Meet the Coastal Athletic Association champion Hofstra Pride, who enter March Madness as the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region:
Enrollment: 6,599 undergraduates (10,543 total)
Coach: Speedy Claxton (5th season)
NCAA Tournament history: Four appearances, 0-4
How they got here: The Pride have been streaky. They won eight in a row before dropping five straight. However, Hofstra has been on fire since late January, winning 11 of its last 12 games. They are led by two high-scoring guards, Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead, and own quality road wins over ACC teams Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
Cruz Davis, the CAA Player of the Year, is the latest guard to develop into a star under Claxton, a former Hofstra standout and NBA player. Injuries limited the 6-foot-3 southpaw during his first two years at Iona and St. John’s, but Davis has blossomed at Hofstra, becoming one of the premier mid-major scorers in the country in his second season with the Pride. He had five 30-point games this season and averaged 20 points in the CAA Tournament.
44.2: Hofstra’s 2-point field goal percentage defense, fourth best in the country.
37.2: The Pride’s 3-point percentage in conference play, which led the CAA.
7.3: Hofstra’s steal percentage, 337th nationally.
25: Years since Hofstra last played in the NCAA Tournament.
4: 20-win seasons for Claxton in five years as Hofstra’s head coach.
