Hee hee hee.
I believe it was Guns ’n Roses who sang “Nothing lasts forever, not even Hofstra winning streaks that began in the cold November rain.” (Note to self: Look up what the weather was in Florida for the win over Buffalo in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 20) The Dutchmen’s winning streak ended at five games Saturday, when they squandered an 11-point first half lead and committed a series of mistakes down the stretch in a 71-68 loss to Saint Louis. The Dutchmen will look to start another winning streak in the most resounding way possible tonight, when they visit no. 21 Duke in the game that this former North Carolina fan and pretty much constant Duke loather has been waiting 30 years to see. Here’s a look back at the loss to the Billikens and a look ahead to the big bad Blue Devils.
THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH
Tyler Thomas (a game-high 29 points) resumed his volume scoring ways but struggled along with his teammates in the final minutes as the Dutchmen missed a chance to post another road upset. Thomas scored 11 points in a game-opening 27-16 run, but Saint Louis responded with a 13-2 run before Thomas sank a pair of free throws to give the Dutchmen a 31-29 halftime lead. The Dutchmen held a quartet of five-point leads and never trailed by more in the second but couldn’t finish off Saint Louis over the final 6:05, when the teams combined for eight lead changes. Thomas’ jumper with 1:22 left gave the Dutchmen their final lead at 68-67. Terrance Hargrove Jr.’s dunk with 47 seconds left put Saint Louis ahead for good and Thomas missed two shots on the next possession before Jaquan Carlos committed two turnovers, including one as the Dutchmen were trying to set up the tying or go-ahead shot with under a second left. Double-double machine Darlinstone Dubar (13 points, 11 rebounds) scored all his points in the second half while Carlos had 11 points and eight assists but committed five turnovers. Bryce Washington finished with five points and five rebounds and Jacco Fritz was limited to 13 minutes by foul trouble.
3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Saint Louis, 12/9)
3: Tyler Thomas
2: Darlinstone Dubar
1: Jaquan Carlos
SEASON STANDINGS
Tyler Thomas 19
Darlinstone Dubar 17
Jaquan Carlos 9
Jacco Fritz 6
Bryce Washington 2
KiJan Robinson 1
THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER NINE GAMES
With Saturday’s loss, the Dutchmen fell to 6-3. This ties the 2023-24 team for the 17th-best record in school history through seven games. This is the second straight season in which the Dutchmen have opened 6-3 and the 18th time overall in school history. The Dutchmen have had the same record this year as last year following each of the last four games. Quirky! Let’s try to snap that tonight though. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through nine games:
NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1975-76: 5-4
1976-77: 7-2
1999-2000: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
2000-01: 7-2
2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 6-3
NIT TEAMS
1998-99: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
2004-05: 9-0 (most recent 9-0 start)
2005-06: 7-2
2006-07: 6-3
2015-16: 6-3
2018-19: 6-3 (marked third win in the 16-game winning streak)
2022-23: 6-3
NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1958-59: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
1961-62: 8-1
1962-63: 7-2
1963-64: 8-1
Some other notable nine-game starts:
2021-22: 5-4 (most recent 5-4 start)
2014-15: 7-2 (most recent 7-2 start)
2013-14: 3-6 (most recent 3-6 start)
2008-09: 8-1 (most recent 8-1 start)
2007-08: 2-7 (most recent 2-7 start)
2003-04: 4-5 (most recent 4-5 start)
2002-03: 1-8 (most recent 1-8 start)
2001-02: 5-4 (over .500 for the last time)
1997-98: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
1994-95: 2-7 (Jay Wright’s first team)
1993-94: 1-8 (VBK’s last team)
1960-61: 9-0
1959-60: 9-0
1958-59: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
1955-56: 9-0
1947-48: 9-0
1938-39: 5-4 (over .500 for good)
The Dutchmen have never opened 0-9.
Full records not available for the following seasons: 1936-37, 1941-42, 1942-43.
