I'll Be Quirky: Hampton

Happy anniversary weekend, SNL. Hopefully Toonces stops driving the Dutchmen's season before the big show tomorrow night.

We certainly have been spoiled over the last seven years. The Flying Dutchmen will look to avoid the longest losing streak of the Speedy Claxton era and once again try to steer themselves out of what certainly looks like a season-ruining tailspin this afternoon, when they conclude their final multi-game regular season road trip by visiting Hampton. It’s gotta turn at some point, right? Maybe?

As will hopefully remain the routine throughout conference play, I ran down the boilerplate material from Thursday’s loss in Friday’s Keep It Perky. Today will be about the individual news and notes from that loss as well as a preview of the Pirates. Try and enjoy!

NO LONGER STREAKING (part one)

The Dutchmen’s streak of seven consecutive top-four finishes was long endangered but finally went extinct when Thursday’s loss guaranteed the Dutchmen would finish no higher than fifth. Winning out would allow the Dutchmen to finish 9-9, which could conceivably tie them with Charleston, Campbell and/or William & Mary if at least two of those teams tied for third place lost out (Charleston and Campbell are slated to play each other in the regular season finale on Mar. 1). But Charleston won the lone regular season meeting against the Dutchmen while Campbell and William & Mary swept the season series, so the Dutchmen obviously lose any tiebreaker.

The Dutchmen’s streak of seven straight top-four finishes was the longest by a CAA school since William & Mary recorded seven straight top-four finishes from 2013-14 through 2019-20. Even more impressively, only five Division I schools entered this season with a longer active streak of consecutive top-four finishes in their league than the Dutchmen:

Gonzaga (West Coast Conference), 33

Vermont (America East), 18

Yale (Ivy League), 15***

South Dakota State (Summit), 13

UC Irvine (Big West), 12

***Yale’s streak dates back to the 2008-09 season, but the Ivy League didn’t hold a postseason tournament until 2017 and didn’t compete in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. 

NO LONGER STREAKING (part two)

The loss Thursday night ensures the Dutchmen can finish no better than 9-9 in the CAA, which means their streak of seven straight winning seasons in CAA play has come to an end. It was the longest such streak by a CAA school since VCU ended its tenure in the league with 12 straight winning seasons from 2000-01 through 2011-12. Pretty good company. 

ANOTHER STREAK IS ENDANGERED

All sorts of good news here! The Dutchmen still officially have a chance to post a .500 or better record in CAA play for the eighth straight season, but one more loss will, quite obviously, end those hopes as well. The last CAA team to record more than seven straight .500 or better finishes in league play was George Mason, which finished .500 or better in its last 15 seasons in the CAA from 1998-99 to 2012-13. Wow! Spanning three decades!

PARK AVENUE LEADS TO SKID ROW

Hair metal reference! Also a way to change up the subheads. The Dutchmen’s four-game losing streak is tied for their longest under Speedy Claxton and their longest since a four-game losing streak consisting of non-conference games from Nov. 30 through Dec. 19, 2022. It is also their longest losing streak in CAA play since a six-game skid from Jan. 2-19, 2017. That was also the longest losing streak of the Joe Mihalich Era.

CLOSE BUT NO VICTORY CIGARS

The loss Thursday night marked the Dutchmen’s fifth straight defeat in a game decided by six points or fewer or in overtime dating back to Jan. 16. Wow! Spanning two presidential administrations! That’s the longest such streak for the Dutchmen since they lost five straight games decided by six points or fewer in overtime from Jan. 29 through Feb. 26, 2014 — the first season of the Joe Mihalich Era. The Dutchmen haven’t lost at least six straight games decided by six points or fewer or in overtime since they lost seven such games from Jan. 16 through Mar. 9, 2013. I don’t need to tell you any comparisons to the 2012-13 season are not great. Speaking of which…

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER (part one)

…the Dutchmen had just one player reach double figures in scoring Thursday night, when Cruz Davis finished with 22 points. It’s the fourth game this season in which the Dutchmen have had just one player in double figures, which is the most since, you guessed it, the 2012-13 season, when the Dutchmen played six games in which only one player scored in double figures. The Dutchmen have lost their last 21 games in which only one player scored in double figures since Dec. 9, 2009, when Halil Kanacevic scored 11 points in a 44-39 win over Manhattan. 

