I'll Be Quirky: Charleston

The news that Hofstra is offering dollar beers tonight reminded me of this scene with Selma and Troy. #IYKYK

Well, I guess we can hope the Flying Dutchmen can only win or lose games in four-game increments this season, right? The Dutchmen will attempt to avoid falling under .500 in CAA play — something unfathomable when they were unbeaten in the league just two weeks ago — when they return home to host Charleston.

As will hopefully become the routine once again the rest of the season, I ran down the boilerplate material from last Saturday’s loss to William & Mary in last night’s Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that loss as well as a preview of the Cougars. Enjoy!

WE’RE STREAKING (in the other way)

As you’ve no doubt gathered by now, the loss Saturday afternoon was the fourth straight for the Dutchmen. The skid is the longest of the season for the Dutchmen and is tied for the longest current losing streak in the CAA with Campbell. It’s also the Dutchmen’s longest losing streak since the season-tanking six-game losing streak from last Feb. 1-20. Speaking of which!

NOT TWICE AS NICE

The Dutchmen are one of three CAA teams to suffer losing streaks of four games or longer in CAA play in each of the last two season. Campbell ended last season with a five-game losing streak. North Carolina A&T, which opened CAA play with a six-game losing streak this season before upsetting the Dutchmen and Towson, had an 11-game losing streak from Jan. 2 through Feb 10, 2025. The Aggies actually lost 12 straight CAA games in that span because they opened league play by falling to Hampton in a standalone game on Dec. 3, 2024. This is the first time the Dutchmen have endured CAA losing streaks of four games or longer in at least two consecutive seasons since a three-season stretch from 2011-12 through 2013-15. The Dutchmen had six- and four-game losings streaks in 2011-12, seven- and four-game losing streaks in 2012-13 and a pair of five-game losing streaks in 2013-14. None of this is what you want!

SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY

The Dutchmen are the first team to open 4-0 or better in CAA play and then fall to .500 in league action since Northeastern in 2016-17, when the Huskies raced out to a 5-0 start, fell to .500 at 7-7 and kept slipping all the way to an 8-10 finish before losing in the first round of the conference tournament. This is the second time the Dutchmen have opened 4-0 or better in CAA play and fallen to .500. The 2014-15 team started 4-0, fell to 5-5 and finished 10-8 before losing to William & Mary in the Daniel Dixon game n the conference tournament semifinals. Good times!

CLOSE PAINFUL SHAVES

The Dutchmen have lost each of their last four games by seven points or fewer. It’s the first time the Dutchmen have dropped at least four straight games by 10 points or fewer since Jan. 4-18, 2012, when they lost five straight by eight points or fewer. That team finished 3-15 in CAA play so at least that won’t happen this year!

THE DEFENSE IS RESTING

Where has the once-stout Dutchmen defense gone? The Dutchmen have allowed an average of 83.3 points over the last four games, a span in which opponents have shot 42.1 percent from 3-point land. Opponents averaged just 66.5 points per game over the first 17 games, a span in which they shot 36.7 percent from 3-point land. Incredibly, opponents are actually shooting worse overall during the last four games (42 percent) than over the first 17 games (45.8 percent). Again, why do drugs when you can just watch college basketball?

GREAT START, NOT-SO-GREAT FINISH (part one)

The Dutchmen raced out to a 7-0 start NICE FOOTBALL SCORE last Saturday. It was their longest game-opening run since Feb. 15, 2024, when the Dutchmen also scored the first seven points of a 79-77 loss to Drexel. Quirky, but not in a good way! The Dutchmen last scored at least the first seven points in on Jan. 25, 2024, when they scored the first eight points in a 64-55 victory over William & Mary. So I guess Saturday was the bookend to that?

GREAT START, NOT-SO-GREAT FINISH (part two)

The Dutchmen held William & Mary scoreless until Ryan Jackson Jr. drained a 3-pointer to pull the Tribe within 7-3 ANOTHER NICE FOOTBALL SCORE with 16:12 left in the first half. It was the deepest into the game the Dutchmen held an opponent scoreless since Feb. 18, 2023, when they held Stony Brook without a point until there was 15:40 left in the first half of a 68-65 win.

DRY JANUARY

With Saturday afternoon’s loss, the Dutchmen fell to 3-4 this month and dropped to 11-13 in January over the last three years. They’ve lost consecutive games in January once in each of the last three years. They were 19-6 in January from 2021 through 2023, a span in which they had just one losing streak (a three-game skid from Jan. 7-15, 2021, in the midst of the condensed pandemic season).

BIGGIE’S BIG GAME

Biggie Patterson had his best game in weeks Saturday afternoon, when he scored 16 points while adding three rebounds, two steals and one assist over 22 minutes. Patterson, playing in his second game since a four-game absence due to injury, sparked the Dutchmen’s attempted comeback from a 17-point deficit by scoring 10 of his points in a span of just 2:03 shortly before the midway point of the second half. The 16 points overall were the most for Patterson since he tied his season-high with 17 points against Division III Old Westbury in a 92-23 win on Dec. 10 and his most against a Division I foe since he collected 17 points in an 83-77 win over Bucknell on Dec. 14. Despite the strong performance, the Dutchmen fell to 5-6 when Patterson starts. They are 6-0 when he comes off the bench. 

