From the FreeP: Seniors add 38 points in win

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

For some, the Boston University men’s basketball team’s game Saturday against the University of Hartford would seem moot. The Terriers were playing a team they had already throttled earlier in the season and, more importantly, they had already locked up the third seed in next week’s America East Conference Tournament.

Good luck trying to tell that to BU’s seniors.

Playing the last regular season home game of their college careers, the Terriers’ five seniors contributed 38 points to help carry BU past an energized and resilient Hartford team 64-55 Saturday at Case Gymnasium.

With the end of the Terriers’ season quickly approaching, first-year BU coach Joe Jones used the moment as a chance to stress how important this senior class has been to the program.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

From the FreeP: Terriers edge out resilient Hartford squad

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Ahead by 10 points at halftime, the Boston University men’s basketball team survived a series of attacks from the University of Hartford in the second half to win its final regular season game of the year on Saturday, 64-55.

The Hawks (8-21, 7-9 America East) built a four-point lead during a slow beginning, but the Terriers (16-15, 12-4 America East) brought the game close midway through the first half.

A jumper from freshman guard Zach Chionuma put the Terriers ahead 20-18 with 4:56 left in the half. The basket began a 13-3 run for BU, a run that closed out the first half of Senior Day.

The lead did not mean BU had won the game yet. Hartford responded to end the first by putting 11 points on the board, answered only by one 3-pointer from sophomore forward Travis Robinson.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

Know Thy Foe: No. 9 Binghamton Bearcats

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest.

What is the name of this university? Binghamton University. It is a member of the State University of New York system and--unlike Albany and every one of the smaller campuses featuring a jumble of letters prefacing their locations--it doesn’t have an awkward name. It does, however, have a lie in its name, which we’ll get to in just a moment.

Where is it located? Moment is up. Binghamton is not actually in Binghamton. The university is located across the river, in Vestal. No one has ever heard of Vestal, however, while at least a few people have heard of Binghamton in their lives. Much easier to commit a little fraud and just say the place is in Binghamton. And believe me, by the time this exercise is over, a little toying with the name will seem like nothing.

How many people go there? Binghamton boasts 11,787 undergraduate students and 3,108 graduate students. About the size of most other America East schools.

How big is the campus? 887 acres on a hill above the Susquehanna River. They have a 190 acre nature preserve, a science complex, a 1,200-seat theater, and six residential communities “modeled after Oxford University.” We call that a #Humblebrag

Are there any famous alums? There are a number of noble people listed on Wikipedia’s list of alumni, including a Baldwin brother. But one stands out more than others, and that would be Tony Kornheiser, co-host of Pardon the Interruption. Here’s video of him picking Binghamton to beat Duke. Shocker: Duke won.

Now that you mention it, I remember Binghamton going to the NCAA Tournament a few years ago. That must mean they are good this year, right? In the hunt for the title? I’m sorry to break your heart, imaginary person invented for these posts, but you would be wrong. Binghamton went 1-27 this year. The Bearcats lone win came over the Vermont Catamounts, who were in a fight for first place in the conference at the time. It might be the upset of the year.

So, what happened? How did they go from March Madness to the worst team in the country in the span for just three years? It’s really hard to explain in this space, so I’ll direct you to Pete Thamel’s reporting at the New York Times. The gist: Binghamton went down a deep, dark road and never turned back.

NONE OF THIS MATTERS BECAUSE ONE-WIN BINGHAMTON BEAT UMBC LAST NIGHT IN OVERTIME TO PLAY STONY BROOK ON SATURDAY.

Know Thy Foe: No. 8 UMBC Retrievers

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff


Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 


What is the name of this school? The University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The whole name really rolls right off the tongue. But, they’re nice people, and they do not mind if you just refer to their school as UMBC. In fact, they would consider it an honor if you would simply refer to them as UMBC in the future. They don’t even roll out the whole “University of Maryland, Baltimore County” name on their website. UMBC works fine for them, and it should work fine for you. And, given the number of different, confusing ways the New York state schools name themselves, UMBC works perfectly fine for me.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

When was it founded? 1966. I thought UMBC was young, but wow. UMBC is a teenager in the higher education world. They’re going through high school now, experiencing a growth spurt. Things are kind of awkward and they aren’t sure about that girl in the corner, but they’ll make it through the rough parts and move onto the big world soon. They might need a pat on the back and some words of encouragement every now and again, but they’ll get there. 

