Joe Mihalich’s

Hofstra had six players arrested last season, including Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Taran Buie, who are leaving the program.

Mihalich quickly got to work, landing 6-foot-4 Gill St. Bernard’s small forward Chris Jenkins, a former Florida Atlantic commit who had previously visited Hofstra.

He has also reached out to 6-2, 185-pound combo guard Marquise Moore of Queens, who has opened up his recruitment, according to Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn.

“I’ve been doing this for the last 48 hours with my staff,” Mihalich, who can’t comment on unsigned recruits, told SNY.tv by phone Wednesday.

“We did the depth chart, we analyzed each guy, who’s right, who’s wrong,” the former Niagara coach said. “Who wants to come, who doesn’t, that kind of stuff. I can’t mention names, but I talked to a couple guys this morning.

“It was a really good dialogue, I said, ‘Look, our heads are all spinning. Your head’s spinning, my head’s spinning. You don’t know me. I don’t really know you, but I do know this. You committed to Hofstra University and Mo Cassara. Now, Mo Cassara has changed, but Hofstra University hasn’t. It’s an awesome place, so take a deep breath, don’t forget that Hofstra University is still a good place and let’s talk. You like where it’s going, let’s keep talking. If you say, you know what, that’s just not the guy that I wanted to play for, then I get it, I’ll understand.’”

Three of Hofstra’s commits under Cassara play for Quinn at St. Thomas More –  Moore, 6-foot point guard Amadi Udenyi and 6-7 small forward Gabe Levin.

Quinn told SNY.tv that Udenyi would remain committed to Hofstra, but that Moore and Levin were going to open it up.

“Amadi Udenyi is all set right now, but Joe wants to meet them, they want to meet Joe,” Quinn said.

Quinn said Moore is still considering Hofstra, but is also being courted by George Mason, Creighton, Boston University and Fairfield.

“He’s an athletic, young point guard,” Quinn said. “He gets from Point A to Point B as quickly as anybody. His potential is really, really on the upscale. He had a wonderful season.”

As for Levin, Quinn said he likely won’t go to Hofstra and is hearing Duquesne, Fordham, Loyola-Marymount, Illinois-Chicago, BU and others.

Asked what his philosophy was in rebuilding the program, Mihalich told SNY.tv,

“I think the general thing is to do it the right way….We’re not going to take the wrong person, whether it’s not a good enough player, not a good enough person. We’re going to do it the right way.”

As for how long that might take, Mihalich said, “I hope it takes 24 hours. I hope three All-Americans call up right now and say, ‘Hey, I’m coming.’

“I just don’t know but we’re going to try to make it happen fast. But we’re not going to compromise principles.”

And he also doesn’t know what kind of style he can play until he gets his team set.

“We gotta put the team together and then we’ll figure out what we can do,” he said. Can we play fast, can we play slow? We’ll put the team together and try to find a way to win.”

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SNY.tv previously reported that Mihalich interviewed at Hofstra last month.

The news was first reported by Newsday.

Hofstra first targeted Iona coach Tim Cluess, a Hofstra grad and Long Island native, but he opted to re-up with the Gaels instead.

Mihalich, who was named the 2013 MAAC Coach of the Year and the 2013 Skip Prosser Man of the Year, takes over a Hofstra program that went 7-25 last season and had six players arrested for off-the-court incidents.

Mihalich won 265 games in the MAAC and took Niagara to two NCAA Tournaments and three NITs.

He takes over for Mo Cassara, who was fired March 22.

In November, four Hofstra players were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary in connection with a string of dorm-room burglaries at the Long Island school.

Last month, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was arrested for marijuana possession. Also, Taran Buie was arrested a few nights ago for a traffic violation, according to Newsday.

Three of Hofstra’s 2013 commits under Cassara attend St. Thomas More (Conn.) —  6-foot point guard Amadi Udenyi, 6-2 combo guard Marquise Moore of Queens and 6-7 small forward Gabe Levin.