PRESTO!

Preston Edmead continued the most impressive freshman season by a Hofstra player this decade Saturday afternoon, when he scored a team-high 18 points while adding two assists and one rebound. Edmead has scored in double figures in 17 games this season, the most double-figure scoring efforts by a Hofstra freshman since Eli Pemberton scored in double figures 21 times in 31 games in 2016-17. Edmead’s 324 points (15.4 ppg) through 21 games are 12 more than Antoine Agudio had through 21 games during his freshman season in 2004-05 and seven more than Speedy Claxton had through 21 games during his freshman season in 1996-97. Pretty good company.

PRESTON VS. SPEEDY

Speaking of which…Preston Edmead’s first 21 games as a true freshman point guard have been just as impressive as Speedy Claxton’s first 21 games as a true freshman point guard way back in 1996-97.

Speedy Claxton: 15.1 points per game/3.0 assists per game/4.6 rebounds per game

Preston Edmead: 15.4 ppg/4.0 apg/2.8 rpg

Pretty quirky and neat!

JUST JOSH-IN

Graduate student Joshua Aaron Reaves was a surprise contributor Saturday afternoon, when he scored a season-high nine points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point land while adding six rebounds over a season-high 27 minutes. Reaves entered Saturday having played just 19 minutes in the Dutchmen’s previous 15 games. He got the bulk of that playing time in the 92-23 win over Division III Old Westbury on Dec. 10, when Reaves had five points in 13 minutes. The nine points Saturday were the first of the season against a Division I foe for Reaves, who also had five points against Division II Molloy in  95-61 win on Nov. 10. The nine points were the most for Reaves since Nov. 16, 2024, when he had 21 points for Illinois-Chicago in a 117-59 win over Division III St. Mary’s (MN), and his most against a Division I foe since he had 18 points for Mount St. Mary’s in a a96-92 loss to Fairfield on Mar. 9, 2024. The six rebounds were the most for Reaves since he had eight rebounds against Molloy and his most against a Division I foe since he pulled down seven rebounds for Mount St. Mary’s in a 72-65 win over Iona on Feb. 25, 2024. Lastly, the 27 minutes were the most logged by Reaves since he played 28 minutes against St. Mary’s (MN) and his most against a Division I opponent since Mar. 12, 2024, when he played 27 minutes for Mount St. Mary’s in a 77-61 loss to Canisius in the MAAC Tournament.

CRUZ-IN

Cruz Davis had one of his quietest games of the year last Saturday, when he scored 14 points while going 5-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-8 from 3-point land. He also added four rebounds and three assists. The 14 points were the second-fewest of the season for Davis, who had 13 points against Iona in an 81-73 loss on Nov 7, while the two 3-pointers were his fewest since he was 1-of-4 from beyond the arc in a 70-67 win over Drexel on Jan. 3. Davis has scored in double figures in all 21 games this season — a career-long streak and the longest streak by a Hofstra player since Tyler Thomas ended his collegiate career by scoring in double figures in 25 straight games from Dec. 9, 2023 through Mar. 11, 2024. Davis has scored in double figures in 42 of 53 52 games in which he’s played for Hofstra after reaching double figures just five times over 28 games in his first two seasons at Iona and St. John’s. The Dutchmen are 25-17 when Davis scores in double figures.

VICTORY!

Junior newcomer Victory Onuetu had a much-needed bounce-back game Saturday afternoon, when he returned to the starting lineup and flirted with a double-double by scoring eight points and pulling down a season-high 13 rebounds over 28 minutes. Onuetu was scoreless with six rebounds over just 15 minutes while fouling out in both of the Dutchmen’s previous two games. The 13 rebounds were one more than his previous season-high, set three times, most recently in an 86-72 win over Campbell on Dec. 29. The eight points were one fewer than Onuetu had in the previous five games combined and his most in a single game since he scored 10 points in the 80-73 upset of Pittsburgh on Dec. 7.

DECADY DANCE

Joshua DeCady had a solid all-around game Saturday afternoon, when he finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist over 33 minutes. DeCady has scored in double figures five times in 21 games this season after doing so just three times n the 25 games in which he played last season. The six rebounds were the most for DeCady since he pulled down nine rebounds in the 67-64 overtime win over Monmouth on Jan. The two-steal game was the second straight for DeCady and the fifth time this season he’s recorded two thefts.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

Silas Sunday continued to fare well filling whatever role asked of him Saturday afternoon, when he resumed the backup gig behind Victory Onuetu and finished with two points, three rebounds and two blocks in 10 minutes. The 10 minutes were the fewest for Sunday since he logged a season-low six minutes in the 70-69 win over Syracuse on Dec. 13. Sunday entered Saturday having played 60 minutes combined over the previous two games as Onuetu battled foul trouble. In addition, Sunday has scored in all 21 games this season after scoring in 26 of 33 games last season.

