Category: Colonial Athletic Association

Players on Their Future at the Gotham Hoops Invitational

Earlier this month, Gotham Hoops hosted the inaugural Gotham Hoops Invitational at Farmingdale State College. The event was a showcase for over two dozen Men’s College Basketball seniors in the Tri-State area.

Participants included a diverse array of players from local Division I, II, and III schools. The players were separated into four teams and played two exhibition games to show off their skills. This was just one opportunity for these seniors to play in front of friends, media, and scouts as they pursue their dreams of playing professionally.

Big Apple Buckets was at the event, and we were able to catch up with some local players including Manhattan’s Rhamel Brown, Hofstra’s Stephen Nwaukoni, and Quinnipiac’s Ike Azotam. Continue reading “Players on Their Future at the Gotham Hoops Invitational” →

New York City Round Up: March 8

Almost every team in America was playing today thanks to either the wrapping up of conference season or tournaments. We’ve got tons of coverage from the MAAC tournament and the recap of Wagner’s semifinal loss. Here’s what else happened for New York City teams. Continue reading “New York City Round Up: March 8” →

Drexel 77, Hofstra 74

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Frantz Massenat posted a career-high with 32 points and fell just one assist shy of a double-double as he powered Drexel to a 77-74 victory over Hofstra Wednesday night at the Mack Sports Complex in Hempstead, NY.

Zeke Upshaw led the Pride with 27 points, but it was not enough to get past Drexel and the hot hand of Massenat.

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Zeke Upshaw’s 27 points were not enough for Hofstra to get past Drexel Wednesday night. (Photo courtesy: Hofstra Athletic Communications)

“We lost the game in the first half,” said Hofstra head coach Joe Mihalich.  “They got 40 points in the first half.  We didn’t guard their shooters well, we didn’t guard the post well, and we didn’t rebound well.”

Drexel was led by Massenat’s career performance, but also had Chris Fouch post 19 points in support.  The two of them took all but one of Drexel’s three-point attempts.  The Dragons finished 10 for 21 from behind the arc after making just two shots from long range in the second half.  Drexel has shot 42% from three-point range over the last three games.

“He was unbelievable tonight,” said Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint of Massenat’s performance.  “We needed every point and every assist that he gave us tonight.  Defensively he played well, offensively he played well, and we needed every minute of it.”

Though not known as a particularly effective team from long range, Drexel was lights-out from behind the arc in the first half.  The Dragons came into Wednesday’s contest shooting just 30% from 3-point range – good for 323rd in the nation, but knocked down eight of their 13 attempts from long range in the opening half. 

Drexel used their hot shooting to open an 11-point lead at the 7:38 mark, but Upshaw’s first basket of the game at 7:21 sparked an 11-2 Hofstra run which pulled the Pride within two.  However, the run was cut short before Hofstra could threaten the lead when Massenat knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the half.  The teams would go on to trade baskets in the final minutes of the frame before Massenat added one final three-pointer at the buzzer to give Drexel a 40-32 lead at halftime.

Massenat made five three-pointers and had 17 points at the break, but he and the rest of the Drexel squad suddenly fell cold in the second half.  The Dragons made just one field goal in the first 7:40 of the second frame as Hofstra quickly began to fight their way back.

Darren Payen’s free throw at the 13:58 mark pulled the Pride even at 47 and Jamall Robinson’s three-pointer soon after gave Hofstra their first lead of the game.  Hofstra led by as much as five midway through the half, but the Drexel offense picked up once again.  Both teams battled back and forth as the lead changed hands 10 times over the course of the second half.

The game was knotted at 66 with 2:26 to play when Massenat put the Dragons up for good.  Drexel did have trouble hanging on to their lead in the waning moments of the game as they missed six free throws down the stretch to leave Hofstra with a glimmer of hope.  With Drexel up 76-74 and six seconds to play, Massenat missed the first of two free throws before sinking the second.  However, the Pride could only manage a poor look at a half-court heave on their final possession, which fell well short.

Four Hofstra players scored in double digits, led by Upshaw’s 27.  Robinson posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.  Dion Nesmith had 13 points and eight assists while Moussa Kone rounded out the scoring with 10 points. 

Depth continues to be an issue for Mihalich’s squad, as Upshaw, Robinson, and Nesmith all played a full 40 minutes.  Jordan Allen missed his third consecutive game after sustaining a head injury against William & Mary earlier in the month.

Hofstra returns to action Saturday at Charleston, in their first meeting on January 11, Hofstra came away with a 75-71 victory.

Hofstra 77, William & Mary 60

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A 17-0 run during which four different Pride players knocked down 3-pointers helped Hofstra pull away from William & Mary early in the second half Wednesday night for a 77-60 CAA victory.  After nursing a narrow lead for much of the game, the Pride’s furious run broke the game open as they led by as much as 23 late in the game. Continue reading “Hofstra 77, William & Mary 60” →

Hofstra Rookie Robinson Key for Pride

For Joe Mihalich, who inherited a roster of four players when he took over at Hofstra as head coach, he knew he would need players who could help bring the program back to prominence. One of those players committed to Mihalich months before he moved from the MAAC and Niagara to the CAA and Hofstra in April.

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Jammal Robinson (center) drives in the lane against Manhattan. (photo courtesy: Hofstra athletic communications)

Jamall Robinson committed to Mihalich after visiting Niagara last year. Robinson said he saw Mihalich in the stands at every AAU tournament he went to as well as at his high school games during his junior and senior years.

“He recruited me really hard,” Robinson said during the preseason on his relationship with Mihalich. “I felt like I owe him that much to at least come here and visit here when he switched.”

After receiving his release from Niagara once Mihalich took over at Hofstra, Robinson said Mihalich and the staff were the first people he talked to.

“There’s a lot of problems, that’s the reason I’m here,” Mihalich said. “When you have problems you look for solutions and Jamall Robinson is going to be somebody who is going to be part of the solution.”

The freshman has not disappointed so far this season, starting all 14 games and showing off his ability to score in many different ways. Mihalich said when he saw Robinson as a senior in high school at Paul VI in Virginia, he knew he saw a winner.

“He’s a winner, he’s a high character guy,” Mihalich said. “I did not believe he’d play this way, he strangely enough, didn’t have a great senior year. I’ve told him this too, he really deferred a little bit to some high quality underclassmen guys and accepted a role, and here he’s been asked not to do that and he has and he’s been terrific.”

“He’s doing a lot of things, I think he’s got a bright future and he’s a winner. I know that sometimes sounds like a cliche, but he is and, as I said, I believe he can be part of the solution here.”

Robinson has won Rookie of the Week awards in the CAA three times and averages 9.8 points per game for the Pride this season. Mihalich, Robinson and the Pride will be welcomed into CAA play on Wednesday night when they visit the University of Delaware.

Ryan Restivo covers the Hofstra, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and America East conference for Big Apple Buckets. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanarestivo or contact Ryan at rrestivo[at]nycbuckets.com.