Preview: Hofstra opens conference schedule at defending CAA champion Blue Hens

The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team will begin its conference schedule on Thursday night in Newark, DE, where they’ll take on the reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champion University of Delaware Blue Hens.

These two teams seem to be headed in opposite directions lately, as the Pride has dropped four of its last five contests while the Blue Hens have won five of their previous six. Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton and the Pride are undoubtedly hoping that the start of conference play marks the beginning of a new chapter in their season, as Hofstra’s non-conference schedule brought about a multitude of challenges that culminated in a mediocre 7-6 record.

Before routing Division II SUNY Old Westbury at home last time out, 96-48, Hofstra stumbled through a nine-game road trip in which they compiled a 3-6 record. CAA preseason player of the year Aaron Estrada missed two of those games due to injury but will still enter Thursday’s contest as the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 21.6 points per game while shooting 52% from the field.

 Although Estrada is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the Pride’s offensive attack, many others could be considered as the team’s second option. Veterans such as Darlinstone Dubar and Tyler Thomas have been consistent scoring threats all year, and redshirt freshman Amar’e Marshall has shown flashes of brilliance off the bench, including a 24-point outing against top-ranked Purdue.

As for Delaware, Thursday marks the beginning of their CAA title defense after claiming their first conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance since 2016. This season, Delaware is off to an 8-5 start while gaining invaluable experience against NCAA tournament-caliber teams such as the Duke University Blue Devils and Ohio University Bobcats. 

Junior guard Jameer Nelson Jr. leads the Blue Hens with 19.8 points per game on 46% shooting, while by his side, Jyare Davis has burst onto the scene after a plethora of offseason departures. The sophomore has quickly become the team’s leading facilitator, posting 3.5 assists per game paired with 16.6 points. Down low the Pride will have to limit the production of Christian Ray, a versatile 6-foot-6 guard who ranks second in the conference with 9.6 rebounds per game. It’s no secret that Hofstra has struggled on the glass this season, as they’ve posted the worst rebounding percentage in the conference by a wide margin and have been out-rebounded in 10 of their 13 games so far. Additionally, the Blue Hens excel at taking care of the basketball and limiting turnovers, as their 15.2% turnover percentage ranks fifteenth nationally. 

Tip-off from the Bob Carpenter Center is set for 7 pm. Thursday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network, while an audio-only broadcast will be available on the Hofstra Alternative Web Channel. Links to both feeds and live stats can be found on GoHofstra.com.

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Friedman/The Hofstra Chronicle