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Where is it located?  In a surprising twist of Maryland geography, Baltimore County does not actually include Baltimore. Instead, Baltimore proper is an independent city, the largest of its kind in the United States. Baltimore County is the area surrounding the city limits of Baltimore, and UMBC is located in Catonsville. On the facts page of their website, however, they don’t tell you that. They would prefer to just tell you how close they are to the Inner Harbor and the airport. 

It has not yet been determined if a “not from Baltimore” chant would be appropriate. I mean, they aren’t really lying by adding the Baltimore.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

How many people go there? 13,199 total. There were 1,426 members of the freshman class of 2011, 74% of whom live on campus. The average freshman SAT score was 1206. All important information.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

How big is the campus? 500 acres, a figure that may or may not be rounded. They do have a nice-sounding 41-acre research and technology park next door featuring a start-up incubator, and that makes up for a fake campus size. 

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Who or what is their mascot? True Grit, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I originally thought it was a golden retriever, and UMBC’s website doesn’t explicitly state it isn’t a golden retriever, so I’m going to go ahead and link this video anyway. It’s Matt Ufford of SB Nation at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show trying to develop a football lineup with dogs. He begins with Air Bud, the classic golden retriever.

Excellent. Also, the pekingese should not have won. Bad call by the judge. I'm sure Randy Monroe would make a great Westminster Kennel Club.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Who is their coach? Randy Monroe, who has held the position since 2004. He is the greatest, and that is all you need to know. 

Where do they play? The Retriever Activities Center, which seats 4,024. It is the 260th largest gymnasium in Division-I, according to KenPom.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Who would be their basic statistic leaders? Sophomore forward Chase Plummer (15.3 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals per game), junior guard Ryan Cook (1.7 assists per game, 0.4 blocks per game)

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

What are some of the notable wins this team has? vs. Towson, 62-58; at New Hampshire, 82-76

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

What are some of the notable losses this team has? vs. Loyola (Md.), 73-63; vs. Maine, 77-76; vs. Hartford, 76-70

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

How did they do against BU? Lost both times, first at BU 83-48, and then at the RAC in Baltimore County, 73-52.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Do they have a win against a token non-Division-I opponent? No, UMBC did not play a team in a lower division. It’s kind of too bad, because they actually could have used the win. An exemption to my usual hatred of teams that pull this trick would be granted to both UMBC and Binghamton. Maybe next year, guys.

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 19.5 offensive turnover percentage in conference play 

Randy Monroe is the greatest.

What about a random factoid from the game notes?

They legitimately offer tips on the whole name thing. Follow these guidelines wisely:

• The full name of our institution is University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• We prefer to simply be called UMBC.
• Please use our full name only on first reference if you must use it at all.
• Our full name has a comma between Maryland and Baltimore; please do NOT use a hyphen.
• Please do NOT call us Maryland-BC, UM-Baltimore County, Maryland-Baltimore, Maryland-Balt. Co. or Maryland (Baltimore County)
• Randy Monroe is the greatest.

Know Thy Foe: No. 7 Maine Black Bears

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

What is the official name of this school? The University of Maine. There is no Orono tagged onto the end, officially, but everyone in Maine adds one anyway because it is entirely possible to confuse UMO (see it in the acronym?) with the other fine campuses of the Maine university system: Farmington, Augusta, Machias, Presque Isle, and Fort Kent. Also, make sure you don't confuse it with the University of Southern Maine, located in Portland and Gorham.

Also, congratulations! You now know the names of more Maine cities than you ever wanted to!

Yeah, but there’s this other city in Maine that I’ve heard of, and I think it’s near where this school is located and it has a really funny name . . . Oh, you’re referring to Bangor, the second largest city in Maine, and which Orono is essentially adjacent to. You probably call it Banger, because, well, tee-hee. It is pronounced Bang-OR, however, like the city is offering you a choice: You could be mature and call it by its real name OR you could act like a fifth grader. It should be noted I choose to act like a fifth grader every time. 

