Hofstra University has been home to many athletes, but none quite like one kid from Minsk, Belarus. Whether you see him walking to class, getting something to eat, or on the floor at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, German Plotnikov always looks like he’s living out a dream.
Plotnikov’s college basketball career looked to be winding down to the fourth quarter until he received an additional year of eligibility. He’s spent the last three seasons with the Pride, fulfilling multiple roles. Whether he was having a big night from a scoring standpoint, or as a leader from the bench, one thing remained the same: Nobody brings the energy that Plotnikov brings.
“He’s very important because he brings energy and excitement whether he’s playing or he’s on the bench,” said Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton. “He’s always cheering for his teammates, and I think his teammates respect him. He’s been around here the longest so everybody kind of looks to him to see what they’re supposed to be doing. He’s been great, man. He’s a joy to coach and we love having him here. He truly is family.”
“No matter what, the one thing you can rely on with German is being that same person,” said Hofstra assistant coach Tom Parrotta. “When people watch our games on [television] and they pan to our bench, he is always going to be the guy, whether he has two points or 20 points, whether we’re winning or losing, he’s going to be the guy trying to rally the troops. It’s invaluable and that’s not taught.”
In 2018, Plotnikov moved to the United States on a full-ride high school scholarship to play basketball and compete in this country. For him, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.
At 17 years old, he left his mom to fulfill his dream of continuing to play basketball. He attended North Platte Community College in Nebraska for the first two seasons of his collegiate career before ultimately entering the transfer portal and coming to Long Island.
Plotnikov joined the Pride in 2022 and primarily came off the bench. Since his first visit to Hofstra, he knew this was where his next home needed to be.
“I really felt like I connected with the coaching staff, especially coach [Parrotta]. He’s one of the biggest reasons I came here,” Plotnikov said. “At the moment he’s like a father figure to me, [and] I treat him like family. This guy has been nothing but the best and I never regretted my decision.”
The senior forward grew up without a father present in his life, leading to the father-son relationship he built with Parrotta.
“When I first met him, he met me at the airport,” Plotnikov said. “We never met before … and the day after I have to play a game with Hofstra players and work out with Hofstra coaches. He’s already in the car giving me like a father talk, like ‘you’re going to do this, you’re going to do that.’ He’s cheering for me and he’s trying to give me the answers to the test, as he says. Ever since then, that relationship has been nothing but great and I’m very grateful that I have that.”
“You don’t necessarily view yourself that way, but when you hear [being a father figure to Plotnikov] from another person, it’s gratifying, and in his situation, it’s understood,” Parrotta said. “I reciprocate that because I do look at him as another son, too. I realized that a dad hasn’t been present in his life and when you recruit a kid like that, especially because I’ve done a lot of international stuff, you do take on that role and I take it very seriously. It’s something that is growing, growing and growing and he’s kind of an extension of my own family.”
In 2025, Plotnikov got a special gift from back home when his mother attended his Senior Day game on March 1, as well as the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament in Washington, D.C.
“I grew up with just me and my mom … I was the only child so I was getting all of the good treatment from my mom,” Plotnikov said. “She’s the only family I have. I’m trying to bring her over here as much as I can. Sometimes I have to wait a year or so, but the first time I came here, I didn’t see her for my first three years in the United States so that was a struggle for both of us. When she’s in the stands, I feel like my performance evolves a little bit.”
For a mid-major basketball program, it’s not often that the fans resonate and fall in love with a specific player, especially the way college basketball has transformed due to the transfer portal.
“Everybody loves him,” Claxton said. “Last season during Senior Day, you can just tell how everybody was excited for him when they announced his name. The fans recognize him the most. He will definitely be missed after next season.”
As a player, one thing stuck with Claxton during his recruitment process.
“Coach [Parrotta] actually sent me a game film of him,” Claxton said. “I just loved how hard he played. He did whatever the team needed in order for them to win. He dove on loose balls, he rebounded and he shot the ball. Overall, he just played hard.”
Plotnikov has been a leader since he came to Hempstead, but with the turnover off the roster and a bunch of young guys coming in, he acted as an additional coach for the younger players.
“I think he talks more when the coaches aren’t around,” Claxton said. “I know they had a players-only meeting last season and somebody said that he was pretty much the only one that kind of spoke. He’s grown in the leadership role, vocally and he’s been here the longest so naturally that should happen.”
Because of his daily behavior, Plotnikov is someone everyone sees and appreciates, whether they know him or not. He has an infectious personality that many are drawn to.
“He’s a guy that’s pretty much the same every day,” Parrotta said. “I mean that in a good way because he walks around campus and everything he does is with a smile on his face. To come from the situation that he’s come from and where he is right now, he still has a smile on his face. I do know there are challenges back home – there are challenges because it is just him and his mom – but you would never know it. You would think he had everything going great in his life. It’s never affected him as a kid, it’s never affected him as a young man, it’s never affected him as a student and it certainly never affected him on the basketball court. [He’s] just an exceptional, exceptional young guy.”
