Last season: 27–8 (15–3 CAA, first place), lost in CAA final
Coach: Joe Mihalich (seventh season)
CAA Preseason Poll Finish: First
Losses
- G Justin Wright-Foreman
- G Kenny Wormley
- F Jacquil Taylor
- F Dan Dwyer
- F Matija Radovic
Additions
- G Caleb Burgess
- G Omar Silverio
- G Jermaine Miranda
- F Kvonn Cramer
By Matt Neiser
Led by Justin Wright-Foreman and his second-straight CAA Player of the Year season, the Hofstra Pride were a force to be reckoned with in 2018–19. A 16-game winning streak — the longest in the nation before Northeastern ended it on February 2 — helped Hofstra secure the CAA regular season crown before a loss to the Huskies in the CAA Championship game ended their season.
Wright-Foreman has carried the Pride the past few seasons, but he’s gone — off to compete in the NBA and G-League on a two-way contract after being drafted 53rd overall by the Utah Jazz. Now, reigning CAA Coach of the Year Joe Mihalich faces the challenge of replacing 27 ppg (second in the nation) of scoring and the bevy of other contributions the lethal lefty brought to his squad. Hofstra is also losing grad transfer Jacquil Taylor, their starting center and defensive anchor.
Despite the major losses, the Pride still have plenty of talent. Headlining their 2019–20 crew is All-CAA second team senior guard Eli Pemberton, who averaged 15 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on 45 percent shooting (35 percent from three) last season. The 6’5” guard has been a consistent scoring option behind Wright-Foreman throughout his career and finally has the chance to be top dog. An all-around scorer with playmaking upside, Pemberton will be the key to Hofstra’s success.
Also returning is senior guard Desure Buie, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Buie’s 82 steals last season led the CAA, and it wasn’t even close; the next highest in the conference was JMU’s Darius Banks with 56. His defense will be invaluable for the Pride in a conference full of dynamic guards.
Other notable returnees include senior Tareq Coburn and junior Jalen Ray, a pair of sharpshooting guards. Coburn started 25 games last season and shot 43 percent from behind the arc on 3.4 attempts per game, while Ray came off the bench and contributed his own 39 percent from three on 3.7 attempts. The two combined for 16 points per game and are poised to build on those numbers with Wright-Foreman’s departure.
The big question mark for the Pride is their frontcourt. After losing Taylor (6’10”), Dan Dwyer (6’8”), and Matija Radovic (6’7”), they’re left with little experience at the four and five spots. Of the four players on their current roster over 6’6” tall, 6’8” Stafford Trueheart’s 11 minutes per game in 2018 lead the way.
Bottom Line: Losing Wright-Foreman is going to hurt. It’ll take some time for Hofstra to adjust, but the Pride still have more than enough talent to compete in the CAA. If Pemberton rises to the challenge as their primary option and they can scavenge serviceable minutes from their big men, there’s no reason to think Hofstra won’t be back in the title hunt this season.