Preview: Hofstra meets UMass in Brooklyn for Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational

College basketball returns to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday night as the Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team meets the University of Massachusetts Minutemen as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational.

The Pride enter with a record of 6-4 after dropping their second consecutive game against the No. 4 Purdue University Boilermakers on Wednesday night. The Minutemen will be looking to start a new winning streak as well, entering with a 7-2 record after falling to the UMass Lowell River Hawks in an 85-80 thriller on Thursday. These schools have met just three times prior to Sunday, with UMass claiming the most recent matchup during the 2008-09 season. Hofstra has gotten quite familiar with A10 opponents this season, going 1-1 against the conference with a win over George Washington and a loss at the hands of George Mason.

The biggest question surrounding Sunday night’s game is undoubtedly the health of senior guard Aaron Estrada, as Hofstra’s leading scorer missed his first game as a member of the Pride on Wednesday night after suffering an injury during the loss to George Mason.  

With Estrada out of the lineup against Purdue, redshirt freshman Amar’e Marshall was given the keys to the offense and did not disappoint. Marshall posted a career-high 24 points on an impressive 58% shooting against one of the nation’s premier defensive teams. If Estrada is unable to play on Sunday night, all eyes will be on Marshall to lead the Hofstra attack once again.

The Minutemen are led by senior guard Noah Fernandes, who averages 11.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Junior forward Matt Cross is perhaps UMass’s most pivotal two-way player, totaling 10.4 points and five rebounds per game.

UMass relies heavily on the production of their interior scorers, as only 27.5% of their field goal attempts are of the three-point variety. This poses a direct contrast to Hofstra’s offensive style, as the Pride attempt threes on over 40% of their shots. The Minutemen have also excelled at running the floor this season, as they rank top 25 in adjusted tempo, with their average offensive possession taking just 16 seconds.

The game will tip off from Brooklyn at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the YES Network, while 88.7 FM WRHU will carry a radio feed. Links to the broadcasts and live stats can be found on GoHofstra.com

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Charles Jischke