Back in my day, we watched television shows once per week on ABC, CBS or NBC and if we wanted to hear "Play With Me," we had to buy Extreme's debut tape and listen to the first 10 songs before getting to this masterpiece.
The Flying Dutchmen remained atop the CAA last Saturday, when their winning streak reached double digits with the most high-wire of single-digit victories as Tyler Thomas helped make up for rough shooting nights by Aaron Estrada and Jaquan Carlos in a come-from-behind 68-65 win over Stony Brook. The Dutchmen will look to clinch the top seed in the CAA Tournament this afternoon, when they are slated to host Northeastern in the regular season finale. Here’s a look back at the win over the Seawolves and a look ahead to the Huskies.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Tyler Thomas scored 23 points and Darlinstone Dubar came up with big plays on both ends of the floor to open and close the second half for the Dutchmen, who trailed for more than half the game before dodging a disastrous loss to a 300-something KenPom foe (and a local rival!). With Aaron Estrada (1-of-12 from the field) and Jaquan Carlos (0-for-9) mired in epic slumps, Stony Brook led by as many as seven in the first half, carried a 33-27 lead into the half and didn’t trail for a span of more than 22 minutes. Warren Williams’ layup with 8:18 left gave the Dutchmen a 51-50 lead I CAN’T DRIVE 55 BIAS and highlighted a 10-4 run in which the visitors took a trio of three-point leads. Tyler Stephenson-Moore hit consecutive jumpers to give the Seawolves the lead for the last time at 58-57 before Thomas hit a pair of free throws out of a timeout. Dubar, inserted for defensive purposes, stole the ball from Frankie Policelli on the next possession to begin a game-ending sequence in which Stony Brook went 1-for-7 from the field — with the make a meaningless 3-pointer just before the buzzer — and 1-of-4 from the line. The teams combined for four misses before Dubar’s second-chance layup extended the lead to 61-58 with 2:46 left. Estrada sandwiched a free throw around consecutive empty trips for Stony Brook before Dubar fed Williams for a dunk with 1:06 remaining. Estrada iced the win with four straight free throws. Williams finished with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field while Dubar had 11 points — including back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half — to go along with three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Estrada went 8-of-9 from the line to finish with 10 points but led the Dutchmen with seven rebounds and three assists.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Stony Brook, 2/18)
3: Tyler Thomas
2: Darlinstone Dubar
1: Warren Williams
SEASON STANDINGS
Aaron Estrada 54
Tyler Thomas 44
Darlinstone Dubar 30
Jaquan Carlos 24
Warren Williams 11
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom 7
Amar’e Marshall 6
German Plotnikov 2
Bryce Washington 1
Griffin Barrouk 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! But not surprisingly. This was at least the fourth 68-65 win for the Dutchmen and their first since edging UNC Wilmington on Feb. 22, 2007.
The Dutchmen have recorded 10 unicorn score victories this season after recording 11 unicorn score victories last season, no unicorn scores in 2020-21, 13 unicorn scores in 2019-20 and 10 unicorn scores in 2018-19. The term unicorn score was coined by Mets superfan, historian and blogger Greg Prince to describe a score by which the Mets had never previously won. You may also know it as a “Scorigami,” a term popularized in the NFL.
WHO HAD THE KEITH HERNANDEZ?
Tyler Thomas snapped Darlinstone Dubar’s record-breaking three-game streak of first-half Keith Hernandezes — those were getting boring anyway — and made a bit of history by giving the Dutchmen the lead for good at 59-58 by sinking a free throw immediately after his game-tying free throw with 4:06 left. It’s the third time a free throw has been part of the Keith Hernandez, but the first time a Hernandez has been recorded by someone making the second free throw. Thomas’ Keith Hernandez is the Dutchmen’s first in the second half since his last-minute jumper put the Dutchmen ahead for good against Towson on Feb. 2.
