By Jarra Gojolo — Content Editor
SJSU’s magic number is six.
No, men’s basketball is not six wins away from clinching a NCAA tournament berth. But their trio of 6-foot-6 returners give them plenty of hope for a brighter future.
With leading scorers Michael Steadman and Noah Baumann transferring after last season, SJSU and head coach Jean Prioleau were left wondering who would step up.
Enter Seneca Knight.
The third-team All-Mountain West player was third with 20 points per game in conference play, the most for SJSU since they joined the conference in 2013. His 37 points in the Spartans’ Feb. 22 game against Colorado State is the most in the Mountain West this season.
It’s the second highest single-game scoring total in San Jose State basketball history.
He’s looking to improve his strength, IQ, handle and jump shot in the offseason. But the next step is turning those stats into team success.
“The compliments I got this year, they were kind of exciting,” Knight said after the Spartans’ loss against New Mexico. “But at the same time, that’s in the past.”
In his first season in San Jose, Richard Washington has flashed potential as a scorer. Starting the season off the bench, the junior transfer drained the final threes to put Hofstra away in the season-opener.
After New Mexico opened up an early 23-9 lead in their Jan. 1 matchup, his five first-half three’s helped the Spartans end the half on a 37-13 run. His go-ahead three finished off the Lobos with eight seconds left.
Head coach Prioleau eventually placed Washington in the starting line-up, where the guard would erupt for a season-high 31 points in SJSU’s Feb. 15 loss to Air Force. His scoring ability is clear, and he’s not afraid to pull the trigger. If he can consistently put in the performances that got him — and kept him — in the starting line-up, the Spartans will have a good chance to improve their win totals again.
Another bright spot in Wednesday’s loss was freshman guard Omari Moore, who scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting. With senior and captain Brae Ivey graduating, there’s an open guard spot up for grabs.
Moore did well in his early audition, gliding to the basket on finishes and pushing the ball in transition. The guard made use of his length on defense as well, recording eight — yes, eight — steals.
His 10 assists in SJSU’s Jan. 25 win against Air Force was the most by a Spartan since Isaiah Nichols in 2016.
“Stepping up for [Ivey] isn’t going to be easy,” Moore said. “But I definitely think over the next spring and summer I can take my game to the next level, similar to how Seneca did.”
He impressed ESPN draft analyst Mike Schmitz.
In most situations, a seven-win season is nothing to be optimistic about. But Prioleau is. The vast majority of his current team will return, and it will be the first time Prioleau will have an entire roster made up of players he recruited.
“So when we have that, those guys are learning and experienced,” Prioleau said. “And hopefully going into next year they’ll be ready … and then even the year after that, because we’re playing freshmen and sophomores. Hopefully Seneca and Omari are up here next year with another guy. So I think the future’s bright for us.”
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