HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Charles Jenkins was worried.

His coach, Tom Pecora, had left for Fordham, and he would have to rely on a guy he didn't know for his final go-around at Hofstra.

Then, just when he began to develop a level of trust with new coach Tim Welsh, he was history after being fired following a DUI.

"It was all very tough to deal with," Jenkins said. "But I tried not to show any emotion."

Jenkins and his teammates had no clue what to expect after Welsh was gone, but they had built a relationship with Welsh's assistants: Mo Cassara, Steve DeMeo and Allen Griffin.

"I started to trust them," Jenkins said. "So did my teammates."

Jenkins enters his final season with the Pride as the reigning CAA Player of the Year, but winning that honor again doesn’t matter to the rock-solid 6-foot-3, 220-pound guard.

"We've been good and we've won 20 games, but we haven't been champions," Jenkins said. "That's all I’m concerned about. Winning a championship."

Cassara will ask a lot of Jenkins — to be a leader, score and maybe even a distributor with the departure of freshman floor leader Chaz Williams.

Hofstra brought in junior college guard Dwan McMillan and will have Australian floor leader Brad Kelleher after he finishes serving an NCAA suspension for amateurism.

"We're going to be able to run," Jenkins said. "This year's team will be more fast-paced. It'll be different — more up-tempo."

And one led by Jenkins, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

"He's been unbelievable," Cassara said. "I'm fortunate to have a guy like Charles to make my transition easier. He's obviously extremely talented, but he's been a great leader so far as well."

ANTHONY DAVIS CONSIDERING NORTH CAROLINA?

Anthony Davis Sr. said that he and his son would sit down and talk about North Carolina.

Anthony Davis Jr., had already determined a top three of Syracuse, Ohio State and Kentucky prior to the start of the July recruiting period — even though Ohio State and Kentucky had yet to see him play.

Now, the Tar Heels have tried to get involved with the 6-foot-9 skilled Chicago native, and he said they currently sit fourth on his list.

"Right now, I'm set with three schools, but I haven't ruled out adding another school," the younger Davis said. "North Carolina is fourth on my list right now."

Davis said he intends to visit all three schools after finishing up in July and may also take a trip to Chapel Hill.

RANDOM NOTES: Kadeem Jack told FOXSports.com that Rutgers definitely occupies one of the top five spots on his list. Jack, who spurned plenty of high-majors late in the spring in favor of spending a year at South Kent (Conn.), mentioned Texas, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Kansas, Xavier, Miami and Arkansas. He also said that both North Carolina and Kentucky, who expressed interest a few months ago, said they will monitor his play over the next week or so down in Orlando. "It'll probably come down to how I play in Orlando," Jack said. "There's a little bit of pressure on me, but I like that."

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