Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Alabama Preview

Hofstra Set For NCAA Championship Matchup Versus Alabama

3/18/2026 1:06:00 PM

By: Len Skoros
Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra University men's basketball team will take on the University of Alabama Crimson Tide Friday, March 20 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Tipoff from Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida is set for 3:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on TruTV with an audio broadcast on WRHU-FM (88.7) - and also available on The Varsity App. Live statistics will also be available. Links for all can be found above or on the men's basketball schedule page of GoHofstra.com.

The 13th-seeded Pride (24-10) is making its fifth NCAA appearance at the Division I level and the first since 2001. Hofstra made the NCAA Tournament in 1976 and 1977 out of the East Coast Conference and then again in 2000 and 2001 as America East Champions.Pride Head Coach Speedy Claxton was a member of the 2000 NCAA Team. Hofstra also earned a NCAA bid in 2020 before the Championship was canceled due to the pandemic. 

Hofstra, winners of seven consecutive games, earned the automatic bid from the CAA after winning the conference championship over Monmouth. It was Hofstra's second CAA Championship after winning in 2020. The Pride is led by the guard tandem of Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead. Davis, a junior, was the CAA Player of the Year after averaging 20.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He leads the team in scoring and assists. Edmead, a true freshman, was the CAA Rookie of the Year and the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player. He contributes 15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. 

Alabama, the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region, is 23-9 this season. The Crimson Tide earned an at-large bid after a loss in the SEC Quarterfinals to Ole Miss, 80-79. First Team All-SEC selection Labaron Philon Jr. is Alabama's top player, averaging 21.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Amari Allen, an All-SEC Freshman Team selection, averages 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. 

This will mark the first meeting between Hofstra and Alabama in men's basketball. The Pride and Crimson Tide do share a hardwood connection as former Pride star Aaron Estrada, a two-time CAA Player of the Year (2022, 2023), finished his collegiate career at Alabama during the 2024-25 season. 

The winner of the Hofstra/Alabama game will take on the winner of the No. 6 Texas Tech/No. 12 Akron game on Sunday in the second round. 


 
Print Friendly Version