Defense and rebounding keys for Hofstra

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The Hofstra men’s basketball program is coming off a solid campaign that saw the Pride finish with 21-12 record in Mo Cassara’s first season as head coach. The Pride posted a 14-4 mark against Colonial Athletic Association rivals, good enough for their best finish ever in league play (tied for second place), and earned a bid in the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.

Gone are two-time CAA player of the Year Charles Jenkins, the leading scorer in program history and a second-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors, Greg Washington, the most prolific shot blocker to ever wear the blue and gold, and guard Brad Kelleher.

With a relatively inexperienced lineup, Hofstra won’t have it easy as it does battle in what is arguably the top mid-major conference in the nation, and faces a difficult non-league schedule. The Pride is 3-3 after a 63-53 victory over a strong Cleveland State team.

Cassara is hopeful that his team will be up to the challenge. “It’s a big transition year for us,” Cassara said. “When you lose a player like Charles, a guy who commanded so much respect on and off the court, it’s tough to replace. We’re still figuring out who we are as a team. These guys haven’t played a lot of basketball together.”

If Hofstra has a go-to player it is tri-captain Mike Moore. The senior guard, who started all 33 games, finished 11th in the CAA in scoring at 14.9 points per game, Moore shot over 40 percent from three-point range. He’s also money from the free throw line hitting at an 85.2 percent clip. Moore is off to a good start, averaging 18.7 per game over Hofstra’s first six games.

The guard-heavy Pride welcomes back senior tri-captain Nat Lester, who missed all of last season and was granted a medical redshirt. Despite being a little rusty from the long layoff, Lester is averaging 17.2 points and 7.0 boards per game. His 33 points led the Pride to an 89-71 win over LIU in the opener.

Junior point guard Stevie Mejia, a transfer from Rhode Island, is off to a good start, averaging 8.7 points. As a sophomore at Rhode Island, Mejia led the Atlantic 10 Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio. He was named a captain by Cassara. Senior Dwan McMillan, who scored 12 points in the win over Cleveland State, and sophomore Shemiye McLendon, add depth to Hofstra’s solid backcourt.

David Imes, a 6-foot-7 forward, returns after starting every game as a sophomore. Imes (7.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg.) had six double-doubles to lead the Pride a year ago, and twice pulled down 17 boards.

Freshman Moussa Kone, a 6-7 forward from Frederick Douglass Academy III in the Bronx, is a player with a big future. Kone has started the Pride’s first six games. Bryant Crowder, a 6-foot-10 junior, gives Hofstra size and athleticism. Sophomore Stephen Nwaukoni (12 points, 9 rebounds vs. Cleveland State) adds depth to the frontcourt.

The CAA is once again loaded. With two teams making appearances in the NCAA over the past six years, including VCU’s magical run last season, the CAA has become one of the most intriguing conferences when tournament committees convene. Drexel, George Mason, VCU, and Old Dominion should all compete for league supremacy.

Cassara thinks defense and rebounding will be the keys for Hofstra, the No. 8 preseason seed in the CAA. “We’re going to have to grind it out if we’re going to be successful,” he said. “If we can get better on the defensive end and win the rebounding battles, we’ll be ok. We’re hoping to jell as a team, and to be playing our best basketball come January.”