I'll Be Quirky: Florida State

Enjoy these goofy 14-plus minutes from 1991 and a much simpler time in life, including Deion Sanders doing the silliest thing he'll ever do!

The Flying Dutchmen, the most impressive of the nation’s 70 remaining unbeaten teams (prove me wrong children!) and the proud owner of one vote in this week’s Associated Press poll, will take the traveling show to Tallahassee tonight, when they look to topple another upper conference foe in Florida State. 

As was the case following the wins over Iona and Seton Hall— and as will hopefully be the case all season — I ran down the boilerplate postgame material from Saturday’s 75-71 overtime win over Massachusetts in Monday’s Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that victory (lots of quirkiness!) as well as a preview of the Seminoles. Enjoy!

GO FOURTH YOUNG MEN

The Dutchmen are 4-0 for the first time since 2022-23, when the dream of an unbeaten season ended with a 76-48 loss to Saint Mary’s on Nov. 19 (I will ignore that potential sign), and for the 13th time in program history.

GET TO THE WORKIN’ OVERTIME PART

With the win Saturday night, the Dutchmen improved to 4-3 in overtime under Speedy Claxton. It was the third straight victory in an overtime contest for the Dutchmen, who beat Rutgers 88-86 in the first round of the NIT on Mar. 14, 2023 and edged High Point 97-92 in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship game last Nov. 22.

ONE POSSESSION OBSESSION

The Dutchmen trailed just once Saturday night — at 62-61 following a 3-pointer by UMass’ Rahsool Diggins with 55 seconds left. It’s the first time the Dutchmen have trailed just once in a game since Feb. 17, when they spotted Northeastern the first two points in an 82-62 win. Of course, falling behind in the opening minute is a lot different than falling behind in the final minute…

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER WINNING

…and if my research is correct, Saturday marks the latest in a game the Dutchmen have trailed for the first time since way back on Nov. 19, 2013 (there’s that date again!), when they didn’t trail until there was 4:26 left in overtime of a 74-63 loss to Richmond. That game 11 years ago tonight was the fourth game of the Joe Mihalich Era.

IT’S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME

Now this is a fun bit of quirkiness. By edging UMass on Saturday night, the Dutchmen snapped a losing streak of more than 50 years against an opponent for a second straight game! The Dutchmen’s previous win over the Minutemen came Dec. 20, 1971, when they earned a 60-56 victory. And last Wednesday’s 49-48 win over Seton Hall was the Dutchmen’s first against the Pirates since a 71-69 victory on Dec. 6, 1966. Alas the Dutchmen have a winning streak against Florida State, whom they beat 82-77 in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 20, 2015.

If my perusal of the media guide is correct, there are 11 Division I opponents whom the Dutchmen haven’t beaten in at least 50 years — including two-time defending national champion Connecticut. Schedule us, you cowards!

THE CLIMB TO NUMBER ONE HAS BEGUN

The Dutchmen, one of 70 remaining unbeaten teams in Division I, joined an even more select group of programs Monday, when they received one vote in the Associated Press top 25 poll. Shout out to Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette for his brilliance! The Dutchmen, one of 49 schools to receive one vote, are tied for 47th in the balloting with Michigan and Maryland. And a shoutout to Loyal Reader EvanJ, who notes this is the first time Hofstra has received a vote in the AP poll since Jan. 28, 2019, when the Dutchmen were in the midst of their 16-game winning streak.

HONORS FOR ARANGUREN

Jean Aranguren, who had 33 points, 13 rebounds and five assists while collecting the Keith Hernandez in the wins over Seton Hall and UMass, shared the CAA’s Player of the Week award with Monmouth’s Abdi Bashir Jr. Aranguren’s first honor with Hofstra extends an impressive streak for the Dutchmen while adding to  their historical dominance within the category. 

A Hofstra player has won at least one Player of the Week award in each of the last 22 seasons dating back to 2003-03, which is easily the longest active streak in the CAA. Another way to put that is that a Hofstra player has earned Player of the Week honors in every single season the school’s been in the CAA EXCEPT 2002-03. Another way to put that: Even the 2012-13 team had an honoree (alas, he is one of The Those Who Shall Not Be Named).

In addition, with Aranguren taking home the honors last week, Hofstras now had a whopping 27 players combine to earn 84 Player of the Week awards dating back to the school’s first season in the CAA in 2001-02. That’s the most players to earn a Player of the Week award and the most Player of the Week awards earned by any CAA school in that span. Delaware ranks second in both categories, but their 25 honorees have combined for 47 awards — barely half that of Hofstra. Devon Saddler is the most-honored Delaware player with six Player of the Week awards, a total matched or exceeded by five Dutchmen: Justin Wright-Foreman (12), Charles Jenkins (10), Loren Stokes (9), Aaron Estrada (8) and Juan’ya Green (6).

