2025-26 MBB

[Wags]

Now that this year is done, it's never too early to look ahead, especially with the portal opening two weeks from tomorrow, on March 24 (through April 22). We've already been discussing who may stay and who may go in a few different thread related to recent games, but I figured it may be better to discuss that in one central thread, especially with the portal and other things related to next season.

Especially after the disappointing season that just ended, Hofstra needs to leave no stone unturned. Yes, there could be another Estrada who didn't get much playing time elsewhere, but those are tough to find again, even more so in the NIL world when you can't outbid even those in your own conference let alone elsewhere.

But what Hofstra may want to start doing is looking one division down. Sure, D-II teams aren't D-I for a reason, but that doesn't mean that D-II doesn't have its own share of very good players looking for an opportunity to shine in D-I. We all remember the noise Jack Gohlke made in last year's NCAAT after leaving Hillsdale College for Oakland. And Drake, an already well-established winning mid-major program in the MVC was initially mocked as "D-II Drake" for tapping the D-II well. No one's laughing now after their top three scorers and key role player led a 30-3 season with another NCAAT berth.

It's a gamble, but so was Jaquan Sanders, and it doesn't have to be a gamble if they really do their homework. Just another potential way to open up the overall pool of talent they might be able to draw from. In the new NIL world, they can't afford to overlook anything. And with the portal opening in only 15 days, the clock is already ticking to act fast and see what they can find. They've had some success with JUCO before, too (most recently with Plotnikov but also going back much further, like Uter, among others). Everything should be on the table but D-II might be a place to look. There's some talent there and it seems they end up at mid-majors.

[Wags]

This is good stuff for Preston Edmead, who could get minutes right away as freshman next year (also posted this article in an earlier thread about him):

https://www.gazettenet.com/Boys-basketb ... e-59907562

And his head coach on that title-winning team is named Farmer (good omen?).

[HUSID74]

Looks like Edmead COULD be the PG of the future but this team has significant needs.
We need to replace Michael Graham with a seasoned BIG and find out if Decady can play. Keep Sunday as a change of pace big.
Biggest need is a knockdown shooter at the wing...will help if Plotnikov gets a fifth year.
Hopefully Cruz and Arunguren stay.
Let Sanders go to the portal....don't know what happened here.
I'd keep Farmer and Parnell and let Robinson go as he was a huge disappointment this year and add another PG from the portal.

[dutchPride86]

Might be time to go get Tyler Thomas' younger brother for the wing... Tanner Thomas was just named 2nd team all-MAAC as a redshirt junior at Sacred Heart. Averaged 14.9 ppg, 6.3 reb and shot 38% from 3 on over 4 attempts a game, listed as a 6'6 forward.

At the very least, if they're gonna pull an upperclassman up from MAAC level or lower would hope kid was putting up numbers on that level and not like Gadsden level. If you're not averaging 10ppg as an upperclassman starter down there, not gonna do it in the CAA

[EvanJ]

In terms of a Division II player who helped, in 2016 we blew the Final to UNCW. UNCW's best player that season was Division II transfer Chris Flemmings, who averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and shot great. He was on the First Team. He had 19 points and 6 rebounds in the Final.

[Wags]

In terms of a Division II player who helped, in 2016 we blew the Final to UNCW. UNCW's best player that season was Division II transfer Chris Flemmings, who averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and shot great. He was on the First Team. He had 19 points and 6 rebounds in the Final.

Good call, Evan. Yes, he was UNCW's leading scorer that year.

He had 19 pts in that 2016 championship game including UNCW's last nine points of the first half to keep the Seahawks within seven at halftime instead of Hofstra taking a very comfortable lead into the locker room. If not for that, Hofstra may have held on in regulation to win the title.

There's always some good talent in D-II ready to make the jump to D-I. Hopefully, Hofstra is exploring that and not focusing exclusively on the D-I portal and high school recruits. And since JUCO can be D-I, D-II, or D-III, they shouldn't only be looking at D-I there.

