TRADITION
Hofstra Basketball is rich in tradition. From legendary coaches Butch van Breda Kolff and Jay Wright to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances. From former star players such as Bill Thieben, Rich Laurel, John Irving, Steve Nisenson, Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson, Loren Stokes, Antoine Agudio, Charles Jenkins and Justin Wright-Foreman to the stars of today, the Pride has a deep history that will continue to grow in the 21st century.
The Facts
- Hofstra University played its first intercollegiate basketball game in 1936.
- Hofstra’s all-time record is 1,375-1,027 over 87 seasons.
- Hofstra has recorded 50 winning seasons.
- Hofstra has appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments, seven National Invitation Tournaments and three College Basketball Invitational Tournaments.
- Hofstra’s 1959-60 team, coached by the legendary Butch van Breda Kolff, posted the best record in school history at 23-1.
- Hofstra has seen numerous players – including: Bill Thieben, Rich Laurel, John Irving, Speedy Claxton, Charles Jenkins and Justin Wright-Foreman – get drafted into the National Basketball Association, and another player, Norman Richardson, sign as a free agent.
- Hofstra has had seven players – Bill Thieben, Rich Laurel, Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson, Charles Jenkins (three times), Aaron Estrada, and Tyler Thomas – win the Haggerty Award, symbolic of the best player in the metropolitan New York area.
- The Pride won ECAC Holiday Festival Championships in 1998, 1999 and 2006.
- Hofstra won America East Championships in 2000 and 2001.
- Rick Apodaca played for his native Puerto Rico at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
NIT/Haggerty Award Winners
The NIT/Haggerty Award, given to the top player in the New York area, is the oldest and most prestigious award given to a metropolitan area player. Hofstra has had seven Haggerty Award winners: Bill Thieben, Rich Laurel, Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson, Charles Jenkins (three times), Aaron Estrada, and Tyler Thomas. Jenkins became just the third player in the history of the award to win it three times.
Since 2000, Hofstra leads all metro area schools in Haggerty Award recipients. The Pride has won the award seven times since 2000.
Hofstra - 7
Seton Hall - 5
St. John's - 4
Iona - 2
Manhattan - 2
Rutgers - 2
Marist - 1
Rider - 1
Saint Peter's - 1
Former Hofstra Coach Jay Wright earned the MBWA Coach of the Year award in 2001 and former coach Tom Pecora earned the honor in 2006 and 2009. Former Head Coach Joe Mihalich earned the honor following Hofstra’s stellar 2018-19 campaign.
HAGGERTY AWARD WINNERS
1936 Jules Bender, LIU
1937 Ben Kramer, LIU
1938 Bernie Fliegel, CCNY
1939 Irving Torgoff, LIU
1940 Ben Auerbach, NYU
1941 Jack "Dutch" Garfinkel, St. John's
1942 Jim White, St. John's
1943 Andrew "Fuzzy" Levane, St. John's
1944 Dick McGuire, St. John's
1945 Bill Kotsores, St. John's
1946 Sid Tannenbaum, NYU
1947 Sid Tannenbaum, NYU
1948 Dolph Schayes, NYU
1949 Dick McGuire, St. John's
1950 Sherman White, LIU
1951 John Azary, Columbia
1952 Ron MacGilvray, St. John's
1953 Walter Dukes, Seton Hall
1954 Ed Conlin, Fordham
1955 Ed Conlin, Fordham
1956 Bill Thieben, Hofstra
1957 Chet Forte, Columbia
1958 Jim Cunningham, Fordham
1959 Al Seiden, St. John's
1960 Tom "Satch" Sanders, NYU
1961 Tony Jackson, St. John's
1962 LeRoy Ellis, St. John's
1963 Barry Kramer, NYU
1964 Nick Werkman, Seton Hall
1965 Warren Isaac, Iona
1966 Albie Grant, NYU
1967 Lloyd "Sonny" Dove, St. John's
1968 Jim McMillian, Columbia
1969 Jim McMillian, Columbia
1970 Jim McMillian, Columbia
1971 Charlie Yelverton, Fordham
1972 Rich Garner, Manhattan
Tom Sullivan, Fordham
1973 Bill Schaefer, St. John's
1974 Bill Campion, Manhattan
1975 Phil Sellers, Rutgers
1976 Phil Sellers, Rutgers
1977 Rich Laurel, Hofstra