ALL A’S FOR ARANGUREN

Jean Aranguren posted his first double-double Saturday night, when he had 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Aranguren is the second Hofstra player to post a double-double this season — KiJan Robinson had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 89-62 win over Old Westbury on Nov. 4 — and the first to do so against a Division I opponent since Darlinstone Dubar had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 73-58 win over Delaware in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals on Mar. 10.

ARANGUREN THE DUAL THREAT

Jean Aranguren scored at least 20 points in a game for the fifth time Saturday. It was his first 20-point effort against a Division I opponent since Feb. 10, when he had 21 points for Iona in a 73-69 loss to Canisius. The 11 rebounds were two more than his previous single-game best set way back on Nov. 8, when he flirted with a triple-double (18 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) against Iona in a 90-76 win.

JEAN FITS

Jean Aranguren has opened the season by scoring in double figures in a career-high four straight games. He is the first Hofstra player to begin his career by scoring at least 10 points in each of his first four games games since Zach Cooks and Aaron Estrada both scored in double figures in their first four games in 2021-22.

CRUZ’S CAREER NIGHT

Cruz Davis scored a career-high 21 points Saturday night, when he finished with six rebounds, his most ever against a Division I opponent. Davis opened the season by scoring 19 points in an 89-62 win over Division III Old Westbury on Nov. 4, when he also had seven rebounds. Davis’ previous single-game highs in scoring and rebounding against Division I opponents were established Jan. 6, 2023, when he had 16 points for Iona in an 84-57 win over Marist, and way back on Nov. 8, when he had five rebounds against Iona.

CRUZ COLLECTING HIS FREEBIES

Cruz Davis finished 7-for-7 from the free throw line Saturday. That’s the most made free throws without a miss by a Hofstra player since last Nov. 22, when Tyler Thomas was 10-for-10 from the line in a 97-92 overtime win over High Point in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship game.

TJ’S TIME

TJ Gadsden had by far his best game of the season Saturday, when he nearly posted a double-double by finishing with nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Gadsden scored seven points in the first six minutes — one point fewer than he scored in the first three games combined, when he was 3-for-13 from the field — before he iced the win with two free throws in the final second of overtime. The 12 rebounds by Gadsden were his most since he pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds for Canisius in 64-51 win over Fairfield on Feb. 26, 2023.

SHARP-SHOOTING SANDERS

Jaquan Sanders had his quietest game of the year Saturday, when he scored all nine of his points in the second half as the Dutchmen fended off UMass’ comeback bid and forced overtime. Sanders was 2-for-6 from 3-point land and has drained at least two 3-pointers in all four games this season after sinking multiple 3-pointers just nine times in his previous two seasons at Seton Hall. Sanders has 14 3-pointers overall after collecting 31 3-pointers for the Pirates.

GRAHAM CRACKIN’

Michael Graham continued to perform well in relatively limited duty Saturday, when he was limited to a season-low 13 minutes due to foul trouble but had four points while going 2-of-3 from the field. Graham had the final and perhaps the most important basket of the game in the final minute of overtime, when his second-chance layup extended the Dutchmen’s lead to 71-68. He is shooting 70 percent (14-of-20) this season after shooting a combined 62.9 percent the previous four seasons for Elon and Loyola Marymount.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

With Michael Graham battling foul trouble Silas Sunday continued his emergence as the 1A at the five by finishing with four points, four rebounds, one block and one steal in 26 minutes before fouling out. The 26 minutes were one shy of a career-high for Sunday, who is 7-of-7 from the field in the last three games since being limited to five minutes at the end of the season-opening 89-62 win over Old Westbury on Nov. 4.

HERE’S TO YOU MR. ROBINSON

It might not be time to call him the Microwave yet (GOOGLE IT CRAIN) but KiJan Robinson continued to establish himself as a legitimate scoring threat off the bench Saturday by collecting eight points in 23 minutes. Robinson was scoreless in eight minutes against Iona on Nov. 8 but has 14 points and four 3-pointers in the last two games.

GERMAN’S QUIET START

German Plotnikov, the lone returning player who made a start last season for the Dutchmen, remained scoreless this season when he didn’t take a shot over six minutes Saturday. The five-game scoreless streak dating back to last season is the longest of Plotnikov’s three-season career and the longest for a Hofstra player since Silas Sunday went nine straight games without a point from Jan. 4 through Feb. 1.

PLEADING FOR A FIFTH

The Dutchmen are looking to start 5-0 for the first time since 2004-05, when they began 9-0, and the 11th time in program history.

