For years, the Hofstra basketball program has recruited almost exclusively in the New York area. Now entering its second season in the Colonial Athletic Association, the Pride have started to take a more national approach.

Yesterday, two players signed with Hofstra and neither has local ties. Aurimas Kieza, a 6-foot-8 forward, played for Florida Air Academy last year after moving to the U.S. from Lithuania. He will be joined by Gibby Washington, a six-foot point guard, who played for Mandarin HS in Jacksonville.

“I looked at a lot of schools in Florida,” said Kieza, who played for Lithuania’s Under-20 national team last summer before attending Florida Air, a boarding school in Melbourne. “But I thought Hofstra gave me the best chance to make the NBA, since they have sent guys there before.”

Speedy Claxton played for Philadelphia and Norm Richardson was on the Bulls this season after illustrious careers at Hofstra.