STM head coach Jere Quinn previously told SNY.tv that the players “will think it over and go from there but they like the school.”

“They’re not rushing into anything right now,” Quinn said.

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ATLANTA — Tim Cluess

The Iona coach has recommitted to coaching the Gaels for at least the next five years, the school announced.

Reports earlier Saturday had the Hofstra alum and Long Island native as a done deal to his alma mater. Hofstra pays about twice what Cluess makes at Iona, sources told SNY.tv.

Cluess, in three years at the helm, has led the Gaels to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013, along with a MAAC Tournament Championship this spring.

With a 20-14 record this year, the Gaels have under Cluess’ leadership notched a record of 70-34 in the last three seasons. He came to Iona in 2010 after successful stints at the Division II level at C.W. Post, the junior college level at Suffolk Community College and the high school level at Saint Mary’s in Manhasset, NY.

“I’m excited about the coming season and continuing to build on our success. I believe in the future of men’s basketball and the College itself,” Cluess said. “President Nyre and the entire Iona community have been so supportive of me and our program.”

“Iona is at heart a liberal arts college, but it has the commitment to doing Division I athletics the right way and making athletics an integral part of the college experience. We of course want to be successful, but we also want our student-athletes to be successful in both competition and the classroom.”

Release, Photo: Iona Athletics

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“We are very thankful to Mo Cassara for his hard work and dedication to the Hofstra Basketball program over the last three years,” AD Jeff Hathaway said.  “Mo is a tireless worker and has tremendous passion for the game and the students that he coached.  I personally want to thank him for his commitment to Hofstra Athletics and the University community during his tenure.  We wish him the very best.”

Sources said Iona coach Tim Cluess would be high on Hofstra’s list of potential replacements. Cluess is a Hofstra grad and a Long Island high school coaching legend who has led the Gaels to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

“He will double his salary if he goes to Hofstra,” one industry source told SNY.tv.

Anthony Evans of Norfolk State, Orlando Antigua of Kentucky, Andy Toole of Robert Morris and Jimmy Patsos of Loyola are other options.

Cassara went 38-59 at Hofstra since being hired in 2010, 7-25 this past year. He will be paid the full amount left on his contract, according to Newsday.

“I would like to express how much I have valued and enjoyed the opportunity to be the head basketball coach at Hofstra University,” Cassara said.

“I appreciate the experience and challenge that I was given almost three years ago by President Rabinowitz, and have loved my time working with our administrators, student-athletes and staff.

“I would also like to thank the Hofstra fans and students for all of their love, support and dedication to what is a great and storied program.

“I want the entire community to know just how much I care about our student-athletes and this team. We have navigated through what has been a challenging season. I wish nothing but success to the athletic department, basketball program and supporters of the Hofstra Pride.”

In November, four Hofstra players were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary in connection with a string of dorm-room burglaries at the Long Island school.

This month, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was arrested for marijuana possession. Also, Taran Buie was arrested a few nights ago for a traffic violation, according to Newsday.

After Rich Williams decommitted two days ago, Hofstra has six commits for 2013, who now must decide what they want to do.

Three of them attend St. Thomas More (Conn.) —  6-foot point guard Amadi Udenyi, 6-2 combo guard Marquise Moore of Queens and 6-7 small forward Gabe Levin.

STM head coach Jere Quinn told SNY.tv that the players “will think it over and go from there but they like the school.”

“They’re not rushing into anything right now,” Quinn said.

“We have…[recruits] committed, they were going to change face of program,” Cassara told Newsday.

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On the court, the Pride have lost nine of 10 to fall to  6-20, 3-10 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Off the court, Hofstra is still recovering from the scandal in November which saw four players arrested on multiple counts of burglary and subsequently kicked off the team.

But head coach Mo Cassara is moving forward with a whole new class of recruits.

