I'll Be Quirky: Hofstra at UNC Wilmington

This UNCW grad is making twice as much this season as Shohei Ohtani, so this card must be worth a fortune!

Welcome to a historic I’ll Be Quirky! No, not a Leap Day edition (this is our second Leap Day IBQ, thanks quirkiness of the schedule placing Feb. 29 on a Saturday and a Thursday in consecutive Leap Years), but the first time two IBQs have followed a Keep It Perky. The boilerplate postgame material running well beyond 2,000 words by the time we get late into February is a reminder this is a pretty good idea shared by Loyal Readers Jaden, Jess and Stephen, Thanks guys! Anyway, the Keep It Perky from the win over Not Twitter Guy — unicorn score! — was posted last night and can be read here.

Today’s IBQ will look at the team-related quirkiness from Saturday’s win as well as some of the individual news and notes before previewing the really big game tonight against UNC Wilmington. As always, please drop me a line on Twitter with any feedback on the new formats. In the meantime, read on to learn all about Tyler Thomas’ surge into the front-runner’s seat for CAA Player of the Year, Hofstra's historic run of Player of the Week winners, the success of seniors on Senior Day/Night and much more before a look at the Seahawks!

POWERFUL AGAINST THE PHOENIX

The Dutchmen’s 87-64 win over Not Twitter Guy last Saturday marked the fifth time they’ve beaten the Phoenix by at least 20 points since 2014-15, when Not Twitter Guy joined the CAA. That’s the most 20-point wins for the Dutchmen against a league opponent in that span — a doubly impressive feat considering all five of those lopsided victories have happened in the last five seasons.

RUN RUNAWAY

The Dutchmen took control Saturday night with a 15-0 first half run that turned a 16-15 lead into a 31-15 lead. It was the second straight game in which the Dutchmen mounted a run of at least 15 straight points — a 16-0 run last Thursday turned a 43-41 deficit into a 57-43 lead in the 69-57 win over Drexel — and the fourth time they’ve done so this season. The Dutchmen mounted a 19-0 run in a 102-68 win over Buffalo on Nov. 20 and a 17-0 run in an 86-77 win over Hampton on Jan. 18.

DOUBLE-DIGIT STREAKING

The Dutchmen have won three straight games, all by double digits. That’s the longest such streak since they won five straight by at least 10 points from Feb, 8-16, 2023. Those wins came in the midst of the 12-game winning streak that ended against UNC Wilmington in the CAA Tournament semifinals *shudders*

NOT A SECOND-HALF TEAM (for at least one night)

With the win well in hand by halftime, the Dutchmen deviated from form Saturday by scoring more points in the first half (47) than in the second half (40). It was just the sixth time in CAA play and the ninth time overall this season the Dutchmen haven’t scored more points in the second half than in the first half. But the 40-point second half maintained the Dutchmen’s average of 39.8 points per second half (1,155 points overall) as opposed to their first-half average of 34.8 points per first half (1,008 points overall). (These figures don’t include the nine points the Dutchmen scored in overtime of the 97-92 win over High Point on Nov. 22)

SENIOR MOMENTS

Now here’s a truly Quirky stat: With his 25 points Saturday night, Tyler Thomas became the first Hofstra senior to score at least 20 points on his Senior Day/Night since…Tyler Thomas scored 23 points in an 84-52 win over Northeastern on Feb. 25, 2023. THAT has got to be a first, though it might not be the last in an era in which teams will honor academic seniors with remaining eligibility in case they exit.

A senior has scored at least 20 points on Senior Day/Night in each of the last five full seasons, though that streak comes with a bit of a quirky asterisk as well, Omar Silverio, a fourth-year player who had eligibility remaining (nice job there, NCAA), scored 20 points in an 83-67 win over William & Mary on his Senior Day on Feb. 26, 2022. However, the Dutchmen had one more home game two days later, when they played Charleston in the makeup of a game postponed due to a COVID outbreak within the Cougars’ program. Silverio had 19 points in that game, am 89-84 win.

