Two weeks into the new year, the Hofstra University men’s basketball team had already been through the ringer. The Pride had dropped seven of their last nine games with back-to-back losses as heavy favorites against Northeastern University and Campbell University, dropping their conference record to 1-3 and placing their season on life support.

With Hofstra sitting rock bottom in a league they dominated just a season ago, head coach Speedy Claxton went searching for a spark. Few could have anticipated the stunning turnaround that saw Hofstra win 11 of their final 14 games. 

This season’s early struggles were a stark contrast to the previous campaign, which saw Hofstra steamroll their way to a 16-2 record in CAA play and a share of the league regular season title. Reeling from ignominious defeat in back-to-back contests, the Hofstra locker room rallied around its vocal leader, Jaquan Carlos, in an attempt to surmount their newfound adversity.

“Honestly, the shift probably came after the Campbell game,” Claxton said. “I had a conversation with [Carlos] after that game and pulled him into my office. I had some words with him, and by the time he left my office, he was in tears. Since that point, our team has turned around, and it starts with him because he’s our leader.”

Despite being a program that has leaned on electric guard play and consistent jump shooting for much of recent history, the Pride have used the back half of their league schedule to discover their identity on the defensive end. Since the calendar flipped to February, Hofstra has led the conference in defensive rating and field goal percentage by a wide margin while forcing turnovers at the fourth-highest rate in the league. In another juxtaposition to their run-and-gun style of years past, they’ve leveled up defensively by plummeting to 331st nationally in defensive tempo, grinding their adversaries into excruciatingly long possessions.

“They always say offense wins games and defense wins championships, and we’re trying to win a championship here,” Claxton said. “We know that it starts and ends on the defensive ends. We’ve been really good with holding teams under 65 points. 

After trotting out a squad that included key contributions from sophomores Carlos, Darlinstone “DStone” Dubar and German Plotnikov in last season’s tournament, the Pride are hoping to showcase their growth and maturity with a much more seasoned group this time around. In terms of total Division I games played, Hofstra currently boasts the CAA’s most experienced roster and ranks 19th nationally in average age.

“When you’re trying to win championships at the mid-major level, having an older, experienced group helps,” Claxton said. “Hopefully that bodes well for us going into the tournament.”

In a championship format that requires the Pride to win three games in as many days, those up-and-coming contributors will undoubtedly be tested. Hofstra ranked 294th nationally and dead last among CAA teams in bench points this season, but through it all, Claxton has remained steadfast in his belief that his auxiliary players will show up on the biggest stage.

“We won three games in three days down in Florida, so we can definitely do it again,” Claxton said. “It might be different from game to game based on who’s tired or who has foul trouble, but I’m confident in what my bench can do.”

While the supporting cast may fluctuate on a game-by-game basis, the one constant at the center of Hofstra’s offensive barrage is newly crowned CAA Player of the Year, Tyler Thomas. After a rocky start to league play that included a 22% shooting stretch from 3-point range, Thomas has rounded into top form with the third-highest scoring average in the nation, carrying on a storied lineage of Hofstra guards to claim the league’s top individual honor. While Thomas has unquestionably found his footing as the team’s primary scorer, the star senior has also made his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor, taking Hofstra’s back end to another level.

“These last 14 games, he’s been nails. I don’t expect anything less going down to D.C., I think he’s going to be playing at an all-time level,” said special assistant to the head coach Colin Curtin. “At this stage of the game in March, you need elite guard play to carry you, and I think we have three really good ones.”

After coasting to the regular season title and dropping an overtime thriller to lose the semifinals in a devastating fashion last season, the aura of unfinished business oozed from this group heading into postseason play. Whether it’s coining a mantra of “standing on business,” or directly challenging individual players to elevate their games, the message is abundantly clear for the Pride with their biggest battles ahead.

“Last year was last year, and this year is this year,” Claxton said. “Are we going in with a chip on our shoulder? Sure. But we’re going in there confident and we’re going to take it game by game.” 

The Pride kicks off their march towards history on Sunday, March 10, against either the University of Delaware, Elon University or Hampton University at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, Washington, D.C., Fans can listen to every minute of Hofstra’s run on 88.7 FM WRHU.

Photo courtesy of Lee S. Weissman