Game 8 - Princeton, 12/1/21, 7 PM EST

[EvanJ]

Our lead got down to 78-77 with 48 seconds left. With 18.9 seconds left, the last points were when Ray banked in a three, which got him up to 8 points and 2--11 shooting. Estrada had more points than the next two players on either team combined at halftime, but he didn't finish with the most points. I wish I could find out how rare that is. He scored 2 in the second half and led us with 20. He shot 9-15 and tied Cooks for our lead with 7 assists. Silverio had 17 points and 5 rebounds. Dubar had 15 points by making all 6 twos and 1 of 2 threes. Cooks had 13 points, but shot 4-15, and had 7 assists. Those were our four double-digit scorers. Cramer had 8 points without a miss in 7 minutes, and didn't play in the last 25:48. Hopefully he can play in the next game. Ray had 8 points, shot 2-11, and led us with 7 rebounds. Our top two rebounders were players who never led us in rebounds in a game before tonight. Ray remained 15th in career points, and he is now 4 behind Rick Apodaca. Burgess didn't shoot in 5 minutes, didn't play in the last 27:10, and had 3 assists. Iyiola missed is only shot in four stints that totaled 4 minutes. Cooks, Ray, Estrada, and Silverio played the whole second half. The only second half subs were Dubar and Iyiola replacing each other.

Edit: Estrada and Cooks made it the third time from 2010-2011 to now that we had two players with at least 7 assists. The previous times were Buie (11) and Pemberton (7) in an 86-63 win at Elon on January 30, 2020; and Buie (7) and Wright-Foreman (7) in a 92-72 win hosting North Carolina A&T on November 14, 2018.

[Polito]

LOVE this win - very kew W over a really good mid who should finish high in the Ivy - took care of business at home

Too close at the end, HU continues to struggle holding leads in the 2nd, but in this game a little different because Princeton is good and was definitely going to make it a game. No matter, this is a good win and can be something to actually really build on

Was nice to see Iyiola get into the game, albeit not much - but a positive for sure - and boy, Estrada is really settling in, finding his game, and solidifying himself at the PG position - he's not 'loud' or 'flashy' but this kid seems to just get it done and fits in nicely - has a really sweet left hand, and doesn't make a lot of bad decisions or foolish plays - a PG that you can trust that can score is something that can be an unsung hero for this team

HU has a biiiiiig opportunity now these next few games - if HU can continue going on a strong win streak these next 3, they will have a monster final chance to make their national name against a rising now top 10 team in Arkansas - the Razorbacks play Oklahoma right before, and if they can win that game, HU might be able to catch them sleeping a bit against a much 'lower' opponent with less juice surrounding the game

A lot of maybes / ifs in there, don't want to get ahead of things, but this is a really intriguing setup for HU - want to be a darling, this last OOC stretch is their shot.

[triplec2195]

I HAVE TO SAY THAT WE PLAYED A NEARLY PERFECT FIRST HALF WITH TENACIOUS MAN TO MAN defense and a very good O performance and for a lot of the second half we played pretty well it did start to slip away at some point and truthfully Princeton was playing better D they were constantly creating mismatches in the paint where their big guy would post up one of our guards. A really good overall performance from Estrada who looked like he couldn't miss from anywhere and good penetration in the 1st half. Dubar was playing at a very high level rebounding and scoring and just giving us not only a shooter but strong rebounder and a guy who blocks shots. J Ray had a tough game and hurt us I thought in the second half with his drives to the basket and wild ill advised shots. Of course he hits the big bank three towards the end of the game which was huge. Another strong game from Silverio on both sides of the ball. Somehow he's like a born again basketball player. Iyiola returned but honestly he shouldn't have he was not ready getting burned on D and in the second half missing what was a nice pass down low where he should of had an easy dunk he tried a finger roll and missed an easy layup. Speedy took him out shortly after that. A lot of nail biting at the end but we took care of the ball 7 TO and made all our free throws which we definitely needed to close this one out.

[RollPride15]

We don't have a excellent ball-control PG or a huge, dominant big man, so it makes sense that these games tighten up because we're too dependent on outside shooting in critical moments when the opposing defense has really tightened up.

That said, this team clearly has talent. Dubar and Estrada are showing themselves to be the real deal for hopefully years to come. Cooks has been a little cold but over the course of the season his hot streaks will win games outright. And Ray is Ray, he's going to be streaky but you just hope his streaky performances come with help and opportunistic moments, which happened tonight.

The team is good. They are a top 150 team in college basketball, pretty clearly better than last year. The question is just: how good can they be, especially if healthy? Does Simmons move the needle?