Jaquan Carlos tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Princeton, 11/7/22 (1:11 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Iona, 11/11/22 (:35.2 left 2H)
Darlinstone Dubar go-ahead layup vs. George Washington, 11/14/22 (5:09 left 2H)
German Plotnikov go-ahead 3-pointer vs. San Jose State. 11/17/22 (6:32 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking jumper vs. UNC Greensboro, 11/26/22 (14:56 left 1H)
Aaron Estrada go-ahead jumper vs. Quinnipiac, 11/27/22 (17:28 left 1H)
Tyler Thomas go-ahead 3-pointer vs. Old Westbury, 12/22/22 (19:02 left 1H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking jumper vs. Delaware, 12/29/22 (19:42 left 1H)
Aaron Estrada tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Hampton, 1/5/23 (19:27 left 1H)
Aaron Estrada tie-breaking jumper vs. William & Mary, 1/7/23 (8:37 left 1H)
German Plotnikov tie-breaking 3-pointer vs. Monmouth, 1/11/23 (7:50 left 1H)
Warren Williams tie-breaking nostalgic 3-pointer vs. Delaware 1/14/23 (14:28 left 1H)
Aaron Estrada tie-breaking jumper vs. UNC Wilmington, 1/19/23 (19:02 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking jumper vs. Not Twitter Guy, 1/26/23 (14:03 left 2H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking jumper vs. Charleston, 1/28/23 (15:24 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking jumper vs. Towson, 2/2/23 (:58.6 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking jumper vs. Stony Brook, 2/4/23 (6:54 left 1H)
Warren Williams tie-breaking free throw vs. Northeastern, 2/8/23 (6:32 left 1H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking layup vs. Monmouth, 2/11/23 (18:14 left 1H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking layup vs. Drexel, 2/13/23 (19:52 left 1H)
Darlinstone Dubar tie-breaking layup vs. Hampton, 2/16/23 (19:38 left 1H)
Tyler Thomas tie-breaking free throw vs. Stony Brook, 2/18/23 (4:06 left 2H)
Tyler Thomas 8
Darlinstone Dubar 5
Aaron Estrada 4
Warren Williams 2
German Plotnikov 2
Jaquan Carlos 1
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER THIRTY GAMES
With last Saturday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 22-8. This ties the 2022-23 team for the seventh-best record in school history through 30 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have been 22-8 through 30 games since 2019-20 and just the fifth time they’ve opened 22-8 in program history. All 12 teams to open 21-9 or better either made the NCAA Tournament (at both Division I and Division II) or NIT or qualified for the NCAA before, well, you know. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 30 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 18-12 (season ended with an 80-78 loss to Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which left me as the most disappointed two-year-old toddler in the Nutmeg State, first NCAA Tournament as a D-I program, only 18-12 start in program history)
1976-77: 23-7 (season ended with a 90-83 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, most recent 23-7 start)
1999-2000: 24-6 (America East champs! Win in 30th game was a 76-69 victory over Delaware at Hofstra Arena that clinched the Dutchmen’s first NCAA Tournament berth since *checks notes* 1977)
2000-01: 26-4 (America East champs again! Win in 30th game was a 68-54 victory over Delaware at Hofstra Arena that marked the final win in program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak and sent the Dutchmen to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, only 26-4 start in school history)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 22-8 (loss in 30th game snapped an eight-game winning streak and was the final loss of the season)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 22-8 (win over Vermont in America East quarterfinals was final win of season)
2004-05: 21-9 (season ended with 53-44 loss to Saint Joseph’s, only 21-9 start in school history)
2005-06: 24-6 (loss in 30th game came against UNC Wilmington in CAA championship game, but don’t worry, the Dutchmen will definitely get an at-large bid six days from now)
2006-07: 22-8 (won regular season finale, final win of season)
2015-16: 22-8 (won regular season finale to clinch no. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament)
2018-19: 24-6 (most recent 24-6 start, win in 30th game clinched tie for the CAA regular season title)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1962-63: 23-7 (season ended with 78-71 win over Mount St. Mary’s in an NCAA Tournament game)
The 1958-59 team, Hofstra’s first to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 27 games (20-7), while the 1961-62 team, Hofstra’s second to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 28 games (24-4) and the 1963-64 team completed its season in 29 games (23-6).
Some other notable 30-game records — in fact, all of them!
