Can the Dutchmen zzzzzap John Waters' hometown team tonight?
The one-game-in-nine-days stretch of the CAA schedule came at the perfect time for the Flying Dutchmen, who needed a brief break in the worst way after last Saturday’s all-hands-on-deck 66-63 win over UNC Wilmington. Of course, going to Towson and Drexel within a four-day span isn’t exactly a cakewalk, but Speedy Claxton is expected to be back tonight as the Dutchmen begin the annual Thursday-Monday stretch by visiting the Tigers.
As will hopefully be the routine now that conference play has begun, I ran down the boilerplate material from Saturday’s big win in Wednesday’s Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that win as well as a preview of the Seahawks as the Dutchmen look to even their CAA record. Enjoy!
SPEEDY SIDELINED
Speedy Claxton missed Saturday’s game due to personal reasons. He’s the first head coach to miss part or all of a game since Dec. 27, 2008, when Tom Pecora exited due to illness in the first half of a 62-57 win at New Hampshire. I’ll forget to take out the garbage tonight but I’ll remember this.
PHEW
The Dutchmen led by 11 points twice in the second half and fell behind in the final minute before Jean Aranguren converted the go-ahead nostalgic 3-point play with 31.1 seconds left. It was the first time the Dutchmen won a game in which they fell behind after squandering all of a double-digit second-half lead since Feb. 5, 2022, when they led James Madison by 10 points in the second half and fell behind by one point in overtime before earning an 85-78 victory. The 11-point second-half lead was the biggest the Dutchmen have squandered in an eventual win since Jan. 9, 2020, when they led Northeastern by 16 and then trailed by one before Eli Pemberton hit the game-winning shot just before the buzzer in a 74-72 win.
STUCK IN THE SIXTIES
The Dutchmen scored fewer than 70 points Saturday for the sixth straight game, a span in which they are 2-4. It’s the longest streak of consecutive games with fewer than 70 points since a 12-game run from Jan. 16 through Feb. 20, 2013, during which the Dutchmen went 1-11. However, the Dutchmen didn’t score more than 70 points in any of their last 22 games during that miserable season. They went 4-18 from Dec. 15, 2012 through Mar. 9, 2013 while reaching exactly 70 points in wins over William & Mary and Old Dominion. So this note might have a sequel of sorts brewing! (Or, again, the Dutchmen could put up 100 points today and win, which would result in me updating the much cooler note about winning in factors of 10)
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING NO LONGER OFFENSIVE
For a second straight game, a long but appropriate subhead! Counting dead ball rebounds, the Dutchmen collected 10 offensive rebounds Saturday afternoon. Two nights earlier, the Dutchmen had a season-high 16 offensive rebounds in the 67-61 loss to Charleston. This marks the first time the Dutchmen have recorded at least 10 offensive rebounds in consecutive games since Dec. 6-9, 2023, when they had 12 offensive rebounds in a 62-57 win over Iona and 12 offensive rebounds in a 71-68 loss to Saint Louis. The 26 offensive rebounds over the last two games are two more than the Dutchmen had in their previous six games, a span that began with the 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) on Dec. 6.
FILLING IT UP FROM OUTSIDE
The Dutchmen had a much-needed strong game from the 3-point line Saturday, when they were 12-of-28 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc. The 12 3-pointers were the second-most of the season for the Dutchmen and their most against a Division I foe. The Dutchmen had 19 3-pointers Dec, 6, when they beat Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) 114-46. The shooting percentage from 3-point land was the Dutchmen’s fourth-best of the season and their best since they shot a season-high 50 percent (11-of-22) Dec. 9 in the 80-67 win over Norfolk State.
HOW MANY PLAYERS HAVE STARTED A GAME THIS SEASON FOR THE DUTCHMEN?
Niiiiine players. Silas Sunday became the ninth player to join the starting lineup (not at the same time, that’d be illegal) Saturday, when he started in place of Michael Graham. The nine different starters this season are the most for the Dutchmen since 2021-22, which was Speedy Claxton’s first season at the helm.
JEAN FITS
Jean Aranguren recovered from a slow start to have another solid game Saturday afternoon, when he converted the go-ahead nostalgic 3-point play with 31.1 seconds left. Aranguren scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half and finished with four assists and three rebounds, though he committed a team-high five turnovers. He has scored in double figures in seven straight games and 14 times in 17 games overall after reaching double figures just nine times in 33 games last season with Iona.
JEAN FROM THREE
Jean Aranguren was especially productive from outside Saturday afternoon, when he finished 5-of-9 from 3-point land. The five 3-pointers were a career-high for Aranguren, who drained four 3-pointers in a game three times previously including last Thursday against Charleston. Aranguren is 9-for-14 from 3-point land in the last two games after going just 9-for-33 from beyond the arc in his previous seven games from Dec. 1 through Jan. 4.
