| #10 MYLES POWELL, SETON HALL |
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
Hometown:
Trenton, N.J. |
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One of the top players in the BIG EAST last season, Powell ranked second in the league in scoring, and was 13th nationally, with a 23.1 average. He was second in the BIG EAST in steals with a 2.0 average. Powell was a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection and was chosen to the All-Tournament Team. He also was Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and was named winner of the Haggerty Award which is given to the top college player in the New York Metropolitan area. He already ranks 12th on the Seton Hall all-time scoring list with 1,663 points. |
Personal: Son of Jeanette Moore and Noel Powell...has one older brother, Noel Powell, and six younger siblings, Marqusie Bell, Isaiah Spencer, Zane Spencer, Viviana Spencer, Madison Powell and Gavin Powell...Was born in Trenton, N.J...Participated in the 2016 National High School Three-Point Contest, held in Houston the weekend of the NCAA Final Four. |
| #6 MYLES CALE, SETON HALL |
Position:
Guard-Forward
Class: Junior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 210
Hometown:
Middletown, Del. |
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Cale was second in scoring to teammate Myles Powell with a 10.2 average last season, which was more than double his scoring mark as a freshman. He led the Pirates in overall 3-point shooting, making 37.8 percent. In league games, he ranked fifth in 3-point shooting, connecting on 41 percent. Cale often draws the most difficult defensive assignment. He made a game-winning 3-pointer to beat then-No. 9 Kentucky last December. |
Personal: Son of Shevena and George Cale...Has one sister, Amber...His father, George, played basketball at North Carolina A&T, where he averaged 12.8 points a game in four years and was named the 1987 MEAC Player of the Year...Was named to the Honor Roll at Appoquinimink H.S. all four years...Major is Social & Behavioral Science at Seton Hall. |
| #2 COLLIN GILLESPIE, VILLANOVA |
Position: Guard
Class: Junior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 183
Hometown: Huntingdon Valley, Pa. |
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Gillespie served as a team captain as a sophomore this past season with seniors Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. He averaged 10.9 points and led the team in 3-point field goal accuracy, making 37.9 percent. Gillespie recorded a career-high 30 points in a 77-65 win over Georgetown. He started in all 35 games he played and was fourth in minutes played with 1,031. Gillespie helped lead the Wildcats to a 26-10 record that included a BIG EAST regular-season and tournament title. |
Personal: Came to Villanova after leading Archbishop Wood to the Philadelphia Catholic League title and the PIAA state championship. He was named Philadelphia Player of the Year as a senior. |
| #9 JERMAINE SAMUELS, VILLANOVA |
Position: Forward
Class: Junior
Height: 6-7
Weight: 220
Hometown:
Franklin, Mass. |
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Samuels emerged as a starter later in the 2018-19 season and helped lift Villanova to the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles. He started the last seven games of the year and averaged 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds over that span. Considered an athletic wing player, Samuels scored a career-high 29 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 67-61 over first-place Marquette on Feb. 27 that propelled the Wildcats to their regular-season crown. |
Personal: He is the nephew of former Villanova track standout Charlie Stead, a standout 880 runner on the 1957 team that is considered by many to be Villanova's best track team ever. |
| #8 MUSTAPHA HERON, ST. JOHN'S |
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Height: 6-5
Weight: 210
Hometown:
Waterbury, Conn. |
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In his first season at St. John's after two years at Auburn, Heron was second on the team in scoring and 13th in the BIG EAST with a 14.6 average. He ranked seventh in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting, making 40.3 percent and averaged 4.6 rebounds. Heron helped St. John's to a 21-13 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. He was named All-Met Second Team by the N.Y. Basketball Writers Association. Heron scored a season-high 28 points in a 77-73 overtime win against Butler on Feb. 12. |
Personal: Heron was born in Derby, Conn. and is the son of Bryan and Thalia Heron. He has a brother, Raheem Solomon, who is a freshman guard at Niagara. His father, Bryan, played at Central Connecticut State from 1985-89, averaging 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game before enjoying a professional career in Europe. |
| #13 TYLER WIDEMAN, BUTLER |
Position: Forward
Class:
Graduated '18
Height: 6-8
Weight: 240
Hometown:
Schererville, Ind. |
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Wideman graduated from Butler in 2018 after becoming one of two players in school history to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of his four seasons. He holds the Butler field goal percentage records for a single season (.672) and career (.623). Wideman won the 2018 BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award as voted by the league's head coaches. As a senior, he averaged 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Wideman just completed his first professional season, playing for KK Cedevita Zagreb in Croatia. He averaged 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. |
Personal: Majored in Middle and Secondary Education at Butler. Is the son of Cammy Wideman and Robin Howard. |
