Deron Powers: Linking Hampton and Hofstra long before conference realignment!
That’s another win and another win of the wire-to-wire variety for your Flying Dutchmen, who kept Drexel at arm’s length for 40 minutes and reached the 20-win milestone with a 66-52 victory on Monday night. The Dutchmen will look to extend their winning streak to nine games and maintain their share of first place in the CAA tonight, when they are slated to host Hampton. Here’s a look back at the win over the Dragons and a look ahead to the Pirates.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Aaron Estrada scored a game-high 22 points, but the story was Darlinstone Dubar, who busted out of his lengthy slump by scoring 16 points while enjoying a perfect night from the field as the Dutchmen locked up the ECC title by beating Drexel. Dubar scored 11 points in a game-opening 25-9 run for the Dutchmen, who then absorbed a 9-0 run by the Dragons in which Nelson Boachie-Yiadom and Christian Tomasco joined Warren Williams on the bench with two fouls apiece. Estrada hit a jumper out of under-four media timeout and Jaquan Carlos drew a pair of pivotal charges in the final half-minute as the Dutchmen carried a 30-22 lead into the half. The Dutchmen scored the first six points of the second half via baskets by Estrada, Dubar and Carlos and never led by fewer than 10 the rest of the way. Dubar was 7-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point land, in the most impressive shooting performance by a Hofstra player in more than eight years. He also added four rebounds, two assists and one block. Estrada added five rebounds and five assists in another solid all-around performance. Tyler Thomas had 11 points and a team-high six rebounds. Williams added nine points and four rebounds while Carlos had three points, five assists and five rebounds.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Drexel, 2/13)
3: Darlinstone Dubar
2: Aaron Estrada
1: Tyler Thomas
SEASON STANDINGS
Aaron Estrada 51
Tyler Thomas 40
Darlinstone Dubar 28
Jaquan Carlos 22
Warren Williams 10
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom 7
Amar’e Marshall 6
German Plotnikov 2
Bryce Washington 1
Griffin Barrouk 1
WAS THIS A UNICORN SCORE?
No! Bummer. The Dutchmen most recently earned a 66-52 win by beating Bucknell in an ECC game — for real! — on Dec. 22, 1982. That was also the most recent season in which the Dutchmen played in the same conference as Drexel but only played the Dragons once. Is it a bad sign the 1982-83 season ended with a 56-55 loss to Bucknell in the ECC Tournament? Let’s move on.
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?
Darlinstone Dubar made history by hitting the layup that put the Dutchmen ahead for good at *double checks* 2-0 with 19:52 left in the first half. That’s the second straight game-opening Keith Hernandez for Dubar as well as the earliest Keith Hernandez in history, or at least since this statistic began being tabulated way back in November. Dubar is now tied for second place on the all-time list with Aaron Estrada. The Dutchmen have collected four straight Keith Hernandezes in the first half, each earlier than the one before it, but they may need to start taking the lead with pregame technical foul free throws if this trend going much longer. Which would be fine!
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 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)
Tyler Thomas 7
Darlinstone Dubar 4
Aaron Estrada 4
Warren Williams 2
German Plotnikov 2
Jaquan Carlos 1
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER TWENTY-EIGHT GAMES
With Monday’s win, the Dutchmen improved to 20-8. This ties the 2022-23 team for the 11th-best record in school history through 28 games. This is the first time the Dutchmen have been 20-8 through 27 games since 2015-16 and just the fifth time they’ve opened 20-8 in program history. The last nine teams to open 20-8 or better either made the NCAA or NIT or qualified for the NCAA before, well, you know. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 28 games:
NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 17-11 (win in 28th game came in ECC Tournament semifinal and marked fifth win of six-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)
1976-77: 22-6 (win in 28th game came in ECC Tournament semifinal and marked eighth win of nine-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)
1999-2000: 22-6 (win in 28th game came in America East tournament quarterfinals, most recent 22-6 start)
2000-01: 24-4 (win in 28th game came in America East tournament quarterfinals and marked 16th win in program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak, tied for best 28-game record)
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 21-7 (most recent 21-7 start, win in 28th game was seventh win of eight-game winning streak)
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 20-8
2004-05: 21-7 (win in 28th game came in CAA quarterfinals and was final win of the season)
2005-06: 23-5 (first 23-5 start, win in 28th game came in CAA quarterfinals)
2006-07: 20-8
2015-16: 20-8
2018-19: 23-5 (most recent 23-5 start)
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1961-62: 24-4 (tied for best 28-game record, season ended with second-round loss in NCAAs, final game of VBK’s first stint)
1962-63: 22-6 (win in Middle Atlantic Championships sent Hofstra to NCAAs, was final win of 11-game winning streak)
1963-64: 23-5 (win in Middle Atlantic Championships sent Hofstra to NCAAs, final win of season)
The 1958-59 team, Hofstra’s first to reach the NCAA Tournament, completed its season in 27 games (20-7).