1978 George Johnson, St. John's
1979 Nick Galis, Seton Hall
1980 Jeff Ruland, Iona
1981 Gary Springer, Iona
1982 Dan Callandrillo, Seton Hall
1983 Chris Mullin, St. John's
1984 Chris Mullin, St. John's
Steve Burtt, Iona
1985 Chris Mullin, St. John's
1986 Walter Berry, St. John's
1987 Mark Jackson, St. John's
Kevin Houston, Army
1988 Mark Bryant, Seton Hall
1989 John Morton, Seton Hall
1990 Greg "Boo" Harvey, St. John's
1991 Malik Sealy, St. John's
1992 Malik Sealy, St. John's
1993 Terry Dehere, Seton Hall
1994 Arturas Karnishovas, Seton Hall
Izett Buchanan, Marist
1995 Joe Griffin, LIU
1996 Adrian Griffin, Seton Hall
1997 Charles Jones, LIU
1998 Felipe Lopez, St. John's
1999 Ron Artest, St. John's
2000 Speedy Claxton, Hofstra
2001 Norman Richardson, Hofstra
2002 Marcus Hatten, St. John’s
2003 Luis Flores, Manhattan
2004 Luis Flores, Manhattan
2005 Keydren Clark, Saint Peter’s
2006 Quincy Douby, Rutgers
2007 Jared Jordan, Marist
2008 Jason Thompson, Rider
2009 Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
2010 Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
2011 Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
2012 Scott Machado, Iona
2013 Lamont Jones, Iona
2014 D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s
2015 Sir’Dominic Pointer, St. John’s
2016 Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall
2017 Angel Delgado, Seton Hall
2018 Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s
2019 Myles Powell, Seton Hall
2020 Myles Powell, Seton Hall
2021 Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall
2022 Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
2023 Aaron Estrada, Hofstra
2024 Tyler Thomas, Hofstra
2025 R.J. Luis Jr., St. John’s
Men’s Basketball Retired Jerseys
Speedy Claxton (#10)
- Finished his career with 2,015 points, while setting Hofstra records for career assists and steals
- Two-time America East Conference Player of the Year
- Earned the Haggerty Award as a senior
- First round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers
- Member of the 2003 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs
- Inducted into Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011
Steve Nisenson (#13)
- Scored 2,222 points during his three-year career, which stood as the school record for 43 years
- Named to All-America Team in 1963 and 1964
- 1965 fifth round draft choice of the New York Knicks
- Inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006
Rich Laurel (#21)
- Finished his career with 2,102 points
- Averaged 30.3 points per game as a senior, a Hofstra record which still stands
- Earned the Haggerty Award in 1977
- Led Hofstra to its first two NCAA Division I Tournament appearances
- First round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers
- Inducted into Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009
Charles Jenkins (#22)
- Finished his career as Hofstra’s all-time leading scorer with 2,513 points
- Finished his career second all-time in the CAA in scoring behind NBA legend David Robinson
- All-America selection in 2010 and 2011
- Won the Haggerty Award three consecutive years (2009, 2010, 2011)
- Named CAA Player of the Year as a junior and senior
- Became the first Hofstra student-athlete to have his jersey retired while still an active player
- Second round selection of the Golden State Warriors in the 2011 NBA Draft
- Inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022
Bill Thieben (#93)
- Ranks as Hofstra’s all-time leading rebounder (1,837) and is among the program’s scoring leaders (2,045)
- Career scoring and rebounding averages of 26.9 and 24.2, respectively, are tops in program history
- Was an All-America selection in 1955 and 1956
- Won the Haggerty Award in 1956
- Drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons of the NBA in 1956
- Inducted into Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006