| #5 TY-SHON ALEXANDER, CREIGHTON |
Position: Guard
Class: Junior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C. |
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Alexander led Creighton with a 15.7 scoring average while earning All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention recognition. He made 97 3-pointers and averaged 4.0 rebounds. His 97 3-pointers is the fourth highest total in a season in school history. Made 3-point basket in a school record 33 straight games. Ranked in the top 12 in the BIG EAST in 3-pointers per game (4th), scoring (10th), free throw percentage (11th) and steals average (12th). |
Personal: Son of Eric and Tina Alexander and has a younger brother, Rodjrick. Dream job is to work in the NBA or for the FBI. He lists Russell Westbrook as his favorite athlete. Favorite pro sports team is the Carolina Panthers. |
| #15 GEOFFREY GROSELLE, CREIGHTON |
Position: Center
Class: Graduated '16
Height: 7-0
Weight: 242
Hometown:
Plano, Texas |
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Groselle graduated from Creighton in 2016. As a senior, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots. His .656 field goal percentage in BIG EAST games ranked first in the league. Groselle also owns the school record for career field goal percentage, making 68.4 percent. He played for Astana in Kazakhstan, which is in the Russian VTB League in 2018-19. In the previous two years, Groselle played in the German BBL league for Braunschweig and Bremerhaven. |
Personal: Earned his undergraduate degree at Creighton in Financial Analysis and a master's degree in 2016. Was a Dean's List student and made the BIG EAST All-Academic Team three times. |
| #11 ALPHA DIALLO, PROVIDENCE |
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Height: 6-7
Weight: 213
Hometown:
New York, N.Y. |
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Diallo earned All-BIG EAST Second Team accolades last season after leading the Friars in scoring average (16.0), rebounds (8.1), assists (3.1) and steals (1.6). His scoring mark ranked ninth in the BIG EAST. Diallo was second in the league in rebounding and fourth in steals. His 10 double-doubles tied for best in the BIG EAST. Diallo was named the Team MVP at the end of the season and to the U.S. Basketball Writers All-District Team. |
Personal: Lists swimming, yoga, music and cooking as his hobbies. The son of Aissatou Diallo, he has two brothers and two sisters. |
| #7 DAVID DUKE, PROVIDENCE |
Position: Guard
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-5
Weight: 198
Hometown: Providence, R.I. |
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Duke averaged 7.1 points while starting every game at guard in his freshman season. He was named Preseason BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year. Duke scored a collegiate-high 20 points in a 76-67 win over South Carolina on Nov. 17. His assist high was nine in a 100-95 overtime win at Boston College on Dec. 4. He earned the team's Most Promising Prospect Award at the end of the season. |
Personal: A Providence native, Duke finished his high school career at Cushing Academy nearby in Massachusetts. He played at Classical H.S. in Providence for his first three prep seasons. |
| #4 A.J. REEVES, PROVIDENCE |
Position: Guard
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Hometown:
Roxbury, Mass. |
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In his collegiate debut last November, Reeves set the Providence freshman scoring record with 29 points in a 77-67 win over Siena on Nov. 6. He shot 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Reeves earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors in three of the first four weeks of the season before suffering a foot injury that caused him to miss nine games. For the year, he averaged 9.8 points and shot 38.1 percent from 3-point range. |
Personal: Was named Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year as a prep senior at Brimmer and May H.S. in Chestnut Hill, Mass. His hobby is cooking and his favorite food is pancakes. |
| #14 NATE WATSON, PROVIDENCE |
Position: Center
Class: Junior
Height: 6-10
Weight: 250
Hometown: Portsmouth, Va. |
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Watson is a rising junior who was second on the team in scoring last season with an 11.7 average and was second in rebounding with a 5.2 mark. He ranked seventh in the BIG EAST in field goal shooting, making 59.0 percent. Watson scored a season-high 21 points on four occasions. He earned the team's Most Improved Player Award at the end of the year. In his rookie season at PC, he earned BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors. |
Personal: Watson is one of five children and the son of Christie Brown and Nate Watson. His favorite food is pizza and his hobby is drawing. |
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ALTERNATES
| LUWANE PIPKINS, PROVIDENCE |
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Position: Guard
Class: Graduate
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Hometown:
Chicago, Ill. |
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Pipkins is a graduate transfer who will play for the Friars in the upcoming season. In three years at Massachusetts, he averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds. Last season, Pipkins averaged 16.0 points and 5.2 assists. Two years ago, Pipkins averaged 21.2 points and shot 42.6 percent from 3-point range. He was named Atlantic 10 Conference Co-Most Improved Player and All-Atlantic 10 Second Team. Pipkins set the school scoring record with a 44-point performance in a win over La Salle on Jan. 10, 2018. |
Personal: Attended Bogan H.S. in Chicago and led his team to the Class3A Vocation Sectional as a senior.