The Pride added two players from St. Thomas More (Conn.) in 6-foot point guard Amadi Udenyi and 6-2 combo guard Marquise Moore of Queens to bring the recruiting class to six players (as opposed to the four that has been incorrectly reported by some outlets).

“I’ve known Mo for a very long time,” St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn told SNY.tv. “He was very honest with the kids about the situation.

“There will be an opportunity to play if they do the right thing and if they play hard and the kids are looking forward to coming in and helping the program.”

Quinn said Cassara knows he must recruit high-quality kids going forward.

“What they’re looking for is quality kids who are good students and kids of integrity and kids who have the potential to get better,” Quinn said.

As for the on-court chemistry between Moore and Udenyi, Moore said that will help the Pride, too.

“We should jell pretty well,” said Moore, who said he also considered Fairfield, Rider, Marist and Cleveland State. “We play good together right now.”

Udenyi, who began his career at De La Salle High School (Calif.) and was originally in the Class of 2012,, committed about a month ago and is “more of a set-up point guard who will get you in to stuff,” Quinn said.

“He has been dealing with a knee injury [meniscus] but he’s back now,” Quinn said.

An athletic combo guard, Moore pledged on Sunday.

“He ‘s just so athletic,” Quinn said of Moore. “He gets from Point A to Point B quickly. He defends. He’s got a lot of potential. He has a pretty good ceiling.”

Udenyi and Moore join Hofstra’s four previous commits: Richard Williams of Vermont Academy and Brooklyn; Gervelle Kidd of Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy; Travis Hester of the Miller (Va.) School; and Iverson Fleming of North Brunswick (N.J.).

As for the Udenyi-Moore combination, Quinn said: “I think they’re different players. They play together. They’re roommates at prep school.

“They both can play a little bit.”

NOTICE LIKES THREE

Duane Notice, a 6-3 Canadian combo guard at St. Thomas More, lists Duquesne, St. Bonaventure and Seton Hall.

“He’s talking about those three,” Quinn said. “We will take about [visits] when the season ends.”

He added: “He can score, defend, he’s cerebral. He knows how to play.”

Meantime, Gabe Levin, a 6-7 power forward, has offers from Hofstra, James Madison and UNC-Wilmington, among others.

“He’s not in any rush,” Quinn said.

CINCY PLEDGE LAWRENCE DONE FOR SEASON

Cincinnati commit Jermaine Lawrence is done for the season with a wrist injury, Pope John XXIII (N.J.) coach Jason Hasson confirmed to SNY.tv.

The 6-10 Lawrence had surgery that caused him to miss the first part of the season. He returned Jan. 24, but is now done for the season less than a month later.

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Fleming has scored at least 20 points five times this year, including a 33-point outing against South Brunswick. He also put 29 on Woodbridge.

The 6-foot-1, 158-pound Fleming chose Hofstra over LIU and Caldwell College and interest from Sacred Heart.

“I picked Hofstra because the coaching staff made me feel welcome the first time I stepped foot on campus,” he told SNY.tv. “I got a warm reception from the coaching staff. And from what I understand they have an excellent basketball program as well as academics.

“I will bring to the team my knowledge of the game, my speed and athleticism and my leadership abilities, also my honest and integrity.”

Fleming joins Hargrave Military Academy wing Gervelle Kidd in Mo Cassara’s 2013 class.

Photo: USA Today.

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By JERRY BEACH

Special to ZAGSBLOG

BROOKLYN — Hofstra lost more than 28 points per game Nov. 29, when four players were arrested for a series of dorm room thefts on the Hempstead campus.

But the player the Pride is missing the most this year was sitting on the bench in sweats Saturday afternoon, when a tie game at halftime turned into an 83-62 loss to Tulane at Barclays Center.

Jamal Coombs-McDaniel accompanied the Pride to Brooklyn one day after SNY.tv first reported he’d miss the rest of the season because of ongoing knee problems.