2017-18: 19-11 (most recent 19-11 start, won regular season finale for final win of season)
2016-17: 14-16 (only 14-16 start)
2014-15: 19-11
2013-14: 8-22 (only 8-22 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 7-23 (only 7-23 start, worst 30-game record in school history)
2011-12: 9-21 (only 9-21 start)
2010-11: 20-10 (won regular season finale)
2009-10: 17-13 (most recent 17-13 start, win in 30th game marked fifth win of seven-game winning streak)
2008-09: 20-10 (won regular season finale)
2007-08: 12-18 (season ended with 81-66 loss to Towson in a CAA Tournament outbracket game, only 12-18 start)
2001-02: 11-19 (only 11-19 start, 72-52 win over Towson in CAA Tournament first-round game ended Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)
1997-98: 19-11 (win over Hartford in America East quarterfinal was final win of season)
1985-86: 17-13 (season ended with 80-76 loss to Drexel in ECC championship game)
Hofstra has never been 30-0, 29-1, 28-2, 27-3, 25-5, 16-14, 15-15, 13-17, 10-20, 6-24, 5-25, 4-26, 3-27, 2-28, 1-29 or 0-30 through 30 games.
Sixty seasons were completed in fewer than 30 games:
1936-37 (7-10)
1937-38 (10-4)
1938-39 (10-8)
1939-40 (12-9)
1940-41 (13-7)
1941-42 (15-6)
1942-43 (15-6)
1943-44 (7-12)
1944-45 (8-13)
1945-46 (12-7)
1946-47 (18-6)
1947-48 (13-6)
1948-49 (18-8)
1949-50 (17-9)
1950-51 (18-11)
1951-52 (26-3)
1952-53 (20-7)
1953-54 (15-9)
1954-55 (19-7)
1955-56 (22-4)
1956-57 (11-15)
1957-58 (15-8)
1958-59 (20-7)
1959-60 (23-1)
1960-61 (21-4)
1961-62 (24-4)
1963-64 (23-6)
1964-65 (11-14)
1965-66 (16-10)
1966-67 (12-13)
1967-68 (13-12)
1968-69 (12-13)
1969-70 (13-13)
1970-71 (18-8)
1971-72 (11-14)
1972-73 (8-16)
1973-74 (8-16)
1974-75 (11-13)
1977-78 (8-19)
1978-79 (8-19)
1979-80 (14-14)
1980-81 (12-15)
1981-82 (12-16)
1982-83 (18-9)
1983-84 (14-14)
1984-85 (14-15)
1986-87 (10-18)
1987-88 (6-21)
1988-89 (14-15)
1989-90 (13-15)
1990-91 (14-14)
1991-92 (20-9)
1992-93 (9-18)
1993-94 (9-20)
1994-95 (10-18)
1995-96 (9-18)
1996-97 (12-15)
2002-03 (8-21)
2003-04 (14-15)
2020-21 (13-10)
(Well) more than half the previous Hofstra seasons were completed by this point.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43, 1945-46, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1954-55.
This feature is inspired by Greg Prince, who measures how the current Mets compare, record-wise, to previous teams through the same point in the season.
NUMBER TEN THROUGH SIXTY-TWO
With last Saturday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 43-19 (.694) as head coach. That’s the second-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 62 games at the helm. These last nine games mark the highest Claxton has been in the all-time game-to-game standings since he became head coach last season.
Paul Lynner 47-15 (.758, 62nd game was the third game of his third season in 1963-64)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 43-19 (.694, 62nd game was the 30th game of his second season in 2022-23)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 39-23 (.629, 62nd game was the 10th game of his third season in 1957-58)
Dick Berg 30-32 (.484, 62nd game was the seventh game of his third season in 1982-83)
Mo Cassara 30-32 (.484, 62nd game was the 29th game of his second season in 2011-12)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 29-33 (.468, 62nd game was the fifth game of his third season in 1989-90)
Joe Mihalich 28-34 (.452, 62nd game was the 29th game of his second season in 2014-15)
Jay Wright 22-40 (.355, 62nd game was the seventh game of his third season in 1996-97)
Roger Gaeckler 21-41 (.339, 62nd game was the 14th game of his third season in 1974-75)
Tom Pecora 21-41 (.339, 62nd game was the first game of his third season in 2002-03)
Mo Cassara climbs back into a tie with Dick Berg for fourth place. Jay Wright loses for the FOURTH STRAIGHT time with a freshman point guard named Speedy Claxton, I dunno, maybe this isn't going to work out for anyone involved. And Tom Pecora remains in a tie for ninth (i.e. last) place with Roger Gaeckler.
The records are incomplete for Jack McDonald’s first stint from 1936 through 1943 as well as the tenures of Jack Smith (1943-46) and Frank Reilly (1947-55).
Three coaches had one-season tenures lasting at Hofstra. McDonald went 18-6 in the lone season of his second stint in 1946-47 while Joe Harrington went 14-14 in 1979-80 and Mike Farrelly went 13-10 in 2020-21.
CLUB 21 AND OVER
The Dutchmen surpassed their win total from last season by recording their 22nd victory last Saturday night. They are just one of 30 Division I schools with at least 21 wins in the last two seasons. Here’s the full list — 15 mid-majors and 15 majors.
HOFSTRA
Boise State
Colgate
Drake
Furman
Iona
Kent State
Liberty
North Texas
Samford
San Diego State
Toledo
UAB
UNC Wilmington
VCU
Arizona
Connecticut
Gonzaga
Houston
Kansas
Memphis
Miami (FL)
Purdue
Saint Mary’s
Santa Clara
Texas
Texas A&M
UCLA
Virginia
Xavier
STREAKING (part one)
The Dutchmen’s 10-game winning streak is tied the fourth-longest active streak in Division I.
Eastern Washington 18
Oral Roberts 13
Toledo 12
HOFSTRA 10
Drake 10
Vermont 10
Everyone on this list is in action today except Drake, which is scheduled to play Bradley in its regular season finale on Sunday.
STREAKING (part two)
The Dutchmen’s 10-game winning streak is 12th winning streak of at least 10 games in school history and the longest since the 2018-19 team won 16 straight.
CLOSE CALL
Easy to say now, but there’s nothing wrong with a little scare as the CAA Tournament nears! The Dutchmen trailed for 22 minutes and two seconds last Saturday, which was *carries the one, drops the remainder* a whopping 21 minutes and 46 seconds MORE than they’d trailed in their previous five wins combined, The Dutchmen led Stony Brook wire-to-wire on Feb. 4, trailed Northeastern for 16 seconds on Feb. 8 and then led wire-to-wire in wins over Monmouth, Drexel and Hampton prior to facing the Seawolves again. However, the 22:02 the Dutchmen spent playing from behind last Saturday was not their longest such stretch during this winning streak. Towson led for 28 minutes and 21 seconds on Feb. 2 before the Dutchmen earned a 76-72 victory.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Dutchmen trailed 33-27 at the half last Saturday. They are now 6-4 this season when trailing at the half after going just 6-13 in games they trailed at the half the previous two seasons.
IT’S A TOUCHDOWN GAME
Football reference! The Dutchmen and Stony Brook were never separated by more than seven points last Saturday, when the Seawolves opened their biggest lead at 31-24 with 1:29 left in the first half and the Dutchmen led 66-59 in the final minute. It marked the first time the Dutchmen have played a game in which neither team led by more than seven points since Jan. 17, 2022, when the Dutchmen edged Drexel 71-68.
A RARE WIN (part one)
As you know by now, we’re all about the quirky here, even when it’s about the Dutchmen scuffling. And it’s quite possible no one’s ever scuffled in a win for the Dutchmen like Aaron Estrada and Jaquan Carlos did last Saturday, when Estrada went 1-of-11 from the field while Carlos finished 0-for-9. At the least, it’s the first time since at least the 2002-03 season, which is as far back as my boxscores go at home, that the Dutchmen have won a game in which two players made one or fewer field goals while each hoisted at least nine shots. The closest I could find was a 63-50 win over Lehigh on Nov, 30, 2002, when Mike Radziejewski went 1-for-10 from the field while Woody Souffrant finished 1-for-7.
A RARE WIN (part two)
The Dutchmen became just the second Division I team this season to win a game in which they had at least two players make one field goal or fewer while taking at least nine shots. Eric Reed was 1-for-11 and Shakeel Moore was 0-for-10 for Mississippi State in a 52-49 win over Utah on Nov. 23. And a third player, Cameron Matthews, finished 1-for-7 for the Bulldogs!
