Experience and youth combine to drive Seton Hall success

“I knew Coach B because he recruited me out of high school,” Masonius told The Next. “… [We continued] that relationship even throughout college, just checking in and stuff like that. … I think he said he was excited when he found out I had an extra year … He was actually the first coach I talked to, and just hearing him and the confidence that he instilled in me, was definitely something I was looking forward to.”

For Masonius, a curtain call as a Pirate also represents a homecoming to her native New Jersey. “I’m one of 10 kids,” Masonius said. “I have a really big family, so being able to play in front of everyone my last year was really exciting.”

Her family is accustomed to watching her succeed on the basketball court. The versatile, 6’1 forward notched 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her high school career. She averaged 20.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and four assists as a senior and tallied 20 double-doubles in 29 games. She led her high school squad to three straight NJSIAA Group 2 titles, earning her four-star recruit status and a ranking as the No. 10 overall wing by ESPN in her graduating class.

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Following her prolific high school career, Masonius took her talents to College Park to play for Brenda Frese at Maryland. Her journey had some bumps along the way — her freshman season was cut short by the pandemic, her sophomore season was played in fan-less arenas due to social distancing health mandates and she redshirted her junior season following a season-ending ACL injury. The silver lining? She gained two years of extra college eligibility — choosing to spend her sixth and final in South Orange.

In her final collegiate season, Masonius has seen her role evolve and expand in a new setting. As a Terp, Masonius appeared in 138 games — averaging 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. This season, she averages 15.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.9 apg in 32.8 minutes per game. She’s made a name for herself in the conference, appearing regularly on the conference’s weekly honor roll. Earlier this month, she was one of only six BIG EAST players named to the Women’s College All-Star Game Watch List.

“I think taking on a bigger role has allowed me to make more mistakes but, you know — high risk, high reward. Coach B and the staff have definitely allowed me to have fun with basketball again — play again, freely and loosely. So it’s been a lot of fun.”

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While Masonius’ college career winds down over the next few weeks, her teammate — freshman Jada Eads — is just getting started. Just a few months into her college career, she stepped into a starting role on Dec. 6 due to teammate injuries. The 5’7 guard has started each game since, shining as one of the best players on the roster and emerging as one of the conference’s brightest newcomers.

“Jada, she’s not a freshman,” veteran teammate Masonius said. “She is definitely a ball of fire, and she just brings it day in, day out. … In the beginning of the season, we had injuries, so Jada just really stepped in and took [a] great big role, and she’s doing amazing. And like I said, she’s not a freshman; you would think she’s an experienced fifth year.”

A high school state champion from Orlando, Eads earned national recognition as a McDonald’s All-America nominee. She believes that her choice to attend Seton Hall puts her in a good position to grow on and off the basketball court.

“I’ve seen the potential of growth [and] development,” she said. “Teammates, coaches … all the coaching staff that played — I just thought I’d have good player development here.”

Already, Eads is making a mark on the program and around the BIG EAST. She currently sits at second place in Seton Hall history in points per game for a freshman (14.6 ppg), less than a point behind the program-record 15.4 ppg. She’s a five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Only UConn sensation Sarah Strong — favorite for national freshman of the year — has earned the honor more times (8) this season.

She’s also clutch. In a Jan. 4 win against Georgetown, Eads scored each of the Pirates’ eight points in the overtime period, outscoring the the Hoyas by three to secure the victory. She notched a career-high 27 points that game. She’s usually one of the shortest hoopers on the court, relying on speed, athleticism and basketball IQ to compensate for her height. Still, she’s adjusting to the physicality of the game at this level.

“These players are much bigger, stronger, so getting there, being physical, always having the patience of having that footwork to get open,” Eads told The Next when asked about her biggest learning curve.

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Along the way, Eads has had the chance to learn from the veteran leadership of Masonius, who has seen a lot in what’s been a turbulent college career. Seton Hall exceeded its preseason ranking of No. 7 in the BIG EAST and is positioned in third behind UConn and Creighton. Now, Masonius and Eads are the first and second-leading scorers for a Pirates program with its eyes on clinching a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Pirates sit at No. 69 in the NET rankings, just on the bubble of the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. Bozzella is an open critic of the NET ranking system, believing it disadvantages schools from non-Power Four conferences. He’s also a proponent for expanding the NCAA Tournament field to 76 teams in 2026. It’s no secret that qualifying for the sport’s biggest tournament is the Pirates’ north star.

“I want to make it to the tournament,” Eads answered quickly when asked her goals for the remainder of the season.

Whether they advance to the NCAA or the WBIT — guided by strong veteran leadership and young, developing talent — the Pirates are a team to keep an eye on this March.