Seton Hall basketball adds forward KC Ndefo, ace Saint Peter's transfer
There was a perception, when Shaheen Holloway left Saint Peter’s basketball program after the Peacocks’ NCAA Tournament run, that would take half the team with him to Seton Hall.
That was mistaken, of course.
There was only potential candidate to make that transfer, and now it’s happening.
Senior KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s ace forward and winner of the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year – a national honor – announced Saturday that he will reunite with Holloway in South Orange. It’s a significant development for both Ndefo and the Pirates.
For the 6-foot-7 Ndefo, who led Division I in blocked shots as a junior, it’s a chance to perform on an elevated stage as a postgraduate with one year of eligibility left. It’s also a sign that his relationship with Holloway has come full circle after he went into the portal last spring and returned to Jersey City in late August, unable to interest any high-major suitors. Holloway made him earn his way back into the lineup and although his stats dipped, Ndefo wound up taking a leap forward in his all-around game.
As a senior he averaged 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 blocks (11th nationally) in 25 minutes per game. He shot 47 percent from the field and provided consistently stifling defense around the rim.
The 22-year-old Long Island native’s passing improved the most. By season’s end Ndefo was the program’s top passer. His ability to find the open man both kicking out and in the high-low was a key reason behind the program’s run to the Elite Eight of the Big Dance.
He was MAAC Tournament MVP and dominated 20th-ranked Murray State in the NCAA's Round of 32, posting 17 points, 10 boards, six blocks and three assists.
After the Peacocks' historic run, seven of the 10 players in their rotation entered the transfer portal. Defying outsiders' expectations, Holloway made it clear he did not want to raid the program for players — Saint Peter's was good to him, and he left on good terms with the administration there — and he kept his promise as Daryl Banks (St. Bonaventure) Matthew Lee (Missouri State), Doug Edert (Bryant) Hassan and Fousseyni Drame (La Salle) and Clarence Rupert (Southern Illinois) landed elsewhere. Ndefo, meanwhile, explored the NBA Draft process but because of his shot-making limitations did not get invitations to the major scouting combines.
For guard-heavy Seton Hall, Ndefo fills the need for frontcourt players. He’ll join returnees Alexis Yetna and Tyrese Samuel on a unit that, while not deep, should be good enough to hold its own in the Big East.
The Hall has one open scholarship remaining for next season. At the moment, they appear to have the makings of an NCAA Tournament team. Of course, much has to congeal with a new skipper, four incoming transfers and three incoming freshmen. The advantage for Ndefo, and by proxy the team, is that he’s familiar with Holloway’s standards and system.
Going up against bigger players in the NCAA Tournament, he showed the kind of moxie that he’ll need in the Big East. He also rang up some foul trouble, but playing alongside Yetna and Samuel ought to help in that regard.
Here's a look at the Pirates' 2022-23 depth chart at the moment:
Guards (7): Kadary Richmond, Al-Amir Dawes, Jamir Harris, Femi Odukale, Dre Davis, Jaquan Sanders, JaQuan Harris.
Wings (2): Tray Jackson, Tae Davis.
Bigs (3): KC Ndefo, Tyrese Samuel, Alexis Yetna.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball adds forward KC Ndefo, Saint Peter's transfer