DOUBLE TROUBLED (part one)
Last Saturday marked the first time two players made one field goal or fewer while taking at least nine shots in the same game for the Dutchmen since Dec. 28, 2007, when Nathaniel Lester was 1-for-10 and Ziggy Sestakos was 1-for-9 in an 84-59 loss to Virginia Tech at Madison Square Garden.
DOUBLE TROUBLED (part two)
Jaquan Carlos was the first Hofstra player to go scoreless from the field while taking at least nine attempts since Brian Bernardi went 0-for-9 in a 74-72 win over Coppin State on Nov. 11, 2016. And Estrada is the first Hofstra player to make just one field goal while attempting at least 12 shots since Nathaniel Lester went 1-for-13 in a 62-60 loss to Florida Atlantic on Nov. 22, 2011.
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR CARLOS
Let’s not blame Jaquan Carlos if he doesn’t want to see Stony Brook again until next year. Carlos also struggled from the field against the Seawolves on Feb. 4, when he was 0-for-8 in the Dutchmen’s 79-58 win.
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR ESTRADA
Aaron Estrada might not want to see Stony Brook again until next year either. Not surprisingly, the one field goal for Aaron Estrada last Saturday marked a Hofstra-era career low for the star guard, who previously finished with two field goals in a game twice — against Stony Brook on Dec. 8, 2021 and against UNC Greensboro on Nov. 26, 2022. The one field goal for Estrada also marked the first time he had fewer than two field goals in a game in which he took at least one shot since Jan. 9, 2021, when he was 1-of-2 from the field for Oregon against Utah.
NO DOUBTING THOMAS
OK, let’s get to some of the more positive stats from last Saturday — like Tyler Thomas saving the Dutchmen. Thomas’ strong season continued as he finished with 23 points. It was the ninth time this season Thomas has scored at least 20 points and the eighth time he’s done so in 17 CAA games. He’s scored in double figures in 10 straight games as well as 16 times in 17 CAA games and 24 times in 30 games overall.
THREE TREYS FOR D-STONE
Darlinstone Dubar made some key contributions last Saturday night, when he finished with 11 points while going 4-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point land. The three 3-pointers tie a season and career high for Dubar and mark the first time he’s drained three 3-pointers since he went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in a 96-48 win over Old Westbury on Dec. 22. It was also the first time Dubar’s hit three 3-pointers against a CAA foe since he was 3-of-6 from 3-point land in an 87-80 win over James Madison (they were a CAA foe?) on Jan. 9, 2022.
WARREN HELPS GET THE DUB
Warren Williams chipped in with some much-needed offense last Saturday night, when he scored 12 points while going 4-of-4 from the field. The perfect shooting effort was the second of the season (minimum four attempts) for Williams and his first since Jan. 5, when he scored 12 points while going 5-of-5 in a 67-51 win over Hampton.
ESTRADA’S DOUBLE-DIGIT STREAK
Aaron Estrada had a rough night last Saturday, but a late flurry at the free throw line allowed him to finish with 10 points and thus extend his streak of double-digit scoring efforts to 19 games. Estrada, who has missed four games during his current streak, has scored in double figures in 25 of 26 games this season and in 52 of 58 games since debuting for Hofstra last season. He scored in double figures in 13 of the 37 games in which he played for Saint Peter’s and Oregon from 2019 through 2021.
ESTRADA HOLDS STEADY
Aaron Estrada remained in 33rd place on the all-time Hofstra scoring list last Saturday, when he scored 10 points. Estrada enters today four points shy of surging past Mike Moore into 32nd place, eight points away from moving past Wandy Williams into 31st place, 15 points away from surpassing Nathaniel Lester for 30th place and 35 points away from jumping past Ted Jackson into 29th place.
29.) Ted Jackson 1,159
30.) Nathaniel Lester 1,139
31.) Wandy Williams 1,132
32.) Mike Moore 1,128
33.) AARON ESTRADA 1,125
34.) Richie Swartz 1,107
35.) Ameen Tanksley 1,090
36.) Derrick Flowers 1,069
37.) Darius Burton 1,060
38.) Percy Johnson 1,045
39.) James Shaffer 1,022
40.) John Irving 1,018
SEVENS AND ELEVENS
German Plotnikov scored seven points in 22 minutes off the bench last Saturday. It marked the 11th time this season he’s scored at least seven points in game and the fourth time he’s done so in the last six games.
