. Things looked to be on the upturn for the program before former coach John Dunne left to take the job at MAAC rival Marist.

In Holloway’s first season in Jersey City, Saint Peters went 10-22 with a 6-12 record in the MAAC. Davauhnte Turner averaged 16 points per game to lead the Peacocks in scoring. While the 2018-2019 season was seen as a rebuilding year, the season was capped with a first-round win over Marist in the MAAC Championship. They lost a two-point heartbreaker to Iona, who would eventually win the tournament. Despite their season record, the way they ended the season gave Saint Peter’s something to look forward to in 2019-2020.

Going into his second season, Holloway is looking at an experienced team as the Peacocks return senior Quinn Taylor (7.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and postgraduate Cameron Jones (9.1 ppg, four rpg). While they return veteran leadership, one player who will not be with the team will be KC Ndefo. The sophomore, who averaged 7.8 points and 1.8 blocks, was suspended indefinitely in September. The school has not given any timetable regarding a return as of press time. Losing Ndefo is a blow for the team as his versatility is what made him a valuable asset.

One player who will be looking to step in will be transfer junior guard Nazeer Bostick. Bostick played two seasons for Penn State, where he played in 53 games for the Nittany Lions. Before college, the guard was a three-star recruit and a First Team All-Pennsylvania player. He was also named Second Team All-Philadelphia in his final high school senior.

Derrick Woods, who transferred to Saint Peter’s in 2016, will look to add a physical presence to the team. In 22 games, Woods hauled in 62 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field.

In addition to upperclassmen and transfers, Saint Peter’s will have six freshmen on this season’s squad. Two freshmen who will look to make an immediate in the MAAC will be Aaron Estrada and Daryl Banks III. Estrada scored over 2,00 points during his time at St. Benedict’s Prep, where he led the to the Prep A Start Championship in 2018. Banks III, the 16th ranked player in New Jersey, played at The Patrick School. He was the team captain and played with and against some of the best players that are currently at major colleges.

Heading into this season, Saint Peter’s was selected to finish ninth in the MAAC. Shaheen Holloway knew what he was getting when he took the job. Saint Peter’s will be going into year two of a multi-year rebuild in the 2019-2020 season. While many Peacock fans may not want to hear that, it is not a bad thing. The program needs to look to the future, and this upcoming season is the beginning of that future. Holloway can coach as he showed at the end of last season. He now must prove that Saint Peter’s good showing in the MAAC Tournament was not a fluke.