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 SEVENTY-SIX
With Saturday’s loss, Speedy Claxton fell to 52-24 (.684) as head coach. That’s the second-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 76 games at the helm. The last 22 games mark the highest Claxton has been in the all-time game-to-game standings since he became head coach in 2021-22.
Paul Lynner 55-21 (.724, 76th game was the 17th game of his third season in 1964-65)
SPEEDY CLAXTON 52-24 (.684, 76th game was the ninth game of his third season in 2023-24)
Butch van Breda Kolff I 48-28 (.632, 76th game was the first game of his fourth season in 1957-58)
Dick Berg 39-37 (.513, 76th game was the 21st game of his third season in 1982-83)
Butch van Breda Kolff II 37-39 (.487, 76th game was the 19th game of his third season in 1990-91)
Joe Mihalich 36-40 (.474, 76th game was the ninth game of his third season in 2015-16)
Mo Cassara 34-42 (.447, 76th game was the 11th game of his third season in 2012-13)
Roger Gaeckler 29-47 (.382, 76th game was the fourth game of his fourth season in 1975-76)
Jay Wright 29-47 (.382, 76th game was the 21st game of his third season in 1996-97)
Tom Pecora 26-50 (.342, 76th game was the 15th game of his third season in 2003-04)
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.
DOUBLE DIGITS NOT ENOUGH
The Dutchmen squandered a double-digit lead in a loss for the first time this season and the eighth time since Speedy Claxton became head coach for the 2021-22 season. The squandered double-digit lead was the first for the Dutchmen since UNC Wilmington (of course) overcame a 12-point first-half deficit in the CAA Tournament semifinals (of course) on Mar. 6.
A NARROW LOSS
The Dutchmen never trailed by more than four points in Saturday’s loss. That’s the smallest biggest #Opposites lead an opponent has had in a win over the Dutchmen since North Carolina A&T took its biggest lead on a buzzer-beating tip-in by Tyrese Elliott in the Aggies’ 81-79 victory on Dec. 31.
NO DOUBTING THOMAS
Tyler Thomas, whose streak of consecutive double-digit scoring performances ended at 22 games when he was limited to eight points in last Wednesday’s 62-57 win over Iona, may have started a new streak Saturday, when he scored a game-high 29 points. Thomas has scored in double figures in 32 of his last 34 games and 37 times in 44 games overall since joining the Dutchmen last season.
TOUGH FROM THREE
However, Tyler Thomas had a second straight rough game from 3-point land Saturday, when he was 3-of-12 from beyond the arc. Thomas is shooting 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from 3-point land in his last two games after shooting 48.9 percent (17-of-35) from beyond the arc in his previous three games.
D-STONE’S DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE CLUB
Seriously, can somebody get Darlinstone Dubar an NIL deal with Dubble Bubble (ask your parents)? Dubar posted his third straight double-double Saturday afternoon, when he had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Dubar is the first Hofstra player with at least three straight double-doubles since Isaac Kante recorded four consecutive double-doubles from Dec. 19, 2020 through Jan. 3, 2021. Wow! Spanning two years! Dubar now has more double-doubles in the last three games (three, obvs) as he did in his first 73 games (two) at Hofstra.
D-STONE DEALING
Darlinstone Dubar extended the longest active streak of double-digit scoring performances by a Hofstra player after he finished with 13 points Saturday afternoon. Dubar has scored in double figures in all nine games this season, which is his longest single-season stretch of consecutive double-figure efforts, and in 11 straight games overall dating back to the 88-86 overtime win over Rutgers in the first round of the NIT on Mar. 14.
D-STONE DOING SECOND HALF WORK
Darlinstone Dubar scored all 13 of his points in the second half Saturday. It was the second time this season Dubar has followed up a scoreless first half by scoring in double figures in the second half. He scored all 18 of his points after halftime in a 74-67 loss to Princeton on Nov. 10.
