Keep It Perky: Hampton postgame

At least I get to post a song from Streets Of Fire?

Maybe it’s time to change the name of Keep It Perky. Did you know that some antonyms for perky are limp, listless and languid? Keep It Languid doesn’t really roll off the tongue, but at some point soon we may not have a choice.

Anyway, as you no doubt know by now, the Flying Dutchmen kept falling down the endless pit of despair Saturday afternoon, when Hampton earned its first-ever #Redundant win in the series with a 67-49 rout that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated.

But because we are gluttons for punishment, and because we’re too stubborn to stop something once we’ve started, here, for the 14th time in as many CAA games, is the postgame boilerplate material in Keep It Languid, err, Perky form. The individual news and news from Saturday’s loss and the Monmouth preview will be posted tomorrow morning. Maybe tomorrow will be the day I get to look up unicorn scores and post about Keith Hernandezeses again!

THE MOST RECENT GAME SUMMARIZED IN ONE PARAGRAPH

The Dutchmen took a pair of early leads, but this one was never in doubt as Hampton led for the final 35 minutes, maintained a double-digit lead for the last 26-plus minutes and led by as many as 24 points in the second half. The Pirates ended the first half on a 19-5 run to take a 35-16 lead before the Dutchmen scored 10 of the fist 14 points of the second half to pull within 39-28 with 15:46 left. Hampton responded with a 24-11 run before the Dutchmen mounted another 10-4 run to make things look a little less bleak than they actually were. Jaquan Sanders had his most productive game since Jan. 2 by leading the Dutchmen with 12 points, four assists and two steals, though six of his points came in the final 1:45. Jean Aranguren had 10 points while Michael Graham went five-and-dime with five points and 10 rebounds. Cruz Davis’ late-season surge came to a screeching halt as he missed his first eight shots and finished with four points while going 2-of-12 from the field. German Plotnikov added five points and three rebounds.

3 STARS OF THE GAME (vs. Hampton, 2/15)

3: Jaquan Sanders

2: Jean Aranguren

1: Michael Graham 

SEASON STANDINGS

Jean Aranguren 50

Cruz Davis 38

Michael Graham 22

Jaquan Sanders 15

KiJan Robinson 9

TJ Gadsden 7

German Plotnikov 7

Khalil Farmer 5

Silas Sunday 4

Joshua DeCady 3

Eric Parnell 2

THE FLYING DUTCHMEN AFTER TWENTY-SEVEN GAMES

With Saturday’s loss, the Dutchmen fell to 12-15 this season. I don’t have any family members born on Dec. 15. Anyway, this ties the 2024-25 team for the 38th-best record in school history through 27 games. You may have noticed the record is getting worse but the all-time standing is getting worse because fewer and fewer teams have gone this far into the season. So if you’re a pessimist, you might also say the 2024-25 Dutchmen are tied for the 15th-worst record in school history through 27 games. But I’m not a pessimist! It’s the first time the Dutchmen have opened 12-15 since way back in 1996-97 — when the Dutchmen, led by a freshman point guard named Speedy Claxton, finished 12-15, maybe that’s a good sign! — and just the third time overall in school history. Here is how some notable Hofstra teams have fared through 27 games:

NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1975-76: 16-11 (win in 27th game came in ECC Tournament opener and marked fourth win of six-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)

1976-77: 21-6 (win in 27th game came in ECC Tournament opener and marked seventh win of nine-game winning streak that carried Dutchmen into the NCAAs)

1999-2000: 21-6 (the 66-57 win over Drexel in 27th game gave the Dutchmen the outright America East regular season championship, most recent 21-6 start) 

2000-01: 23-4 (win in 27th game capped regular season and marked 15th win in program-record, single-season 18-game winning streak, most recent 23-4 start, tied for best 27-game record)

2019-20 (IT COUNTS TO US): 20-7 (most recent 20-7 start, win in 27th game was sixth win of eight-game winning streak)

NIT TEAMS

1998-99: 19-8 (first 19-8 start)

2004-05: 20-7 (win in 27th game came in regular season finale and was sixth win of seven-game winning streak)

2005-06: 22-5 (win in 27th game came in regular season finale)

2006-07: 19-8

2015-16: 19-8 

2018-19: 22-5 (most recent 22-5 start)

2022-23: 19-8 (most recent 19-8 start, win in 27th game marked seventh win of 12-game winning streak that continued into the CAA Tournament)

NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1958-59: 20-7 (season ended with third-round loss in NCAAs)

1961-62: 23-4 (won first-round NCAA game for final win of VBK’s first stint, tied for best 27-game record)

