HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (BVM) — The Hofstra men’s basketball has been through droughts when it comes to having winning seasons in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) since joining the conference in 2001. 

However, there seemed to be a new revival for Hofstra when the Pride reached the NCAA Tournament in 2020. The last time that Hofstra played in the NCAA tournament was in 2001, making the drought of not playing in the tournament nearly 20 years. 

Along with their recent tournament appearance, the Long Island based basketball team were also the conference season champions, finishing with a record of 26-8. The standout campaign included a record of 14-4 in the CAA conference, as the 2020 season seemed to be the start of something very special for the blue and gold.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic took precedence during postseason play in the Pride’s late–season action, causing the entire NCAA tournament play to be canceled. After enjoying one of the program’s best seasons, the Pride would be left with no opportunity to play in the “Big Dance.”

The 2020-2021 season was a disappointment compared to the season prior, as the team would finish with a total record of 13-10, while having a record of 8-6 in their conference.

Now fast-forward to this current season, the Pride are hoping to have the same success as they did two seasons ago, even though the team is constructed differently.

Through its first nine games of the season, Hofstra holds a record of 5-4 on the season. They are currently coached by Speedy Claxton, who is in his first season as the head coach for his alma mater. 

The Pride started the season out slow, losing the season opener to the Houston Cougars in overtime by a score of 85-73. The Pride would get their first win in the second game of the season by defeating the Duquesne Dukes on the road with a final score of 73-63.

After starting the season 1-1, the team would experience a rough stretch, losing three consecutive games. The first loss would be against the Iona Gaels, losing to Iona by a score of 82-74. The second consecutive loss came at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins, losing in a tight game with a final score of 69-67. The third consecutive loss would be against the Richmond Spiders, losing to Spiders by double-digits with a final score of 81-68. 

With a record of 1-4, the Pride were in a tough position to start out the season, but that didn’t discourage the team. Hofstra would look to go on a winning streak, winning the past four games against its opponents. The Pride would start their winning streak by blowing out the Molloy Lions by a score of 87-49, before going on to defeat the Detroit Mercy Titans by a score of 98-84. The Pride continued their hot stretch with consecutive wins over Princeton and Bucknell, righting the ship on their early season struggles.

The team will look to push their winning streak to five as they play the Stony Brook Seawolves on Wednesday.

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