The 2015-16 season opens on Friday at 7 p.m. against Canisius. For ticket information visit HofstraTickets.com, call (516) HOF-TIXX or visit the Hofstra Athletics Box Office in the Mack Sports Complex. Go Pride!

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Hempstead, NY - The rebuilding of the Hofstra Men's Basketball program is nearly complete as Head Coach Joe Mihalich took the next step in 2014-15 as the Pride won 20 games and advanced to the postseason College Basketball Invitational. Hofstra will look to take the final step in 2015-16 as the Pride hopes to capture the Colonial Athletic Association title and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. 

Hofstra has plenty of pieces in place to be one of the leading contenders in the CAA this season as the Pride return four starters among the seven letterwinners back from the 2014-15 season. In addition, a pair of transfers are eligible this season and Hofstra welcomes five newcomers to the roster as they lay the foundation for a successful 2015-16 and strong future for Pride Basketball. 

Here is a position-by-position look at the 2015-16 Pride:

GUARD
Leading the way for the Pride this season will be senior guard Juan'ya Green. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Green was tremendous in all aspects last season as he led Hofstra in scoring (17.1), assists (220), steals (48) and minutes played (36.4). Now entering his second season in a Hofstra uniform, Green is gaining national attention as he was named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List (top point guard in nation) after being an All-CAA First Team selection in 2014-15. He was also named the 2015-16 CAA Preseason Player of the Year.

Hofstra is very deep at the guard position and one of the best long-range shooters in program history returns for his junior season. Brian Bernardi (Staten Island, NY) ranked third on the team in scoring last year with 11.6 points per game, while draining 95 three-pointers. That total ranked second in a single season in program history and another offseason of training and conditioning should make Bernardi even more dangerous for the Pride. 

A pair of talented freshmen round out the guard position for the Pride as Desure Buie (Bronx, NY) and Justin Wright-Foreman (Laurelton, NY) solidify an already potent area for Hofstra. Buie averaged 17.1 points and eight assists per game in leading Winds Academy to a state title last year, while Wright-Foreman was the fifth leading scorer in the PSAL with 23.8 points per outing along with 4.5 rebounds per game. 


FORWARD
One of the Pride's most versatile players will anchor one of the spots at the forward position as senior Ameen Tanksley (Philadelphia, PA) returns for his final collegiate campaign. An All-CAA second team selection a year ago, Tanksley ranked second on the team in scoring at 16.2 points per game, while ranking third in rebounding (5.5) and he was tied for the team-lead in steals. Tanksley can be dangerous driving to the basket or from the outside as evident by his 74 three-pointers in 2014-15. 

Senior Malik Nichols (Rockaway Beach, NY) is one of the Pride's top defenders and his energy can influence the game in a multitude of ways on the offensive end as well. Nichols averaged 6.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last year. He added three double-doubles last year to help Hofstra to the postseason appearance. 

Graduate transfer Denton Koon (Liberty, MO) will look to join Zeke Upshaw and Dion Nesmith as quality graduate transfers as the Princeton graduate joins the Pride after averaging 7.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for the Tigers in 2013-14. Koon, who was an honorable mention All-Ivy pick in 2012-13, missed last season with an injury. 

Junior Jamall Robinson (Cheltenham, Maryland) appeared in all 34 games last season and averaged four points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Robinson has a ton of experience already as he started all 33 games as a freshman in 2013-14. 

CENTER
Hofstra will have a trio of players able to contribute at the center position. Sophomore Rokas Gustys (Kaunas, Lithuania) will look to take the next step in his development as he returns after a solid freshman season in which he contributed 5.2 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game. A skilled big-man, Gustys led all CAA freshmen in rebounding and was 12th overall in the conference. 

Another sophomore, Andre Walker (Gaithersburg, Maryland) will seek additional playing time this season as well as he chipped in with 1.3 points and three rebounds per game in 17 contests a season ago. 

Senior Ibrahim Djambo (Bamako, Mali) sat out last season after transferring from Clemson. In his one season with the Tigers he averaged 1.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Djambo has the ability to make the outside shot and hit on ten three-pointers during the 2013-14 season. 

TRANSFERS
A pair of players will sit out this season but will be integral parts of the program as they prepare for the 2016-17 season and help the Pride improve in practice this season. 

Senior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, VA) joins Hofstra after a stellar three-year career at Hampton where he was a member of the Pirates 2014-15 NCAA Tournament squad. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game last year and was the MVP of the MEAC Tournament. 

The lone Long Islander on the roster, junior forward/center Hunter Sabety (Oceanside, NY) played two seasons at Tufts and averaged a strong 14.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last year.  A stellar shot blocker as well, Sabety had 93 blocked shots in his two seasons at Tufts. 

SCHEDULE
Hofstra's non-conference schedule will feature a total of 12 games, with four at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Hofstra will have several chances to shine on the big stage this season as the highlight of the schedule will see the Pride make its first-ever appearance in the Paradise Jam in the United States Virgin Islands. Hofstra will open up with Florida State before facing either South Carolina or DePaul in its second game. The rest of the field includes: Ohio, Tulsa, Indiana State and Norfolk State. 

The trip to the Virgin Islands is the program's first outside the continental United States since taking part in the Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off during the 2010-11 campaign. In total it will be Hofstra's fifth appearance outside the continental United States in the program's Division I era (since 1972-73). Previously, the Pride has travel to Puerto Rico (2010-11 and 1997-98), Alaska (2006-07) and Hawaii (1998-99).  

The 2015-16 season will open on Friday, November 13 when Hofstra hosts Canisius as part of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team.

One of the other highlights of the non-conference schedule will be the Pride's visit to Madison Square Garden, as Hofstra will head to the World's Most Famous Arena on December 6 to take on Appalachian State. It will be Hofstra's first appearance at Madison Square Garden since the 2009-10 season. The game is part of a doubleheader as Hofstra and Appalachian State will be the second game after St. John's takes on St. Francis Brooklyn. 

The 18-game CAA slate opens on New Year's Eve as Hofstra hosts Delaware. Hofstra's regular season will conclude on February 27 when the Pride entertains Charleston at the Mack Sports Complex. 

The 2016 CAA Championship will once again be held at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland from March 4-7.