FARMER AID
Khalil Farmer, who played just nine minutes in the previous three games combined, had perhaps his best game in a Hofstra uniform Saturday afternoon, when he started in place of German Plotnikov and scored 13 points in a career-high 38 minutes. Farmer was especially valuable on defense in the final seconds, when he blanketed UNC Wilmington leading scorer Donovan Newby and hounded him into missing three shots after the Dutchmen took the lead. The 13 points are the second-most of Farmer’s career as well as one more than he had in his previous six games combined dating back to Dec. 9 and his most in a single game against a Division I opponent. He had 16 points in the 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s on Dec 6.
A SPINAL TAP DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Play Stonehenge! Michael Graham, who came off the bench so that 7-foot Silas Sunday could start against 7-foot UNC Wilmington center Harlan Obioha, recorded his second straight double-double Saturday, when he was 5-of-5 from the field while finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. It’s the third time in Graham’s career he’s posted at least two straight double-doubles and the first time since Jan. 20-27, 2022, when he had three consecutive double-doubles for Not Twitter Guy against Drexel, Delaware and William & Mary. Overall this season, Graham has three double-doubles, as many as he had the previous two seasons combined at Loyola Marymount. In addition, the Dutchmen are 7-2 this season when Graham plays at least 20 minutes.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES OFF THE BENCH
Michael Graham (11 points, 11 rebounds) is the second Hofstra player this season to post a double-double off the bench and the first since Nov. 4, when KiJan Robinson had 10 points and 10 rebounds in an 89-62 win over Division III Old Westbury in the season opener. Graham is the first Hofstra player to record a double-double off the bench against a Division I foe since Nov. 30, 2020, when Kvonn Cramer had 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 73-58 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.
CAN’T MISS GRAHAM
Michael Graham had a sharp shooting afternoon Saturday, when he scored 11 points while going 5-of-5 from the field. It was the second perfect shooting game (minimum five field goal attempts) this season for Graham, who also had 11 points while going 5-of-5 from the field in an 80-67 win over Norfolk State on Dec. 9. Silas Sunday (5-of-5 in the 90-76 win over Iona on Nov, 8) has the Dutchmen’s other perfect shooting performance this season.
SEVEN WISHES
Night Ranger reference! Cruz Davis scored fewer than 10 points for the second straight game Saturday, when he was 2-of-9 from the field and finished with seven points and seven assists. The back-to-back single-digit scoring performances are the first of the season for Davis, who has scored at least 10 points in nine games after doing so just five times in his first two seasons at Iona and St. John’s. The seven assists were the most for Davis since Nov. 30, when he had seven assists in the 61-59 loss to Tarleton State.
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
Silas Sunday made his second career start Saturday (boy did I want to write Silas Sunday started Saturday for the second time, but that wouldn’t have made for as clean a transition, the things I do for you guys), when he had six points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal while posting a plus/minus of plus-20 (!!!) over 19 minutes. The 19 minutes were the most for Sunday since Dec. 15, when he played 29 minutes in the 60-42 loss to Temple. The start was the first for Sunday since Dec. 30, 2023, when he had four points and six rebounds over 13 minutes in place of an injured Jacco Fritz in an 84-79 loss to St. John’s at UBS Arena.
TJ TO THE EXTREME
TJ Gadsden made his third straight start Saturday, when he had six points and four rebounds over 29 minutes. The playing time was the most extensive for Gadsden since Nov. 16, when he logged 39 minutes in a 75-71 overtime win over UMass. It also marked just the third time this season he’s finished with at least six point and four rebounds. Gadsden has scored in double figures just once this season after scoring at least 10 points in 11 of 25 games last season for Canisius.
HERE’S TO YOU, MR. ROBINSON
KiJan Robinson saw slightly less playing time Saturday, when he had two points in 18 minutes. Robinson, who finished 0-for-4 shooting, was scoreless from the field for just the third time this season while scoring fewer than six points for just the fifth time in 17 games.
DECADY’S DANCE
Freshman Joshua DeCady helped make up for the absence of German Plotnikov Saturday when he had one point and one rebound in seven minutes. DeCady has scored in each of the last seven games in which he’s appeared dating back to Nov. 30, though his errant 3-pointer in his lone field goal attempt marked his first miss from the field since Dec. 29.
PARNELL’S CAMEO
Redshirt sophomore Eric Parnell played the final four seconds of the first half. Parnell is the first Hofstra player to see less than one minute of playing time since Khalil Farmer played the final 15 seconds in overtime of the 75-71 win over UMass on Nov. 16.
PLOTNIKOV SIDELINED
German Plotnikov, who started each of the previous six games, sat out Saturday with a leg injury. Plotnikov, who was on the bench in warmups Saturday, played at least 30 minutes in each of his starts after exceeding 20 minutes just three times in the first 10 games.
