Seton Hall basketball adds Prince Aligbe, Boston College transfer
The first transfer addition for Seton Hall basketball’s 2024-25 roster has high-major experience.
Boston College sophomore Prince Aligbe – a 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward – announced his commitment to the Pirates Friday.
Here are three things to know about him.
1. He was a four-star high school recruit
Coming out of Minneapolis, Aligbe was a consensus top-150 recruit who had scholarship offers from numerous high-majors and chose Boston College over finalists Ohio State and Cal. He was a high school teammate of 7-foot Chet Holmgren, who starred at Gonzaga before being chosen with the second overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
2. His two years at Boston College were a mixed bag
As a freshman, Aligbe averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting .371 from the field in 21 minutes per game. As a sophomore he logged 18 minutes per game and averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 boards while shooting .435 from the field and .620 from the free-throw line. This past season he posted some breakout efforts: 15 points and 10 boards against Richmond, 10 points and seven rebounds against Syracuse, 14 points and six boards against North Carolina, and 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting against N.C. State.
Aligbe's production and minutes nosedived after he suffered a sprained ankle in early February. Boston College finished 20-16 overall, 8-12 in the ACC and lost to UNLV in the NIT's second round.
3. He’s seen as a junkyard dog
Seton Hall’s coaches got a close-up look at Aligbe when the Pirates scrimmaged Boston College in each of the past two Octobers. They like his physicality, aggression and toughness. A “junkyard dog” is how he’s seen. Worth noting: Similar traits drew them to Jaden Bediako – who flew even further under the radar – in last spring’s portal.
Aligbe visited the Hall earlier this week, ahead of another notable visitor – Cornell guard Chris Manon. A 6-foot-5 senior from New Milford in Bergen County who starred in high school at St. Joseph of Montvale, Manon was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection and is well-regarded as a two-way impact player with a high basketball IQ. He’s heading on a visit to Vanderbilt the next two days and could have a decision in as early as next week. Stay tuned.
2024-25 Depth Chart
Here is the Pirates’ approximate 2024-25 depth chart at the moment, with two open scholarships:
Guards (5): Kadary Richmond, Dylan Addae-Wusu, Jahseem Felton, Malachi Brown, JaQuan Harris.
Wings (1): Isaiah Coleman.
Bigs (5): Prince Aligbe, David Tubek, Godswill Erheriene, Sada NgaNga, Arda Ozgodan.
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 Prince Aligbe, Boston College transfer