FOUR IN DUBS
Tyler Thomas (23 points) led four Dutchmen in double figures last Saturday, when Warren Williams finished with 12 points while Darlinstone Dubar had 11 points and Aaron Estrada added 10 points. It was the first time four players have scored in double figures for the Dutchmen since a 79-58 win over Stony Brook on Feb. 4. The Dutchmen have won eight straight games in which four players have scored in double figures and are 10-1 this season when at least four players score in double figures.
OVER THE AIR
Today’s game is slated to be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required) as well as on MSG Network, thanks to Hofstra’s new partnership with the latter. MSG is channel 71 in the Optimum/Altice Are Our Overlords Universe. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SENIOR DAY
File this under things we no longer take for granted in the pandemic era. The Dutchmen will honor five seniors — graduate transfers Nelson Boachie-Yiadom, Petey Galgano and Warren Williams as well as academic seniors Aaron Estrada and Tyler Thomas, each of whom have the option to return due to the extra year awarded those who played in the pandemic-wracked 2020-21 campaign — in a ceremony scheduled to begin at 1:40 PM. This marks the second straight Senior Day after the scheduled home finale was canceled due to, well, you know, in February 2021, as well as the first time Senior Day is ON the home finale since 2020. Last year’s Senior Day was held on Saturday, Feb. 26, two days before a makeup game against Charleston.
While Senior Day is a bittersweet afternoon for players and coaches, the game itself has traditionally been a happy occasion for the Flying Dutchmen. The Dutchmen are 23-5 in home finales in the DD Era with losses absorbed in 1994 (Army won 87-76), 2002 (Towson won 61-60), 2013 (Delaware won 57-56), 2017 (UNC Wilmington won 83-76) and 2019 (James Madison won 104-99 in overtime). However, there were no seniors on the roster in 2002, which means the Dutchmen didn’t TECHNICALLY lose on Senior Day that year.
The Dutchmen won both their home finales last year by beating William & Mary 83-67 on Feb. 26 and edging Charleston 89-84 on Feb. 28. And while I don’t count this result as a home finale, the Dutchmen also beat Drexel 79-74 on Feb. 7, 2021 in what turned out to be the final game of the season at the Arena.
Not surprisingly, teams with Speedy Claxton either playing on the court or strolling the sideline have fared well on Senior Day. Claxton’s teams are 10-2 on Senior Day — 4-0 when he was in uniform from 1997 through 2000 and 6-2 since he joined the coaching staff for the 2013-14 season.
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies, under 17th-year head coach Bill Coen, are 10-18 overall and 6-11 in the CAA after falling to Drexel, 75-48, on Thursday night. The loss was the eighth int he last 10 games for Northeastern, which is in a four-way tie for eighth in the CAA, one game ahead of Hampton and Monmouth, who are tied for 12th/last.
The Dutchmen and Huskies had one common opponent in non-conference play. The Dutchmen beat Princeton, 83-77, in the season opener Nov. 7 while the Huskies fell to the Tigers, 56-54, on Nov. 26.
In CAA play, the Dutchmen swept Stony Brook and Delaware, both of whom split with Northeastern, and also swept Hampton and Monmouth, each of whom lost to Northeastern. The Dutchmen beat William & Mary, Elon and UNC Wilmington while splitting with Towson, all of whom defeated the Huskies. Hofstra also beat Drexel and Charleston, both of whom swept Northeastern. The Huskies beat North Carolina A&T, who beat Hofstra.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish second in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 94th at KenPom.com. The Huskies, who were picked to finish sixth, are ranked 301st.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank second in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (112.2 points per 100 possessions) and first in conference-only defensive efficiency (92.1 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 66.8 possessions per 40 minutes, the fifth-most in the league. The Huskies rank ninth in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (99.8 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in defensive efficiency (107.9 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 66.6 possessions per 40 minutes, seventh-most in the league. As always, an Iron Maiden reference should go here.
