Jaren Sina and Seton Hall basketball part ways

Jaren Sina and Seton Hall men's basketball have parted ways.

In a mutual decision, all parties arrived at the conclusion to part ways during a meeting Wednesday morning, according to Sina and his father Mergin. He will no longer play for the Pirates, effective immediately.

"I tried my best. I think I was a good teammate," Sina said via phone. "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."

The sophomore guard, a former standout at Gill St. Bernard's, started all games but one for the Pirates this season. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.3 assists.

Sina did not want to air details, but the situation in the locker room had become untenable for him.

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The Pirates, who just last month were 12-2 with a No. 19 national ranking, have dropped seven of their last 10. Tuesday night's 86-67 loss to Georgetown dropped them to 15-9 overall and 5-7 in the Big East.

"I appreciate all the hard work and determination Jaren has put into our program over the last two years," Pirates head coach Kevin Willard said in a statement. "He is an outstanding young man, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Internal strife has been a prime contributor to the downslide, as friction between the freshmen and upperclassmen grew over the past few weeks. After Saturday's loss to Marquette, senior forward Brandon Mobley indicated some players were more concerned about their shot attempts than winning games.

During the Georgetown game, guards Sterling Gibbs and Isaiah Whitehead were seen getting into a heated argument during a timeout. After the loss, Willard barred reporters from interviewing players for the first time this season.

"I'm not going to talk about chemistry issues," Willard said afterward.

One of the first highly-rated recruits to commit to Willard, Sina had been a model citizen for the Hall in the classroom and on the court. He never had disciplinary issues. Willard and others praised his work ethic and unselfishness. At times, Willard goaded him to be more selfish in hunting for his 3-point shot.

Generally speaking, Sina had a good relationship with Willard, who allowed him to call sets and considered him to be a coach on the court. That makes his departure, and the locker-room problems that led to it, all the more shocking.

Staff writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@app.com