By Andrew Coen
When the clock strikes midnight on Saturday, Oct. 14, college basketball teams around the nation will be able to hold their first practice with most schools opting for a ìMidnight Madnessî to honor the occasion. However, Hofstra University ñ on the Hempstead-Uniondale border ñ has taken a different route, tipping off the season with a Mid-Day Mania to give families and children in the area a chance to see their favorite men's and women's college basketball players in action for the first time since March.
The Hofstra menís and womenís basketball teams will host their annual Mid-Day Mania event to celebrate the start of pre-season practice at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on Saturday, Oct. 14 at noon. The doors to the complex, formerly Hofstra Arena, will open at 11:30 a.m. for a shoot-around with the players. There will be a raffle drawing with free giveaways for fans in attendance, while the players will remain afterwards to sign autographs.
Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora said he is excited to be able to launch his team's season with a family oriented event instead of holding it at midnight like other colleges. ìWe changed to a mid-day format a couple years ago, and we think it's a great way to get everyone involved, including students and members of the community,î said Pecora. ìItís a very family friendly event, and it gives our players a chance to interact with the fans and sign autographs for kids. We hope for a great turnout to help us build some excitement for the new season.î
The Hofstra menís and womenís basketball teams both enter the 2006-07 season with high expectations. The men's team is coming off a 26-7 season that saw it tie the school record for wins in a season and capture the first two Division I post-season wins in school history, advancing to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) quarterfinals with victories over Nebraska and Saint Josephís. The women's team enters the 2006-07 season after making its first trip to post-season play in 2005-06 and setting a record for wins with a 19-12 record. That included a victory over Stony Brook in the preliminary round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) before ending the season with a loss at Villanova.
Pecoraís squad, which has NCAA tournament aspirations after just missing out on being selected to the ìBig Danceî (65 teams and 34-at large births) in 2006, returns the highest scoring back court in all of Division I. The guard trio of senior Loren Stokes, junior Antoine Agudio and senior Carlos Rivera combined for 46.3 points per game last season and helped the Pride twice defeat Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival and eventual Final Four participant George Mason.
The Hofstra womenís basketball teamís 19 wins were the second-most in school history and the Pride returns four starters from last yearís squad. Three of the returning starters including center Vanessa Gidden, forward Lizanne Murphy and guard Cigi McCollin have earned All-CAA honors in their three-year careers.
It is the inaugural season for head coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey who was previously an assistant coach at fellow CAA opponent James Madison and replaces Felisha Legette-Jack who took the head coaching position at Indiana in the off-season.
ìIím really excited about [Mid-Day Mania],î said Coach Kilburn-Steveskey. ìI really want to embrace the community.î
In addition to eight CAA games at the Mack Sports Complex, the Hofstra menís basketball home schedule is highlighted by a Feb. 17 potential nationally televised game in the ESPN Bracket Buster featuring the top teams from mid-major conferences. Hofstraís opponent for the bracket buster and the decision whether the game would be televised to a nationwide audience on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU will be announced in early February. The Pride will also get the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden for the Panasonic Holiday Festival against St. Josephís on Dec. 28 and either St. Johnís or Boston University the following evening.
The Hofstra women's basketball teamís home schedule also features eight conference games with CAA opponents as well as tilts with Rider on Nov. 26, Central Connecticut State on Dec. 6, Yale on Dec. 12 and the University of Hartford on Dec. 22.
For further information about Mid-Day Mania, call (516) 463-HOOP. For additional information on both the Hofstra menís and women's basketball teamsí schedules, log onto www.hofstra.edu/athletics or call (516) 463-TIXX.
Comments about this story? Acoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
