Why Hofstra Coach Speedy Claxton Believes His Bigs Are Ready For Alabama

TAMPA, Fla — Speedy Claxton is not concerned with Alabama's size.

The Hofstra head coach's bigs have excelled all year, sitting near the top of the Coastal Athletic Association in just about every relevant statistic. The Pride is led by centers Silas Sunday and Victory Onuetu, who both rank among the nation's elite in offensive rebounding and block percentage. Claxton believes the duo's play can and will translate to the high-major matchup with the Crimson Tide.

"I'm not worried about my bigs at all, because, honestly, I believe we have bigs that are more suited to go up against high-majors than mid-majors," Claxton said. "When you play against a mid-major team that plays with a smaller five, that's where we struggle as a team, and that's where my bigs struggle guarding."

Hofstra ranks No. 51 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage this season. With its slow-paced, set half-court offensive style, second-chance opportunities have been a major part of the Pride's success this season.

"That's what we do. We try to attack the glass on the offensive side of things," Claxton said. "We know they're bigger than us obviously, but we're not going to change our style of play. We're going to go and try to get extra possessions. It's not going to be a check-the-box type of day for us. We're truly going to go out there and try to pursue the basketball."

The 7-foot Sunday and 6-foot-11 Onuetu combined for 11 offensive rebounds in Hofstra's CAA Championship win over Monmouth. Oneutu, in particular, has been elite, ranking 10th in the nation with an offensive rebounding percentage of 17.2%.

"They're good. They've got real size," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. "Sunday is a big shot blocker, rim protector, rebounder. I've been at that level. I was at Buffalo for six years before I was a head coach, and having legitimate size inside is something that maybe you don't always have at that level, and they have it."

Alabama's struggles on the boards have been well-documented this season, with negative rebounding margins serving as a primary catalyst for a number of losses. The Crimson Tide has shown flashes on the glass, notably in the regular season finale against Auburn, but those performances have been few and far between.

"Our guys are fully aware that we have had an issue rebounding the ball too many times this year," Oats said. "If we don't make a concerted effort to go to the glass, box out, it's going to be a problem. Because if you keep giving their backcourt multiple chances -- they make tough shots, so you get them to miss one, great, you did a good job on defense. You have to get the rebound."

It certainly is a rarity for a mid-major to enter an NCAA Tournament matchup with this level of confidence in its bigs to compete inside, but Hofstra has certainly earned that right through its play this season. Aiden Sherrell, whom Claxton referred to as a "big-time athlete," will have his work cut out for him on Friday against a Pride team searching for its first-ever March Madness victory.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.