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| GREG MALINOWSKI, GEORGETOWN |
Position: Guard
Class: Graduate
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Hometown:
Chantilly, Va. |
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In his only season at Georgetown, playing as a graduate transfer, Malinowski averaged 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds while serving as a 3-point shooting threat mostly coming off the bench. He shot 38.7 percent from 3-point range. Malinowski had played three seasons at William & Mary. In his four-year career, he scored 805 points and made 152 3-point baskets and grabbed 402 rebounds |
Personal: Malinowski is the son of John and Barb Malinowski. He received the President's Award for Educational Achievement in 2013. |
| SEAN MCDERMOTT, BUTLER |
Position: Forward
Class: Senior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 195
Hometown: Anderson, Ind. |
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McDermott was fourth on the team in scoring with a 9.5 average and second in rebounding at 3.9 while starting every game last season. Considered a strong perimeter shooter, he made 40.6 percent from 3-point range, which led the team and ranked sixth in the BIG EAST. He shot 44 percent from the field and 81 percent from the foul line. McDermott helped Butler to an NIT bid this past season, the Bulldogs' fifth straight postseason invitation. |
Personal: His brother, Chayce, is a baseball pitcher at Ball State. Son of Mike and Kim McDermott. |
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| Coaching Staff: |
HEAD COACH:
ED COOLEY, PROVIDENCE |
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Ed Cooley has been the head coach at Providence for the past eight years and his Friars program has made it to the postseason in each of the past six seasons. PC's streak of five straight NCAA Tournaments bids from 2014 through 2018 under Cooley's tutelage is a school record. A native of Providence, Cooley led the Friars to the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament crown, the first year of the BIG EAST's current 10-team alignment. Cooley's eight-year record at PC is 162-110 (.596). Previously, he spent five successful seasons as the head coach at Fairfield. Cooley is a 1994 graduate of Stonehill College. |
ASSISTANT COACH:
KEVIN WILLARD, SETON HALL |
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Under Kevin Willard's guidance, Seton Hall is on a four-year streak of playing in the NCAA Tournament. This past season, the Pirates finished with a 20-14 record, which was also their fourth straight 20-win campaign. The Pirates were picked eighth in the league's preseason poll. Willard directed Seton Hall to the 2016 BIG EAST Tournament title when he was also named BIG EAST Co-Coach of the Year. In nine seasons at Seton Hall, Willard's record is 170-128 (.548). He is a three-time New York Metropolitan Writers Coach of the Year (2019, 2017, 2016). |
ASSISTANT COACH:
MIKE MARTIN, BROWN UNIVERSITY |
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Mike Martin was named Ivy League Coach of the Year this past season after leading Brown to a 20-14 record, the first 20-win season in school history. Martin, who has been the head coach at his alma mater for seven years, also led the Bears to an appearance in the CBI this past March. As a player, he was a four-year starter and helped Brown to a 63-45 record from 2000-2004 and was part of the winningest class in school history. |
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| Playing For The Dominican Republic |
| L.J. FIGUEROA, ST. JOHN'S |
Position: Guard/Forward
Class: Junior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 195
Hometown: Lawrence, Mass.
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In his first season with St. John's, Figueroa averaged 14.4 points, the highest scoring average of any first-year player in the BIG EAST. He led the team in field goal shooting, making 51.3 percent. The 6-6 wing ranked 10th in the league in rebounding with a 6.4 mark and posted six double-doubles. He ranked third in the BIG EAST in steals with a 1.8 average. A junior college transfer, who earned All-America honors, Figueroa helped St. John's to its first NCAA bid since 2015.
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Personal: Lionel J. Figueroa...Born in Lawrence, Mass...Son of Gleny Mercado. Has a brother, Joenel, and a sister, Jessica. |