1962-63: 21-6 (win in NCAA opener was 10th win of 11-game winning streak, first 21-6 start)

1963-64: 22-5 (won NCAA opener, first 22-5 start)

Some other notable 27-game records:

2023-24: 16-11 (most recent 16-11 start)

2021-22: 18-9 (most recent 18-9 start)

2016-17: 13-14 (most recent 13-14 start)

2014-15: 17-10 (most recent 17-10 start)

2013-14: 8-19 (most recent 8-19 start, Joe Mihalich’s first team)

2012-13: 6-21 (most recent 6-21 start, tied for worst 27-game record in school history)

2009-10: 14-13 (most recent 14-13 start, over .500 for good)

2007-08: 11-16 (only 11-16 start)

2002-03: 7-20 (most recent 7-20 start, lost regular season finale)

2001-02: 10-17 (most recent 10-17 start, loss in 27th game marked sixth loss of Tom Pecora-era record-tying eight-game losing streak)

1996-97: 12-15 (season ended w/loss in NAC quarterfinals)

1995-96: 9-18 (most recent 9-18 start, season ended w/loss in NAC outbracket game)

1994-95: 10-17 (beat Maine in NAC outbracket game for final win, Jay Wright’s first year)

1993-94: 7-20 (beat Chicago State to begin ECC Tournament run, VBK’s last year)

1992-93: 9-18 (lost season finale)

1991-92: 19-8 (103-87 win over UMBC in 27th game ended regular season, locked up no. 1 seed in ECC title game & was eighth win in nine-game winning streak that ended in ECC title game, also the final 100-point game for Hofstra until 2010-11)

1990-91: 14-13 (lost regular season finale)

1989-90: 13-14 (won regular season finale)

1988-89: 13-14 (won regular season finale)

1987-88: 6-21 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round, tied for worst 27-game record in school history, final game for Dick Berg)

1986-87: 10-17 (lost regular season finale)

1985-86: 15-12 (only 15-12 start, won regular season finale)

1983-84: 14-13 (won regular season finale)

1982-83: 18-9 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round)

1980-81: 12-15 (season ended w/loss in ECC first round)

1979-80: 14-13 (final win of season, final win for Joe Harrington)

1978-79: 8-19 (lost season finale, final game for Roger Gaeckler)

1977-78: 8-19 (lost season finale)

1952-53: 20-7 (lost season finale, first 20-7 start)

Hofstra has never been 27-0, 26-1, 25-2, 24-3, 5-22, 4-23, 3-24, 2-25, 1-26 or 0-27 through 27 games.

Thirty-two seasons were completed in fewer than 27 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)

1953-54 (15-9)

1954-55 (19-7)

1955-56 (22-4)

1956-57 (11-15)

1957-58 (15-8)

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)

2020-21 (13-10)

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 ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN

With Saturday’s loss, Speedy Claxton fell to 78-49 (.614) as head coach. That’s the fourth-best known winning percentage for a Hofstra coach through his first 127 games at the helm.

Butch van Breda Kolff I 92-35 (.722, 127th game was the first game of his sixth season in 1960-61)

Frank Reilly 90-37 (.706, 127th game was the 27th game of his fifth season in 1951-52)

Paul Lynner 80-47 (.635, 127th game was the 17th game of his fifth season in 1966-67)

SPEEDY CLAXTON 78-49 (.614, 127th game was the 27th game of his fourth season in 2024-25)

Joe Mihalich 66-61 (.524, 127th game was the 26th game of his fourth season in 2016-17)

Dick Berg 64-63 (.508, 127th game was the 17th game of his fifth season in 1984-85)

Butch van Breda Kolff II 64-63 (.508, 127th game was the 13th game of his fifth season in 1992-93)

Roger Gaeckler 64-63 (.500, 127th game was the 25th game of his fifth season in 1976-77)

Tom Pecora 60-67 (.468, 127th game was the seventh game of his sixth season in 2005-06)

Jay Wright 59-68 (.460, 127th game was the 14th game of his fifth season in 1998-99)

Game no. 127 is a milestone one for Roger Gaeckler, who moves over .500 for the first time ever and creates a three-way tie for sixth place with Dick Berg and Joe Mihalich as his 76-77 Dutchmen march towards a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. And I’m sure the school won’t almost go bankrupt while the men’s basketball program goes into a tailspin that costs Gaeckler his job just two-plus years later! The good times have never lasted very long here. Anyway! Butch van Breda Kolff just keeps winning atop the charts while Tom Pecora and Jay Wright each win their 127th game at the helm, which means Pecora remains one game ahead of perpetual slacker Wright. 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.