Give Washington his props for good season

Charles Jenkins is the dominating force of Hofstra basketball, but the star guard says attention must be paid to 6-10 Greg Washington, his fellow fifth-year senior.

Jenkins wants everyone to know that Washington, Hofstra's all-time leader in blocked shots, deserves plenty of credit for Hofstra's success this season.

"Greg is responsible for a lot of our wins,'' Jenkins said as the team prepared for this weekend's Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Richmond, Va. "A lot of people look at me for points, but he's definitely been a tremendous part of the success in my career. A lot of my baskets came off screens that he set. And a lot of my assists came from the improvement he showed in his shot. He has a tremendous impact in the game whether it's offense or defense.''

Jenkins and Washington are best friends, and the bond became even closer last spring when Tom Pecora left for Fordham and replacement Tim Welsh had to resign. Mo Cassara finally was named - and the team emerged with a 20-10 season.

"Everything that's happened, he's always been by my side,'' Jenkins said of Washington. "We said, 'Whatever happens this year, let's make sure we're together.' We're playing the hand we're dealt and sticking it out.''

Because of his size, Washington has always been burdened by expectations. "When you pass 6-7, they automatically say, 'You're supposed to be a monster, dominate,' '' he said. "I mean, I'm on a team that already has a dominant player in Charles. I have a job to do. Block shots, get the rebounds, score occasional points here and there. People think, 'If I was 6-10, I'd be doing this and that.' But they're not 6-10. I'm undersized for being 6-10 because I'm also thin.''

Washington, listed at 215 pounds, tried many ways to gain weight, but it wasn't until Jenkins told him to relax that he felt comfortable. "You just have to use what you have,'' Jenkins said. "He may not be the biggest center in the country, but what separates him is his versatility. He runs like a guard. We call him a deer because of how fast he runs.''

Cassara said he appreciates Washington's contributions. "First of all, in my short time here, he's willing to play whatever role you ask him to play,'' he said. "He doesn't mind being in the background. He doesn't mind doing the dirty work.''

Washington, who has 272 blocked shots in his career, was named to the CAA All-Defensive team for the third straight year Thursday night. He is averaging 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Sometimes the blocked shot has been his worst enemy; it created fouls and limited his playing time. "We want to keep him on the court, move him around on offense and defense,'' Cassara said. "Against [UNC] Wilmington, he played 39 minutes. I don't think anybody, even us, in our wildest dreams imagined we could keep him on the court for 39 minutes. Every time he made a bad foul, we showed him in films. If it's an aggressive foul around the basket, we can live with that. He may block three or four shots but also may alter three or four more. With him on the court, he's a great presence.''

Washington worked at trimming his fouls. "We went through a lot of scenarios,'' he said. "Situations where I play with my hands up, and if they score, they score. I give a lot of credit to coach Mo. I took what he taught me and put it towards the game. I learned to use my length. I have a wingspan that is 7-6 that I use to my advantage.''

Washington's impact on and off the court was noticed by the Hofstra administration. "He has done everything here with a smile,'' athletic director Jack Hayes said. "He's been a fine example to all student-athletes, particularly to the freshmen and sophomores on the basketball team about how to conduct yourself when things are good and when things can be tough. On nights where he probably didn't feel like he played his best, if we won, that's all he cared about. It's an important role for younger players to see that. He has been a big part of what we've done.''

Hofstra made it through the offseason tumult nicely; at 14-4, the Pride finished in a tie for second place, its best finish in its 10 CAA seasons. "We had to wait until the smoke cleared to see the group of guys that we were left with,'' Washington said. "I think we just came together. We said, 'This is all we have, we've got to make do.' I wouldn't trade these guys for any other group. I love these guys.''

New contract for Cassara?

First-year coach Cassara could be in line for a raise or contract extension. "We've always had a history in all our sports of looking at people's contracts on an annual basis,'' Hayes said. "Even if they had more years on it, if there was something that should be done, I think we have a history of doing that. So we'll certainly sit down with him when the season ends and have that conversation because we have a history of doing it and also because this season certainly warrants it.''