Coombs-McDaniel underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee in April 2011, shortly after he transferred to Hofstra from UConn, where he helped the Huskies win the 2011 national championship as a sophomore. Coombs-McDaniel continued to battle soreness in the knee, though, and underwent another surgery early this fall with the hope that it would allow him to suit up at some point in the 2012-13 season.

But Hofstra coach Mo Cassara acknowledged Saturday that he and his staff had been anticipating Friday’s bad news for a while. Coombs-McDaniel is expected to undergo a third surgery sometime soon.

“It was certainly heading that way, really, throughout the spring and summer,” Cassara said. “He could just never quite get back to 100 percent. We went back, we had another second opinion, they had a procedure early in the fall hoping that would clean it up and get him able to play.”

Cassara said it was too early to determine if Coombs-McDaniel could come back and play next year, but said the 23-year-old Massachusetts native is staring at a “lifetime decision” as he ponders his next surgery.

“He’s got to decide can he play again, will he able to play again, how far away [is he from playing] if he has different types of surgeries, what are the outcomes,” Cassara said. “He’s at that point in his life, he’s 23 years old he’s got to make some life decisions here.”

Cassara said Coombs-McDaniel will return to Hofstra and take a class during the school’s “intersession” period between the fall and winter semester and that he is on pace to graduate in the spring. He also said Coombs-McDaniel would continue to join the Pride on the bench for games once the team returns home to begin its CAA schedule on Jan. 7 against Georgia State.

Coombs-McDaniel’s absence is just the latest body blow for a program that staggered to its seventh straight loss on Saturday. Cassara viewed Coombs-McDaniel as the big-time player whom he could build the Pride around this year and next year as he began to rebuild the foundation with younger players.

“There’s a kid who’s won Big East championships, won national championships, played on a national stage, won prep school championships—everything that kid’s done, as far as a basketball player, is win,” Cassara said. “That was the thing that really attracted me to him when I recruited him out of high school [at Boston College] and when I recruited him to come to Hofstra.”

But Coombs-McDaniel becomes the fifth Pride newcomer — out of nine — whose season ended before Christmas.

“He’s the guy we miss right now,” Cassara said. “He’s that experienced, tough guy who’s won a lot of basketball games, who knows how to make plays. I think one of Jamal’s greatest qualities as a basketball player is he has that unique ability on the court to help out the guys, to make other guys better. And that’s something right now that we lack. We had obviously counted on Jamal to be really that focal point of our team for these two years [and] obviously, he hasn’t played a minute.”

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Coombs-McDaniel’s future remains in doubt because of his knee situation.

The 6-foot-7 forward hasn’t played since the 2010-11 season when he helped UConn win the national championship under then-coach Jim Calhoun. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in his two-year career at UConn before transferring to Hofstra and sitting out last season.

Hofstra (3-8) is already playing with a limited roster after four players — sophomore Shaquille Stokes and freshmen Jimmy Hall, Kentrell Washington and Dallas Anglin – were arrested and suspeneded last month for a string of dorm burglaries.

Hofstra faces incoming Big East member Tulane (2014) on Saturday at the Barclays Center.

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By JERRY BEACH

Special to ZAGSBLOG

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.—Larry Brown, the only coach to ever win an NCAA championship and an NBA crown, surveyed the dozens of reporters seated before him at Hofstra’s Physical Fitness Center just minutes after he recorded the 1,661^st win of a career that spans parts of five decades.

“This like this every night after Hofstra games?” Brown said after his Southern Methodist team dispatched a short-handed Hofstra club, 73-47.

No, just after a game played following one of the most jarring events in the history of the school’s athletic department.

The overflow media throng, which forced the school to move the post-game press conference from the 16-seat film room to the facility that used to serve as the home of the Hofstra men’s and women’s basketball teams, was there not to chronicle Brown’s return to his native New York with Southern Methodist University but to get its first access to Hofstra coach Mo Cassara since four Pride players were arrested Thursday on multiple counts of burglary.