JAEDEN JUMPS INTO ACTION

Freshman Jaeden Roberts remained part of the rotation Saturday afternoon, when he had three points and two assists over 12 minutes. Roberts has 83 points while averaging 13.6 minutes per game over the last 1 games in which he’s played after scoring just five points in three appearances spanning 11 minutes over the first nine games of the season. The Dutchmen won each of Roberts’ first 11 appearances before dropping their last three games.

OVER THE AIR

Tonight’s game is slated to be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required, click here for options). There is no MSG simulcast because all three local NHL teams are in action tonight (we’re using “in action” very loosely for the Rangers). Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.

SCOUTING CHARLESTON

The Cougars, under second-year head coach Chris Mack (I really do need to find out if he likes obscure members of the 1980s Cincinnati Reds), are 13-8 overall and 6-2 in CAA play after beating ELO, 80-70, last Saturday. Charleston swept a homestand with Campbell and ELO after a winless weekend at Towson and Stony Brook, which in turn followed a seven-game winning streak that included a 4-0 start in the CAA. Hey remember when the Dutchmen were 4-0? Sigh. 

The Dutchmen and Cougars had no common opponents during non-league play. In CAA play, both teams have beaten Drexel and Campbell and lost to Stony Brook. The Dutchmen beat Towson, who defeated Charleston, while losing to ELO, which split with Charleston, and William & Mary, who fell to Charleston.

The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish tied for eighth in the CAA preseason poll, are still somehow ranked a CAA-best 115th at KenPom.com even after the FOUR straight losses. I sure hope Ken is seeing something we’re not. That’s 47 spots higher than they were to open the season but 18 spots lower than their season-high entering the Jan. 10 game against Monmouth. The Cougars, who were picked to finish third, are ranked 171st, which is 39 spots lower than their preseason ranking but 24 spots higher than their season-low entering the Dec. 21 game against Northern Kentucky.

According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank first in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (118.1 points per 100 possessions) and 10th in defensive efficiency (115.4 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 64.3 possessions per 40 minutes, the 11th-most in league play. The Cougars rank fifth in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (111.0 points per 100 possessions) and seventh in defensive efficiency (106.7 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 70.4 possessions per 40 minutes, the third-most in league play.

The Cougars return three players from last year’s team. Graduate student Jylnn Counter, who opened his career with one season at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, a junior college, before spending two seasons at IUPUI (yup, that one) and last season at Middle Tennessee State, leads Charleston with 15.8 points and 5.2 assists per game. Graduate student Connor Hickman, who played his first three seasons at Bradley before receiving a redshirt when he was limited to nine games last season at Cincinnati, is averaging 12.7 points per game. True freshman Martin Kalu is averaging 10.5 points per game. Junior Christian Reeves, who opened his career with two seasons at Duke and one season at Clemson and is the reigning CAA Player of the Week, is averaging 9.5 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Chol Machot, who played last season at Florida SouthWestern State College, a junior college, is averaging 9.6 points while ranking second with 6.0 rebounds per game. Junior Colby Duggan, a preseason all-CAA first team selection and a member of the all-CAA first team last year in his second season at Campbell, is averaging 12.4 points per game over the last eight games after missing the first 13 games due to injury. Sophomore Mister Dean, a preseason all-CAA second team selection following his transfer from USC Upstate, played just three games before suffering a season-ending knee injury against Massachusetts on Nov. 21.

KenPom.com predicts a 77-72 win for the Dutchmen. Again, I’m glad he likes what he’s seeing, but… Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 4 1/2-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 11-8 against the spread this season after failing to cover in their last five games and six times in the last seven contests. Bookies never need a bailout, ever notice that?

ALL-TIME VS. CHARLESTON

Hofstra is 10-11 against Charleston in a series that began with the Cougars joining the CAA prior to the 2013-14 season. The Cougars took the series lead by winning the lone meeting between the schools last season, when Deywilk Tavarez banked a 60-footer at the halftime buzzer to begin Charleston’s comeback from a seven-point deficit in a 67-61 win. Talk about a classic Hofstra thing. The Cougars have won the last three games in the series since the Dutchmen’s 85-81 upset of then-no. 18 Charleston on Jan. 28, 2023.

Ten of the last 14 games between the teams have been decided by six points or fewer. Charleston was the only team Hofstra didn’t face during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER (OR BLUESKY) IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY

Intraconference transfer bias! (Colby Duggan just crushed the Dutchmen last season)

Why do all your coaches look like a supervillain bias! (Chris Mack, whose shaved dome makes him look like Lex Luthor, succeeded our guy Pat “Hank Scorpio” Kelsey)

Michael Kohn bias! (The Charleston alum played for the Angels and Braves, in case it ever comes up in a certain grid game)

Not that Chris Davis bias! (Freshman guard Chris Davis Jr. has never struck out 200 times in a big league season, or even once, or ever won a game in relief either)