Jenkins chooses Hofstra for more than just basketball

When picking the next stop in his basketball career, Springfield Gardens’ star guard Charles Jenkins didn’t check out how many times he would be on television, what national players he would be joining or how many times his prospective coach reached the NCAA tournament. Instead, Jenkins looked at Hofstra’s (LI) academics, and then he gave a verbal commitment the school that plays in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
Likewise, Hofstra and the assistant coach, David Duke, who visited Springfield Gardens several times over the past few months, showed the 6-foot-3 guard they were interested in him for more than just his crossover or jump shot.
“They made sure my grades were right before they showed interested in me for basketball,” Jenkins said. “They made me know the school is for academics first.”
Still, basketball will be Jenkins’ calling card. He saw Hofstra play three times, including the Flying Dutchmen’s triple overtime victory over UNC-Wilmington when he met their Coach Tom Pecora. “I like the way they play,” Jenkins said. “Their guards do a lot of scoring.”
St. John’s University was considered a possible destination for Jenkins, especially since Coach Norm Roberts attended Springfield Gardens in the early 1980’s. But by the time the Red Storm grew interested, Jenkins said, it was too late. “They were close, but at the end, it was all Hofstra.”