Military duty to cut Maayan’s sophomore season short

[butlerway]

I know I posted this on the HLOH index page, but I thought it was worth discussing on the boards as well. Seton Hall guard Tom Maayan appears to be headed back to Israel to serve in the military. He was averaging 18 minutes a game and his departure will certainly have an impact.

http://onwardsetonia.com/?p=75

[bman95]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/sport ... share&_r=0

New York Times article. Apparently this was big news in Israel over the summer with opinions going for and against the army's decision to allow him to go back to school and play. Tommy had a rough year coming off surgery and having to play so many minutes that resulted in poor play. This year he looked like a much improved player with potential but thanks to Israel, he will only be able to play a few more games. He was a great defender and true PG and great kid, but not big loss as far as importance to the team goes as he was a bad FT shooter and was shy taking shots.

[TheHall]

The fact that he just found out he has to return is the part that smacks the most.

[PhillyPirate]

Really a bigger blow this year than next because minuets will be tight with Gibbs, SIna, Harris, Whitehead, and Carrignton. Still he was a great kid who was a defensive specialist who wanted to be here. Wish Maayan the best of luck and hope he stays safe over there. If he doesn't return it will be interesting to see what Willard does with the extra scholarship for 2014. I know they are looking for centers ready to contribute immediately, so maybe they will go the juco or grad student route.

[Bluejay]

So how long will he get to stay? Can he finish out the semester?

[PhillyPirate]

NYT article says January 2nd. Twitter says people involved are trying to negotiate for a longer stay so who knows thoughs

[JOPO]

NYT article says January 2nd. Twitter says people involved are trying to negotiate for a longer stay so who knows thoughs

I saw something in the past few days that they are hoping he can finish out the year/season if not longer.

[TheHall]

NYT article says January 2nd. Twitter says people involved are trying to negotiate for a longer stay so who knows thoughs

I saw something in the past few days that they are hoping he can finish out the year/season if not longer.

Military duty aside, I hope he can stay throughout the season. I never would have imagined how much we would wind up needing TM this year. I think he has improved a good deal since last season and SHU's need for ball-handling support for Gibbs is glaring.

[Dew]

I saw he signed with a team in Jerusalem. Will that preclude him from returning to Seton Hall?

[TheHall]

I saw he signed with a team in Jerusalem. Will that preclude him from returning to Seton Hall?

Yep, he's a professional now. Good luck!

@CerasolisGhost 18: Former Seton Hall point guard Tom Maayan has signed a 5-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Super League (top tier). #shbb