Justin Wright-Foreman arrived at Hofstra with modest goals. As a freshman, there was much to learn. As a young guard joining the loaded backcourt of an NCAA Tournament contender, he prepared to be a role player, making the most of limited action.
Wright-Foreman didn’t expect much — and he got even less, averaging just 4.1 minutes and 1.6 points per game last season.
“That was kind of mind blowing,” Wright-Foreman said. “I thought I should have played more last year, but I was a freshman so I understood. It was challenging. I was a very good player out of high school and then to come into college, and it’s like, wow, it’s really different. Everyone’s good. … I thought I would be playing at least 10 minutes per game, but things don’t always work out like you think they’re supposed to.”
Last season didn’t end as Hofstra thought it was supposed to. The Pride fell just short of the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 15 years after winning the CAA regular season title.
Hofstra coach Joe Mihalich now concedes Wright-Foreman “should’ve got more minutes,” but a group of upperclassmen — Juan’ya Green, Ameen Tanksley, Denton Koon and Brian Bernardi — had earned the right to determine how the season would be remembered, and Wright-Foreman “wasn’t really ready,” the coach said.
Wright-Foreman scored just 44 points the entire year, and when his sophomore season started, it wasn’t clear if he was any more ready for a larger role. On Nov. 23, he scored two points in eight minutes against South Dakota. On Dec. 3, he was held scoreless against Florida Atlantic, part of a three-game stretch in which he scored a combined eight points.
Then, the binge began.
Wright-Foreman put up 14 points in the second half against Kentucky, beginning a streak of 18 straight games with double-digit points. Entering Saturday’s game against North Carolina-Wilmington, the Queens native has scored 20 or more in eight straight contests. The 6-foot southpaw is averaging 17 points per game, making him the nation’s most improved scorer this season, while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
“You have to be surprised. … I didn’t know he’d be that kind of scorer,” Mihalich said. “He can really put the ball in the hole. It’s a gift, but it’s not like he rolls out of bed and makes jumpers. He works his brains out doing it, but part of it is a mentality, too. You see guys on TV make a shot and they’re beating their chest and they’re waving to the crowd, holding three fingers up in the air. I think when people act like that, it’s almost like they’re surprised they scored. He just believes that ball’s supposed to go in every time he shoots it.”
Wright-Foreman just had to learn what it meant to be the “go-to guy.”
“It becomes understood, but occasionally you have to remind him,” Mihalich said. “We had a play against Drexel, it’s a tie game at the end, we put the ball in his hands and he goes up for a jump shot and he passes the ball back to our big guy and Hunter [Sabety] missed the pass. It was the right play, but I said to [Wright-Foreman], ‘What happened? We didn’t get a shot off. You were supposed to take the shot there.’
“Sure enough, nine days later, we played Drexel here and he hit the game-winning shot.”
Wright-Foreman isn’t even really sure what changed, uncertain how his play made a Bob Beamon leap so suddenly. His long days in the gym helped. The tutelage of assistant coach Speedy Claxton — the former Hofstra star and NBA guard, who recruited Wright-Foreman — was vital.
The talks with his mom, Janice, were pivotal, too, light-hearted and encouraging.
“She was a big help in the situation,” Wright-Foreman said of his early struggles. “She would laugh and joke with me that I took too many 3s to start the season, but the little conversations really focused me in. My mom has always picked me up when I was slipping. She’s kept me on the right track. My dad wasn’t around as often as I’d like, so my mom was pretty much my mom and my dad. She is my best friend. She is my inspiration. She takes care of me and my three little brothers and seeing how strong she is keeps me going.
“I’ve gained my confidence back and I’m just happy everything’s starting to fall in place now.”
Another season unfolding unlike the one that was expected.
Villanova vs. Seton Hall (Saturday, 12:30 p.m.)
The Prudential Center will be packed for one of Seton Hall’s biggest regular season games in years. Following a huge victory over Creighton, the Pirates could solidify an NCAA Tournament berth with a win over the No. 2 team in the nation, which beat Seton Hall by 30 last month.
Rutgers at Northwestern (Saturday, 6 p.m.)
The Wildcats haven’t locked up their first ticket to the Big Dance yet. Rutgers lost last month’s meeting, 69-60, and has only two wins since Dec. 18, but the Scarlet Knights will have the opportunity to play spoiler and hand a devastating loss to Northwestern, which has lost three of its past four games.
Manhattan at Iona (Friday, 9 p.m.)
One of New York’s best rivalries has turned remarkably one-sided. The Gaels have won the past five regular season meetings — Manhattan’s last win came in the 2015 MAAC title game — and will be favored again against the struggling Jaspers in this nationally televised matchup in New Rochelle.
1. Seton Hall
Record: 16-9, 6-7
Up next: Saturday (12:30 p.m.) vs. Villanova
2. Monmouth
Record: 23-5, 15-2
Up next: Tuesday (7 p.m.) at Fairfield
3. St. John’s
Record: 12-15, 6-8
Up next: Tuesday (8 p.m.) at Marquette
4. Iona
Record: 18-10, 11-6
Up next: Sunday (5 p.m.) vs. Rider
5. Rutgers
Record: 13-14, 2-12
Up next: Saturday (6 p.m.) at Northwestern
6. Fordham
Record: 11-15, 5-8
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Saint Louis
7. St. Peter’s
Record: 15-12, 11-6
Up next: Sunday (2 p.m.) vs. Fairfield
8. Stony Brook
Record: 16-10, 11-2
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) vs. Binghamton
9. Hofstra
Record: 13-15, 5-10
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. UNC-Wilmington
10. LIU Brooklyn
Record: 17-11, 10-5
Up next: Saturday (Noon) vs. Sacred Heart
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