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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND

Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame

Craig

Craig 'Speedy" Claxton

  • Class
    2000
  • Induction
    2011
  • Sport(s)
    Men's Basketball
CRAIG "SPEEDY" CLAXTON

Craig "Speedy" Claxton was a point guard on the men's basketball team from 1996 to 2000. He was a first round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2000 NBA Draft and helped lead Hofstra to two postseason appearances during his four seasons.Craig finished his career with 2,015 points and holds the Hofstra record for assists (660) and steals (288). He led the team to an NIT berth in 1999 and then to the NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2000. He was also a part of two ECAC Holiday Festival Championship teams in 1998 and 1999.

"Speedy" started all 27 games as a freshman and averaged 15 points, 3.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, earning third team All-America East accolades. He upped his scoring average to 16.3 points per game, grabbed 4.6 rebounds and dealt 224 assists in 31 games as a sophomore en route to his first America East Player of the Year Award. His 7.2 assists per game made him just the second player in school history to average more than seven assists per game.

As a junior in 1998-99 Craig averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as he helped Hofstra end a postseason drought of 21 years as the team earned a berth in the national Invitation Tournament. In his senior season "Speedy" averaged 22.8 points, 6.0 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game as he led the squad to a 24-7 record, an America East Championship and a NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 1977. He also became the second player in program history to post a 100-steal season with 102. Craig claimed his second America East Player of the Year honor and also earned the Haggerty Award as the top player in the New York metropolitan area.

During his senior campaign Craig put up three of the top-12 single game scoring performances in program history, including back-to-back 40-point games versus Hartford and Maine. He finished his career with a scoring average of 16.9 points per game and added 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest.

A first round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2000 NBA Draft, Claxton was a member of the 2003 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs. He enjoyed a decade-long NBA career before announcing his retirement in 2010. In 2006 he was second in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting after averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 assists for the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. During his NBA career he averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. He now serves as a college scout for the Golden State Warriors.

Craig and his wife, Meeka, have two daughters - Aniya and London.
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