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER (part two)

The Dutchmen held a trio of one-point leads Thursday night. It was the first time their largest lead was just one point since a 79-65 loss to Cincinnati in the second round of the NIT on Mar. 18, 2023, when the Dutchmen held their lone lead at 5-4 with 17:25 left in the first half.

NO FIRST HALF FADE

A sliver of good news…maybe it’s almost time to retire this factoid? The Dutchmen outscored William & Mary 6-0 over the final two minutes of the first half, when they didn’t allow the Tribe to record a shot while forcing three turnovers. The Dutchmen have improved their end-of-half numbers by outscoring Stony Brook and William & Mary 11-0 over the final two minutes of the first half in each of the last two games. Overall this season in CAA play, the Dutchmen have been outscored 43-38 in the final two minutes of the first half in 13 league games, during which their opponent has shot 13-of-30 from the field (43.3 percent) in the last two minutes and scored on their final possession six times. The Dutchmen have shot 15-of-37 from the field (40.5 percent) in the last two minutes of the first half and scored on their last possession four times. Alas, the Dutchmen did not score on their final possession of the first half Thursday, when Cruz Davis missed the front end of a one-and-one with five seconds left, and have not done so since Jan. 25, when Michael Graham’s dunk preceded a free throw by Campbell’s Cam Gregory.

CRUZ-IN

It wasn’t all bad Thursday night! Just, you know, mostly. Anyway, Cruz Davis continued his midseason resurgence Thursday night, when he finished with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block while committing just one turnover in 35 minutes. Davis has scored in double figures in a season- and career-high eight straight games after scoring in double figures just twice in his previous six games from Dec. 29 through Jan. 16. He has also committed two turnovers or fewer in each of his last five games after turning the ball over seven times in the 69-67 overtime loss to Campbell on Jan. 25. Alas, the loss Thursday dropped the Dutchmen to 9-8 when Davis scores in double figures and 7-4 when he leads or shares the team lead in scoring.

DECADY’S DANCE

Joshua DeCady posted another unexpected breakout performance on a Thursday night, when he spent most of the game at center and scored five points while adding five rebounds and four steals in a career-high 31 minutes. The five rebounds tied a career-high set twice previously, most recently in a 74-63 win over Not Twitter Guy on Jan. 30, while the four steals tied his career-high set in a 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY) on Dec. 6. The 31 minutes easily broke DeCady’s previous high of 22 minutes against William & Mary on Jan. 2. DeCady has scored 26 points while adding 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals over 73 minutes in a trio of Thursday night games against William & Mary and Not Twitter Guy. He has scored just six points while adding seven rebounds over 46 minutes in the other nine CAA games in which he’s played…which, to be fair, also included four Thursday night clashes. 

TJ TO THE EXTREME

TJ Gadsden had a much-needed solid game Thursday night, when he came off the bench to score eight points while adding three rebounds and three assists over 28 minutes. The eight points were the most for Gadsden since he finished with 11 points in a 65-60 loss to Towson on Jan. 16 while the three assists were his most since he collected three assists in a 93-68 win over Delaware on Jan. 23. Gadsden, whose streak of 11 straight starts ended Thursday, has scored in double figures just twice this season after scoring at least 10 points in 11 of 25 games last season for Canisius.

JEAN FITS

Jean Aranguren’s streak of double-digit scoring efforts ended at 15 straight games Thursday night, when he finished with seven points while leading the Dutchmen with eight rebounds and four assists. The seven points were the fewest for Aranguren since Dec. 6, when he finished with five points as the bench did most of the work in the 114-46 win over Division III St. Joseph’s (NY). The 15-game streak of double-digit scoring efforts was the longest by a Hofstra player since Tyler Thomas ended his career by scoring in double digits in each of his last 25 games last season. Even with the quiet game Thursday, Aranguren has scored in double figures 22 times in 26 games this season after reaching double figures just nine times in 33 games last season with Iona.

STIRRING SANDERS?

