You’re standing in the William H. Pitt Center, and the air is thick with that specific brand of Northeast college hoops tension. It’s not the glitz of the Big East, but for anyone who actually follows Sacred Heart men’s basketball, there’s a gritty, underdog story unfolding here that’s far more interesting than a box score suggests. People often look at the Pioneers and see a program just trying to find its footing in a new conference.
They’re wrong.
Actually, the Pioneers are mid-pivot in one of the gutsiest moves in mid-major sports, trading their long-term home in the Northeast Conference (NEC) for the shark-infested waters of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). It wasn't just a change of scenery. It was a statement.
The MAAC Leap: Growing Pains or Greatness?
Transitioning conferences is basically like moving to a new high school in the middle of junior year. You have to prove yourself to a whole new set of bullies. In their debut 2024-25 MAAC season, Sacred Heart held its own, finishing with a 10-10 league record. Honestly, for a first year, that’s impressive. They even knocked off Fairfield in the first round of the MAAC tournament before a heartbreaking overtime loss to Merrimack in the quarterfinals.
Fast forward to the current 2025-26 campaign, and things have been… bumpy. As of mid-January 2026, the Pioneers are sitting at 5-12 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
Numbers don't lie.
But they also don't tell the whole story.
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Head coach Anthony Latina is currently in his 13th season. He’s the guy who took the reins from the legendary Dave Bike, and he’s been the architect of the program’s modern identity. Latina’s career record at Sacred Heart is around 162-224, which sounds modest until you realize the level of rebuilding he’s had to do. He’s produced the program's first-ever NEC Player of the Year in Cane Broome and has a knack for finding "diamonds in the rough" who eventually terrorize the bigger schools.
The 2025-26 Roster: Who’s Actually Carrying the Load?
If you’re watching a game this season, you’ve gotta keep your eyes on the seniors. Dashon Gittens and Anquan Hill are the heartbeat of this team. Gittens, a 6'3" guard out of Hartford, is averaging about 14.6 points per game. He’s explosive. He’s the type of player who can miss three straight jumpers and then throw down a dunk that shifts the entire momentum of the arena.
Then there’s Anquan Hill.
He’s 6'9", lanky, and essentially a defensive vacuum.
Hill is leading the team in scoring at 15.3 points and grabbing 6 boards a night.
But the real "watch out" player? It’s Yann Farell.
The Libreville, Gabon native brings a 6'6" frame and a 11.8 PPG average that keeps defenses honest. When Farell is hitting his outside shots, the Pioneers are a nightmare to scout.
- Dashon Gittens (Sr.): 14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG
- Anquan Hill (Sr.): 15.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG
- Mekhi Conner (So.): 7.0 PPG, 5.5 APG (The floor general)
The assist numbers from Mekhi Conner are the secret sauce here. Averaging 5.5 dimes a game in a system that values ball movement is no small feat. He’s the one making sure the seniors get their touches in the right spots.
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Why the Pitt Center Matters
Let’s talk about the venue. Some people complain that the William H. Pitt Center is small.
Yeah, it is.
But that’s exactly why it’s a horror show for visiting teams.
When the student section gets going, the acoustics in that building make 2,000 people sound like 10,000. It’s intimate, it’s loud, and the court is literally right on top of the fans. In the 2024-25 season, the Pioneers went 8-5 at home. This year, they’ve struggled more on the road, which makes protecting the home floor even more vital if they want to climb out of the bottom of the MAAC standings before the tournament in Atlantic City.
The Recruiting Game and the Future
Recruiting at a place like Sacred Heart is about relationships. You aren't outbidding Duke for five-star recruits. You’re looking for the kid who was overlooked because of an injury or the guy who needs a system that lets him play free.
Freshman Abdou Yadd is a perfect example. Standing 6'9" and weighing 250 lbs, the kid from Dakar, Senegal is already chipping in 8.2 points per game. He’s a mountain of a human being. Give him two more years in the weight room, and he’ll be the most dominant big man in the conference.
The program also recently brought in Mooda Gittens and Kevin Pikiell. If the name Pikiell sounds familiar, it should—he’s the son of Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell. That kind of basketball DNA in the locker room is invaluable for a program trying to establish a "winning culture" in a tougher league.
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What’s Holding Them Back?
Defense. Pure and simple.
Currently, the Pioneers are giving up about 77.1 points per game.
That ranks them near the bottom of the country in defensive efficiency.
They can score. They’ve got shooters like Nyle Ralph-Beyer, who’s shooting a solid percentage from deep. But if you can’t stop anyone from getting to the rim, you’re going to lose a lot of 82-78 games. Latina knows this. You can see it in the way he paces the sidelines—he’s practically playing defense with them.
Actionable Insights for Pioneers Fans
If you're following Sacred Heart men's basketball this year, don't just look at the win-loss column. Look at the "spread." Most of their losses in the MAAC have been by single digits. They are this close to being a .500 team.
- Watch the First 5 Minutes: Sacred Heart tends to start slow. If they are within 3 points at the first media timeout, they usually stay competitive until the final buzzer.
- Focus on the Bench: Keep an eye on the development of Jaden Slaughter and Fallou Gueye. Their production is the difference between the starters being gassed by the 10-minute mark and having the legs to finish games.
- The Atlantic City Factor: The MAAC tournament is a neutral site in Atlantic City. Because the Pioneers have high-variance scorers like Gittens, they are the classic "team no one wants to play" in a single-elimination format. They can get hot and ruin someone’s season in a heartbeat.
The move to the MAAC was a long-term play for the university's brand. It’s a tougher road, sure. But the ceiling is much higher. The Pioneers aren't just a small-school team anymore; they're a program in the middle of a gritty, fascinating evolution.
To stay ahead of the curve on this team, watch the defensive rotations in the next few home games. If they can bring that 77 PPG allowed down to 70, they’ll be the biggest sleeper in the conference tournament. Keep an eye on the injury reports for Anquan Hill, too—he’s the literal lynchpin of their interior presence.