Saint Joseph's Long Island vs Hofstra prediction: Hofstra opens its CAA title defense against Saint Joseph's Long Island
The defending CAA champions start a new season at home against a non-Division I visitor, and the real question is how much of last season's suffocating defense survives.
- Hofstra should be firmly in control against a non-Division I visitor, as it was in a 101-48 win over this opponent in November 2023.
- Watch Hofstra's interior defense, which held opponents to 44.0% on twos last season, third in Division I.
- No spread or total is posted yet. Hofstra played at 65.4 possessions per 40 minutes last season, 294th in pace.
A champion's first step
Hofstra starts the 2026-27 season as the defending Coastal Athletic Association champion. The Pride host Saint Joseph's Long Island on Monday, Nov. 2, at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Mack Sports Complex as part of the program's Class at the Court event. Speedy Claxton begins his fifth season as head coach after taking Hofstra to the NCAA tournament last season, on top of the regular-season title he won in 2023.
The visitors are not a Division I program we hold data for, and the last meeting was a blowout. The last meeting, on Nov. 6, 2023, ended 101-48.
The defense that built 24 wins
Last season's 24-11 team won with defense. Hofstra allowed 101.5 points per 100 possessions, 39th of 365 nationally. The key number was opponent effective field goal percentage, which gives threes 1.5 times the weight of twos. The Pride held opponents to 45.4%, eighth in the country.
The interior was the strength. Opponents made just 44.0% of their twos, third nationally, so a smaller visitor that has to score near the basket faces a steep climb. Those are last season's numbers for last season's roster, though. This opener is the first look at how the current group defends.
Slow pace, hot shooting
Last season Hofstra did not run. Its pace of 65.4 possessions per 40 minutes ranked 294th, and that kind of game limits how lopsided a final score gets. The offense made up for it from deep, shooting 37.0% on threes, 30th nationally. It also hunted second chances, grabbing 35.3% of its own misses, 48th in the country.
Against an overmatched opponent, the useful signs are the rotation and who takes the threes, not the margin.
What to watch
- The new rotation: who plays starter's minutes in Claxton's first look at this season's roster.
- Two-point defense: whether the interior resistance from last season carries over.
- The market: no line has been posted for the game.
Numbers that matter
| Opponent 2-point % (last season) | 44.0% | Third in Division I, the backbone of Hofstra's defense last season. |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent eFG% (last season) | 45.4% | Eighth nationally, a sign of how hard Hofstra made every shot. |
| Pace (last season) | 65.4 | 294th of 365, a deliberate tempo that limits possessions. |
| 3-point % (last season) | 37.0% | 30th nationally, the main source of Hofstra's offense. |
| Last meeting | 101-48 | Hofstra's win over this opponent on Nov. 6, 2023. |
Saint Joseph's Long Island vs Hofstra: quick answers
When is Saint Joseph's Long Island vs Hofstra?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 11:30 AM ET.