Preview: Hofstra begins Gulf Coast Showcase

The Hofstra University men’s basketball team has traveled down to Estero, Florida, for the 2023 Gulf Coast Showcase and will be opening their participation in the tournament against the University at Buffalo Buffalo Bulls on Monday, Nov 18. The meeting will be the program's first since the 1994 season when the Bulls came to Hempstead and dominated the Pride 71-57. 

Coming into the matchup, the Bulls have had a mixed bag of results to start the year as they sit at 1-2 after losses to the Farleigh Dickinson University Knights and the University of South Alabama Jaguars. Buffalo’s lone win was against the Division II Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks on Wednesday, Nov 15. 

The Bulls are led by a balanced attack, as they boast five double-digit scorers. One of the biggest threats is senior forward Isaiah Adams, as noted by his 28 points, eight rebounds and five assists in their loss against the Knights. Fifth-year forward Sy Chatman is off to a great start this season as well, as he averages 15 points and eight rebounds per outing. 

As a team, the Bulls shot 45% from the field and averaged over 18 turnovers per game, the third most in the nation. Buffalo is rebounding at a high clip, ranking second in the Mid-American Conference in rebounds per game. Defensively, Buffalo allows just over 81 points per game to opposing teams, and those teams are also shooting 49% from the field and 35% from behind the arc.

On the other side of the court, the Pride enters the matchup with an identical 1-2 record, following losses to tough mid-major opponents in the Princeton University Tigers and the George Washington University Revolutionaries. Spearheaded by junior point guard Jaquan Carlos, who leads the Pride with 6.7 assists per game, the Pride ranks first in assists in the Coastal Athletic Association. 

Hofstra’s offense is run through graduate student Tyler Thomas, the 6-foot-3-inch guard who averages 19.7 points while shooting a blistering 42.4% from the 3-point line on 11 attempts a night. Darlinstone Dubar is also off to a strong start this year, averaging 17.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. An X factor in the matchup Monday night will be freshman KiJan Robinson, who shot 4-8 from the floor, including two 3-pointers in 24 minutes against George Washington University. 

The Pride will need to take advantage of their size against a tough rebounding team in Buffalo. Big men Dubar, Jacco Fritz and Silas Sunday will be expected to use their size to propel Hofstra to an advantage on the glass. The Bulls average 42.3 rebounds a game, ranking 65th in the nation, while the Pride snag 38.7 rebounds on average, coming in at 155th nationally. 

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Hertz Arena. The tournament will run from Monday to Wednesday. Regardless of the result, the Pride will be in action on Tuesday, Nov. 21, against either the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns or the Wright State University Raiders.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes