https://vimeo.com/154910441
By Alex Mitchell – STAFF WRITER
Ranked seventh in the nation in rebounds per game with back to back 20-20 games and ten consecutive double-doubles, starting forward Rokas Gustys has contributed greatly to the Pride’s recent success.
The sophomore big-man has led the way to the Pride’s current 16-6 record (8-2 CAA). More than that, with Gustys’ contribution, Hofstra is a top contender for the CAA title; which means an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the Pride. He’s impressed many along the way, including his coaches.
“He’s just playing great. What’s great to see is he’s doing what he can do, he understands his role, he understands all the things that he can do, he’s just keeping it simple,” head coach Joe Mihalich said.
The framework of the Pride is a deadly outside attack with a human vacuum under the basket. Brian Bernardi, Ameen Tanksley, Juan’ya Green and Denton Koon all have the ability to shoot from beyond the arc on command. However, almost any miss winds up in the clutches of Gustys, leading to a usual second chance conversion.
Of course, his teammates send the ball to him in the paint on more than an occasion, too. He currently averages 13 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. Gustys attributes his accomplishments to focus and preparation.
“Just focusing more on the schedule and just getting myself ready for every game, I’m feeling much better and confident, that’s it,” Gustys said. As the fall semester ended, Gustys had more time for weight training. He lifted on average twice a day. Gustys’ stretch of outstanding performances brought him closer with his teammates as well.
“I feel much more comfortable playing with Juan’ya and playing with Ameen, they’re believing more in me,” Gustys said. “We’re a great team right now and we’re feeling great with each other and we feel more comfortable with scoring and on defense, we’re talking on the floor and we’ve got great chemistry right now.”
The Pride has been reaching new levels of camaraderie and it could not have come at a better time. Hofstra, an energetic squad, is determined to have a deep postseason run. Their energy and confidence is warranted this season.
From a triple-overtime, thrilling win against Northeastern to Juan’ya Green silencing Elon with 2.1 seconds left, to taking down Florida State of the ACC, Hofstra’s had a season to remember.
For Rokas, that’s not enough. He intends to finish this 2015-16 season in grand style. His goal is to get a double-double in each remaining game of the season. He’s six away from complete the task.
Bigger than that, Gustys wants to win the CAA tournament, while finishing first as well. Gustys and the rest of the Pride have absorbed a great deal from their double overtime heartbreaker against William & Mary in the CAA semifinal.
“We’ve grown older, we know those situations when you’re down or when you’re up and you have to play in overtime. We got better, got more mature, and I think we’re going to handle those situations better because we already have an experience from last year,” Gustys said. “I feel it’s going to help us a lot playing in the tournament.”
William & Mary is next on the schedule for Hofstra in a must win road matchup. A win would improve their CAA tournament seeding and generate momentum to end the season with. All of those goals are more than feasible for Gustys and the Pride currently.
With six games left before tournament time, ESPN even projected Hofstra to face Maryland in the NCAA tournament as a 14 seed. Hofstra taking a trip to the NCAA tournament would make the resurgence of Rokas Gustys even more stylish. Once you get there, it’s all up for grabs.
