Hofstra 2010 CBI Tournament Preview

Hofstra Pride - Colonial Athletic Association (19-14, 10-8)

Big Wins: 11/30 Fairfield (84-80), 2/20 Rider (92-89), 2/23 at Northeastern (73-62)

Bad Losses: 12/21 vs Davidson (52-61), 1/19 George Mason (72-90), 1/23 at Drexel (62-75)

Coach: Tom Pecora

Probable Hofstra Starters:

• Chaz Williams, Freshman, Guard, 9.8 ppg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg

• Cornelius Vines, Senior, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 2.4 apg

• Charles Jenkins, Junior, Guard, 20.6 ppg, 3.8 apg, 4.5 rpg

• Miklos Szabo, Senior, Forward, 6.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg

• Greg Washington, Junior, Forward, 6.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.8 bpg

Key Hofstra Roleplayers:

• Halil Kanacevic, Freshman, Forward, 8.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg

• Nathaniel Lester, Junior, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg

Why The Pride Can Surprise:
There is no doubt who the star of Hofstra has been during the 2009-2010 campaign. Junior Charles Jenkins is the only player who averages double digits in the scoring column. His 20.6 points per game is quite impressive on its own, but Jenkins does a lot more than just score. On top of his dynamic scoring abilities, Jenkins dishes out 3.8 assists, grabs 4.5 rebounds and nabs 1.8 steals per contest. He will even block a shot here and there and he is pretty much the Evan Turner of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Chaz Williams is the only other player flirting with the ten point per game mark. The 5-9 freshman has quickly emerged as a quality point guard who dishes out 4.2 assists per game. Williams is a fine outside shooter and somehow manages to find his way through the traffic in the paint to get to the basket. He even averages 4.3 rebounds and you will not find too many 5-9 players that can do that. Cornelius Vines is the other usual starter on the perimeter. Vines’ shot has not been falling too consistently this year, but he is pretty much a pure shooter and when he is hot, he can put up points up in a hurry.

Why The Pride Can Disappoint:
The odd thing about Hofstra is their poor shooting percentage. While the big guys do a great job on the boards and players like Halil Kanacevic are capable interior scorers, they have surprising low overall shooting numbers. In Kanacevic’s case it is because he steps outside and attempts the mid-range jumper…perhaps a little too often. Miklos Szabo and Greg Washington usually earn the starting nod over Kanacevic, but they do not help the overall shooting numbers very much. Szabo is the more consistent scorer, but Washington is the more important player on the other end of the floor. The 6-10 junior is a fine rebounder and a superb shot blocker.

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Who To Watch for Hofstra:
Nathaniel Lester is often overlooked, as are most on this team due to Jenkins. However, Lester is a guard who does not rely on the outside shot like Vines. He is a decent scorer and he does it by attacking the basket and using his 6-5 frame to overpower smaller defenders. He is also a fine rebounder and with his ability to hit the glass Hofstra is a really good rebounding team. Lester has started 21 games this season, but he will likely come off the bench so his ability to attack the basket can spark the offense if others are struggling with their shot.

Hofstra By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 70.4 (135th in nation, 2nd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 67.2 (152, 8)

Field-Goal Percentage: 41.0 (279, 10)

Field-Goal Defense: 39.6 (26, 1)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.5 (238, 7)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.3 (197, 7)

Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (65, 1)

Rebound Margin: 4.0 (56, 2)

Assists Per Game: 13.7 (122, 5)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.7 (169, 10)