The streak of seniors scoring at least 20 points on Senior Day/Night began Feb, 23, 2019, when Justin Wright-Foreman scored 33 points in a 104-99 overtime loss to James Madison. Eli Pemberton (35 points) and Desure Buie (26 points) each surged past the 20-point mark in a 97-81 win over James Madison on Feb. 29, 2020. Prior to Wright-Foreman, a Hofstra senior hadn’t scored at least 20 points on Senior Day/Night since Mike Moore (30 points) and Nathaniel Lester (20 points) did so in a 93-64 rout of UNC Wilmington on Feb. 25, 2012.

DUBAR MOVIN’ ON UP

Darlinstone Dubar continued climbing the all-time Hofstra scoring list Saturday night, when he scored 17 points to increase his career total to 1,247 points and move past Roberto Gittens for 22nd place. I’ve been thinking for months that Dubar was channeling his 2000-01 Roberto Gittens, so that’s kinda neat. Dubar enters tonight 40 points shy of surpassing Mike Tilley for 21st place.

21.) Mike Tilley 1,286

22.) DARLINSTONE DUBAR 1,247

23.) Roberto Gittens 1,240

24.) Carlos Rivera 1,225

25t.) Demetrius Dudley 1,220

25t.) John Mills 1,220

27.) Aaron Estrada 1,219

THOMAS MOVIN’ ON UP TOO

Tyler Thomas, who joined Dubar in the 1,000-point club on Jan. 25, also moved up the all-time Hofstra scoring list Saturday, when his 25 points increased his career total to 1,228 points and lifted him past four players — former teammate Aaron Estrada as well as Demetrius Dudley, John Mills and Carlos Rivera — and into 24th place. Thomas enters tonight 13 points away from moving past Roberto Gittens (this is a potentially rough week for Roberto) into 23rd place and 20 points away from leapfrogging teammate Darlinstone Dubar. Now THAT would be quirky! At the least, with Dubar needing 40 points tonight to move past Mike Tilley, there’s a pretty good chance the teammates will be next to each other on the all-time scoring list by the end of the evening.

22.) DARLINSTONE DUBAR 1,247

23.) Roberto Gittens 1,240

24.) TYLER THOMAS 1,228

25.) Carlos Rivera 1,225

26t.) Demetrius Dudley 1,220

26t.) John Mills 1,220

28.) Aaron Estrada 1,219

(This is the first time I’ve been tracking two 1,000-point scorers playing at the same time, which is sorta neat but also sorta depressing because in the NIL era the first time may be the last time, eat Arby’s)

DIMES FOR JAQUAN

Jaquan Carlos remained in ninth place on the Hofstra all-time assist list Saturday night, when he collected nine assists to increase his career total to 376. Carlos enters tonight two assists shy of moving past Loren Stokes for eighth place. Pretty impressive considering Carlos had just 23 assists as a freshman two years ago.

7.) Juan’ya Green 463

8.) Loren Stokes 377

9.) JAQUAN CARLOS 376

10.) Woody Souffrant 362

11.) Carlos Rivera 351

GO FOURTH, YOUNG MEN

The Dutchmen had four players score in double figures Saturday, when Tyler Thomas led the way with 25 points and was followed by Darlinstone Dubar (17 points), Jacco Fritz (14 points) and German Plotnikov (11 points). The Dutchmen are 9-0 this season when at least four player score in double figures and have won 18 straight games with at least four double-digit scorers dating back to Dec. 31, 2022, when four players scored in double figures in the last-second 81-79 loss to North Carolina A&T.

HOW MANY PLAYERS SCORED FOR THE DUTCHMEN ON SATURDAY?

Niiiiiiine players. Everyone who saw the floor Saturday for the Dutchmen scored except Silas Sunday, who was scoreless in seven minutes. The Dutchmen are 4-2 this season when at least nine players score at least one point.

