As the calendar switches from 2023 to 2024, so does the Hofstra men’s basketball team’s mindset, as the focus for the rest of the season is now on conference play. On Thursday, Jan. 4, the Pride, the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) reigning regular season champions, will begin conference play by hosting the College of Charleston Cougars, winners of the 2023 CAA men’s basketball tournament.
The Cougars were the only CAA member to be ranked in the Associated Press poll last season, sitting at No. 18. The Cougars narrowly lost to San Diego State University, 63-57, in the first round of the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament; however, 11 players have returned this season. Head coach Pat Kelsey is also back at the helm for Charleston, as he enters his third season with the program at an impressive .713 winning percentage. This year, with a 9-4 record, the Cougars are placed third in the CAA standings. Currently on a five-game win streak, the Cougars earned their most recent victory on Friday, Dec. 29, against Montreat College, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics opponent. The final score was 96-59.
Charleston is averaging 78.5 points per game. Ben Burnham leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game. Reyne Smith ranks second with 11.9 points per game, shooting a career-best 38.4% from 3-point range. Ante Brzovic averages 10.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with 6.2 per contest, a total of 81 rebounds. While most offensive categories are headed by returning players, some new additions have made their mark on the Cougar’s defensive end. CJ Fulton, a transfer from Lafayette College, leads the Cougars with 52 assists and 18 steals, while freshman James Scott leads with 21 blocks.
Hofstra sits slightly lower in the CAA standings. Their 7-6 record places the Pride sixth amongst CAA foes. The Pride has lost four of their last five games, the most recent coming from a narrow 84-79 loss against St. John’s University at UBS Arena on Saturday, Dec. 30. Despite the loss, Tyler Thomas led the Pride with 24 points, going 6-8 from the 3-point line as well as pulling down nine rebounds. Darlinstone Dubar followed Thomas with 23 points, and Jaquan Carlos scored 10 points.
The Pride’s most recent matchup against the Cougars, an 85-81 victory on the road, came in Jan. 2023. Since Charleston joined the CAA for the 2013-2014 season, Hofstra holds a 10-8 record over the Cougars.
Tip-off at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4. The conference clash will be aired live on MSG2.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
