Meet the Coastal Athletic Association champion Hofstra Pride, who enter March Madness as the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region:
Location: Hempstead, LI
Enrollment: 6,599 undergraduates (10,543 total)
Coach: Speedy Claxton (5th season)
Last NCAA appearance: 2001
NCAA Tournament history: Four appearances, 0-4
How they got here: The Pride have been streaky. They won eight in a row before dropping five straight. However, Hofstra has been on fire since late January, winning 11 of its last 12 games. They are led by two high-scoring guards, Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead, and own quality road wins over ACC teams Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
Starters
G Cruz Davis
20.2 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.7 rpg
G Preston Edmead
15.9 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.5 rpg
G German Plotnikov
9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.9 spg
F Joshua DeCady
6.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.8 spg
F Silas Sunday
5.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key reserves
G Biggie Patterson
9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.6 spg
G Joshua Aaron Reaves
2.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.3 spg
F Victory Onuetu
4.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Player to Watch
Cruz Davis, the CAA Player of the Year, is the latest guard to develop into a star under Claxton, a former Hofstra standout and NBA player. Injuries limited the 6-foot-3 southpaw during his first two years at Iona and St. John’s, but Davis has blossomed at Hofstra, becoming one of the premier mid-major scorers in the country in his second season with the Pride. He had five 30-point games this season and averaged 20 points in the CAA Tournament.
Key Numbers
44.2: Hofstra’s 2-point field goal percentage defense, fourth best in the country.
37.2: The Pride’s 3-point percentage in conference play, which led the CAA.
7.3: Hofstra’s steal percentage, 337th nationally.
25: Years since Hofstra last played in the NCAA Tournament.
4: 20-win seasons for Claxton in five years as Hofstra’s head coach.