Jaquan Sanders’ strange season took a semi-positive turn Thursday night, when he finished with five points and one rebound while playing 20 minutes. Sanders also committed the game-ending turnover on the in-bounds pass from beneath the Hofstra basket that allowed William & Mary to run out the clock, but the Dutchmen wouldn’t have been in position to endure yet another agonizing loss if he hadn’t scored two baskets late in the second half, the last of which was a 3-pointer to put the Dutchmen ahead 56-55 with 3:21 left. The five points and 20 minutes were each the most for Sanders since he had five points over 24 minutes in the 74-63 win over Not Twitter Guy on Jan. 30. Even with the contributions Thursday, Sanders has just 31 points on 11-of-54 shooting, including 8-of-33 from 3-point land, in the last 13 games in which he’s played dating back to Dec. 6 after opening the season by averaging 11.3 points and shooting 34 percent from the field, including 33 percent from 3-point land, over the Dutchmen’s first nine games.

FARMER AID

Khalil Farmer returned to the starting lineup Thursday night, when he scored five points while adding two steals, one rebound and one block over 24 minutes. Farmer, who started in place of TJ Gadsden, has just 13 points and four rebounds over 99 minutes in his last five games after collecting 40 points and six rebounds in five games (one start) from Jan. 11 through Jan. 25. Overall, Farmer has scored in 18 of the last 21 games in which he’s played after he didn’t score in his first two games of the season.

GERMAN FOR STARTERS

German Plotnikov, the lone returning player who made a start last season for the Dutchmen, made his second straight start Thursday night, when he finished with five points and one rebound before fouling out in 20 minutes. The 20 minutes were the most for Plotnikov since Jan. 25, when he he logged a career-high 43 minutes in the 69-67 overtime loss to Campbell. He has scored in 17 of the last 18 games in which he’s played after scoring just once in the first six games. 

HERE’S TO YOU, MR. ROBINSON

KiJan Robinson returned to action Thursday night, when he scored three points in eight minutes. Robinson, who didn’t play last Saturday against Stony Brook, scored his only points Thursday when he hoisted a long 3-pointer to just beat the shot clock with 13:48 left in the first half. He has just 16 points over 66 minutes in last seven games he’s played, a span in which Robinson was held scoreless twice and played a total of 30 minutes. Robinson was held scoreless just twice in the Dutchmen’s first 18 games, a span in which he averaged 8.1 points and 21 minutes per game.

GRAHAM NOT CRACKIN’

Michael Graham, who entered Thursday with three double-doubles in his last five games, endured another disappearing act against William & Mary, when he recorded one turnover over the first 3:37 before exiting for good as Speedy Claxton relied largely on Joshua DeCady at center. It was the shortest stint on the court for Graham since Jan. 2, when he played 11 first-half minutes before sitting out the second half of the 74-56 loss to the Tribe. It was also the first time Graham has played four minutes or fewer since Dec. 9, 2023, when he logged four minutes for Loyola Marymount against UNLV. The three-plus minutes were the fewest for a Hofstra starter since Nov. 30, 2022, when Darlinstone Dubar played 3:04 against George Mason before suffering a concussion. Graham didn’t hoist a shot Thursday, which means he’s still shooting 64.6 percent (42-of-65) over the last 10 games games, a span that includes his 3-of-12 performance against Northeastern on Feb. 6.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

Fellow big man Silas Sunday also logged his shortest stint of the season Thursday night, when he played just 1:15 in the first half without recording a stat. That’s a Club Trillion! The cameo was the shortest for Sunday since Jan. 13, 2024, when he played two minutes in a 69-68 loss to Campbell. The scoreless appearance snapped Sunday’s scoring streak at a career-high 10 games.

OVER THE AIR

This afternoon’s game is slated to be carried live on FloHoops.com (subscription required, click here for options) Hofstra will provide a radio feed as well as live stats at the Pride Productions hub.

SCOUTING HAMPTON

The Pirates, under first-year head coach Ivan Thomas, are 13-13 overall and 5-8 in CAA play after beating Drexel, 63-58, on Thursday night. It was the second straight win and the third victory in the last four games for Hampton, whose streak began with an 80-79 overtime win over Howard in a non-conference game. The Pirates are in a three-way tie for ninth place with Drexel and Delaware, one game ahead of the Dutchmen.