CARLOS SHOPS AT 7/11
Jaquan Carlos had a second straight up-and-down game Saturday afternoon, when he committed a five turnovers but also had 11 points and eight assists. It was the fourth straight game in which he had at least 11 points and seven assists, the fifth time he reached those very specific figures this season and the seventh time he’s done so in his career.
TURN IT OVER AND OVER
Jaquan Carlos has committed 11 turnovers in the last two games. That’s a career-high for Carlos over a two-game span and the most turnovers a Hofstra player has committed in consecutive games since Aaron Estrada committed a combined 11 turnovers from Mar. 6-14 against UNC Wilmington (six) and Rutgers (five).
BRYCE THE GLUE GUY
Bryce Washington continued his solid season Saturday afternoon, when he scored five points and had five rebounds. Washington has finished with at least five points and five rebounds five times this season after doing so just twice in 28 games last season and nine times in his first four seasons as a collegian dating back to his freshman season way back in 2018-19.
ALL OR NOTHING FOR FRITZ
Jacco Fritz was limited to two points before fouling out in just 13 minutes Saturday afternoon. Fritz has fouled out four times in nine games this season, including three times in 13 minutes or fewer. He drew five fouls in 27 minutes against Princeton on Nov. 10, was whistled for five fouls in just eight minutes against George Washington on Nov. 14 and picked up five fouls in 10 minutes against High Point on Nov. 22. Not coincidentally the Dutchmen are 1-3 in those games and 5-0 when Fritz doesn’t foul out.
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY
With Jacco Fritz battling foul trouble, backup center Silas Sunday played a career-high 27 minutes Saturday, when he finished with two points, five rebounds and one block. Sunday’s previous career-high for minutes was established in the season opener against Division III St. Joseph’s (NY), when he played 17 minutes. He also played 16 minutes against High Point on Nov. 22.
SPREADING THE SCORING
All nine players who saw the floor against Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon scored for th Dutchmen, who had five players — starting center Jacco Fritz and reserves Griffin Barrouk, Khalil Farmer, KiJan Robinson and Silas Sunday — score two points each. It was the second straight game in which all nine Dutchmen who played scored. The Dutchmen last had every player who saw the floor score in consecutive games from Nov. 14-17, 2022, when seven players apiece scored in wins over George Washington and San Jose State.
OVER THE AIR
Tonight’s game will be carried live on ESPN2, which is channel 35 in the Optimum/Altice Are Our Overlords Universe. Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.
DUKE AND THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
Duke, under second-year head coach Jon Scheyer, is also 6-3 this season (as well as 0-1 in the ACC) following Saturday’s 80-56 win over Charlotte.
Duke was picked to finish first in the 15-team ACC. That seems like an overstuffed conference, but I’m sure they’re not going to add any more schools soon — especially schools west of the eastern time zone! Sophomore center Kyle Filipowski, who was named the preseason ACC player of the year, leads the Blue Devils with 17.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Jeremy Roach (A senior? At Duke? In this economy?) ranks second in scoring at 14.3 ppg while sophomore forward Mark Mitchell ranks third in scoring at 11.1 ppg and second in rebounding at 4.8 rpg. Sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor, who was named to the preseason all-ACC second team, is averaging 10.3 ppg and a team-high 4.5 assists per game.
The Dutchmen and Blue Devils have no common opponents this season.
At KenPom.com, Duke is ranked 15th nationally in offensive efficiency (117.5 points per 100 possessions) and 31st in defensive efficiency (96.0 points per 100 minutes) while ranking 182nd in tempo (68.9 possessions per 40 minutes).
This is the first meeting between Hofstra and Duke in men’s basketball and the 19th meeting in any sport. The teams are tied 9-9 in the all-time any sports series.
The Flying Dutchmen lacrosse team is 6-0 against Duke, though they have played the Blue Devils since 2003, three seasons before John Danowski was nudged out the door and went to Duke because the Dutchmen didn’t win NCAA Tournament games. Now the Dutchmen don’t even make the NCAA Tournament and Danowski is a three-time national champion with Duke. Thanks again, Stu!
