Takal Molson transfers to Seton Hall

Canisius transfer Takal Molson committed to Seton Hall Wednesday, opting to play final two years in South Orange. (Photo by Dean Bogart/The Canisius Griffin)

While one local Big East program continues its meandering search for a head coach, its Hudson River rival took a step toward replacing its cornerstone player following his graduation next May.

Seton Hall — operating in the shadow of St. John’s seemingly never-ending quest to replace Chris Mullin — picked up a commitment from Takal Molson Wednesday evening, fortifying Kevin Willard’s burgeoning core with a proven scorer who can also rebound and facilitate just as well. Molson, viewed as the Pirates’ replacement for Myles Powell after the soon-to-be senior graduates next year, will sit out next season and have two years of eligibility remaining.

“Officially decided to continue my career at Seton Hall,” Molson tweeted Wednesday, nearly one month after announcing his decision to transfer from Canisius. “This is just the beginning.”

Molson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Buffalo, left his hometown Canisius program on March 23, and averaged 16.9 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds per contest as a sophomore for the Golden Griffins. A first team all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference dejection this past season, Molson was also the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2018, and led Canisius to runner-up finishes in the MAAC each of the last two seasons, including a share of the 2017-18 regular season championship. Seton Hall assistant coach Duane Woodward, no stranger to competing against Molson from his time on King Rice’s staff at Monmouth, served as lead recruiter for Seton Hall’s newest talent, and quickly established a connection with the guard as soon as he became available, bringing him to South Orange one week after he decided to pursue other options.

“As soon as I entered the transfer portal, Coach Woodward came right out to see me,” Molson told Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press. “When I visited, I loved everything about Seton Hall.”

While on campus, Molson was hosted by sophomore forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, with whom he found a common bond from the time Molson’s hometown travel team in Buffalo visited Mamukelashvili’s native Georgia. Soon, the two will be going up against one another in practices.

Molson’s arrival places Seton Hall one over its scholarship limit, which will likely signal at least one other roster move as Kevin Willard prepares for his tenth season at the helm.