The Dutchmen and Pirates had one common opponent in non-conference play. The Dutchmen beat Norfolk State 80-67 on Dec. 9, a little more than three weeks after the Spartans defeated Hampton, 67-58.

In CAA play, both teams have beaten Delaware, split with Northeastern, been swept by William & Mary and lost to Charleston. The Dutchmen beat Not Twitter Guy and UNC Wilmington, each of whom beat Hampton, and were swept by Campbell which won its lone game against the Pirates. Hampton defeated Drexel, which beat the Dutchmen.

The Dutchmen, who were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, are ranked 210th at KenPom.com. That’s the lowest the Dutchmen have been entering a game in more than 11 years, though it’s a drop of just one spot from pregame Thursday. If these trends continue… The Pirates, who were picked to finish 14th and last, are ranked 251st, a gain of 62 spots from their preseason ranking but also 25 spots lower than their peak entering play Jan. 9 yet also a 26-spot improvement since last Saturday. Again, why take drugs when you can just try to make sense of college basketball?

According to KenPom.com, the Dutchmen rank 13th in the CAA in conference-only offensive efficiency (100.5 points per 100 possessions) and fifth in defensive efficiency (102.5 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 63.9 possessions per 40 minutes, the 12th-most in the league. The Pirates rank 11th in the CAA in offensive efficiency (103.6 points per 100 possessions) and 11th in defensive efficiency (110.8 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 67.6 possessions per 40 minutes, the sixth-most in the league.

The Pirates return just two players from last year’s team. Graduate student Noah Farrakhan, who began his career with one season at East Carolina before playing two seasons at Eastern Michigan and one season at West Virginia, leads Hampton with 13.5 points per game and 2.5 assists per game. True junior George Beale, who played the previous two seasons at Norfolk State, is averaging 12.9 points per game. True junior Kyrese Mullen, the Pirates’ top returnee and a preseason all-CAA first team selection, is averaging 8.2 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Junior Xzavier Long, who opened his career with two seasons at Canisius (where he was teammates for one season with TJ Gadsden) before being sidelined with an injury, and true senior Tyler Rice, who opened his career with two seasons at William & Mary before playing last season at East Tennessee State, share the team lead in assists at 1.5 assists per game, though Rice has missed the last two games.

KenPom.com predicts a 64-63 loss for the Dutchmen. Sigh. Per the wise guys in Vegas, for entertainment purposes only, the Dutchmen are 1-point favorites. Interesting? The Dutchmen managed to cover a 1 1/2-point spread as underdogs and still lose Thursday, because that’s the type of season this has become, to improve to 11-13 against the spread this season.

ALL-TIME VS. HAMPTON

The Dutchmen are 4-0 all-time against Hampton in a series that began with the Pirates joining the CAA in 2022-23. The Dutchmen mounted a pair of comebacks last season, when Darlinstone Dubar (27 points, 11 rebounds) posted a double-double to lead the charge back from an 18-point deficit in an 86-77 win at the Arena on Jan. 18 before Tyler Thomas scored 27 points as the Dutchmen overcame a six-point deficit late in the second half to escape with a 63-59 win on Feb. 8.

THINGS YOU CAN SHOUT ON TWITTER (OR BLUESKY) IF CALLS GO DO NOT GO HOFSTRA’S WAY

Ed Cooley coaching tree bias! (Ivan Thomas spent the previous nine seasons as Cooley’s assistant at Providence and Georgetown, which might mean Thomas will some day move from Hampton to another CAA school)

Ivan Thomas went to TWO former CAA rivals bias! (Thomas got his undergraduate degree at VCU and master’s degrees at both VCU and George Mason)

You actually won a game by forfeit this century bias! (Hampton earned a 2-0 win over Morgan State on Feb. 24, 2018, when Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman pulled his team off the court following a skirmish with 13:33 left in the game)

Kyrese Mullen is due for his annual technical against Hofstra bias! (Used a variation of this for the second game last season, but Mullen sat out so I’m going here again and paying homage to when Mullen was whistled for a technical foul in the first game between the teams on Jan. 5, 2023 before he drew a technical foul after fouling out at the Arena on Jan. 18, 2024)