OVER THE AIR

Tonight’s game is slated to be carried live on ACC Network, which goes by the nickname ACCNX, which I believe means they recycle to the extreme. I also believe, but am not 100% sure, that ACCNX is part of ESPNPlus, which you have if you have the Disney Bundle, which you have if you have a child under 18. (Alas mine mostly watches Max and Netflix, sigh) Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.

FLORIDA STATE AND THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Florida State, under 23rd-year head coach Leonard Hamilton, is 3-1 this season following Friday’s 87-74 loss to Florida. At least you didn’t lose to them in the conference tournament!

Florida State was picked to finish 15th in the 18-team ACC. The Seminoles were picked to finish ahead of California, Stanford and Boston College, which is impossible because two of those schools are in the Pac-12 and another one is in the Big East. 

Redshirt senior Jamir Watkins, a preseason all-ACC second-team selection who began his career with two seasons at VCU, leads the Seminoles with 18.5 points per game and ranks second with 5.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Taylor Bol Bowen is averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 6.3 reboudns per game. True freshman Daquan Davis and senior Justin Thomas, who played the 2022-23 season with Milwaukee, are averaging 8.0 points and 2.0 assists per game. Senior Bostyn Holt, who opened his career with two season at Utah and one season at South Dakota, is also averaging 2.0 assists per game. Watkins, Bowen and junior Chandler Jackson are the only returning players who scored for Florida State last season. 

Per KenPom.com, Florida State ranks 90th nationally in offensive efficiency (106.0 points per 100 possessions) and 57th in defensive efficiency (97.8 points per 100 possessions) while ranking 34th in tempo (72.8 possessions per 40 minutes).

The Dutchmen and Seminoles have four common opponents this season, which seems like a lot! Florida State earned consecutive wins Nov. 9-12 against Rice (73-65) and Tarleton State (72-52), whom the Dutchmen are slated to play in the opening two games of the Baha Mar Hoops tournament in the Bahamas on Nov 29-30. After tonight, the Seminoles have another 1-2 punch of common Hofstra opponents when they play Temple and Massachusetts in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament this Friday and Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. The Dutchmen are slated to host Temple Dec. 15 and just beat UMass. You might have read about it!

Hofstra is 1-3 all-time against Florida State, though the Dutchmen won the most recent meeting between the teams on Nov, 20, 2015, when Brian Bernardi scored 24 points in an 82-77 win in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. How is that nine years ago tomorrow?! 

Hofstra is 5-35 all-time against current ACC schools, though that ledger includes games against Syracuse, Boston College and California when they were all in their proper homes. The win over Florida State on Nov. 20, 2015 marks the Dutchmen’s most recent win against an ACC opponent. This marks the second straight season Hofstra is playing an ACC foe. The Dutchmen fell to Duke, 89-68, last Dec. 12. The Dutchmen last played ACC teams in consecutive seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16, when they lost to North Carolina State and beat Florida State.

At KenPom.com this afternoon, Hofstra is ranked 133rd while Florida State is ranked 90th. KenPom.com predicts a 74-67 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 8-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 3-0 against the spread this season.

THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY

Deion Sanders bias! (The former Yankees outfielder began his spotlight-averse, two-sport career as a superstar cornerback at Florida State)

Pat Kennedy never sacrificed a trench coat for you guys bias! (Long before things, err, did not go well at Towson, Kennedy was one of the nation’s up-and-coming coaches when he directed Florida State to five NCAA Tournaments and one Elite Eight from 1986-87 through 1996-97)

Leonard Hamilton is the real Ponce de Leon bias! (The eternally youthful head coach is 76 years old and looks half that, tops)

Doug Mientkiewicz recorded the last putout of the 2004 World Series bias! (And then what happened?)

Keep It Perky: Massachusetts postgame

Here comes Jean Aranguren...

Ho hum. Another day, another higher-conference foe vanquished. The Flying Dutchmen remained unbeaten Saturday night, when they produced another last-second defensive stand — this one in overtime — to outlast Massachusetts 75-71. 

As will hopefully become the custom this season (albeit not nearly two days after the game, ahem), I’m going to continue breaking out the postgame boilerplate material — recap, 3 Stars, the Dutchmen’s record through however many games and Speedy Claxton’s standing with previous Hofstra coaches through however many games, plus the unicorn score and Keith Hernandez bits — in a separate Keep It Perky while saving the individual news and notes and preview of the next game for, well, the next one.

As always, for a reminder of how Keep It Perky came to be as a concept and a name (shout out Jess K.), click here for the inaugural Keep It Perky from the win over Stony Brook on Feb. 1. And for now…the UMass Keep It Perky!

THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Jean Aranguren (20 points, 11 rebounds) posted his first career double-double and opened overtime with six unanswered points for the Dutchmen, who frittered away a 13-point first-half lead and fell behind in the final minute of regulation before forcing the extra session thanks to a timely free throw miss by UMass’ Jaylen Curry. The Dutchmen led by at least five points for the final 14:41 of the first half and kept the Minutemen at bay (heh, that’s a good geographical pun) in the second half until Rahsool Diggins’ 3-pointer capped an 8-0 run and tied the score at 54-54 with 6:10 left. Jaquan Sanders scored five straight points before UMass scored seven of the next nine points and took its lone lead at 62-61 on Diggins’ 3-pointer with 55 seconds remaining. The teams traded turnovers before the Dutchmen took the FRED BROWN BIAS FOREVER lead on Aranguren’s layup. Silas Sunday fouled Curry with three seconds left YOU’RE ABOUT TO FIRE YOUR FOOTBALL COACH BIAS but Curry missed the second free throw after draining the first. Aranguren was fouled two seconds after the overtime opening tip and hit both free throws to begin his decisive run. UMass responded with five straight points but Michael Graham’s putback with 58 seconds left extended the Dutchmen’s lead to 71-68. Aranguren blocked a layup by Nate Guerengomba and subsequently hit one of two free throws, after which Curry drained a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left. Sanders split a pair of free throws 10 seconds later and Curry missed a layup with four seconds to go. TJ Gadsden was fouled with under a second left and iced the win with two free throws. Aranguren scored 15 of his points after halftime while Cruz Davis (21 points, six rebounds four assists) had 11 first-half points before battling some foul trouble in the second half. Gadsden snapped his shooting slump by scoring nine points — including seven in the first six minutes — and pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds. KiJan Robinson scored all eight of his points in the first half while Sanders scored all nine of his points after halftime.

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. UMass, 11/16)

3: Jean Aranguren

2: Cruz Davis

1: TJ Gadsden

SEASON STANDINGS

Jean Aranguren 12

Cruz Davis 6

Jaquan Sanders 5

TJ Gadsden 1

Gadsden breaks up the Aranguren-Davis-Sanders monopoly, though Aranguren might just be channeling his inner Charles Jenkins or Justin Wright-Foreman here.

WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?

No! But unlike last Wednesday, this repeat score is not pushing 80 years old. The Dutchmen most recently earned a 75-71 win when they came back to edge Northeastern on Feb, 8, 2020. 

The Dutchmen have recorded two unicorn score victories this season and 55 unicorn score victories since the start of the 2018-19 season, when we first started tracking unicorn scores.

2024-25: Two unicorn scores

2023-24: Seven unicorn scores

2022-23: 12 unicorn scores

2021-22: 11 unicorn scores

2020-21: Zero unicorn scores (really)

2019-20: 13 unicorn scores

2018-19: 10 unicorn scores 

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?

Jean Aranguren continued to come through in the clutch Saturday, when he hit the tie-breaking free throw to give the Dutchmen the lead for good at 64-63 with 4:58 left in overtime. It’s the third overtime Keith Hernandez in history (or at least since the 2022-23 season) and obviously the earliest overtime Keith Hernandez. It’s also the second straight Keith Hernandez and the third this season for Aranguren, who already ranks amongst the top five all-time in Keith Hernandezes (or at least since the 2022-23 season)!

Jean Aranguren tie-breaking layup vs. Old Westbury, 11/4/24 (19:47 left 2H)

Silas Sunday go-ahead layup vs. Iona, 11/8/24 (17:49 left 1H)

Jean Aranguren go-ahead layup vs. Seton Hall, 11/13/24 (2:19 left 2H)

Jean Aranguren tie-breaking free throw vs. UMass, 11/16/24 (4:58 left OT)

SEASON STANDINGS 

Jean Aranguren 3

Silas Sunday 1

ALL-TIME STANDINGS (or at least since the 2022-23 season)

Tyler Thomas 16

Darlinstone Dubar 14

Aaron Estrada 4

Jean Aranguren 3

Warren Williams 3

Silas Sunday 2

Jacco Fritz 2

Jaquan Carlos 2

German Plotnikov 2

Bryce Washington 1

The Keith Hernandez is bestowed upon the player who scores the points that put the Dutchmen ahead for good in a victory. The stat pays homage to Hernandez, the World Series-winning Cardinals and Mets first baseman who had a record 129 game-winning RBIs when the stat was inexplicably discontinued after the 1988 season.

THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER FOUR GAMES

As you may have gathered by now, the Dutchmen are 4-0. This ties the 2024-25 team for the best record in school history through four games! Twelve other teams began 4-0, most recently the 2022-23 squad. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through four games:

NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1975-76: 2-2

1976-77: 3-1

1999-2000: 2-2

2000-01: 4-0

2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 2-2

NIT TEAMS

1998-99: 1-3

2004-05: 4-0

2005-06: 2-1

2006-07: 1-3

2015-16: 3-1

2018-19: 2-2

2022-23: 4-0 (most recent 4-0 start)

NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1958-59: 2-2

1961-62: 3-1

1962-63: 2-2

1963-64: 3-1

Other notable four-game starts:

2021-22: 1-3 (most recent 1-3 start)

2017-18: 3-1 (most recent 3-1 start)

2013-14: 1-3 (Joe Mihalich’s first team)

2010-11: 1-3 (Mo Cassara’s first team)

2002-03: 1-3 (loss in fourth game — to future Ton Pecora employer Quinnipiac — was first loss in eight-game losing streak, tied for the longest of the Tom Pecora era)

2001-02: 3-1 (Tom Pecora’s first team)

1994-95: 1-3 (Jay Wright’s first team)

1993-94: 0-4 (VBK’s last team, most recent 0-4 start)

1982-83: 4-0

1974-75: 2-2 (at .500 for the last time)

1973-74: 0-4

1972-73: 2-2 (at .500 for the last time)

1969-70: 0-4

1960-61: 4-0

1959-60: 4-0

1955-56: 4-0 (Butch van Breda Kolff improves to 4-0)

1954-55: 4-0

1952-53: 4-0

1951-52: 4-0

1948-49: 4-0

1947-48: 4-0 (Frank Reilly improves to 4-0)

1944-45: 2-2 (at .500 for the last time)

1936-37: 2-2 (program is at all-time .500 for the first time — albeit after just four games)

This feature is inspired by Mets superfan and blogger Greg Prince, who measures how the current Mets compare, record-wise, to previous teams through the same point in the season.

NUMBER TEN THROUGH ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR

With Saturday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 70-34 (.673) as head coach. That’s tied for the best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 103 games at the helm.

Butch van Breda Kolff I 70-34 (.670, 104th game was the second game of his fifth season in 1959-60)

Frank Reilly 70-34 (.670, 104th game was the fourth game of his fifth season in 1951-52)

SPEEDY CLAXTON 70-34 (.673, 104th game was the fourth game of his fourth season in 2024-25)

Paul Lynner 69-35 (.670, 104th game was the 20th game of his fourth season in 1965-66)

Joe Mihalich 55-49 (.534, 104th game was the third game of his fourth season in 2016-17)

Dick Berg 52-52 (.505, 104th game was the 22nd game of his fourth season in 1983-84)

Butch van Breda Kolff II 52-52 (.505, 104th game was the 19th game of his fourth season in 1991-92)

Roger Gaeckler 47-57 (.447, 104th game was the second game of his fifth season in 1976-77)

Jay Wright 45-59 (.427, 104th game was the 21st game of his fourth season in 1997-98)

Tom Pecora 44-60 (.427, 104th game was the 14th game of his fourth season in 2004-05)

The four-way tie for first become a three-way tie for first as Paul Lynner at least momentarily slips a game behind, Another spoiler alert: The teams directed by VBK I and Reilly are in the midst of lengthy season-opening winning streaks, so these Dutchmen need to keep winning for Claxton to retain a share of the top spot.

Dick Berg and VBK II remain tied for the fourth straight game while Jay Wright FINALLY gets out of last place by moving ahead of fellow perpetual slacker Tom Pecora. Perpetual slackers!

The records are incomplete for Jack McDonald’s first stint from 1936 through 1943 as well as the tenure of Jack Smith (1943-46).

Smith finished 27-32 in his three seasons while Mo Cassara finished 38-59 in his three seasons. 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.

I'll Be Quirky: Massachusetts

After deciding on the plastic surgery she will or won't get, Janet and Dr. Jamison will stream the Hofstra-UMass game. 

After opening their season with three games within a 2,124-foot radius of campus (‘sup Jeremy Kniffin!), the Flying Dutchmen begin the road warrior portion of their schedule tonight by visiting Massachusetts. The Dutchmen won’t play again at home until Dec. 6 and have just two more games at the Arena until the CAA schedule starts. Ahh, the life of a mid-major whom nobody wants to play.

As was the case following the win over Iona — and as will hopefully be the case all season — I ran down the boilerplate postgame material from Wednesday’s 49-48 upset of Seton Hall in Friday’s Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that victory (lots of quirkiness!) as well as a preview of the Minutemen. Enjoy!