SANDERS SIDELINED
Junior Jaquan Sanders missed Saturday’s game due to personal reasons. It was the second straight absence for Sanders, who started the first 13 games in which he played before coming off the bench against Northeastern on Jan. 4. He is expected to rejoin the Dutchmen soon.
OVER THE AIR
Tonight’s game is slated to be carried live on CBS Sports Network, which is channel 215 in the Optimum/Altice Are Our Overlords Universe, at least until our Optimum/Altice overlords decide to drop CBSSN in a carriage dispute. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING TOWSON
The Tigers, under 14th-year head coach Pat Skerry, are 8-9 this season and 3-1 in CAA play following a 93-82 overtime win over Drexel on Saturday. It was the fourth win in five games overall for Towson, whose seven Division I wins have all come by single digits.
The Dutchmen and Tigers had no common opponents in non-league play. In CAA play, both teams have beaten Northeastern and UNC Wilmington and lost to Charleston. This is the first time this season the Dutchmen are playing a CAA foe with whom they have common league opponents.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 179th at KenPom.com, which was also their preseason ranking, The Tigers, who were picked to finish first, are ranked 189th, a drop of 62 spots from their preseason ranking but a 43-spot improvement since the morning of Dec. 22, when they beat Bryant to begin the current 4-1 stretch. Towson leaped 17 spots following Saturday’s win over Drexel.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank last in the CAA in offensive efficiency (97.8 points per 100 possessions) but first in defensive efficiency (99.0 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 64.3 possessions per 40 minutes, the 11th-most in the league. Strange numbers, especially on offense. The Tigers rank sixth in the CAA in offensive efficiency (104.3 points per 100 possessions) and fourth in defensive efficiency (106.2 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 63.1 possessions per 40 minutes, the fewest in the league.
The Tigers return a whopping 10 players from last year’s team, including their top eight scorers who had eligibility remaining. True sophomore Tyler Tejada, a preseason all-CAA first team selection, leads Towson with 16.9 points per game while redshirt sophomore Dylan Williamson, a preseason all-CAA honorable mention selection, is averaging 12.8 points per game and a team-high 2.4 assists per game. Redshirt senior Nendah Tarke, who began his career with three seasons at Coppin State, is averaging 10.6 points per game. True sophomore Mekhi Lowery leads the Tigers with 5.8 rebounds per game. True junior Christian May, a preseason all-CAA second-team selection, is averaging 7.1 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game but has missed four contests.
KenPom.com predicts a 61-58 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 3 1/2-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 8-7 against the spread this season.
NICE TO ECC YOU
The Dutchmen will oppose an East Coast Conference foe (hi Litos) for the first time this season. This is the latest in a CAA season the Dutchmen have opened CAA play since 2018-19, when they also visited Towson in the fifth game of the league schedule. That was the game in which Jalen Ray sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to complete a 10-point comeback and lift the Dutchmen to a 76-73 win.
ALL-TIME VS. TOWSON
Hofstra is 48-30 against Towson in a series that began during the 1982-83 season, when both schools were in the East Coast Conference. The Dutchmen won the lone meeting between the teams last season last Feb. 3, when Tyler Thomas (23 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) had a monster game in a 59-56 victory.
Hofstra and Towson opposed one another in the ECC and the North Atlantic Conference/America East before moving together to the CAA for the 2001-02 school year. Hofstra has faced only two opponents as often as it’s faced Towson: Longtime conference rivals Delaware and Drexel. Yeah, about that…
ONE TIME ONLY
Tonight marks the only scheduled regular season game between Hofstra and Towson. These last two seasons mark the second and third times since 1982-83 — when I believe the ECC schedule consisted of just a single round-robin — that Hofstra and Towson are in the same conference and playing each other just once in the regular season. They played each other twice apiece from 1983-84 through then-Towson State’s last year in the ECC in 1991-92 and twice a season every year from 1995-96 — when Towson joined the NAC following a short pitstop in the Big South — through 2010-11 before playing just once during the 2011-12 season when the CAA had 12 teams. That’s 36 times in 37 years the two teams played each other twice per season, including a campaign played in a pandemic. I know there’s a lot of balls to juggle in the air when scheduling a 14-team league, but it’s a bummer there’s no home-and-home this season.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER (OR BLUESKY) IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Tales From The Crypt bias! (John Kassir, the voice of the Cryptkeeper, went to Towson State — hey that’s what it was called back then!)
Lee Warner can’t lose bias! (The youngest son of Lee, our good friend, fellow Hofstra alum and fantasy football rival, goes to Towson, so blame Lee if the Dutchmen lose this)
John Waters bias! (The subversive filmmaker is a Towson native)
We still remember when you were a state bias! (Maybe the best of the oldies but goodies)