[Wags]

Parnell is out.

https://x.com/_ericparnell/status/1900317515873395025

[HUSID74]

That probably means that Cruz and Arunguren are back so there would not be much playing time for Parnell...however, WE DO NEED SHOOTERS and he could shoot.

[Jojogunne]

Parnell is out.

https://x.com/_ericparnell/status/1900317515873395025

Look for him in next year's NCAAT.

[dutchPride86]

Parnell is out.

https://x.com/_ericparnell/status/1900317515873395025

Fitting that's who Speedy dialed up to take the final shot of the season.

I'm sure Parnell had one foot out the door when Speedy wouldn't play him for 90% of the season to begin with. His reel of practice highlights is twice as long as game highlights. Lol

[ZMAN3]

His dad sat behind me at a game and we did have some conversation. He said his son made all the practices, played and shot well but he never got a chance. He said he can shoot - that was his strength - obviously nobody else can. Too bad - given the opportunity I think he could have helped.
PS - Don't think that last play was for Parnell - it broke down and he wound up with the ball

[Wags]

His dad sat behind me at a game and we did have some conversation. He said his son made all the practices, played and shot well but he never got a chance. He said he can shoot - that was his strength - obviously nobody else can. Too bad - given the opportunity I think he could have helped.

Could have guessed this but good to hear it confirmed.

The results rarely matched the words:
"We'll be fine" (they weren't).
"We have good shooters" (they didn't).
"We'll need him [Parnell]." (wasn't really given a shot - literally).

PS - Don't think that last play was for Parnell - it broke down and he wound up with the ball

Yup, and that in itself, was a fitting ending - that they couldn't even get it to the guy they wanted (it was so messed up from the start, it wasn't clear who the target was, but it wasn't Parnell) while two of the guys they should've been targeting (Cruz and Jean) weren't involved in the play at all after the inbounds pass to Monmouth (all very fitting).

[bean-pie]

With the ever-changing landscape of MBB, how much time does Speedy have? One more season? Three? Heading into year four, I’d say he gets one, maybe two more without a tournament—but then what’s the move?

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[Wags]

In the changing landscape of mbb. How long of a leash does Speedy have? One more season, 3 more seasons? What’s the timeline? Entering year 4, I can say 1, maybe 2 max with no tournaments … but where do you go from there?

It's already been four, so it'll be entering Year 5. I don't think they have any plans to make a change any time soon. This also not what he signed up for, but it's the same boat everyone is in now with NIL. He may decide to do something different himself at some point if he's sees that it's too tough to be able to recruit the way he had hoped. Everything is up in the air on a year-by-year basis in this NIL era.

[HUSID74]

With the ever-changing landscape of MBB, how much time does Speedy have? One more season? Three? Heading into year four, I’d say he gets one, maybe two more without a tournament—but then what’s the move?

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I've said it before and I'll say it again. Speedy is going nowhere unless he wants to. Look at Seth Tierney in lacrosse. When was the last time Hofstra went to the NCAA's?

[Pbdutch]

Let’s go after Fran Mccaffery!

[triplec2195]

With the ever-changing landscape of MBB, how much time does Speedy have? One more season? Three? Heading into year four, I’d say he gets one, maybe two more without a tournament—but then what’s the move?

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I've said it before and I'll say it again. Speedy is going nowhere unless he wants to. Look at Seth Tierney in lacrosse. When was the last time Hofstra went to the NCAA's?

Better yet when was the last time we fired a coach except for Moe Cassara and that was inevitable!

[Jojogunne]

Boy, this is a tough crowd. Fire a winning coach after one bad year?

[Wags]

Boy, this is a tough crowd. Fire a winning coach after one bad year?

Seems like an overreaction but they're also looking at four years without dancing and regressing sharply this year from where they were (especially with a team that was picked fourth and expected to contend this year).

[stuball888]

Villanova fired their coach
Could they be looking at Speedy or even Pecora