THRICE AS NICE

The Dutchmen are 3-0 for the first time since 2022-23, when they opened 4-0, and the 20th time in program history. 

IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME (part one)

As you can imagine, a victory in which the Dutchmen scored fewer than 50 points is going to unearth quite a few nuggets. Such as this one! The Dutchmen’s win Wednesday was their first in which they scored fewer than 50 points since way back on Dec. 9, 2009, when they edged Manhattan 44-39. That’s 481 games ago! So long ago that a.) I was still writing wordy recaps of every game because Molly was almost three years from being born and b.) Speedy Claxton was with the Atlanta Hawks, though he’d already played his last game due to the knee injuries he battled throughout his career.

FIRST FORTY-SOMETHINGS

The Dutchmen are the first Division I team this season to win a game in which they scored fewer than 50 points and the first to do so since Virginia (of course) beat Wake Forest, 49-47, on Feb. 17. Just seven teams won a game last season in which they scored fewer than 50 points.

SHOT CLOCK? WHAT SHOT CLOCK?

The win Wednesday marked just the fifth time in the shot clock era (1986-pres) that the Dutchmen won a game in which they scored fewer than 50 points.

49-48 Seton Hall, 11/13/24

44-39 Manhattan, 12/9/09

48-46 Yale, 12/8/92

48-34 Rider, 1/18/89

WINNING IN THE ‘40S (mostly in the ’30s and ‘40s)

The win Wednesday marked the 60th time the Dutchmen have won a game in which they scored fewer than 50 points. But 53 of those wins came in the program’s first 10 seasons from 1936-37 through 1945-46, when I presume they took aim at peach baskets and there were jump balls after every bucket.

Remarkably, the nearly 15-year gap between wins in which the Dutchmen scored fewer than 50 points is not even close to the longest such stretch in program history. Despite a lack of a shot clock most of the time, the Dutchmen went 27 seasons between a 43-36 win over Albright in 1961-62 and a 48-34 win over Rider on Jan. 18, 1989. The best and quirkiest part? Butch van Breda Kolff was the Hofstra coach in both games!

WINNING EVERY WHICH WAY

The Dutchmen, who beat Iona 90-76 on Nov. 8, are the first team to score at least 90 points and fewer than 50 points in consecutive wins since our old friends VCU on Feb. 9-16, when the Rams edged Dayton 49-47 before beating Saint Louis 95-85. The previous team to score at least 90 points and fewer than 50 points IN THAT ORDER in consecutive wins was Akron from Jan. 20-22, 2022 when the Zips (what a great nickname) defeated Bowling Green 91-66 before outlasting Eastern Michigan 46-44.

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THIS RACE

As you have no doubt gathered by now, points were at a premium Wednesday. Here is a list of when the Dutchmen reached the 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-point marks Wednesday, along with the last time it took them this long to get to those, err, points.

10 points: 8:55 left 1H via KiJan Robinson 3-pointer (7:54 left 1H vs. Middle Tennessee State, 11/25/22)

20 points: :50 left 1H via KiJan Robinson 3-pointer (19:13 left 2H vs. Saint Mary’s, 11/19/22)

30 points: 11:13 left 2H via Jaquan Sanders 3-pointer (9:33 left 2H vs. Saint Mary’s, 11/19/22)

40 points: 4:30 left 2H via Cruz Davis dunk (3:30 left 2H vs. SMU, 1/19/14)

The Dutchmen lost all three of those games, which makes Wednesday’s win all the more impressive.

TWENTY IN TWENTY (barely)

The Dutchmen trailed 24-22 at the half Wednesday. The 22 first-half points were the fewest for the Dutchmen since Jan. 16, 2023, when they were limited to 20 first-half points in a 68-47 loss to Towson.

A SMALL LEAD IS BIG ENOUGH

The Dutchmen took their biggest lead at 49-45 Wednesday when Jaquan Sanders hit a 3-pointer with 1:45 left. The four-point lead is the smallest biggest (is that redundant?) lead the Dutchmen have held in a win since Feb. 1, when they built a four-point first-half lead in a 71-70 win over Stony Brook. Suckas, you won’t get a chance at revenge for that one!

IT’S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME (part two)

The win Wednesday over Seton Hall marked the first time the Dutchmen beat a Big East team since Dec. 29, 2006, when they defeated St. John’s 63-51. The Dutchmen played just five games against Big East schools in the interim — two against St. John’s and one each against Connecticut, Villanova and DePaul, the latter of whom eliminated the Dutchmen in the 2007 NIT.