Some other notable 28-game records:
2021-22: 19-9 (most recent 19-9 start)
2017-18: 17-11 (most recent 17-11 start)
2016-17: 13-15 (most recent 13-15 start)
2014-15: 18-10 (most recent 18-10 start)
2013-14: 8-20 (most recent 8-20 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)
2012-13: 6-22 (only 6-22 start, worst 28-game record in school history)
2009-10: 15-13 (only 15-13 start)
2007-08: 11-17 (only 11-17 start, Antoine Agudio broke Steve Nisenson’s career scoring record in 28th game against Delaware)
2003-04: 14-14 (most recent 14-14 start, win in regular season finale was final win, last time at .500)
2002-03: 8-20 (win in CAA tournament quarterfinals was final win)
2001-02: 10-18 (most recent 10-18 start, loss in 28th game marked seventh loss of Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)
1994-95: 10-18 (season ended w/loss to Drexel in NAC quarterfinals, Jay Wright’s first year)
1993-94: 8-20 (beat Troy State in ECC semifinals, VBK’s last year)
1991-92: 20-8 (won ECC semifinal for final win of season and final win of nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game)
1990-91: 14-14 (season ended w/loss in ECC quarterfinals)
1989-90: 13-15 (season ended w/loss in ECC quarterfinals)
1988-89: 14-14 (win in ECC quarterfinals was final win of season, last time at .500)
1986-87: 10-18 (season ended w/loss in ECC quarterfinals)
1985-86: 16-12 (only 16-12 start, won ECC quarterfinals)
1984-85: 14-14 (win in ECC quarterfinals was final win of season, last time at .500)
1983-84: 14-14 (season ended w/loss in ECC quarterfinals)
1981-82: 12-16 (only 12-16 start, season ended w/loss in ECC quarterfinals)
1979-80: 14-14 (lost season finale, final game for Joe Harrington)
1950-51: 18-10 (win in 28th game was final win of season and last win of six-game winning streak)
Hofstra has never been 28-0, 27-1, 26-2, 25-3, 9-19, 7-21, 5-23, 4-24, 3-25, 2-26, 1-27 or 0-28 through 28 games.
Forty-two seasons were completed in fewer than 28 games:
1936-37 (10-7)
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)
1947-48 (13-6)
1948-49 (18-8)
1949-50 (17-9)
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)
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)
1980-81 (12-15)
1982-83 (18-9)
1987-88 (6-21)
1992-93 (9-18)
1995-96 (9-18)
1996-97 (12-15)
2020-21 (13-10)
Game no. 28 marks the final time in which fewer than half the previous Hofstra seasons were already completed. And just barely!
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
With Monday’s win, Speedy Claxton improved to 41-19 (.683) as head coach. That’s the second-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 60 games at the helm. These last seven games mark the highest Claxton has been in the all-time game-to-game standings since he became head coach last season.
Paul Lynner 46-14 (.767, 60th game was the first game of his third season in 1963-64)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 41-19 (.683, 60th game was the 28th game of his second season in 2022-23)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 38-22 (.633, 60th game was the eighth game of his third season in 1957-58)
Dick Berg 29-31 (.483, 60th game was the fifth game of his third season in 1982-83)
Mo Cassara 29-31 (.483, 60th game was the 27th game of his second season in 2011-12)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 28-32 (.467, 60th game was the third game of his third season in 1989-90)
Joe Mihalich 27-33 (.450, 60th game was the 27th game of his second season in 2014-15)
Jay Wright 22-38 (.367, 60th game was the fifth game of his third season in 1996-97)
Roger Gaeckler 20-40 (.333, 60th game was the 12th game of his third season in 1974-75)
Tom Pecora 20-40 (.333, 60th game was the 28th game of his second season in 2002-03)
Dick Berg, who snapped a tie with Butch van Breda Kolff for fifth place following 59 games, moves into a tie with Mo Cassara for fourth place. Jay Wright loses for the SECOND 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.
