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Sina leaves reportedly fractured Seton Hall program
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Amid apparent friction between players on the Seton Hall basketball team, sophomore guard Jaren Sina is leaving the program.
The school did not state the reason for his departure in its announcement Wednesday, but tension among teammates is thought to be at the heart of his decision.
“I tried my best. I think I was a good teammate,” Sina, a starter averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 assists, told the Asbury Park-Press. “I’ve always been positive. I’ve always worked hard. I always gave it 100 percent. It’s not a good situation for me right now. At the end of the day, I think it’s best for me and my family.”
A poor relationship between freshmen and upperclassmen reportedly has gotten worse over the past few weeks.
Seton Hall (15-9, 5-7 Big East) has lost six of its last eight games.
After a loss to Marquette on Saturday, senior forward Brandon Mobley referenced a selfish culture in which players were more concerned about scoring than winning games.
“Nobody cares about winning,” he said, and “when things go south, we get to pointing fingers.”
In a 19-point loss to Georgetown on Tuesday, guards Sterling Gibbs and Isaiah Whitehead argued heatedly during a timeout.
Coach Kevin Willard closed the locker room to reporters after the game and said, “I’m not going to talk about chemistry issues.”