DAVID TOPPLES GOLIATH AGAIN

With Wednesday’s win, the Dutchmen have recorded at least one win against a power conference foe or a high mid-major conference foe in each of the last six seasons. The Dutchmen are the lone CAA team with such a streak. Did I possibly invent the term high mid-major conference foe just to include the Atlantic 10 and the American and thus make this blurb possible? Possibly!

11/21/19: 88-78 over UCLA

12/22/20: 76-71 over Richmond

12/18/21: 89-81 over Arkansas

11/14/22: 85-80 over George Washington

3/14/23: 88-86 (OT) over Rutgers***

11/30/23: 82-63 over South Florida

11/13/24: 49-48 over Seton Hall

***NIT

IT’S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME (part three)

The win Wednesday marked the first time the Dutchmen have won at Nassau Coliseum since way back on Dec. 16, 2000, when they edged St. John's 86-80. The Dutchmen are now 4-10 all-time at Nassau Coliseum dating back to 1972.

THE NEW 1-2 PUNCH?

About 1,400 words later, we’re into the individual news and notes! Jean Aranguren (13 points) and Jaquan Sanders (12 pointes) were the only Dutchmen to get into double figures Wednesday night. Aranguren and Sanders have both scored in double figures in each of their first three games with the Dutchmen. They are the first pair of teammates to open their Hofstra careers by scoring at least 10 points in their first three games since Zach Cooks and Aaron Estrada each scored in double figures in their first four games in 2021-22.

JEAN FITS

As you may have surmised by now, Jean Aranguren has scored in double figures in each of the last three games. That's a career-long streak for Aranguren, who scored at least 10 points in back-to-back games three times last season for Iona.

DIMES FOR ARANGUREN

Jean Aranguren, who set a career-high with nine assists while nearly collecting a triple-double in the 90-76 win over Iona on Nov. 8, finished with a team-high six assists Wednesday. He had four assists in a game four times last season for Iona.

SHARP-SHOOTING SANDERS

Why Can’t Seton Hall Get Guys Like Jaquan Sanders made his 3-pointers count Wednesday, when his first trey pulled the Dutchmen within 34-32 with 11:13 left before he hit what proved to be the decisive 3-pointer to provide the Dutchmen's final points with 1:45 remaining. Sanders already has 12 3-pointers this season, just seven shy of his total in 35 games last season.

CRUZ-IN

Cruz Davis continued his solid start to his Hofstra career Wednesday, when he had nine points, two assists and a team-high three steals. Cruz’s 43 points thus far are his most in a three-game span. In addition, the three steals tied a career-high set previously Jan. 15, 2023, when he had three thefts for Iona against Rider.

UP-AND-DOWN GADSDEN

TJ Gadsden continued struggling from the field but finding other ways to contribute Wednesday, when he had three points while going 1-of-8 from the field with three turnovers but pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while adding two steals. Gadsden has eight points this season on 3-of-13 shooting (including 1-of-8 from 3-point land) to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists.

TWO AT THE FIVE

Freshman Joshua DeCady didn't play Wednesday, which allowed Michael Graham and Silas Sunday to form a familiar two-headed monster at center. The duo combined for six points (all by Graham), seven rebounds, two assists (both by Sunday) and five blocks in 40 minutes. 

GRAHAM CRACKIN’

Michael Graham scored six points in 22 minutes Wednesday and has 26 points in three games this season — his most in a three-game span since he was playing for Elon from Feb. 24-Mar. 6, 2022, when he had 31 points in a stretch that began with a 12-point effort in an 81-55 win over Hofstra.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

Silas Sunday had another solid game Wednesday, when he had three blocks in 18 minutes. The three blocks are a career-high for Sunday, who had two blocks in consecutive games against Towson and Hampton from Feb. 3-8.

HERE’S TO YOU MR. ROBINSON

KiJan Robinson bounced back from a scoreless effort against Iona by scoring six points via a pair of key first-half 3-pointers Wednesday. The six points accounted for all the bench scoring by the Dutchmen. Robinson’s two 3-pointers were his most since he was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in an 81-78 loss to Monmouth on Jan. 27.

GERMAN'S QUIET START

German Plotnikov, the lone returning player who made a start last season for the Dutchmen, remained scoreless this season when he missed his lone shot over nine minutes Wednesday. The three-game scoreless streak is the longest of Plotnikov’s three-season career.

WHY CAN’T SETON HALL GET GUYS LIKE…

Jaquan Sanders finished with 12 points and hit the biggest shot of the night Wednesday, when his transition 3-pointer with 1:45 left provided the Dutchmen’s final points in the win over Sanders’ former team. Sanders is the fourth Hofstra player to oppose a former team this season, following in the footsteps of former Iona players Jean Aranguren, Cruz Davis and Silas Sunday, and the ninth to do so since 2011-12. This total is sure to increase in the portal/instant transfer era. The next candidate to join the list is Michael Graham, who spent two seasons with Not Twitter Guy, who is slated to host Hofstra on Jan. 30.