My final thought is, Cramer with 7 minutes tonight and 8 points. No time in the second half, did he get hurt? Despite his lack of true positional fit, he is one of our best players.

[Pride97]

It’s funny for years they have been a slow starting team and had to play catch up. This year they are strong out of the gate and then have a letdown in the second half.

I am wondering if some of the team needs more of a rest then they are getting. I noticed in the first half that it seemed like a lot of subs in the early part of the game (I was there so wasn’t looking at stats/minutes), but it seemed like iyola, Omar, and Burgess checked in quick and got some quick rest for Estrada, Cooks and Ray. I was impressed Speedy went 8 deep so quick, but that was it. Barely any subs in the second half and it seemed to me a lot of shots were short late. Maybe they should get the bench in early in the 2nd to help get some rest for the final 10 minutes.

Estrada and Dubar were the two best Hofstra players in the court tonight IMO.

I like that cooks and Ray want to go to the hoop but they were taking some really awkward shots. Looked like Cooks was trying to draw contact but the refs really let them play tonight.

Cramer started at center and I thought he played very well - had some post moves and finishes early. I’m not sure why Speedy didn’t go back to him. I don’t think he played in the second half.

Silverio did take a few ill advised shots but his selection wasn’t too bad in all. He passed on a few long threes thankfully. If cooks and Ray were more efficient tonight, this may have been an easier game. Let’s hope their shots fall going forward.

All in all a good win. I’m sure Speedy would say they didn’t play a full game again, but agree they were playing a smart, well coached team that wasn’t going to get blown out.

Edit: just watched the post game and Speedy said Cramer has an injury so that explains it. Unlucky with the bigs health thusfar.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wags]

This is a good game right here - solid opportunity - very similar teams in many ways, relatively evenly matched on paper - this is a VERY important game IMO for HU - won’t make or break the season, but will make or break this OOC - this is likely the best team that HU has a true realistic shot to beat, and it’s at home

Like I said, gonna find out if this team is ready to get its act together or still screwing around.

HU will need to continue the good ball movement displayed last game - I hope they attack the hoop heavily and don’t get vision of grandeur with the Silverio approach shooting from half court all game - play stingy D, be aggressive with the fast break (an advantage for HU I think), make good shot choices, and and exploit their post - of course always take care of the ball, should go without saying

Great opp at a quality OOC win Speedy, this game you can build momentum off of - ROLL PRIDE

Silverio's 3/7 from 3 and 17 pts were extremely helpful in a close game like this. That's the kind of thing I was talking about after the 8/10 from 3 against Detroit. Needs to be reeled in and have his shot selection controlled by the staff but with Ray and Cooks going a combined 3/12 from 3, Silverio's 3/7 was big. And his 2/3 from 2, 4/4 at the line and five boards helped too. Me from a few years ago through as recently as the Duquense game this year won't believe current me is saying this: but don't be too quick to give up on him just yet. Controlled and put only in the right positions to succeed, he can still be very useful on this team.

[triplec2195]

Once again Silverio is going to play a lot of minutes(34 yesterday) why because he deserves it right now he's a different player and it's not so much IMO his shot selection it's just that he's playing confident and he's hitting his shots. He has been very consistent since the scrimmage where he was lighting it up. He has also played well defensively. He's hungry and is seizing the opportunity that he has been given. Took maybe 1 or 2 bad shots in this game and Speedy quickly reminded him of his range.
Cramer didn't play in the second half I could see the bench where they had an ice pack taped to his knee. An ominous sign, maybe? Also note that nobody spelled Estrada as he played 40 minutes and down the stretch I thought he looked gassed. His job not only physically draining but mentally maybe more where he has to control the ball but also has to make important decisions with it. Without Cramer on the floor everyone has to play more minutes and Iyiola was clearly not ready for the prime time. He was hurting us when he was on the floor that's why he only played 4 minutes. Also not much help from Burgess who played only 5 minutes. He provides us with ball handling and D but we lose so much offensively. In the second half they left him alone at the wing and instead of taking a wide open three he chose to pass the ball. We know he knows he can hit that shot but just playing tentatively now that his role has been diminished. I really believe Vasquez would have been a big plus right about now.
A weird game for Jalen who I noticed was not hitting many shots in pregame warmups before and at the half. He has to be given a long leash but let's be honest he forced BAD shots in the second half driving to the basket as did Cooks but credit Princeton with some good defense and I think we were getting tired. Just very little bench support.

