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Time can’t even slow Speedy Claxton. His boyish smile never fades. 

Even at 47, he still physically looks like the senior point guard who took Hofstra to the NCAA Tournament in 2000—the first of consecutive appearances for the then-Flying Dutchmen of the America East under head coach Jay Wright—before carving out a nine-year playing career in the NBA. And while there are subtle reminders of time passing, like the gray stubble that adorns Claxton’s chin and the team’s mascot and conference swaps, one thing is eternal: Craig Elliott Claxton remains the pride of Hofstra basketball, even if his playing days are in the rearview.

Call it déjà vu all over again. That’s what one of Hofstra’s greatest players ever, who’s now the head coach of the program, suggested on Selection Sunday.

“Just in a different seat,” Claxton said of his full-circle moment after learning that his No. 13-seeded Pride would face No. 4 Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.

Under Claxton’s direction, Hofstra (24-11) made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a quarter century. The Pride, winners of seven straight, earned the automatic bid from the Coastal Athletic Association after capturing the conference tournament title against Monmouth. 

“Any matchup is the matchup,” says a grinning Claxton, who remains the program’s all-time leader in steals and assists and whose No. 10 jersey is retired. “That’s the draw. Alabama is a tough team, but we are happy to be here, and we are going to compete our butts off.” 

Few thought Hofstra would be here come March. The Pride slotted in at No. 8 out of 13 teams in the preseason poll. As the campaign unfolded, though, Hofstra earned ACC road victories over Pitt and Syracuse in early December, then had a four-game winning streak to open conference play. After starting 2-3, they bounced back early and late, overcoming a short-handed, five-game losing streak in January before winning eight of nine to close the regular season.  

“I played this game for a long time and at the highest level, so I believe I am very knowledgeable,” says Claxton, who won an NBA title with San Antonio as Tony Parker’s back-up in 2003. “I know what I am talking about. These kids trust me and they go out there and execute.” 

Claxton’s right hand, Mike DePaoli, says Speedy embodies the “grit” that has become synonymous with New York point guards. 

“To see his maturation from an NBA player to where he is right now, it’s awesome,” says DePaoli, who is in his fifth year on the sidelines with Claxton and his first as the associate head coach. “The impact that he has had on Hofstra—I don’t know if you can find another story like this around the country.” 

DePaoli says Claxton sets the “temperature for the program,” adding, “Win by 10 or lose by 10, he’s the same person every day.”

The Pride posted a 20-win season for the fourth time in five years and battled through the conference tourney with a quarterfinal win against William & Mary, a thrilling last-second overtime victory in the semifinals against Towson and a narrow triumph over Monmouth in the championship.

Claxton may no longer be orchestrating on the floor, but his impact from the sidelines can be seen in the backcourt that he recruited. Junior Cruz Davis was named CAA Player of the Year, while freshman Preston Edmead won CAA Rookie of the Year. Hofstra is the first school in CAA history to earn those two awards in the same season. The program has now captured four of the last five Player of the Year trophies—all guards—under Claxton’s tutelage. 

“People call it Guard U for a reason,” Edmead says. “He just gets the guards so much better. He puts us in great positions. We are a special team, and on any given night, we can play with any team in the country.”

Davis was a part of an NCAA Tournament run with Iona in 2023 and followed Rick Pitino to St. John’s before transferring again to join Claxton at Hofstra. He says his current head coach has been the true difference maker. “Speedy put so much confidence in me, even from last year telling me that I could be Player of the Year,” he says. “Working out with him throughout the summer, seeing how much better I got through two seasons—Speedy breeds confidence in us every day. He just wants the best for us.” 

New York hoops icon Smush Parker, who played against Claxton in the NBA, attributes Claxton’s coaching success to being a point guard first. “I believe most true point guards, especially in the era he and I played in, had to be the smartest players on the team,” Parker says. “He was trusted to lead the other four guys on the court on the objective that the coach wanted the team to achieve.”

Claxton capped Selection Sunday with Bruce Beck on NBC 4’s Sports Final. Beck has been in the media business for almost 30 years and saw Claxton star at Christ the King High School, Hofstra and the NBA before returning to Hempstead as a coach. He also points to Claxton’s court vision and New York pedigree. 

“Speedy saw the court incredibly well as a player, so it’s no surprise he has supreme feel for the game as a coach,” Beck says. “Who said you can’t come home again? This Hempstead born man is weaving magic in his hometown, and the sky’s the limit for this basketball lifer.” 

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Photos via Getty Images.