Stevie Mejia 3 pts/2 assists/1 rebound/1 steal vs. Rhode Island, 11/25/11

Dion Nesmith 10 pts/5 assists/2 rebounds vs. Monmouth, 11/8/13

Kenny Wormley 0 pts/3 assists vs. Siena, 11/25/17

Tareq Coburn 4 pts/4 rebounds vs. St. Bonaventure, 12/7/19

Tareq Coburn 9 pts/2 rebounds/2 assists vs. St. Bonaventure, 12/19/20

Abayomi Iyiola 18 pts/14 rebounds/1 assist vs. Arkansas, 12/18/21

Silas Sunday 2 pts/2 rebounds vs. Iona, 12/6/23

Jean Aranguren 18 pts/9 rebounds/9 assists vs. Iona, 11/8/24

Cruz Davis 15 pts/5 rebounds/5 assists vs. Iona, 11/8/24

Silas Sunday 14 points/4 rebounds vs. Iona, 11/8/24

Jaquan Sanders 12 points/4 rebounds vs. Seton Hall, 11/13/24

GO FOURTH, YOUNG MEN

The Dutchmen are looking to start 3-0 for the first time since 2022-23, when they began 4-0, and the 13th time in program history.

OVER THE AIR

Tonight’s game is slated to be carried live on ESPNPlus, which you have if you have the Disney Bundle, which you have if you have a child under 18. (Alas mine mostly watches Max and Netflix, sigh) Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.

MASSACHUSETTS AND THE ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

Massachusetts (also dubbed UMass), under third-year head coach Frank Martin, is 1-2 this season after falling Wednesday to Louisiana Tech, 76-66, in the opening game of the Icons of the Game doubleheader at Nassau Coliseum. So this is sorta like an early-season tournament, but not?

UMass was picked to finish ninth in the 15-team Atlantic 10. The Minutemen wil no longer have to deal with mathematically impossible conference alignments next season, when they move to the geographically impossible Mid-American Conference in pursuit of college football playoff glory. Sigh.

Anyway, the Minutemen's top thee scorers all played for the team last season, which qualifies as noteworthy these days. Senior Rashool Diggins, a preseason all-A10 third team selection who opened his career at UConn and in his third season at UMass, leads the Minutemen with 17.0 points per game. Sophomore Jaylen Curry ranks second on UMass with 12.0 points per game and has a team-high 8.3 assists per game. Junior Daniel Hankins-Sanford, who opened his career at South Carolina and in his second season at UMass, is averaging 10,3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Senior Daniel Rivera, who played last season at Bryant, is averaging 9.3 points per game and leads the team with 7.0 rebounds per game.

The Dutchmen and Minutemen have three common opponents this season. Hofstra visits Florida State on Tuesday in the Seminoles last game before they oppose UMass in the second game of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun next Sunday. UMass opens the Hall of Fame Tip-Off next Saturday by facing Temple, whom the Dutchmen are slated to host on Dec. 15. The Minutemen also host the CAA’s Northeastern on Dec. 18 while the Dutchmen will visit the Huskies Jan.. 4 before hosting them Feb. 6. 

Hofstra is 1-3 all-time against UMass. The Minutemen won the most recent meeting between the teams on Dec. 11, 2022, when UMass pulled away in the second half of a 71-56 win over the Aaron Estrada-less Dutchmen. German Plotnikov, who had three points in 10 minutes, is the lone remaining Hofstra player from that team.

Hofstra is 39-111 all-time against current Atlantic 10 schools, a membership that includes former conference foes George Mason as well as La Salle (ECC) and VCU (CAA). This marks the 12th straight season in which Hofstra has faced at least one A-10 school.

At KenPom.com this afternoon, Hofstra is ranked 151st while UMass is ranked 122nd. KenPom.com predicts a 76-70 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 5 1/2-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 2-0 against the spread this season.

THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY

Curry Hicks Sage bias! (The #SearchSZN czar is a UMass alum and fan, even if he ducked me at Nassau Coliseum this week)

Vacated Final Four bias! (Weird how that always happened to John Calipari before he got to SEC schools)

Bill Pullman is a great character actor bias! (Pullman got his MFA at UMass)

You wouldn’t have won the I-AA national title without us in 1998 bias! (Debatable, but UMass beat the Dutchmen 41-35 and then Hofstra didn't make the tournament so…)

Seriously why are you going to the MAC bias! (Beats us)