Hofstra men's basketball pre-season practice update

A dozen days since Hofstra men’s basketball’s first official practice and two weeks before the Pride get set to open the season at national powerhouse Kansas, head coach Tom Pecora is satisfied with the progress of his many younger players, who will help provide a deep bench in 2009/2010.

After today’s hour and a half practice concluded Coach Pecora told “Inside the Pride” that he anticipates playing a nine possibly 10-deep lineup that will have the ability to run the floor more than previous teams. The prospects of being a heavy transition team are made possible by having a deeper bench and the early progress of new guards Chaz Williams and Brad Kelleher, which will allow junior Charles Jenkins to play off the ball for longer stretches. “We’re going to play at a little bit of a quicker pace,” said Pecora.

Jenkins, who averaged 19.7 points per game as a sophomore, has shown a serious focus in the early practices and is a perfect example for younger players to follow on and off the court, according to Pecora.  “He is on the right page and he is definitely focused and he is doing a great job being a good leader,” said Pecora of Jenkins, who earned Colonial Athletic Association pre-season player of the year honors after winning last year's Haggerty Award given to the best player in the New York City metropolitan region.