Junior guard Jahmyl Telfort, who was named to the preseason all-CAA second team, leads the Huskies with 16.4 points per game while ranking second in assists (2.1 assists per game). Redshirt senior forward Chris Doherty, a Notre Dame transfer who was a preseason all-CAA honorable mention selection, ranks second in scoring at 8.8 points per game and leads Northeastern with 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Junior forward Coleman Stucke is averaging 8.7 points per game while redshirt junior guard Joe Pridgen, who played the 2020-21 season at UNC Wilmington before sitting out last season because he transferred within the league, is averaging 7.4 points and ranks second on the Huskies with 4.9 rebounds per game.
KenPom.com predicts a 78-62 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 14 1/2-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 17-10-2 against the spread this season after their nine-game winning streak in such matters ended last Saturday night.
THE CAA RACE
*dramatic voice* It all comes down to this. If Hofstra (15-2) wins today, the Dutchmen clinch the top seed in the CAA Tournament and an automatic bid to the NIT, if necessary, which we hope is not necessary even though we are old enough to appreciate a bid to the NIT. Charleston kept this a two-team race Thursday, when the Cougars overcame a 10-point second half deficit to beat Towson 83-75 and move back into a tie for first place with the Dutchmen, who have any tiebreaker by virtue of their 85-81 win over Charleston on Jan. 28. With Charleston hosting Stony Brook at noon, the Dutchmen could technically be league champs by the time they take the court, but the Cougars are 20-point favorites.
The Dutchmen are looking to clinch a regular season championship at home for the fourth time. They locked up the no. 1 seed in the 2000 America East tournament with a 67-64 win over Maine on Feb. 20, 2000 before earning the no. 1 seed in the 2016 and 2020 CAA Tournaments, respectively, via a 72-63 win over Charleston on Feb. 27, 2016 and a 97-81 win over James Madison on Feb. 29, 2020.
The CAA is one of just three Division I leagues in which the top two teams have two losses or fewer entering today along with the SEC (Alabama is 14-1, followed by Texas A&M at 13-2) and West Coast Conference (Saint Mary’s is 14-1 and Gonzaga is 13-2 heading into their clash tonight).
Discounting the CAA’s debut season in 1982-83, when teams played anywhere from six to 10 league games, and the pandemic season of 2020-21, this will be just the 11th time two teams finished with three league losses or fewer.
ALL-TIME VS. NORTHEASTERN
Hofstra is 29-25 against Northeastern in a series that began during the 1949-50 season. All but three of the meetings have come in conference play since the 1994-95 season, when Hofstra joined the North Atlantic Conference. The Dutchmen won the first meeting this season on Feb, 8, when Jaquan Carlos (10 points, nine assists, nine rebounds) flirted with a triple-double in a 72-53 victory, the Dutchmen are seeking to sweep the season series for the third time in four years.
THE BARONE BOWL
The Barone Bowl was established by me and Northeastern graduate Mike Brodsky during the 2009-10 season, after Northeastern and Hofstra dropped football within two weeks of one another (Hofstra’s decision, of course, was reached after a multi-year study, wink wink nudge nudge).
The Barone Bowl pays homage to the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which a Hofstra kicker boots a 68-yard field goal against Northeastern but Frank Barone catches the ball and refuses to give it up. Apparently that wasn’t the type of publicity either school liked. Anyway.
The Barone Bowl series is ALL TIED UP at 15-15 after the Dutchmen’s win on Feb. 8. With a win today, Hofstra will — barring a loss to Northeastern in the CAA Tournament — maintain possession of the trophy it regained with last year’s sweep. This, unfortunately, is a purely symbolic trophy, one which you will not find displayed by either school. But you can find me and Brodsky talking about it on Twitter!
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Beanpot champs bias! (Congrats to the Northeastern men’s hockey team, which won its fourth title since 2018 by beating Harvard in the shootout Feb. 13)
Tylenol bias! (Per Wikipedia, which is never wrong, Tylenol founder George D. Behrakis graduated from Northeastern and donated the money to build the school’s College of Health Sciences)
Matt Janning is the original Nathan Scott lookalike in the CAA! (Sorry German Plotnikov but it’s true)
Extreme is on Season 4 of Stranger Things and might have a new album coming out bias! (I just found out the band has been dropping teasers on Twitter for more than a week now, BRB, going to geek out)
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