Sophomore Shaquille Stokes and freshmen Jimmy Hall, Kentrell Washington and Dallas Anglin were charged with stealing at least $10,000 worth of electronics from dorm rooms on campus. Stokes (five counts of burglary), Hall (four counts) and Washington (two counts) remained jailed as of Saturday morning while Anglin (one count of burglary and one count of tampering with evidence) was released Friday on $2,000 bail. The four players were immediately suspended from the team and from campus and their names have been removed from the Pride’s roster at the school’s athletic website.

“You hate to see kids have to go through something like this,” Brown said. “A lot of us have made mistakes in our lives, but I don’t think at the time you realize the impact it has not only on your life but all the people around you that care about you.

“You can’t lose four quality players in one day and expect to have success.”

Indeed, the suspensions decimated the Pride, who gave up the first 10 points Saturday afternoon and never threatened SMU.

Hall was the Pride’s leading rebounder (9.4 per game) and second-leading scorer (10.7 ppg) while Stokes ranked fourth on the team with 10 points a game and hit multiple clutch shots in wins over South Dakota State and Marshall during a three-day tournament on campus two weekends ago.

Hofstra may not face a team as good as SMU (8-1) the rest of the year, so even with its depleted roster, better afternoons should be ahead for the Pride this winter in a diminished CAA.

Freshman Darren Payen, whom Cassara viewed as the most talented player in this recruiting class, began burning a planned redshirt Saturday, when he had five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes in his college debut.

Sophomore Taran Buie, a Penn State transfer, was one of two double-digit scorers for the Pride, who expect to get UConn transfer Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Fresno transfer Daquan Brown into the lineup in the next few weeks.

But the long days are likely just beginning for Cassara, who appeared shaken during a 13-minute press conference and had to pause to collect his thoughts during his opening remarks.

“It’s been a difficult couple days, and there’s nobody…” Cassara said before pausing. “There’s nobody that feels worse about it than me. There’s nobody more disappointed—almost heartbroken, in many ways.”

Cassara used the word “heartbroken” three times to describe his feelings since Thursday morning, when he and athletic director Jeff Hathaway learned Nassau County police were investigating Stokes, Hall, Washington and Anglin. Cassara said he could not discuss any particulars of the timeline since Thursday because of the ongoing criminal investigation.

And while he declined to discuss the recruitment of the quartet, he did answer several questions about the legwork he and his staff put in when recruiting players and whether or not he would revisit his approach after a semester in which six players have been suspended.

Buie and Coombs-McDaniel were each suspended for the Pride’s two exhibitions and first two regular season games. In addition, junior college transfer Bryant Crowder was suspended from the team twice last year before he left school at the end of the fall semester.

“My staff, myself, we take every opportunity  – every opportunity— when we recruit kids to meet them, meet their families, meet the people around them, the people that support them,” Cassara said. “That’s part of our job and we do that to the best of our abilities.

“We take every opportunity to evaluate every kid. Know their families, their parents, their AAU coaches their high school coaches, and we do that to the best of our abilities. That’s part of what we work very hard at.”

Cassara will surely field—if he hasn’t already—some variation of those questions from Hofstra president Stuart Rabinowitz, with whom he has enjoyed a warm relationship since he replaced Tim Welsh after the latter “resigned” following a DUI after less than a month on the job in 2010.

Rabinowitz has appreciated Cassara’s youthful approachability—symbolized best by his constant presence on social media—and around-the-clock focus on Hofstra basketball, two traits that also made him an instant hit on campus and with Pride fans.

Cassara spoke often Saturday night of his love for his job and the Long Island school. Still, as a coaching lifer and the son of a former college basketball coach, Cassara knows the head coach is held accountable whenever players make foolish decisions that reflect poorly on the program.

“I love this place,” Cassara said. “I love the opportunity that I’ve been given here. I love all the players and the people around this university. I love the students. I can’t sit here and tell you I’m the best coach in the world, but I do everything I can to reach out to the community, to reach out to the students, on campus and off-campus, everything that I can.