TWENTY'S THE MAGIC NUMBER…
…for pitchers (well, back when wins mattered) and college basketball programs. The win Monday assured the Dutchmen of the 25h 20-win season in program history, including the 16th in the Division I era (dating back to 1966-67), the 11th since joining the CAA in 2001-02, the fourth in the last five seasons and the second in as many seasons for Speedy Claxton. No other current CAA school has as many 20-win seasons as a member of the CAA and only Charleston (12 20-win seasons, including eight as a member of the Southern Conference) has more 20-win seasons since 2001-02. And among former CAA members, only Old Dominion (11 20-win seasons) and VCU (15 20-win seasons and with 19 wins this season) have as many or more 20-win seasons since 2001-02. Pretty good.
SELECT COMPANY
With their 20th win of the season Monday, the Dutchmen became just the 26th Division I program to record at least four 20-win seasons in the last five campaigns — a stretch that, of course, includes the 2019-20 season, when the NCAA Tournament wasn’t played due to the pandemic, and the 2020-21 season, which was shorter than usual for most schools due to the pandemic. Hofstra is one of just 14 mid-majors (defined by me as everyone outside the power six conferences, the American and the West Coast Conference) to win at least 20 games in at least four of the last five seasons. Here’s the list, starting with the mid-majors and then including all the other schools from those other boring big leagues.
HOFSTRA
Belmont
Colgate
Drake
Furman
Kent State
Liberty***
Louisiana Tech
Loyola Chicago
North Texas
San Diego State***
Toledo
UC Santa Barbara
Utah State
Baylor***
Colorado
Creighton
Gonzaga***
Houston***
Iowa
Kansas
Kent State
Memphis
Ohio State
Oregon
Saint Mary’s
Virginia
***—has won 20 games in each of the last five seasons
In addition, 21 schools have won at least 20 games in three of the previous four seasons and still have a shot at 20 wins this season.
SPEEDY’S SELECT COMPANY (part one)
Speedy Claxton was one of 13 first-year head coaches to win 20 games in his debut season in 2021-22. And now he’s just the second second-year head coach to win 20 games in his second season in 2022-23, following in the footsteps of Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, who directed the Wildcats to their 20th win on Feb. 2. Ten other second-year head coaches still have a chance to record a second straight 20-win season (former Texas head coach Chris Beard, on the other hand, does not).
SPEEDY’S SELECT COMPANY (part two)
Speedy Claxton joined another two-member club Monday, though this one’s more exclusive. Claxton is just the second coach in Hofstra history to win 20 games in each of his first two seasons at the helm and the first since Paul Lynner did so back in 1962-63 and 1963-64. Not too shabby.
STREAKING (part one)
The Dutchmen’s eight-game winning streak is tied with four others schools for the fifth-longest active streak in Division I.
Eastern Washington 15
Oral Roberts 10
Toledo 10
Southern Mississippi 9
HOFSTRA 8
Howard 8
Northwestern State 8
Rider 8
Vermont 8
STREAKING (part two)
Welcome to the club, Norfolk State, which earned its fifth straight win Monday night by beating Delaware State, 97-58. The Spartans are now the 42nd Division I team to record a five-game winning streak in each of the last five seasons, a club that, of course, includes Hofstra. South Dakota State, which has won four in a row, has a chance to join the group tonight, when the Jackrabbits (great nickname) visit Denver.
WIRE-TO-WIRE WINS
The Dutchmen never trailed Monday. It was their second straight wire-to-wire win and their seventh wire-to-wire win of the season, all of which have happened in CAA play.
12/29/22: 87-73 over Delaware
1/5/23: 67-51 over Hampton
1/14/23: 86-62 over Delaware
1/19/23: 70-46 over UNC Wilmington
2/4/23: 79-58 over Stony Brook
2/11/23: 86-57 over Monmouth
2/13/23: 66-52 over Drexel
The back-to-back wire-to-wire wins are the first for the Dutchmen since Mar. 2-10, 2019, when they beat Delaware 92-70 in the regular season finale and defeated James Madison 76-67 in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. The Dutchmen last earned back-to-back wire-to-wire wins in regular season play on Jan. 27-30, 2010, when they beat UNC Wilmington 93-54 (in the Charles Jenkins Eight-Point Play Game!) and defeated Delaware 77-67.
The seven wire-to-wire wins are the most for the Dutchmen in a season since 2005-06, when they had at least eight wire-to-wire wins. I say at least eight because there’s no play-by-play available from a 74-59 win over Dartmouth at Madison Square Garden in which the Dutchmen raced out to a 15-2 lead. So my guess is that was a ninth wire-to-wire win. Perhaps I’ll have reason to dig deeper to confirm soon enough!
