BY MARCUS HENRY
There has been one thing missing from Hofstra during the Antoine Agudio, Loren Stokes era; an inside presence. During Hofstra's NIT seasons, the Pride relied on Agudio, Stokes and Carlos Rivera to carry the team. When coach Tom Pecora needed a basket down the stretch, he knew he could rely on one of his big three to produce.
But if one or two of the aforementioned stars were off, finding offense was difficult. The tide appears to be changing at Hofstra. Oh, don't worry, Antoine Agudio is still the main man for the Pride. He scored 27, including 12 during a key second-half run in Hofstra's 81-67 win over Towson Wednesday night. Charles Jenkins, Hofstra's second leading scorer added 17 points.
But Agudio, who's 35 points away from becoming Hofstra's all-time leading scorer, and Jenkins had a lot of help, Dane Johnson finished with 10 points, Darren Townes added eight points and Greg Washington finished with 4. A combined 22 points from the Pride's three frontcourt players may not sound like a lot, but when you consider how little of an offense presence Hofstra has had over the years,
Pecora sees the potential in Johnson, Townes and Washington. But he won't let either one of them rest. "It's huge," Pecora said when asked about the impact his froncourt players have had. He also added that he wants more. "Dane has got to be a double double guy," Pecora said of Johnson's five rebounds.
As for Townes, his athleticism allows him to finish with authority. But he has a penchant for missing layups, which is something that has driven Pecora crazy at times this year. "Darren misses a layup a game," Pecora joked.
It's no coincidence that Hofstra's recent run of success comes at the same time its big men have improved. Johnson has scored eight or more points in eight of his last 12 games and Townes has eclipsed double figures in three of his last four contests.
Hofstra has a chance to finish .500 in the CAA and to really make some noise in the conference tournament. If Agudio doesn't have to shoulder the load every night, the Pride could surprise.