The men’s wrestling team is 1-1 against Duke while the Flying Dutchwomen soccer team is 1-0 (with a 2-1 win on Sept. 12, 2014) and the volleyball team is 1-4. The women’s lacrosse team (0-3), women’s basketball team (0-2) and men’s soccer team (0-1) are all winless against Duke.
Hofstra is 5-29 all-time against current ACC schools. The Dutchmen last faced an ACC opponent on Mar. 19, 2019, when they fell to North Carolina State 82-74 in the first round of the NIT. The Dutchmen last beat an ACC opponent on Nov 20, 2015, when they edged Florida State 82-77 in the opener of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
At KenPom.com this afternoon, Hofstra is ranked 101st while Duke is ranked 17th. KenPom.com predicts an 80-66 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 15 1/2-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 4-4 against the spread this season.
I previewed tonight’s game for Field Level Media. Give this a click!
HOFSTRA VS. TOP 25 TEAMS
Duke is ranked no. 21 in the AP poll and no. 19 in the coaches’ poll. This marks the 26th time the Dutchmen have faced a team ranked in the top 25 in at least one of the polls in the DD Era. The Dutchmen are 4-21 in the previous 25 games but 2-1 in the last three games following an 85-81 win over then-no. 18/18 Charleston on Jan. 28. If these trends continue… This is the second straight season in which the Dutchmen are playing at least one regular season league game against a team ranked in both polls as well as the fourth straight season they are playing a ranked opponent.
1/28/23: No. 18/18 Charleston 85-81
12/7/22: No. 4/4 Purdue 85-66 L
12/18/21: No. 24/19 Arkansas 89-81 W
11/19/21: no. 20 Maryland 69-67 L
11/9/21: no. 15 Houston 83-75 L (OT)
12/22/20: no. 23 Richmond 76-71 W
11/29/20: no. 24 Rutgers 70-56 L
12/22/17: no. 1 Villanova 95-71 L
12/11/16: no. 6 Kentucky 96-73 L
11/12/13: no. 3 Louisville 97-69 L
11/18/10: no. 8 North Carolina 107-63 L
11/13/09 no. 1 Kansas 101-65 L
11/17/09 no. 12 UConn 76-67 L
12/22/06 no. 23 Syracuse 85-60 L
2/23/06 no. 25 George Mason 77-68 W
12/30/04 no. 7 Syracuse 80-75 L
11/22/02 no. 21 Gonzaga 69-61 L
12/4/01 no. 9 Syracuse 91-65 L
3/15/01 no. 15 UCLA 61-48 L***
3/17/00 no. 14 Oklahoma State 86-66 L***
11/20/98 no. 6 Maryland 89-59 L
12/2/98 no. 25 St. John’s 70-49 L
11/27/97 no. 19 Louisville 75-66 L
12/14/96 no. 19 Xavier 79-43 L
12/28/95 no. 8 Villanova 91-57 L
***NCAA Tournament
GRAD VS. GRAD
Like Speedy Claxton, Jon Scheyer is coaching an alma mater for whom he played. Scheyer played for the Blue Devils under the ever-popular Mike Krzyzewski from 2006-07 through 2009-10 and capped his career by winning the national title. One pixel away for Butler, sigh.
THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY
Coach K is a big phony and awfully sanctimonious bias! (Remember when he wouldn’t retire a player’s number unless he graduated? I do!)
John Danowski wins for you bias! (Duh)
Mike Schrage bias! (The former Not Twitter Guy head coach returned to Duke, where he served as an assistant from 1999 through 2008, following the 2021-22 season)
Everyone really hated Christian Laettner bias! (Stupid foot stomper…though he was awfully likable in the 30 for 30 doc)
North Carolina has always been better than you bias! (This one goes out to Jaden Daly and also acknowledges my original college basketball fandom)
No comments:
Post a Comment