HONORS FOR THOMAS

Tyler Thomas, who scored 28 points against Drexel in last Thursday’s 69-57 win over Drexel before leading all scorers with 25 points on Saturday, was named the CAA’s Player of the Week on Monday. It’s the league-leading third time this season Thomas has been named the CAA’s Player of the Week and the fourth time he’s earned the honors in his career. Speaking of honors…

HOFSTRA HONORS

…the second Player of the Week honor for Tyler Thomas this month allowed me to finish my research regarding Hofstra’s impressive consistency in producing award-winning players. Hofstra’s had a whopping 26 players combine to earn 83 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).

In addition, Hofstra has had at least one player earn Player of the Week honors in each of the last 21 seasons dating back to 2003-04, 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).

NO DOUBTING THOMAS

Tyler Thomas continued his resurgence Saturday night, when he scored 25 points while going 9-of-21 from the field, including 5-of-14 from 3-point land, Thomas is 35-of-83 from beyond the arc over his last nine games after going just 27-of-97 from 3-point land in nine games from Dec. 21-Jan. 25. He has scored in double figures in 21 straight games, 51 of his last 53 games and 59 times overall in the last two seasons. Thomas also has scored at least 20 points in seven of the last eight games and 20 times overall this season.

THE 25/5 CLUB

Tyler Thomas did a little bit of everything Saturday night, when he had 25 points and seven rebounds. It was the fifth time he’s had at least 25 points and seven rebounds in a game this season and the seventh time he’s done so in two seasons with the Dutchmen. Just three players have more 25/5 games since 2010-11, the start of the Play Index era at College Basketball Reference. Justin Wright-Foreman had 25 such games, followed by Eli Pemberton (14 games) ad Aaron Estrada (11 games).

THOMAS’ THEFTS

Tyler Thomas continued to impress on defense Saturday night, when he had a team-high three steals. Thomas has eight steals in the last two games, his most thefts over a two-game span in his collegiate career. He had six steals — three in each game — for Sacred Heart against Stony Brook and NJIT from Nov 22-30, 2021. 

PUTTIN’ ON THE FRITZ

Jacco Fritz chose a pretty good time for his first double-double with the Dutchmen on Saturday night, when the graduate student finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Senior Night. The 14 points and 10 rebounds were each were tied for the second-most in a game this season by Fritz, who had 15 points against Delaware in a 76-71 win on Jan. 6 and 14 points against Wright State in an 85-76 win on Nov. 21. He pulled down 11 rebounds in a 64-55 win over William & Mary on Jan. 25 and had 10 rebounds in a 73-61 loss to Charleston on Jan. 4.

D-STONE’S BACK

Darlinstone Dubar flirted with a double-double Saturday night, when he finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. It was the second straight game in which Dubar had at least 10 points and seven rebounds and the 13th time he’s done so this season. He did so just 12 times in his first two seasons at Hofstra combined. In addition, Dubar has scored 54 points in the last three games since his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts was snapped at 27 games when he was limited to nine points in a 79-77 loss to Drexel on Feb. 15.

PERFECT FROM TWO (TIMES TWO)

Darlinstone Dubar (6-for-6) and German Plotnikov (4-for-4) were each perfect from inside the 3-point line on Saturday night. Dubar and Plotnikov are the first Dutchmen teammates to enjoy perfect shooting nights from inside the arc (minimum four attempts) since Dec. 16, when Jacco Fritz and Bryce Washington were each 4-of-4 on their 2-point field goal attempts in a 74-58 win over Norfolk State.

CARLOS KEEPS CRACKING HIS SLUMP

Jaquan Carlos also flirted with a double-double Saturday, when he had eight points and nine assists. Carlos has 21 points, 22 rebounds and a whopping 33 assists in his last three games after collecting just 23 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists in his previous four games.

