Cruz Davis鈥� only previous taste of came three years and two transfers ago.
The Hofstra guard can鈥檛 wait to get back on college basketball鈥檚 biggest stage in more of a starring role.
Davis leads as the Coastal Athletic Association player of the year. Hofstra (24-10) is the No. 13 seed in the Midwest Region and faces Alabama (23-9) in a first-round game Friday at Tampa, Florida.
This will mark his first time playing in the NCAA Tournament since getting eight minutes off the bench for against in 2023.
鈥淒on鈥檛 take that time for granted,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 understand how hard it is to get back in the tournament. It鈥檚 really a grind to be able to get in there. Getting in there is a blessing.鈥�
Davis took a circuitous route to get back there at last. He followed coach from Iona to St. John鈥檚 after that 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance, but he played only four games there due to injury before transferring again. Davis chose Hofstra for the opportunity to learn from coach Speedy Claxton, a former NBA guard.
鈥淗e was an NBA player,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淗e could help me achieve my dreams of being there.鈥�
Davis scored 14.4 points per game his first year at Hofstra, but the Pride struggled to a 15-18 record.
Before this season, Claxton and associate coach Mike DePaoli told Davis he could be a conference player of the year and could score 18-20 points per game. The 6-foot-3 guard lived up to those expectations, averaging 20.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while helping Hofstra earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2001.
Last year, Davis spent the postseason watching former Iona teammate lead Florida to a Davis and the other players from that Iona team still communicate regularly in a group chat.
Now Davis鈥� former teammates can see him try to make his own impact on March Madness. Davis scored 36 points in a and 24 in a this season.
鈥淭hat gave us a lot of confidence and showed us we鈥檙e a really good team,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚f we defend, we know we can beat anybody.鈥�
Davis is one of many players from one-bid conferences to keep an eye on this week in the NCAA Tournament. Here鈥檚 a look at some others:
Terry Anderson, High Point
Opening game: Thursday vs. Wisconsin at Portland, Oregon.
Notes: After playing eight minutes in an to Purdue last season, Anderson has taken a much greater role this year. The 6-6 forward has collected 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. He averaged 18.7 points in three Big South Tournament games, including a 25-point, 12-rebound performance in a semifinal win over UNC Asheville.
Dominique Daniels Jr., Cal Baptist
Opening game: Friday vs. Kansas in San Diego.
Notes: Daniels scored Cal Baptist鈥檚 last nine points with a trio of 3-pointers in the Lancers鈥� 63-61 Western Athletic Conference over Utah Valley. The 6-4 guard was named the WAC鈥檚 player of the year and the most outstanding player of the league tournament. Daniels averages 23.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He has scored at least 21 points in nine of his last 10 games, including a 41-point outburst in a over Utah Tech.
Thomas Dowd, Troy
Opening game: Thursday vs. Nebraska at Oklahoma City.
Notes: Dowd is averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He had 25 points and 19 rebounds in a double-overtime victory over San Diego State earlier this season. The 6-8 forward was the most outstanding player in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the He has 17 double-doubles this season.
Dontae Horne, Prairie View A&M
Opening game: Wednesday vs. Lehigh in First Four at Dayton, Ohio. The winner faces Florida on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
Notes: Horne has scored at least 25 points in 10 of his last 12 games, a stretch that includes a 46-point performance. He is averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He had 23.3 points per game in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament and was named the event鈥檚 most outstanding player. This is Horne鈥檚 first year at Prairie View A&M after he spent one season each at Texas State and Georgia Southern.
TJ Power, Penn
Opening game: Thursday vs. Illinois at Greenville, South Carolina.
Notes: Power had 44 points and 14 rebounds to help in an Ivy League Tournament championship game that went to overtime. Power had by making two 3-pointers in the final seven seconds of regulation. The 6-9 forward previously played in the NCAA Tournament in a reserve role with Duke in 2024. He spent last season coming off the bench for Virginia.
Nasir Whitlock, Lehigh
Opening game: Wednesday vs. Prairie View A&M in First Four at Dayton, Ohio. The winner faces Florida on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
Notes: Whitlock made a tiebreaking at the buzzer in Lehigh鈥檚 Patriot League quarterfinal win over Holy Cross. He has scored at least 30 points in eight games this season. The 6-2 guard is averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He鈥檚 shooting 44.5 from 3-point range and has made 2.3 3-point baskets per game. He had 18 points and nine rebounds in Lehigh鈥檚 season opener.
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