MBB Game 22 Charleston, Jan 29 (Thu) 7 PM

[Jojogunne]

After going 0-4 in our last four games, the schedule does not become any easier for us with Charleston coming to town.

The Cougars (13-8, 6-2) host UNCW on Monday (1/26) before traveling to Hempstead. Their only CAA losses have been on the road at Towson and Stony Brook, the latter being a 2OT decision. (Question: Why would the CAA schedule algorithm have Charleston travel twice to LI in one season?)

Jlynn Counter is Charleston's big gun. Twice-named CAA POTW, he is averaging 17 ppg. Charleston is his fourth school.

FloCollege and WRHU (HAWC) will carry the game.

[Wags]

(Question: Why would the CAA schedule algorithm have Charleston travel twice to LI in one season?)

Probably has to do with whatever team is Charleston's travel partner and making everything work with the unbalanced schedule.

Hofstra also has two separate trips to North Carolina (at NC A&T last week and at UNCW on Feb. 14).

[Jojogunne]

Charleston's center, Christian Reeves, is the CAA POTW:

https://caasports.com/news/2026/1/26/ca ... -2026.aspx

He transferred from Clemson after spending his freshman year at Duke. Oh, boy.

[Polito]

This is a big one. As usual, always a key game, but it's extra big for HU right now. Home game, they're reeling, gotta right the ship here.

If I'm CofC, I'm smelling blood and ready to come in and kick this dog while it's down.

If I'm HU, my back is against the wall and I'm coming out on FIRE to stop the bleed, regain control, and hold court at home.

From now to Hampton is really the toughest conf stretch, and it happens to be the most critical time of year. This is going to tell a LOT about this team and this staff, one way or another.

[dutchPride86]

When we lost to Stony Brook, Speedy in a very dismissive tone brushed it off as "well it was their super bowl." But they wanted and needed that game more than Hofstra did and it showed. And Stony hasn't lost since.

Well you know what, Charleston is our super bowl tomorrow. Hope the team treats it as such

[Mikey77]

Spot on analysis by Polito and dutchPride86.

[dutchPride86]

More of this btw! Speedy and Rick Cole giving students rides to class and telling them to go to the game. Sad how few knew who Speedy was but at least theyre trying something...

https://x.com/i/status/2016597303746789554

[Wags]

Hofstra -4.5 with a 149.5 O/U for an expected 77-72 Hofstra win.

[HUSID74]

Amazing that we're favored in this game...maybe Charleston will be cold as ice with this weather on Long Island!

[triplec2195]

We will be favored with all games at home. There are people who believe in us especially at home.

[Jojogunne]

I don't know what the record is this year, but it appears that most CAA teams do much better at home than on the road.

[Wags]

We will be favored with all games at home. There are people who believe in us especially at home.

Not a Hofstra thing, a home court thing in general.

10th-place Towson (4-5 CAA) is 1.5-point favorite over first-place UNCW (7-1 CAA) at home tonight.

[Wags]

I don't know what the record is this year, but it appears that most CAA teams do much better at home than on the road.

Your feeling is correct, Jojo, for actually every CAA team so far this year:

UNCW 11-1, 7-2
CofC 9-2, 2-4
W&M 9-0, 3-6
Hofstra 5-1, 6-7
Drexel 8-2, 2-7
Hampton 7-1, 2-7
Elon 7-4, 5-5
Stony Brook 9-2, 2-6
Monmouth 6-3, 3-7
Towson 7-2, 2-7
Campbell 7-1, 1-11
NC A&T 6-3, 3-6
Northeastern 2-5, 3-9

I think this is almost always the case each year, but it may be even more pronounced for some teams this year. Of course, the above is for the whole season, not CAA play only, and a lot of teams play some weaker opponents at home early in the season. I haven't checked, but it would be interesting to see the same kind of breakdown for CAA play only (cue Evan?).

[dutchPride86]

German AND Biggie starting. DeCady and Victory to the bench. No excuses get back on track tonight

https://x.com/i/status/2017019866667008310

[EvanJ]

I haven't checked, but it would be interesting to see the same kind of breakdown for CAA play only (cue Evan?).

I made a note to check that.

Charleston is starting Martin Kalu (guard, 10.5 points), Connor Hickman (guard, 12.7 points), Jlynn Counter (guard, 15.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists), Colby Duggan (forward, 12.4 points), and Christian Reeves (center, 9.5 points, and 7.0 rebounds). Counter is one of five Division I players averaging at least 15 points, at least 5 rebounds, and at least 5 assists. The video says Reeves is 7 feet 2 inches, which is why Sunday is starting.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/sc ... /2026.html has Charleston's statistics.

https://www.flohoops.com/live/214544 has video.

https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=612060 has statistics.

[dutchPride86]

German AND Biggie starting. DeCady and Victory to the bench. No excuses get back on track tonight

https://x.com/i/status/2017019866667008310

For everyone at the game and not watching on Flo... DeCady apparently is OUT tonight. No reason given

Editing with an update: They did say DeCady was hurt (as opposed to sick), but who knows what or how bad

[EvanJ]

We can't keep every player available. We went from Patterson to Plotnikov to DeCady out. We lead 6-3. Charleston started by making a 3, and they are in a drought.

[RainDelay]

Decady has a boot on

[dutchPride86]

What a half for Alex T! (not attempting to spell his last name. Lol) Thought Victory's stupidity might have sunk us (not sure about enough clear intent for a flagrant 2 on that play but still), but just tremendous effort from Alex T forced into extended minutes. Kid really held his own.

Biggie clearly back to full strength, what a gigantic X-factor he is. He's of even more importance with DeCady out now (shame to hear he's in a boot)

Winning the turnover battle for a change and getting out in transition has made a big difference as well.

Only negative, how can neither Roberts or Wills get a single minute? Esp with Cruz struggling and getting double teamed constantly. I know Speedy will never take him out, but doesnt mean I'll ever understand or agree with it

Also, is the crowd as lifeless as it seems on TV? Looks completely empty there. Sad if its as bad as it looks on the fan turnout

At any rate, keep up the focus and effort. Cant expect Charleston to play that bad in the 2nd half

[EvanJ]

We lead 30-23 at halftime. Going into the game, nobody though we could be up 7 with all of these:

Onuetu played 1 minute and was ejected.
Davis and Edmead combined to shoot 2-12 and score 5, including Davis not scoring until there was 52 seconds left.
Charleston blocked 7 shots. Chol Machot has 2 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks, meaning that he is on pace for a double-double with 4 points. The last player to do that was in March 2025, and the second most recent player to do that was Charleston's CJ Fulton on January 30, 2025. Jaquan Carlos did that for us on February 4, 2023. It happened 11 times from 2010-2011 to now.
We made 2 of our last 17 field goals.
We made 30 percent of our twos.

Now for great statistics:
After making a three on the first possession, Charleston shot threes 0-8 since then.
We committed 3 turnovers, and allowed only 2 points off turnovers.
We had 3 more rebounds without Onuetu and DeCady.
Jlynn Counter and Colby Duggan combined to shoot 1-10 and score 2. That means that Davis, Edmead, and those two combined to shoot 3-22 and score 7.