GERMAN SHOPS AT THE FIVE-AND-DIME

German Plotnikov had a solid all-around game Saturday, when he scored 11 points and tied a career-high by collecting five assists as the Dutchmen improved to 10-2 since he moved into the starting lineup. Plotnikov also had five assists in an 81-78 loss to Monmouth on Jan. 27. He is averaging 9.8 points and 2.4 rebounds over 29 minutes per game as a starter after averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 reboudns over 14 minutes per game in his first 13 appearances of the season.

TRIP THREES FOR WASHINGTON

One game after he posted a Club Trillion stat line over 16 minutes, Bryce Washington had three points, three rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes. Washington is the first Hofstra player to post that line since 2010-11, the start of the Play Index Era at College Basketball Reference. Quirky!

THE KHALIL AND KIJAN SHOW

Freshmen Khalil Farmer and KiJan Robinson, both of whom were scoreless in the previous two games, each scored three points while hitting a 3-pointer on Saturday night. Farmer and Robinson have finished with the same number of points in each of the last five games — both had five points against North Carolina A&T in an 81-49 win on Feb. 10 and three points against Drexel in a 79-77 loss on Feb. 15 before going scoreless against Northeastern and Drexel on Feb. 17-22 — and have finished with the same number of points in 10 of the 22 games in which they’ve both appeared this season.

JAYDEN OPENS THE BANK

Welcome to the all-time Hofstra scoring list, Jayden Henriquez! The freshman walk-on produced one of the coolest moments of the season with 2:02 left, when he banked a 3-pointer for his first points of the season and the first points this season by a walk-on. Henriquez is the third walk-on to score in the Speedy Claxton Era, joining Aidan Best and Petey Galgano, who combined for 16 points last season.

OVER THE AIR

Tonight's game will be carried live on Flo Hoops. For subscription options, click here. Hofstra will also provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.

SCOUTING UNC WILMINGTON

The Seahawks, under fourth-year head coach Takayo Siddle, are 20-8 overall and 11-5 in CAA play following a 105-100 double-overtime loss to Campbell in the CAA’s game of the year Monday night. Great! They won’t be mad or anything tonight! It was the second upset loss in a three-game span for UNC Wilmington, which fell to Not Twitter Guy 73-72 Feb. 17 on a buzzer-beating tip-in by Isaac Harrell.

The Dutchmen and Seahawks had no common opponents in non-conference play. In CAA play, both teams split with Drexel and won their lone games against Delaware, North Carolina A&T and William & Mary. The Dutchmen swept Northeastern and Hampton, each of whom UNC Wilmington beat in the lone meetings between the teams, and swept Stony Brook, which beat the Seahawks in the lone meeting between the teams. Hofstra won its lone game against Towson, which beat UNC Wilmington in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 6, and lost its lone game against Monmouth, whom the Seahawks beat in the only game between the schools. The Dutchmen beat Elon, who split with UNC Wilmington, and lost their lone meeting to Campbell, which split with the Seahawks. Hofstra lost its first game of the season to Charleston, which was swept by UNC Wilmington.

The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 127th at KenPom.com. The Seahawks, who were picked to finish second, are ranked 107th. The Dutchmen moved up two spots in the KenPom.com rankings following Saturday’s win and have gained ground in a season-high five straight games. That immediately followed a stretch in which they lost ground following eight consecutive games. College basketball: The best way to drive yourself insane.

According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank fourth in the CAA in offensive efficiency (110.5 points per 100 possessions) and second in defensive efficiency (100.8 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 66.2 possessions per 40 minutes, the seventh-most in the league. The Seahawks rank second in the CAA in offensive efficiency (117.3 points per 100 possessions) and seventh in defensive efficiency (105.7 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 64.7 possessions per 40 minutes, 13th-most (or second-fewest) in the league.

