2000-01 record: 19-14; 7-9 in Big East (6th in West) Final Ranking: NR Postseason: Lost to Mississippi State 66-61 in first round of NIT. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Lane 16.9 ppg | Rebounds: Lane 4.8 rpg | Assists: Barrett 5.5 apg | FG %: Toney-El 41.3% | 3pt %: Lane 39.3% | FT %: Shine 69.8% 00-01 Stats: Seton Hall | Big East

		Monday, Oct. 29 Could be another surprise in the Big East. Lots of fire power returning despite missing Eddie Griffin. Improved play of frontcourt must compliment Lane, Barrett and Shine in the backcourt. Look for Greg Morton to get more involved in the offense. Teamwork must once again be the focal point for this program.

Outlook
This team is tantalizing, and predictions are impossible. Who knew last season's star-studded outfit would win just 16 games? That seems like an easy mark this season, even with the losses of Eddie Griffin and Samuel Dalembert to the NBA, but only if new coach Louis Orr gets more out of the Pirates than former coach Tommy Amaker did a year ago.

Chemistry was a major problem last season, but the departure of Griffin should go a long way toward healing some of those wounds. Some of the best players in the Big East return, including 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard Darius Lane (16.9 ppg) and 5-8 sophomore guard Andre Barrett (10.2 ppg, 5.5 apg). They are complemented by senior guard Ty Shine (9.6 ppg), sophomore forward Marcus Tony-El (6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and newcomers John Allen and Damion Fray.

Allen, a 6-5 swing man, is a highly regarded scorer who averaged 25.7 points last season in high school, while the 6-7 Fray sat out last season for academic reasons but was an honorable mention All-American in high school the previous year.

Calling the shots is Orr, whose experience as a head coach is limited to one year at Siena (20-11), but who knows what it takes to recruit and win in the Big East from his days as a star player at Syracuse. Amaker did plenty of the former. He came up short in the latter category. Now it's Orr's turn to try.

What we like: Barrett and Lane make up one of the most explosive backcourts in college basketball, and Toney-El is a smooth player at the small forward position. The reserves in these three positions are strong, too, with Shine, Allen and Fray good enough to start at a lot of places.

What we don't like: The frontcourt looks as weak as the backcourt is strong. Losing two underclassmen to the NBA will do that. Veterans Greg Morton and Charles Manga will be asked to do more than play a few minutes per game, and while it would be nice if 7-0 freshman Alex Gambino is ready, don't count on it.

The bottom line: When they're hot, Lane and Barrett will lead the Pirates to some wins. When they're cold, Seton Hall is in trouble. A return trip to the National Invitation Tournament might not be a bad thing.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Darius Lane	Sr.	G	6-4/208	PTS: 16.9 | REB: 4.8 | AST: 2.4
Andre Barrett	So.	G	5-8/159	PTS: 10.2 | REB: 3.3 | AST: 5.5
Ty Shine	Sr.	G	6-0/181	PTS: 9.6 | REB: 1.9 | AST: 2.5
Marcus Toney-El	So.	F	6-6/197	PTS: 6.7 | REB: 4.0 | AST: 2.0

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Eddie Griffin	F	6-9/205	PTS: 17.8 | REB: 10.8 | AST: 1.6
Samuel Dalembert	C	6-11/232	PTS: 8.3 | REB: 5.7 | AST: 0.3

Seton Hall Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
John Allen	F	6-5	Coatesville H.S./Coatesville, Pa
Alex Gambino	C	7-0	Long Island Lutheran/Huntington Station, New York
Mauricio Branwell	F	6-8	Notre Dame Prep (Mass.)/Brooklyn, N.Y.