Hofstra aims for CAA championship

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Expectations are far different for Joe Mihalich’s second season as Hofstra men’s basketball head coach.

When Mihalich left Niagara for Hofstra, he inherited a thin roster that featured only four scholarship players. Entering the 2014-15 campaign however, Mihalich has a much deeper bench to turn to thanks to three Division I transfers and several talented newcomers. Hofstra, which finished eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) last season, was picked to place third this season behind Northeastern and William & Mary.

“We probably have eight guys who are starters,” said Mihalich of the Pride’s increased depth. “It’s a whole different mindset.”

Among the newcomers that Mihalich is excited to enter the court are his former Niagara standouts

Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley, who practiced last season but were ineligible due to NCAA transfer rules. Green shined in his first two seasons at Niagara and was named in 2012-13 to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) first team when he averaged 16.5 points per game. Tanksley, a forward, averaged 11.1 points per game as a sophomore at Niagara and also led the Purple Eagles in rebounding.

“They have an incredible chemistry between them,” said Mihalich of Green and Tanksley, who are both Philadelphia natives and combined for 30 points in Hofstra’s season-opening 94-61 win against Jacksonville. “They are like twins.”

Also suiting up for the Pride after a season on the sidelines is former SMU guard Brian Bernardi. The Staten Island native led SMU in three-point shooting his one season with the Mustangs during the 2012-13 campaign. “He can shoot the basketball so he is going to be able to stretch defenses,” said Mihalich of Bernardi, who connected on 6-of-8 three pointers against Jacksonville. “He brings toughness to the court.”

Hofstra’s top returning scorer is Dion Nesmith, who excelled as a graduate student last year with 13.3 points per game after previously playing one season at Monmouth. The intelligent and athletic Nesmith, who started his college sports career as a quarterback at Northeastern before the school dropped football, is pursuing an MBA degree with a concentration in business analytics.

“He is a high character guy,” said Mihalich of Nesmith, who led Pride in assists last year and scored 13 points in Hofstra’s 76-64 loss at North Carolina State on Nov. 17. “I always joke that we will all be working for him someday.”

Last Friday, Nesmith provided some early heroics when his jumper with 1.6 seconds left gave the Pride a thrilling 66-65 victory over Stony Brook.

Hofstra’s most experienced player is senior forward/center Moussa Kone, who led Hofstra in blocks and gives the Pride a force inside. Sophomore guard/forward Jamall Robinson is back after starting all 33 games as a freshman and winning CAA Rookie of the Week honors five times while ranking third on the team in scoring.

“Jamall can do a little bit of everything,” Mihalich said. “He has been great for us.”

A freshman that Mihalich has high expectations for is 6-9 forward Rokas Gustys, a Lithuania native who played the last two years at national high school power Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Gustys, who was also recruited by ACC programs Wake Forest, Boston College and Georgia Tech, averaged 12 points and a team high nine rebounds per game as a senior on a squad stacked with highly touted players.

“He is a big productive guy for us,” said Mihalich. “He has a good pedigree.”

A newcomer shining early on at Hofstra is guard Malik Nichols, a Rockaway Beach native who arrives on Long Island after playing two years at South Plains Community College in Texas. Nichols started in Hofstra’s season opener against Jacksonville and tallied 15 points in just 22 minutes on the floor.

Mihalich set up Hofstra’s non-conference schedule with challenging November games at N.C. State and South Florida. Hofstra’s December schedule is highlighted by a Dec. 23 home game against La Salle, where Mihalich played in the mid-1970s. Hofstra opens its home conference schedule against defending CAA champion Delaware on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.

“We know if we play hard and play with passion we can be one of the top teams in the league,” Mihalich said. “It’s a team that could be a fun team to watch.”