Hempstead, NY - Former Hofstra men's basketball star Desure Buie will begin his professional career in The Netherlands, as he inked a contract with ZZ Leiden. 

"We are so thrilled for Desure as he embarks on his professional career," commented Hofstra Head Men's Basketball Coach Joe Mihalich. "Desure's career at Hofstra is legendary and we couldn't be happier that he is beginning the next phase of his basketball journey with such a strong team with incredible leadership and success. He will be an asset to ZZ Leiden and we look forward to watching his outstanding professional career develop."

ZZ Leiden plays in the Dutch first division of the Dutch Basketball League and is coached by Geert Hammink, who attended Louisiana State and played with Shaquille O'Neal. Hammink had this to say about Buie - "Desure was our 'Wunschkandidat' and I think we can be lucky that he will come our way in a month. Desure fits perfectly into the concept we have in mind and I am sure that the Leiden audience will enjoy his playing and leadership. Hofstra is a renowned college, with excellent coaching staff, and they have won a lot last season under the guidance of Desure."

Buie just concluded a tremendous career at Hofstra as he led the Pride to the 2019-20 Colonial Athletic Association Championship, taking home CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player accolades along the way. 

It was a storybook career for Buie as he concluded his career ranked first all-time in program history with 141 games played, 18th in scoring (1,310), fourth in assists (548), and sixth in steals (203). 

Buie was equally as successful in the classroom as he earned his BA in linguistics with a minor in fine arts in 2019 and followed that up by earning his master's degree in higher education leadership and policy studies in 2020. 

Buie averaged 18.2 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game in 2019-20, leading the team in points, assists, and steals. An All-CAA First Team selection this past season, he was the 2018-19 CAA Defensive Player of the Year and an All-CAA selection that season as well. 

Hofstra finished the season with a 26-8 record, capturing both the regular season CAA title and winning the postseason tournament to earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001. The Pride became only the sixth team in conference history (since 1982-83) to win back-to-back outright regular season CAA titles.