During the buildup to the 2009-2010 college hoops season, I saw Seton Hall mentioned in several places as a "team to watch." It wasn't unwarranted: The Pirates are a bit of a wild card in a wide-open Big East, where slots No. 4 through 12 could be filled by any combination of teams.
Just look at the roster and, if you follow college hoops recruiting in any way, shape or form, you'll recognize a lot of guys on it: Keon Lawrence, Herb Pope, Eugene Harvey, Jeff Robinson. And though they weren't necessarily big-time recruits out of high school, Jeremy Hazell, John Garcia and Robert Mitchell have made an impact on the Big East (in the cases of Hazell and Mitchell, more than just an impact). Plus, Jordan Theodore is expected to take on a bigger role after a solid freshman season.
And yet, without the Pirates playing a game, Bobby Gonzalez is on the hot seat already, even with his brand-new contract extension. (I've said it before, I'll say it again, extensions rarely mean much in college sports. They are props to use for recruits.)
He came to Seton Hall with a reputation as a fiery coach, one who could recruit with the big boys and turn the sagging SHU program around. But he's had three consecutive mediocre seasons with medicore talent, and he hasn't snagged a single big-name recruit from Seton Hall's backyard. If Seton Hall's previous methods of handling coaches (see Orr, Louis) is any indication, Bobby doesn't have much more time to turn things around.
All that said, if there's a season where Bobby can produce a really competitive Seton Hall, it's this year. This is the first season that I haven't looked at Seton Hall and automatically marked a W on the schedule for any of the good Big East teams. Because of all that talent.
But with the talent that Gonzalez has acquired for the upcoming campaign comes great responsibility. You see, Bobby, who gets himself into trouble from time to time with his own mouth, brought in Herb "I'm just tired, officer" Pope, who will spend all season trying to exorcise the demons of his checkered past, to use a cliche. Unfortunately for Pope, his name immediately raises eyebrows. That's just the reputation he has. And Gonzalez, especially if his team struggles at all this year, would bear the brunt of the problem if Pope gets in any form of trouble this year.
Which is exactly why Keon Lawrence, who recently registered a DWI while driving in the wrong direction on the Garden State Parkway, has really put Bobby in a bind. Suddenly, Seton Hall has made national news for all the wrong reasons.
It's certainly not fair to Pope to say that something will go wrong this year, but you can't say it's entirely unfounded to be prepared for it. So, the fact that someone other than Pope has gotten in a lot of trouble is not good.
Now, not only does Gonzalez have to do a lot better than he has in first three seasons, he has to smooth over a rough patch to start the season.
As my mother used to say, everyone needs to be on their best behavior now. Bobby, no complaining about the refs or any other verbal implosions that draw the ire of administration officials. Herb, stick to your word about improving your rep. Keon, just ... stay out of any more trouble.
Otherwise, four consecutive seasons of middling finishes in the Big East plus way too many headaches for one program will probably not be good for Bobby's future at Seton Hall. Let's hope one of the most entertaining coaches in hoops can get his team focused on the season and, like I said before, smooth over this rocky start. If he doesn't, I have a hard time seeing Bobby patrolling the sidelines for Seton Hall past 2010.
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