The recent college basketball season at Hofstra was a fun run. We didn’t get to the big dance, but we continue to build a winning culture. As an alum, I am proud of the continued forward progress for the program.

Coach Joe Mihalich completed his sixth season with us. He said that the key to the team’s ongoing success goes beyond talent. The guys are close. They play together. They work together.

The Pride enjoyed a 16-game winning streak during the season, the longest active streak at NCAA Division I. Hofstra was near the top in team winning percentage for the season.

Coaching at Hofstra is fun for Joe, because the players love the game. Each player contributed with a positive attitude and the will to improve individual skills and the team concept. Competitiveness among the players is high and going higher.

So, we didn’t earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The last appearance was during 2001. The coach knows that next year’s team will need to put in more work. The coach is ready. The returning players are ready. Be assured that they will embrace the new players. Together, they will take that next step forward.

Aubrey Griffin, a senior at Ossining High School, is New York’s new queen of high school basketball. She was named Miss New York Basketball by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association of New York.

Aubrey isn’t the first Ossining player to receive the honor. Andra Espinoza-Hunter (Mississippi State) received the crown during 2017 and Saniya Chong (UConn and WNBA Dallas Wings) was honored during 2013. As you can tell, Ossining High School girls’ basketball is a state powerhouse. The school is just the second program to feature three honorees.

The latest honoree is the most accomplished girls’ basketball player from the Lower Hudson Valley. Aubrey is the only player named Section 1 player of the year, a McDonald’s All-American, WBCA All-American, Section 1 champion, state champion and Federation champion. She is committed to UConn.

At one point, Aubrey averaged 25.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. She scored at least 35 points in each game of the sectional final, regional semifinal and regional final.

Wow! Then there was more!

This season, Ossining captured its ninth consecutive Section 1 Class AA championship and moved on to its eighth straight state championship tournament appearance. The final game was an easy victory for Ossining – a 93-46 win over West Genesee. Aubrey earned tournament MVP honors after tallying 35 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the championship game. She set a New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament record with 146 points.

For Aubrey, it has been success upon success. It all started for her during freshman year when she helped lead Ossining to its fourth consecutive state title at the time and its first ever Federation title. Aubrey then accomplished so much more, on the court and in the classroom, in the succeeding three years. Now, it is time to for Aubrey to move on to her new challenges at UConn.