[daHUPride]

The Lions take on the Tigers Wednesday evening:

https://gohofstra.com/news/2021/11/29/m ... esday.aspx

Question: What do the Princeton and Hofstra men's basketball teams have in common?

Denton Koon

[triplec2195]

A flash from the past and a very sound player for us.

[daHUPride]

Nice Win - started off as if we were going to have a “cake walk” but Princeton – no surprise - hung in

I still think at times I can inbound a ball better then us
One thing for sure – when we turnover an inbounding ball – 100% of the time - the team scores
Other then that play I thought we handled the Princeton press OK

Last night was “balanced”

Really nice games by Dubar, Estrada and Silverio – it was much needed as Cooks and Ray had off shooting nights

Without knowing Cramer was hurt – I thought Speedy was implementing a small lineup; creating a mismatch against the bigger Princeton

Not sure how many times you’ll win games when your opponent has more rebounds in the game (HU 29/Princeton 32); has better shooting percentage (FG: HU 48%/Princeton 54%; 3PT: HU 36%/Princeton 44%)…but we did!!! We did from the Foul Line (10 for 10 last night) and limiting turnover.

As others have stated really like Dubars game and Estrada too – think Estrada will excel in CAA

Ray – off night shooting but lead with 7 boards, 2/2 from the line and no turnovers.

I am just glad to see Iyiola play – Get Well Soon Big Guy we are going to need you

Good "W"

[HUSID74]

Not much to add here but on a night where Ray was awful, until the last shot, Cramer hurt his knee, say him on the bench with an ice pack on it thoughout most of the second half and lylola did nothing, still a bit rusty IMO we beat a VERY good Princeton team that had two P5 wins under its belt.

Yes, it got a little scary at the end but if Cramer was playing and Ray was his usual self we would have won handiy....

We should be fine against Bucknell with what we have, a bit worried about Monmouth, they beat Princeton and Stonybrook always plays us tough...should be a fun year!

[Cards]

Stark difference between first and second half last night.

First half was a thing of beauty. The offense really worked the ball, limited time in any one person's hands, EXTREMELY unselfish play, leading to many open shots. The defense was smothering - guys really stepped it up. It was obvious they were amped for "D" and played 100%.

Second half, as most have already noted was quite different. Looked to me like there was a strategy to slow the game down and try and work the clock. With a 15 pt lead, I would usually agree with this approach. However, it looks like that approach truly changes the teams game make-up. It was the antithesis of the first half. A ball handler standing at mid court milking the clock, followed by minimal passing and a forced shot to ultimately try and beat the shot clock. We just lost all flow and passing - everything that worked for us in the first half.

Watching on Flohoops, its hard to tell if the guys are just tired after 30-35 minutes and can no way keep up the pace of play they did in the first 20 minutes. Or, is it just that this team is not made for a slow pace and benefits from an upbeat tempo? If its the former, Speedy has to figure out a way to get Burgess and/or Carlos on the floor for short spurts in the second half. It doesn't mean they are scoring options (because we'll still have at least 3 scorers on the court), but rather just a ball handler for a few possessions to give someone else a breather. If they guys are not gassed, and it's the latter, then play the type of game that this team is designed to play - go upbeat for more than just 20 minutes.

I think PU has a good team. They really tighened up their "D" in second half, and that added to HU's problems. All in all, a quality W, and a confidence boost. It was good to see!

[Jojogunne]

Cooks almost lost the game for us. He was out of control at times. I love his energy and fearlessness in going to the hoop, but he forced too many shots last night.

[triplec2195]

Cooks almost lost the game for us. He was out of control at times. I love his energy and fearlessness in going to the hoop, but he forced too many shots last night.

Jojo both Ray and Cooks took bad shots taking it to the basket but IMO Ray's bad shots were far worse then Cooks. At least Cooks had some points but Ray made the BIG shot at the end of the half and a lot of credit goes to him on that one. Just huge.

[EvanJ]

We have four guards shooting threes .364 or higher. Estrada shoots threes .256, but he does most other things well. Cramer and Iyiola combine to shoot field goals .698, with Iyiola's .706 a little higher than Cramer's .694, and they combine for 10.7 rebounds per 40 minutes. We could have the best combination of seven players in the CAA. Comparing our statistics to our opponents, our weeknesses are rebounding and free throw attempts. We're 21st with a 1.57 assist/turnover ratio. Some forwards really hurt the team's assist/turnover ratio. Cramer and Iyiola combined for 0.75, which is much better than Kante's and Cramer's 0.39 last season. We have 3 of the top 194 in assists per game. There are 358 teams in Division I, but the NCAA excludes 8 teams transitioning to Division I from team statistics, and I don't know if those players are eligible for individual statistics. Without checking every team, there are probably enough teams with more than one of the top 194 that a majority of teams have their leader with fewer assists per game than our third highest player.

