NEW YORK -- Seton Hall's miserable season has finally come to a merciful end.
The Pirates closed the regular season with their seventh straight loss and their 25th of the year -- an extension of the program record they already set.
Despite Isaiah Coleman's 25 points, the No. 11 Pirates were dominated from tip to horn by No. 6 Villanova, 67-55, in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Coleman crashed hard into the first row toward the end of the game and appeared to bang his head and jam his hand. He went to the locker room before the game ended.
One year after winning the NIT championship, The Hall (7-25) is done for the season in early March. They won one game after Jan. 8 -- over two-time defending NCAA champion UConn at Prudential Center.
Villanova advanced to face No. 3 UConn in Thursday's quarterfinals (9:30 p.m., FS1).
Seton Hall's season ended the same night Rutgers lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament after the season began with Final Four hopes thanks to projected top-3 NBA Draft picks Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper.
A defiant Shaheen Holloway previously vowed to turn things around next year with the help of the transfer portal and hopefully an improved NIL situation.
"It's gonna be some movement [on the roster for next season]," Holloway after the regular-season finale.
"I've always been a person that was very juiced to coach but after what happened this year I can't wait to get out on the road and hit the recruiting trail and get our guys here in the summer time so [I'm] looking forward to that because I never want something like this to happen again."
He added of the NIL/ transfer portal world: "I think the basketball world just gotta get used to this new landscape. I got it in mind who I want to keep but I don't know if they want to stay.
"We're trending in the right direction with [NIL] resources so I want it to keep trending that way and that's going to be a key factor in keeping some guys and getting some guys."
The Pirates are losing Dylan Addae-Wusu, Chaunce Jenkins and Yacine Toumi to graduation, and it's possible others could opt to transfer out.
There are some key pieces who still have eligibility assuming they don't leave: freshmen Jahseem Felton and Godswill Erheriene, sophomores Coleman, Scotty Middleton, Garwey Dual, David Tubek and Gus Yalden and juniors Prince Aligbe and Manny Okorafor.
Obviously, Coleman is the key guy and would likely garner serious transfer portal interest should he opt to enter.
Meantime, Holloway needs several pieces going forward, including an experienced point guard, a big-time wing scorer and a durable, physical big man in the mold of Jaden Bediako.
"You can't say who you're gonna go after [because] you don't know who's gonna be in the portal," Holloway said.
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