Hofstra opening vs. Kentucky (NOT) at the coliseum

[joeg1]

I fully expect this embarrassing loss last night to motivate the team.

Frankly, I blame it on the coach. Defense is half the game. He has to make it an equal priority. And this involves making the leaders on the team buy in, as well. Make everyone accountable - do your job on both ends or sit. What we are seeing so far is unacceptable. I truly believe they are much better than this.

[Polito]

Oh I agree 100% and said exactly that ALL of last yr. This staff is getting exactly what it preaches: ZERO D.

I'm not asking them to be a lock-down D team - that's not their strategy and I get it - I'm not new to the game. But for goodness sake you can run and gun and be a scoring focused team while still playing some level of recognizable D1 defense. A bottom-feeding NEC team should NEVER run 90 points - EVER - I don't care if HU trotted out 5 freshmen.

Right now I see a bunch of individuals out there just doing their own thing, each trying way too hard to be the next superstar instead of working together as a UNIT. These first 2 games look like a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut off. And a lot of that is to be expected in a transition year, BUT I was hopeful a lot more had been worked on in the offseason, esp from the upperclassmen.

D first starts at the TOP with the coaches - they must make it a priority first and foremost. Then it depends upon the players being focused and disciplined enough to buy into it. That's leadership. But if the coaches don't stress it and don't care, the players won't.

Failure is a part of life, and it is the KEY to success. So, yes, this can be a major learning experience to thrust them into winning. But it is going to take a lot more work and a huge shift in attitude and approach from the top down to do so. Time will tell...

[ProudofPride]

We don't get Kentucky at the coliseum, but I think we'll all be thrilled to get to play Villanova there! Even cooler for LI with Jay's history in the area. Major props to whoever sealed the deal for us to play them.
We should get to be the opening game instead of SBU since we're neighbors to the coliseum, and we were supposed to be the ones to open it up his year, but oh well. It's good for all of Long Island that we will both be playing there, and against good teams.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/college/c ... ign=buffer

[garyg]

Playing schools like Kentucky and Villanova is great but at this point the Hofstra program can not handle the Coppin States and Sacred Hearts of the world with embarrassing performances against both [and lets include Manhattan in that group who was missing their leading scorer]...the Hofstra program is going to have to do a complete about face in a hurry to come up with respectable performances against schools like Kentucky and Villanova

[The Shadow]

100% agreement with garyg. Time to step up!

[HUSID80]

Wow, you guys jump off the bandwagon real fast...this is a team in transition that lost it's two best players, by far! And a third key player as well...It will take some time for roles to be defined and for us to get a better sense of what we have as a team...that's what all these OOC games are for....Talk to me about this program in February.

[Polito]

Hear ya HUSID80, and agree to a certain extent - not jumping ship yet, and it absolutely has to be expected that there will be a transition. My gut feeling was that this year would be solid, with next year being HU's real shot to go all the way with the current talent properly seasoned at that point.

The challenge I have is that this team has talent - but it doesn't appear that they are prepared to play live games, and that I will not make excuses for. I expected them to drop a few games, and had no delusions of them winning it all this yr - but I did not expect them to have no clue how to run a play, or to not feed their 6'9 240lb center who JM calls the strongest man on Earth.

This is very different from talent, and it is very different from effort... two things coincidently that I do not see being issues. Matter of fact, so far, those are positives to me. There is no question in my mind that these young men want to win, and desire to perform. Great great group of student-athletes.

Also no question in my mind the staff wants to get the job done - never been an issue IMO.

But it's one thing to struggle replacing Sr talent - it's quite another to have no fundamentals from guys who are not new. And Pemba seems to be doing just fine as a true frosh. So it is absolutely expected that upper class-men are ready and prepared to play, with an actual game plan.

What we're seeing is no bueno, and if we are being honest and fair, that falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. And it needs to get better in a hurry.

[Mike34]

Can't have too much sympathy for everyone's defense disappointment. Clearly the starting 5 is not prepared to defend the ball and clearly the coaching staff don't want to rotate the bench to see what else their team can do. Also, seems like people have very high expectations based on last year's HU team when more than half of the starters from last year are gone...

[Polito]

By the way, welcome to the boards Mike34!

The more the merrier in this family - appreciate all the fan support we can get!

[Mike34]

Thanks Polito! I am a big fan and really would like to see some change with this team. Decided to join in the conversation and hopefully staff and team will see our thoughts and make the necessary changes

[Polito]

That's great to hear - you are jumping in at a great time, because we on this board are making a concentrated effort to help the U improve a lot of things with athletics, mens hoops in particular

Good times are ahead

[Wags]

The results have been as we'd expect so far, but the CAA is not shying away at all from playing the best of the best this season.

As far as Top 25 opponents...

We of course are playing what will probably still be No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 11.

And then on Tuesday night... Charleston lost at No. 2 Villanova, 63-47, while William & Mary lost at No. 6 Duke, 88-67.

W&M had also lost to then-No. 12 Louisville, 91-58, on 11/14, and the Tribe will play at Rhode Island (currently No. 23) on 12/23.

Elon will play Duke on 12/21 and Northeastern will play at Michigan State (currently No. 24).