THE DEFENSE DIDN’T REST
The Dutchmen allowed fewer than 60 points Monday foe the fourth straight game. That’s the longest streak for the Dutchmen since a four-game run from Jan. 25-Feb. 4, 2012, when they went 1-3 — really — with a 55-50 loss to George Mason, a 58-51 loss to Northeastern, a 74-49 win over Towson and a 59-43 loss to Georgia State. Different times.
THRIFTY FROM THREE
Drexel was just 2-of-17 (11.8 percent) from 3-point land Monday. That’s the lowest 3-point shooting percentage for a Division I foe against the Dutchmen since Mar. 8, 2020, when Drexel was 2-of-22 (9.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the Dutchmen’s 61-43 win in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. Division II Molloy was 3-of-26 (11.5 percent) from 3-point land in the Dutchmen’s 87-49 win on Nov. 24, 2021.
D-STONE’S PERFECT GAME
That’s not an exaggeration! Darlinstone Dubar scored 16 points Monday night while going 7-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point land. The seven field goals without a miss are the most by a Hofstra player since Isaac Kante scored 15 points while going 7-for-7 from the field in a 74-72 win over Northeastern on Jan. 9, 2020. Dubar is also the first Hofstra player to enjoy a perfect shooting night (minimum five attempts) while hoisting at least one 3-pointer since Ameen Tanksley scored 30 points while going 9-for-9 from the field — including 5-of-5 from 3-point land — in an 88-74 win over Norfolk State on Dec. 2, 2014.
In addition, Dubar’s perfect shooting performance marked the 87th time this season a Division I player has gone 7-of-7 or better from the field. He’s the 29th player to hit at least one 3-pointer in his perfect shooting game and the first since another CAA player — William & Mary’s Anders Nelson — scored 27 points while going 8-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-4 from 3-point land, in a 77-74 win over Stony Brook on Jan. 26.
D-STONE IN DOUBLE DIGITS
The 16-point performance Monday marked the second straight game in which Dubar reached double figures. He scored 14 points Saturday in the 86-57 win over Monmouth. The 30 points in the last two games are the most for Dubar in a back-to-back set since he scored a total of 40 points against South Florida and Old Westbury from Dec. 19-22 and the most he’s scored in a two-game span against Division I foes since he had 30 points against Massachusetts and South Florida from Dec. 11-19. Dubar has scored in double figures three times over the last 11 games after opening the season by scoring in double figures 12 times in the first 17 games, a stretch that includes the game against George Mason in which he exited with a head injury after three minutes.
ESTRADA’S DOUBLE-DIGIT STREAK
With his game-high 22 points on Monday, Aaron Estrada extended his streak of double-digit scoring efforts to 17 games. Estrada, who has missed four games during his current streak, has scored in double figures in 23 of 24 games this season and in 50 of 56 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.
THE 20/5/5 CLUB
Aaron Estrada stuffed the stat sheet again Monday, when he finished with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. It’s the 11th time Estrada has collected at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game, the most such games by a Hofstra player since someone named Speedy Claxton had 17 games in which he had at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. I love it when a fact comes together.
ESTRADA MOVIN’ ON UP
Aaron Estrada continued climbing the Hofstra all-time scoring list Monday, when he scored 22 points to move past Ameen Tanksley into 34th place. Estrada enters tonight 13 points shy of surging past Richie Swartz into 33rd place, 35 points shy of surpassing Mike Moore for 32nd place and 39 points away from moving past Wandy Williams into 31st place.
30.) Nathaniel Lester 1,139
31.) Wandy Williams 1,132
32.) Mike Moore 1,128
33.) Richie Swartz 1,107
34.) AARON ESTRADA 1,094
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
NO DOUBTING THOMAS
Tyler Thomas’ strong season continued Monday, when he finished with 11 points and a team-high six rebounds. Thomas has scored in double figures in eight straight games as well as 14 times in 15 CAA games and 22 times in 28 games overall.
DIMES FOR CARLOS
Jaquan Carlos didn’t flirt with a triple-double but still had a solid night Monday, when he finished with three points, five assists and five rebounds. It was the fourth straight game in which Carlos had at least five assists. He also had four-game streaks in which he collected at least five assists from Dec. 19-31 and Jan. 14-26.
