There aren’t two teams who are polar opposites like the Hofstra Pride basketball programs.
The men’s team is heavily favored to repeat as Colonial Athletic Association champions, while the women’s team ranked last in the league coaches poll, the league announced earlier today.
Junior frontcourt-man Issac Kante and redshirt-junior forward Jaylen Hines were named to the All-CAA Preseason First and Second Team, respectively. Seniors Tareq Coburn and Jalen Ray earned an honorable mention for the men’s all-conference teams.
Kante was tabbed to the All-CAA Third Team after leading the conference shooting over 65 percent, last season. The forward/center started every contest and averaged around 11 points per game. He commanded the team’s rebounding by grabbing 262 boards, including a collegiate-high 15 rebounds in the CAA Championship victory over Northwestern in March.
Coburn showed off his versatility as a guard by placing in the top-15 in rebounding (186 rebounds) and top-25 in scoring (361 points). Ray leads all returning Hofstra players after averaging nearly 12 points per game in 2019-20. The guard was named to the All-CAA Championship Team after scoring 50 points and grabbing 12 boards during the postseason.
The men’s team topped the league’s coaches poll with 290 total points, including 16 first place votes. The Pride went 26-8 (14-4) and repeated as regular season champions, before claiming their first-ever postseason title.
Meanwhile, Hines commanded the Hofstra women’s team in scoring around 11 points per game and grabbing 263 rebounds. She ranked third in the conference with a field goal percentage just under 50 percent and by recording eight double-doubles. The guard led the Pride with 33 steals.
The women’s program placed tenth with 12 votes. The team struggled throughout the season and lost all 18 conference contests last season. The Pride dropped their last 21 games and finished 3-27, overall.
