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Schwartz: Restoring Basketball Pride On Long Island

By Peter Schwartz
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When Joe Mihalich took over as the men's basketball coach at Hofstra last year, he took over a program in need of a fresh start.

Six players were arrested as a result of off-the-court incidents, and that led to the firing of head coach Mo Cassara following a 2012-13 season that saw the Pride finish 7-25.

When Mihalich arrived on campus, he didn't have much to work with.

"When I got here, there were four players here and that was the bad news," said Mihalich.

But there was some good news.

Mihalich received his marching orders from President Stuart Rabinowitz and athletic director Jeff Hathaway, and that was to clean things up.

Joe Mihalich
Joe Mihalich (Credit: Hofstra Athletics)

"The battle cry was, 'Let's do it and let's do it the right way,'" said Mihalich, who came to the Pride from Niagara University.

At Niagara -- where he coached from 1998-2013 -- he racked up 265 wins, two NCAA Tournament appearances and three NIT berths.

While Hofstra went about its business the right way last season, that didn't equate into much success on the court. Hofstra finished 10-23, including a 5-11 record in the Colonial Athletic Association.

While wins were few and far between last year, Hofstra is hoping for better results in 2014-15.

"We are really excited," said Mihalich.  "We kind of paid our dues last year.  We knew it was going to be a tough year, and it was.  But at the same time, it was a very gratifying year because we had a great bunch of kids. We took a giant step in changing the culture of the program.  We can't wait to get started."

The Pride will bring back several key players from last year's squad, including guard Dion Nesmith.  The graduate student from Union, N.J. averaged 13.3 points per game last season and was a third team All-CAA selection.

Dion Nesmith
Dion Nesmith (Credit: Hofstra Athletics)

Also returning is senior center Moussa Kone and sophomore forward Jamall Robinson, a CAA All-Rookie selection. Robinson became the first true freshman to start every game during his rookie season since Craig "Speedy" Claxton did it during the 1996-97 season.

A key newcomer will be junior guard Juan'ya Green. Green had to sit out last season after transferring from Niagara, where he played for Mihalich.  He averaged 16.5 points per game as a sophomore for Niagara during the 2012-13 season.

Freshman point guard Eliel Gonzalez from Puerto Rico figures to be a big factor this season.  One of three foreigners on the roster, Gonzalez averaged 11.6 points per game last season for Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., and earned second team all-state honors.

Mihalich likes the look of this year's team.

"Throw it all in a blender and it spits out a roster with some depth," said Mihalich.

Hofstra opens its season on November 14, when it hosts Jacksonville. One of the highlights on the schedule includes the battle of Long Island, when Hofstra hosts Stony Brook on November 21.  The Pride will also have two nationally-televised home games, on February 12 against Northeastern and February 22 against William & Mary.

Those contests will air on the NBC Sports Network.

"To have two nationally-televised games in our home arena is something to be proud of, and hopefully we can do a good job and build on that," said Mihalich.

Another big factor this year is how Hofstra will prepare for its opponents.  The university has unveiled its brand new practice facility. It's a 14,000 square-foot palace that features a new court with eight baskets, a sound system and a filming system with a smart TV for video, signage and graphics.

Hofstra's practice facility
Hofstra's practice facility (Credit: Hofstra Athletics)

"It's a wonderful thing," said Mihalich, who will be able to use the practice facility as a recruiting tool. "I pinch myself every time I go in there. It's got that "wow" factor. It's functional more than anything else, but it's also beautifully done."

The facility has banners commemorating retired jerseys, wall graphics recognizing postseason appearances and information about the great players in school history.

Given where the program was a couple of years ago with mounting losses and the off-the-court issues, Hofstra's men's basketball team has come a long way in turning things around.

The wins will come, but for now the "Pride" has been restored.

You can follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow Hofstra men's basketball @HofstraMBB

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