“I love it. And there’s nobody—nobody—that feels worse, that has slept less, that is more devastated about this, than me.”

The healing should begin in earnest Sunday, when the Pride start preparing for Tuesday’s home game against Wagner. Players and coaches alike will be adjusting to their new normal, which, for the moment, includes fielding a roster with just seven scholarship players and scouring the campus for walk-ons who can provide minutes and competition in practice.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday, Cassara bolted from his seat, clapped his hands and gave supportive slaps on the back to several Pride players as they walked off the court. Players were not made available to the media on Saturday, but Cassara said the remaining members of the Pride were resilient and focused on the task of saving a season that looked so promising only two weeks ago.

“As I said to them in the locker room: We’ve got two games next week, we’ve got to get ready for Wagner and got to hook arms and stay together and focus on what’s really important,” Cassara said.

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By JOSH NEWMAN & ADAM ZAGORIA

Four Hofstra basketball players were arrested Thursday evening and charged with multiple counts of second-degree burglary in connection with a string of dorm-room burglaries at the Long Island university.

According to police and media reports, sophomore transfer and former Lincoln High School star Shaquille Stokes and freshmen Jimmy Hall, Kentrell Washington and Dallas Anglin stole more than an estimated $20,000 worth of  iPads, iPods and laptops from six unlocked dorm rooms between Oct. 4 and Nov. 5. Some of the stolen items were sold on Craiglist and other locations.

Stokes was charged with five counts of burglary, Hall four, Washington two and Anglin one count each of burglary and tampering with evidence.

The players all pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Friday in Hempstead, N.Y., and were released on bail. All four players were supended from the school and the team.

“This morning, Nassau County Police Department, in cooperation with the Hofstra Department of Public Safety, announced the arrest of four Hofstra University men’s basketball student-athletes on various counts of burglary. The players have been identified as Shaquille Stokes, Jimmy Hall, Kentrell Washington and Dallas Anglin,” Hofstra Associate Director of Athletic Communications Stephen Gorchov said in a statement.

“Hofstra’s Department of Public Safety has been working closely with the Nassau County Police Department since the investigation began. Due to the nature of the charges, the four students have been immediately suspended from the University, including the basketball team, classes, residence halls and facilities, pending the outcome of the case.”

Nassau County Police also said head coach Mo Cassara had been burglarized by the players, but Hofstra issued a later statement saying that Cassara’s missing personal items — an iPad, iPhone, money and credit cards — went missing May 11, before the players arrived on campus.

Hall (12.7 points per game) and Stokes (10.0 point per game) are two of Hofstra’s top four scorers during its 3-4 start. Stokes, a transfer from the University of Hawaii, was granted a hardship waiver 48 hours before the the Pride opened their season on Nov. 9.

This isn’t the first time Hall has been in some trouble. Last season as a senior at perennial New Jersey power St. Anthony of Jersey City, the Brooklyn native was suspended indefinitely and later dismissed from the team by Friars head coach Bob Hurley for an undisclosed reason.

“I feel very bad for Mrs. Hall, who I think has tried to do the right things for her son, and I feel very bad for Mo Cassara and the Hofstra basketball program for giving him a chance and this turning out to be where it is right now,” Hurley told the New York Post.

“I was forced last year because of failure to adhere to rules at school to dismiss him from the team two-thirds through the season,” Hurley added.

“Anytime something like this happens, [there's] no explanation for something like that, one kid or four kids. It’s mystifying that things like this are happening or happened.”

Hofstra is scheduled to play future Big East member Southern Methodist (7-1) and Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Hofstra’s Mack Sports Complex. Without the four players, the Pride are down to just seven scholarship players and three walk-ons

One of those seven scholarship players, 6-foot-7 UConn transfer Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, is still nursing a knee injury. The junior has not played this season and it remains unclear when or if he will play.

Both Coombs-McDaniel and guard Taran Buie were suspended in October for four games for violating team rules.

Photo: Newsday

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