By Ed Morrone
Q: How will Hofstra respond to getting left out of the NCAA Tournament despite winning 24 regular season games?A: The Pride had a lot of time this offseason to think about being left out of the field last March. The team knows it belonged and watched in agony as George Mason, a team it beat twice over the season’s final two weeks, made a magical run to the Final Four. However, this layoff should help the Pride. The team is motivated to show the world it can play on the big stage, and with all eyes on the CAA, Hofstra will need to use this motivation to its advantage.
Q: Everybody knows how good Hofstra’s backcourt is, but what will the team get out of its unproven frontcourt?A: That’s the million-dollar question. Hofstra’s three-guard tandem is one of the best in the country, but the frontcourt took a huge toll with the graduation of Adrian Uter and Aurimas Kieza. A lot will hinge on the development of Chris Gadley, who showed promise toward the end of last season. Players such as Arminas Urbutis, Mike Davis-Sabb and Greg Washington will have to contribute down low as well.
Q: Why did Tom Pecora stay at Hofstra when the Big East was calling?A: Simple-Pecora loves this job. He built this program from the ground up after Jay Wright left for Villanova in 2001, and after how close the team came to the NCAA Tournament last year, he was not ready to leave yet, especially for Seton Hall, a team that is not close to contending in the Big East. Pecora has big time goals for this team.
Q: Who’s the better team: Hofstra or George Mason?A: Hofstra has more talent this year, but don’t sleep on the Patriots. They lost Jai Lewis, Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler, but return Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell, both NCAA Tourney standouts. Mason coach Jim Larranaga is back with a contract extension and is out to prove that last year was not a fluke.
Q: How far will Hofstra go this season?A: The Pride should win the conference and gain its first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2000-01 season. It has the CAA’s best player in Loren Stokes and one of the best coaches in Pecora, and after last year, anything other than a spot in the Big Dance will be a disappointment. However, be careful not to put Mason-like expectations on this team, because a Final Four is not in the cards.