Shaheen Holloway’s Saint Peter’s success story began as Seton Hall recruit
Greg Herenda spoke to The Put up about Shaheen Holloway's days at Seton Corridor and the way he is grown as a coach.
Getty Photos, AP
He watches Saint Peter’s play Cinderella basketball — Candy 16 basketball subsequent towards Purdue on Friday night time in Philadelphia — and he understands higher than most why these proud Peacocks play the way in which they play: laborious, good, collectively and defending each inch on the courtroom.
Greg Herenda understands as a result of he's the person who recruited Shaheen Holloway to Seton Corridor.
“It’s a excellent New Jersey workforce,” Herenda, the Fairleigh Dickinson head coach since 2013, instructed The Put up. “It’s a tough workforce to play as a result of they’re simply used to enjoying uncomfortably. It’s laborious to get parking spots in Jersey Metropolis. In order that they’re used to preventing for each inch of the courtroom. I feel Murray State was similar to … I don’t suppose anyone guarded ’em like that each one 12 months. Kentucky too.”
Herenda, an assistant at Holy Cross underneath George Blaney, had simply arrived on the Corridor with Blaney in 1994 when the mad rush to land Holloway — to not point out Tim Thomas and Ron Artest — started in earnest.
Holloway was enjoying at St. Patrick Excessive Faculty in Elizabeth, N.J., on the time, and shortly on his strategy to McDonald’s All-America honors, thought-about one of the best level guard as a senior not named Mike Bibby. The child from the imply streets of Queens had moved to Hillsdale, N.J., to stay along with his godmother.
“Getting him was pivotal to Seton Corridor’s success,” Herenda stated.
Holloway was not a simple egg to crack at first.
“Very standoffish, quiet. … Like laborious to get to him,” Herenda recalled. “He was a tricky Queens child. It was kinda like he was checking me out.”
Herenda had began far behind within the recruiting course of however managed to shut the hole.
“I by no means instructed him how good he was as a participant,” Herenda stated. “I used to child with him on a regular basis, ‘You gotta shoot it higher, man.’ I feel he revered my honesty, and I used to be straight up with him, and he was straight up with me, and that’s the way in which our relationship’s been ever since.”
Herenda’s spouse, Jill, turned an vital useful resource.
“He was an evening owl, and he knew I used to be an evening owl,” Herenda stated, “so I’d say ‘Sha, while you get house, give me a holler.’ That was similar to the norm. I used to be recruiting this child Josh King in North Carolina that we obtained, I might inform him to name me after ‘The Sopranos’ on Sunday nights, and each Sunday night time at 11 o’clock the child referred to as me.”
Holloway used to name round midnight. Herenda would speak basketball. Then he’d hand the telephone to his spouse.
“It doesn't matter what, he simply appeared like he was comfortable to speak to me, which most individuals that age would in all probability not wish to speak to the coach’s spouse,” Jill stated. “Only a good, heat, real individual.”
Herenda, as soon as a 6-foot-2 guard for Merrimack School, traveled from health club to health club watching this dream 5-10 level guard dominate.
“He guarded laborious, and he attacked, and he was fearless,” Herenda stated. “He was shorter, however performed a lot greater.”
Holloway had been contemplating Duke, Cal and Georgia Tech. Herenda was at his house when Holloway formally dedicated to the Corridor on MSG for the 1996-97 season. “He was like, ‘Let’s go to work, I wish to win, man,’ ” Herenda recalled. “He needed to make his personal path.”
He positive would. However Blaney and Herenda obtained to teach Holloway for just one season earlier than Tommy Amaker was employed.
“If someone made a mistake, he was pissed off. … He would maintain individuals accountable,” Herenda stated. “He was at all times within the Large East the smallest man on the ground. He led as a result of he did it — he fought, he scored, he defended, he did every thing. However he additionally led by opening his mouth up and letting individuals know that they needed to play as laborious as he did. You gotta be capable of again it up for those who do it. Sha was capable of again it up. He’s grown into a extremely, actually good coach, and I feel he was doing that 20 years in the past.”
Holloway would will the Corridor to the Candy 16 as a senior in 2000.
“It killed me as a result of clearly I put numerous effort and time. … I used to be comfortable for these guys, but it surely was laborious, as a result of fairly truthfully, George wasn’t given sufficient time. It was actually powerful,” Herenda stated.
Herenda is 1-1 towards Holloway. “I beat him at FDU, after which he beat me at Saint Peter’s,” Herenda stated.
Holloway was 1-0 towards Herenda within the recruitment of mustachioed marksman folks hero Doug Edert.
“Me and Sha fought for the child, and I stored on telling him he can’t play within the MAAC, no matter. I used to be making an attempt to con him into not taking him,” Herenda stated, and laughed.
Herenda spoke with Holloway after the Peacocks shocked Kentucky and the faculty basketball world.
“I simply stated how proud I used to be of him and ‘After the primary 5 minutes I wasn’t stunned, you guys had been the higher workforce,’ and simply to maintain it going,” Herenda stated. “He wasn’t like, ‘Are you able to imagine it?’ He was very matter-of-fact.”
In fact Herenda put Jill on the telephone.
“It was one other a kind of midnight telephone calls that each one I keep in mind is, ‘Wow. Sha has time to speak to me after the night time he had?’ ” Jill stated. “I simply stated, ‘Sha, I’m so happy with you, strategy to go. You’re placing Saint Peter’s on the map.’ After which I stated, ‘I like you,’ and he stated ‘Love you too.’ ”
Herenda was requested what makes Shaheen Holloway particular.
“He’s simply obtained this manner about him, I feel all the good ones do,” Herenda stated. “He’s his personal man, he simply has his opinion, he has his beliefs, and he sticks to it and he’s loyal because the day is lengthy. You don’t wish to evaluate him to all these guys, however at a neighborhood degree, just like the Alis and the Tigers … they’ve all obtained it, and Sha’s obtained it.”
Kevin Willard has made the anticipated soar to Maryland. Holloway changing him on the Corridor is just too good to be true.
“It will be like a storybook story, it actually would,” Herenda stated.
Herenda misplaced out to Villanova on Thomas. He misplaced out to St. John’s on Artest. Seton Corridor can thank him for Shaheen Holloway.
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