Seton Hall basketball forward Alexis Yetna returning for 2022-23 season

In need of size for his 2022-23 Seton Hall basketball roster, head coach Shaheen Holloway found it in the most obvious place.

His own roster.

After saying his goodbyes last month in pursuit of a pro career, power forward Alexis Yetna had a change of heart. He’ll be back for a second season with the Pirates, the team announced Wednesday.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound postgrad, who averaged 8.1 points and 7.6 rebounds in his debut high-major season after transferring from South Florida, fills an enormous need. He joins rising senior Tyrese Samuel as the only bigs in the Hall’s fold for next season.

Yetna, who hails from France, turns 24 in October and could have begun a pro career on the European hoops circuit. But from the time he took the job, Holloway re-recruited Yetna hard. He’s a strong rebounder and solid defensive presence whose offense suffered in the Pirates’ system last season. Yetna wound up shooting just 40 percent from the field and .228 from 3-point range, although he did convert 75 percent of his free throws. Don't expect him to take as many triples on Holloway's watch.

It should be noted that he battled myriad nagging injuries throughout the campaign.

With Yetna in the fold, Seton Hall has two open scholarships left. One is being held for KC Ndefo, the standout Saint Peter’s forward who is in the transfer portal and also pursuing the NBA Draft process. Ndefo did not get invited to the major scouting combines; he has until June 1 to withdraw from the draft and return to college. If he does withdraw, the Hall should have the inside track.

Here's a look at the Pirates' 2022-23 depth chart at the moment:

Guards (7): Kadary Richmond, Al-Amir Dawes, Jamir Harris, Femi Odukale, Dre Davis, Jaquan Sanders, JaQuan Harris.

Wings (2): Tray Jackson, Tae Davis.

Bigs (2): Tyrese Samuel, Alexis Yetna.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball forward Alexis Yetna returning for 2022-23