We have four candidates for the CAA teams. We're the only team to have three consecutive seasons with three players honored, which we did the last three seasons. The CAA had a First Team only for two seasons, First and Second Teams for 19 seasons, and a Third Team for the last 18 seasons.

We lead the CAA in the Sagarin and KenPom.

Silverio leads us in shots per minute at .40659, which is a tiny bit more than Cooks' .40656. Burgess attempts .061 shots per minute. Last season Silverio attempted .289, and Ray led with .426.

[ZMAN3]

Watched on Flo-Hoops - Observations here pretty much spot on. Problem is they are running out of gas in 2nd half. The tremendous effort they put forth on D doubling the post, building out to the 3 and the effort on offense is tremendously taxing. Without checking we've been a lst half team and although guys are in great shape there is a reason why teams use more than "5". It's called fatigue. We had Houston and Richmond down and right there with Md. Also had Detroit buried before they got back in. This is D1 basketball and it's extremely tough playing both ends with virtually no subs and nobody over 6'4". Need one of the "bigs" to contribute as well as Cramer (who is thriving with space and all those guards to get him the ball) Team has plenty of potential - will be tough to beat - especially at home. Like what I see with everyone healthy.

[daHUPride]

Watched on Flo-Hoops - Observations here pretty much spot on. Problem is they are running out of gas in 2nd half. The tremendous effort they put forth on D doubling the post, building out to the 3 and the effort on offense is tremendously taxing. Without checking we've been a lst half team and although guys are in great shape there is a reason why teams use more than "5". It's called fatigue. We had Houston and Richmond down and right there with Md. Also had Detroit buried before they got back in. This is D1 basketball and it's extremely tough playing both ends with virtually no subs and nobody over 6'4". Need one of the "bigs" to contribute as well as Cramer (who is thriving with space and all those guards to get him the ball) Team has plenty of potential - will be tough to beat - especially at home. Like what I see with everyone healthy.

Good points ZMAN3 -
Every year - except for a few - I begin the season thinking this is the year Hofstra will play with depth; quality bench; use 9 guys; press; create our own mismatches. THEN - injuries; transfers; lack of trust in players; lack of player development; theft (ouch!) all of them - has us having to go back to playing the "core 4" and 2 off the bench. To your point ZMAN3 - this leads to players "running out of gas in 2nd half" of the game - and later in the season completely "out of gas" when we need to play towards the end of the year and/or in the CAA tourny.
I too - like what I see - effort; hustle; potential. Great point with Cramer "who is thriving with space and all those guards to get him the ball" - think when/if they are able to play Iyiola and Simmons will also be the benefactors of the same space downlow.
For so many unknowns to start the season - lot of new players; a untested first time head coach (and staff); tough REALLY TOUGH schedule - I like what I've seen so far.
Keep it up Speedy and the Boys!

[triplec2195]

I would like to hear Speedy address the teams running out of gas and the use of 7 players or so getting the bulk of the minutes. Gorchov should address this in his weekly report with Speedy. When I saw Estrada towards the end of the game against Princeton it was almost like get me a jolt of something as he was bringing the ball up on the possession that Ray hit the bank shot. I'm sure he was thinking to himself thank God this game didn't go to O/T. Guys like Ray and Cooks are used to playing that many minutes and Cramer was getting a lot of minutes last year towards the end of the season but what about Estrada, Dubar and Iyiola. Iyiola in 2018-2019 played 23 minutes a game. I know in the days of JAM he would be pretty emphatic that his teams could play a lot of minutes with only his 5-7 players without running out of gas. It's a real shame that Caleb who definitely has game is playing 16+ minutes and is not even averaging a point a game. IMO it's a mind blowing negative stat. Would love to know what he has been told his role is on this team. Clearly he can shoot and score the ball but when he turns down wide open shots it's a bad sign like he has lost all confidence in his O game.

[HofstraMathew]

I would like to hear Speedy address the teams running out of gas and the use of 7 players or so getting the bulk of the minutes. Gorchov should address this in his weekly report with Speedy.

These questions really need to be asked in the post game press conference by media not affiliated with Hofstra. Gorchov is a Hofstra employee; his reports are more for entertainment value than informational.

[Jojogunne]

We need to lengthen our lineup.