Photo courtesy of Seton Hall University Athletics.
By David Cordova
Throughout the 2016-17 college basketball season, there have been plenty of impressive guards in the Big East Conference. One guard that deserves mention is a part of a tandem that forms the Seton Hall backcourt. Every time he goes out on the court, it looks like there will always be a big game coming out of him.
When all is said and done, Khadeen Carrington always finds a way to rise to the occasion. The 6-foot-4 junior guard from Brooklyn made an even bigger statement this season, averaging 17.1 points per game for the Pirates this season.
When asked what motivates him to be as successful as he is, he replied, “My family, knowing what I want to do in life, where I want to go in life.”
On being from Brooklyn: “It’s great being from there, it’s a special place. Growing up, being outside, playing in the park.”
When asked about how he would describe his game, he said: “Kind of a slasher, can knock down shots, get to the free-throw line, that’s how I’d describe my game.”
Carrington played scholastically at Bishop Loughlin as a four-year varsity starter, in which he kept progressing in every season as a Lion. As a sophomore, he averaged 22.5 points per game, and then 24.7 points as a junior.
His senior season was the most memorable at Loughlin, as he led the CHSAA with 24.2 points and finished as the Catholic League’s leading scorer for the second year in a row and led Loughlin to the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan title, in which he scored 42 points in the championship game. But unfortunately, no city championships would come to the school in Fort Greene, as they fell just short of a title, losing to arch-rivals Christ the King in 2013 and 2014, in which Carrington was a junior and senior.
However, he left a huge legacy at Loughlin, as he is the all-time leading scorer in the school’s history with 2,196 points. On his time at Loughlin, Carrington said, “At Bishop Loughlin, it was a great experience, I never really got a city championship or state like I wanted, but I got a Diocese title, I left there the all-time leading scorer, so it was some great moments there.”
On September 11th, 2013, Carrington made his collegiate decision by committing to Seton Hall in which he was the second recruit of what would be considered the No. 16 recruiting class in the nation for 2014 by 24/7 Sports, which featured the likes of then five-star prospect Isaiah Whitehead, Desi Rodriguez, Michael Nzei, Angel Delgado and Ismael Sanogo. “I mean, the coaching staff, a couple of friends that I decided to come here with, that’s what really made my decision, I felt like it was the right place for me,” said Carrington of his decision to choose the Pirates.
As a freshman learning the ropes, he started off his collegiate career well with scoring 9.9 points per game and scored in double-figures 13 times, of which nine of those games came during Big East play. The Pirates, with a young team, started off their season with a 10-2 record, but then struggled through Big East play as they went 6-12 and finished their season at 16-15 overall and a first-round loss in the conference tournament to Marquette.
The next year, the team would rebound, going 25-9, and winning the Big East Tournament championship, 69-67, over Villanova, the top-seeded team in the conference, whom would later be the eventual national champions, at Madison Square Garden. It was Seton Hall’s first Big East Conference title since 1993, and the third in school history.
The Pirates would then follow that up with a first-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament, in which they would lose to Gonzaga. “It felt great, bringing Seton Hall back to where it used to be,” says Carrington of that memorable sophomore season, in which he averaged 14.1 points and 2.5 assists per game. “That’s one of the main reasons we came here, so it was a great experience.”
This past season, Carrington would emerge in a bigger role, due to the departure of Whitehead, who was drafted with the 42nd pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz and is now a rookie playing for the Brooklyn Nets.
Now with the ball in his hands more and the green light to make shots, Carrington took advantage of the opportunity, scoring 17.1 points per game to go with 2.9 assists. He would also show and prove with an amazing performance of 41 points, seven assists and four steals against in a home win against Creighton on February 15th. He also became the 41st player to reach the 1,000-point milestone in Seton Hall history on December 28th in road loss, ironically, to Creighton.
The Pirates, meanwhile would go 21-12, making it back-to-back seasons with 20 wins or more. They would also make another first-round NCAA Tournament appearance, in which they would lose a close game to Arkansas.
When asked about how he felt about his season, he replied, “I think my season went great. We won 21 games, that’s a big accomplishment, back-to-back 20-win seasons, that’s a great accomplishment.”
In three years, Carrington has made a huge impact in South Orange, as he has scored 1,315 points in his collegiate career. But on March 21st, he and Delgado decided to declare the NBA Draft to test the waters. Chances are that Carrington could either end up back in school for his senior season, and if that happens, he has a big chance to finish as one of the Pirates all-time greats.
Someday, he may end up playing professionally, but for now his goals are simple, “In the future, I’m just trying to work on my game, and play professional basketball.”
Highlights of Khadeen Carrington:
Courtesy of Ballin365 Mixtape.
Courtesy of Big East Conference.
Courtesy of Courtside Films.
Courtesy of Big East Conference.
Courtesy of Primetime Hoops.
Courtesy of Seton Hall University Athletics.
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