Theodore Latest Pirate To Begin Pro Career, May Join Pope In Turkey

Jordan Theodore's phenomenal senior year pays off as former Pirate has reportedly signed with Turkish club that also brought in teammate Herb Pope, but suddenly had second thoughts on big man.  (Photo courtesy of Newark Star-Ledger)


Say what you want about Seton Hall before and after Bobby Gonzalez, but you cannot deny the fact that the coach has now produced three professional players during his four-year tenure, with Jordan Theodore becoming the most recent to fall into that category.


The New Jersey point guard, whose senior season for the ages landed him second team all-Big East honors when he conceivably could (and should) have been named to the first team, has reportedly signed with Antalya BSB in Turkey after a four-year career in South Orange that will not soon be forgotten, especially after he broke the single season assist record while leading the Pirates to the NIT for the second time in three years.  Theodore was slated to join college teammate Herb Pope if the reports of his contract signing are true, as the Pennsylvania native also signed with Antalya recently, along with former Yale center Greg Mangano.  However, Antalya inexplicably backed out of their agreement with Pope, citing medical concerns as the reason why.  Nonetheless, the Turkish squad is no stranger to attracting Big East talent, as former Villanova stars Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher comprise Antalya's starting backcourt.


Elsewhere on the Seton Hall front, prolific swingman Jeremy Hazell has landed a spot on the Atlanta Hawks's summer league roster after two seasons in Spain and a brief stint with the Phoenix Suns' training camp roster.  Hazell was brought in after Atlanta traded Joe Johnson to the Nets in the deal that helped Brooklyn persuade Deron Williams to stick around as the face of the franchise.  The Pirates' third-leading scorer, who could have broken Terry Dehere's scoring record had he not missed half his final campaign recovering from a broken wrist and Christmas night shooting, is not the only former Seton Hall expatriate with summer league ties, as his former coach has also managed to procure an invite to what essentially serves as the NBA training camp.


Now two years removed from his bitter divorce with former Seton Hall athletic director Pat Hobbs, Bobby Gonzalez confirmed to A Daly Dose Of Hoops that he will be a part of the New York Knicks' summer league coaching staff after receiving and accepting an invitation from head coach Mike Woodson.  The 49-year-old Gonzalez, who has spent time at the Knicks' training facility in Westchester in the past, hopes that this could be the start of a comeback that would give one of the game's most brilliant and underrated minds the second chance he deserves.


Be sure to follow A Daly Dose Of Hoops for updates on not only Seton Hall, but other local and Big East programs as well, once they become available.