A ONE-TWO PUNCH AT THE FIVE
Nelson Boachie-Yiadom and Warren Williams continued their season-long tandem at center Monday night, when they combined for nine points (all by Williams), seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while helping to limit Drexel’s likely all-CAA center Amari Williams to 13 points and five rebounds. Boachie-Yiadom and Williams also combined for nine fouls, which meant…
A CHRISTIAN CAMEO
…redshirt freshman Christian Tomasco played two minutes and drew two fouls in the first half after Boachie-Yiadom and Williams each headed to the bench with two fouls. It was the first time Tomasco has played in the first half since Nov. 19, when he saw two-plus minutes of action in the first half of a 76-48 loss to Saint Mary’s.
ECC CHAMPS!
There are smaller fish to fry now that the most important trophy in America once again resides in a trophy case at Hofstra. With Monday night’s win in their ECC finale (viva la unbalanced schedule), the Flying Dutchmen locked up another ECC title — their first since sharing the crown with Towson in 2019-20 and their first outright title since 2018-19. We’re number one! We’re number one! Why are you all staring at me like that?
HOFSTRA 4-1 .800
Drexel 3-2 .600
Towson 2-3 .400
Delaware 1-4 .200
OVER THE AIR
Today’s game is slated to be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required). Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
SCOUTING HAMPTON
The Pirates, under 14th-year head coach Edward Joyner Jr., are 6-21 and 3-11 in the CAA after a 70-68 loss to Elon on Monday night, The loss was the fourth in a row for Hampton, which stormed back from a 17-point second half deficit and took a 66-63 lead with 2:10 left before the Phoenix earned the victory.
The Dutchmen and Pirates had no common opponents in non-conference play. In CAA play, the Dutchmen have beaten UNC Wilmington, Northeastern, Drexel, Stony Brook and Elon, all of whom have beaten Hampton, as well as Charleston, which swept the Pirates. The Dutchmen have also beaten William & Mary, which split with Hampton, and swept Monmouth and Delaware, each of whom were defeated by Hampton. The Dutchmen split with Towson, which beat Hampton Both teams have lost to North Carolina A&T.
The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish second in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 93rd at KenPom.com. The Aggies, who were picked to finish 13th, are ranked 344th.
According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank second in the CAA in offensive-only efficiency (113.8 points per 100 possessions) and second in defensive efficiency (94.1 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 66.4 possessions per 40 minutes, the sixth-most in the league. The Pirates are tied for ninth in the CAA in offensive-only efficiency (99.3 points per 100 possessions) and last in defensive efficiency (112.2 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 67.1 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks third in the league.
Sophomore guard Jordan Nesbitt leads the Pirates in scoring (15.0 points per game) and assists (3.3 assists per game) while ranking second with 6.4 rebounds per game. Senior guard Marquis Godwin, who opened his career at Old Dominion, is averaging 13.0 points per game while senior guard Russell Dean is averaging 12.7 points per game. Freshman forward Kyrese Mullen is averaging a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game.
KenPom.com predicts an 84-64 win for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 18 1/2-point favorites. The Dutchmen are 16-9-2 against the spread this season after covering for the eighth straight game Wednesday night. They’re winning everywhere!
THE CAA RACE
William & Mary’s 68-66 upset of Towson removed all but the most remote of doubt about the regular season race now being a two-team derby. Hofstra and Charleston remained tied for first at 13-2 by virtue of the Dutchmen’s win and the Cougars’ 99-63 victory over Northeastern. UNC Wilmington (10-4) was idle while Towson (9-5) fell into fourth place. One more victory apiece by Hofstra and Charleston will assure each team of a top-two finish by virtue of their wins in the season series against UNC Wilmington.
ALL-TIME VS. HAMPTON
The Dutchmen are *checks his math three times to be sure* 1-0 all-time against Hampton. The teams met for the first time Jan. 5, when the Dutchmen led wire-to-wire in a 67-51 win. The Dutchmen are looking to sweep a new league opponent for the second time this season after sweeping Monmouth with wins on Jan. 11 and last Saturday.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Hey Deron Powers opened his career with you bias! (How’d we forget this one in January?)
Rick Mahorn bias! (The famous Detroit Pistons bad boy — and Connecticut native! — graduated from Hampton)
Steve Merfeld bias! (Merfeld was the head coach when 15th-seeded Hampton recorded one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history in 2001 by beating second-seeded Iowa State)
Spencer Christian bias! (The former Good Morning America weatherman graduated from Hampton)
No comments:
Post a Comment