Bryce Aiken is coming home.
The Randolph native and Harvard graduate transfer will suit up for Seton Hall during the 2020-21 season after telling NJ Advance Media he chose the Pirates over Big Ten powers Michigan and Maryland as well as Iowa State of the Big 12.
“For this next season for my final year, I will be returning home and playing for the Seton Hall Pirates,” the 6-foot, 180-pound Aiken said during a phone interview. “I’m excited, I’m excited to be home.”
Aiken said he “was going back and forth between Maryland and Seton Hall, I really love Maryland. But ultimately my heart just chose to stay home. I followed my heart this time around and I knew where I wanted to be for my final year and it was important for me to be home and be able to share this experience with my friends and my family, along with the state of New Jersey. I probably came to a conclusion a week ago, I would say.”
Aiken, who turns 24 in December, said he expects “50-plus” family and friends to attend “every [home] game” at Seton Hall, “and that might be an understatement.”
The former Patrick School standout averaged 22.2 points per game as a junior at Harvard and 16.7 in just seven games this past season due to a foot injury. When the Ivy League Tournament and, ultimately, the NCAA Tournament were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Aiken missed out on a chance at the postseason. Now he will try to lead Seton Hall back to the NCAA Tournament next March. Aiken is expected to get a medical redshirt and will be immediately eligible for the upcoming season.
“I’ve gotten to know Bryce Aiken very well over the last four years,” ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla said. “He’s a killer competitor on the court and a scoring savant but he’s soon to be a Harvard graduate. He’s the perfect guy to replace Myles Powell in the Pirates lineup.”
Aiken is the second New Jersey star in the last two weeks to pick a Garden State school after Roselle Catholic big man Cliff Omoruyi committed to Rutgers over Auburn and Arizona State. Aiken is also the second Harvard grad transfer to head home after star forward Seth Towns, a Columbus, Ohio native, announced he would play for Ohio State.
For Aiken, the decision to play at Seton Hall brings him full circle. He visited the Big East school in the fall of 2015 with Powell and the two had discussed playing together in college. But while Powell picked the Pirates and become the face of the program as the Big East Player of the Year and an Associated Press All-America first-team selection, Aiken chose Harvard. Almost five years later, he will bring his Harvard degree to Seton Hall, where he will effectively replace the outgoing Powell as the face of the program.
“Going through this process was kind of interesting, much different than it was in high school,” said Aiken. “I spent four years in college so I knew exactly what I wanted out of a given program and I had a clear goal and intent in mind. And it was much easier for me to connect and pretty much just discuss what my role would be within a given program. I came down to a final four schools, all of which I felt were viable options for me to be successful, and ultimately it just came down to my relationship with coach [Kevin] Willard, man.”
Losing Powell and his 21 points per game should now be easier for Willard to stomach, knowing that Aiken is coming in to replace him.
“It’s funny because me and Myles kind of joked about that,” Aiken said. “As he goes, I’m coming in. It’s funny because in high school we both took that visit together and we both planned on attending Seton Hall together and being in that backcourt.
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out, but I’m super happy for him seeing the level of excellence that he was able to attain over at Seton Hall. Hopefully, I can just come in and just continue that winning tradition.”
Aiken shot 41 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep as a senior, and 43 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep as a junior.
Those numbers are similar to Powell, who shot 40 percent from the field this past season and 31 percent from deep. As a junior, Powell shot 45 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
“Statistically, Bryce's career averages are very similar to Myles,” Patrick School coach Chris Chavannes said. “Because they are both dynamic players, I do not foresee Bryce having any problems filling the void.”
Said Aiken: “I could tell you we both play an exciting brand of basketball, I know that for sure. We both have that New Jersey pride, being able to be home and represent New Jersey on the national stage is something that’s important to me, and I know it’s important to him as well. We spoke about that a lot, being the hometown kids.
“I think we both score at a high level. I’m looking to come in and just share my experience and my maturity with the rest of the guys over there and just be a voice of reason and be a leader going into next season.”
Aiken joins a returning core that includes Jared Rhoden, Tyrese Samuel, Shavar Reynolds, Myles Cale, Anthony Nelson and Ike Obiagu. They also add Canisius transfer Takal Molson, who averaged 16.9 points and 5.4 rebounds two seasons ago. Junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is testing the NBA Draft waters.
If he returns, Seton Hall could be in a position to challenge Villanova and Creighton atop the Big East. Both of those schools are expected to be at the top of the national polls, too.
“Bryce is a clear example of what a loyal student-athlete in college basketball looks like,” said his AAU coach, Terrance “Munch” Williams of the PSA Cardinals. “He will be walking away from Harvard with an Ivy League degree. He will head into his next stop as an elite leader who will play a major role in a university winning a national championship. I think his impact on future recruits isn’t only on the basketball court, but in real life. He’s demonstrating how to own your destiny.”
Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media.