Fourth-year junior Trazarien White, a preseason all-CAA first-team selection who began his career at Collin College, leads the Seahawks with 20.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, though he drew the dreaded DNP-CD against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 15 and came off the bench against Not Twitter Guy two nights later. Graduate student Shykeim Phillips, who has spent all five seasons at UNC Wilmington, is averaging 14.0 points per game and a team-high 3.8 assists per game. Graduate student KJ Jenkins, who played last season at New Mexico, is averaging 12.5 points per game while graduate student Maleeck Harden-Hayes, a preseason all-CAA honorable mention selection who began his career with three seasons at North Dakota State, is averaging 10.2 points per game and

ranks second on the Seahawks with 4.2 rebounds per game despite missing seven games from Jan. 18-Feb. 8.

KenPom.com predicts a 75-70 loss for the Dutchmen. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 6-point underdogs. The Dutchmen are 12-16 against the spread this season but have covered four straight to improve to 6-10 against the spread in CAA play.

FIRST TIME TOOK A LONG TIME

Thanks to the dreadful unbalanced schedule, tonight marks the only time this season the Dutchmen play UNC Wilmington. This is the latest in a season the Dutchmen have played a CAA opponent for the first time since the 2011-12 season when they opposed William & Mary in the penultimate league game on Feb. 22 and fell to the Tribe, 75-71.

LEAP DAY

This marks the second straight Leap Day in which the Dutchmen have played a game but just the third Leap Day game in the school’s Division I era. The Dutchmen beat UMBC 103-87 on Feb. 29, 1992 and eased past James Madison 97-81 on Feb. 29, 2020.

THE CAA RACE

The Dutchmen have continued their February tradition of Godfathering us all by earning three straight wins to remain in control of their fate in the hunt for a double bye in the CAA Tournament and maintain their very slim hopes of winning the regular season championship. However, the range of outcomes tonight is VAST.

1.) Charleston 13-3

2.) UNC Wilmington 11-5 

3.) HOFSTRA 11-5

4.) Drexel 11-5

5.) Towson 10-6

6.) Delaware 9-7

7.) Monmouth 9-7

The Seahawks are the second seed at the moment by virtue of their sweep of Charleston, which beat the Dutchmen. Hofstra is the third seed at the moment by virtue of its win over Towson, which beat Drexel. 

The Dutchmen can clinch no worse than the third seed and move into second place with a win tonight, But a loss, coupled with a win by Drexel against Stony Brook, would drop the Dutchmen into fourth place and the last double bye, with a chance to slip as low as sixth with another loss on Saturday and wins by Delaware and Monmouth in their final two games. I think, anyway. This dreadful unbalanced schedule really makes figuring out tiebreakers a bear.

ALL-TIME VS. UNC WILMINGTON

Hofstra is 26-24 against UNC Wilmington in a series that began when the Dutchmen joined the CAA prior to the 2001-02 season. The teams split two games last season, when Tyler Thomas scored 28 points in a 70-46 victory at the Arena in the lone regular season meeting between the teams on Jan. 19, 2023. That started a 12-game winning streak for the Dutchmen, whose run was snapped when the Seahawks got their revenge — as they are wont to do — in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament on Mar. 6, when UNC Wilmington overcame a 12-point first-half deficit to earn a 79-73 overtime win. Bad things, very bad things. It was the fifth time the Dutchmen have been eliminated from the CAA Tournament by the Seahawks. Wonderful memories!

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

Takayo Siddle probably figured out a way to make 105-100 about Hofstra bias! (The master motivator had 70-46 plastered all around the locker room before last season’s semifinal clash)

Trask Coliseum is an absolute house of horrors for us bias! (I mean, it is, ask anyone even remotely connected to Hofstra)

Evan Phillips is making more this season than Shohei Ohtani bias! (The UNCW alum and incumbent Dodgers closer is incredibly making twice as much as Ohtani)

Benny Moss is back coaching — for now anyway — bias! (The former UNC Wilmington head coach who was whacked following a 93-54 loss to the Dutchmen on Jan. 27, 2010, is 5-15 at Coastal Carolina since taking over following the retirement of Cliff Ellis)