While we’re on the location of Orono, it should be noted that everything north of there is trees. Try driving to the end of Interstate-95 in Houlton and you’ll see nothing but trees for two hours. The exact opposite of Boston.

How old is this place? UMaine was founded as a land grant school in 1862. Going back to the trees thing, that’s why it’s at the end of the world. There were only 12 students and two members of the faculty when it first opened, so we invite you to imagine what it must have been like to have classes that small. 

What interesting things were you able to find on their admissions website? Well, there’s the FAQ page that begins, as you do, with a joke about the weather. There’s also the page with every type of campus map you could possibly want. And then there’s this lovely television advertisement, which seems to run before every YouTube video you will ever watch while residing in the State of Maine [UPDATE: I just saw it before a promo for an SB Nation video in Boston. I hate this ad]. You should Come Up To Maine!

How big is the campus? In the ten minutes I spent poking around the university’s website I could not find the official size of the campus. A half-second look at Wikipedia gave me the size almost immediately: approximately 660-acres. Another Fun Fact from Wikipedia about UMaine: It’s the only land-grant university on an island. You should really work on promoting that, Maine, perhaps even above your jokes about the weather. 

How many people go there? While the size of the campus is not listed on its website, the University does have a department with a staff of four people dedicated to quantifying every little numerical detail about UMaine: the Office of Institutional Studies. According to their Fall 2011 Snapshot, 11,168 people attend the University of Maine, three-quarters of whom are full-time students. 

Who or what is their mascot? Bananas the Bear. He has his own Facebook profile, headlined by a picture of him with Wally the Green Monster. Cute.

Who is their coach? Ted Woodward, who has led the Black Bears since 2004. Tim Whitehead is the men’s hockey coach, so Maine clearly has a fixation with TW initials for their coaches.

Where to they play?  Alfond Arena, which was built for hockey. The basketball team originally played in Memorial Gymnasium, but reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me have forced them to play in Alfond for years. Surprisingly, no one seems to have many complaints about the fact that both teams must walk through the public seating bowl to get down to the court at Alfond. 


How did they do this year? 12-16, 6-10 in the America East


What is their rank in the tournament and who will they play? No. 7. Maine will play No. Vermont on Saturday in the quarterfinals. 

Who would be their basic statistic leaders? Senior guard Gerald McLemore (17.0 points per game), sophomore forward Alasdair Fraser (7.8 rebounds per game), senior guard Raheem Singleton (3.4 assists per game), junior guard Mike Allison (2.1 blocks per game)

What are some of the notable wins this team has? vs. Holy Cross, 72-60; at Rhode Island, 76-74; vs. New Hampshire, 71-58

What are some notable loses this team has? At Notre Dame, 87-78; 

How did they do against BU? 0-2. The Terriers handed the Black Bears their first home loss of the year, 77-68, on a large BU second-half comeback in mid-January. BU then cruised to an easy home victory against Maine, 67-54 a month later. 

Who was their token non-Division-I opponent? Will the University of Maine at Machias please stand up? To open the season, the Black Bears went all #BEATEMDOWN on the Clippers, winning 113-49. Way to go UMaine, beating a school with eight sports total. I congratulate you on your win. 

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 18.1-percent defensive turnover percentage in conference play

What about a random factoid from the media guide? The section about Maine’s academics is entitled “Wicked Smart.” Maine: breaking linguistic stereotypes every day.

Know Thy Foe: No. 6 Hartford Hawks

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

What would be the name of this school? The University of Hartford. Much like New Hampshire, simple and to the point. I can get behind this school. 

Where is it located? Hartford, Connecticut, a lovely city. And I’m not just saying that because I’m going there this weekend for the America East tournament and I don’t want to offend the locals in advance. I’m saying that because I truly mean it. No other city has such a definitive insurance company named after it, and I think that reflects well on Hartford, a great city to live and visit. 

When was it founded? 1957, when three schools in the Hartford area merged.  The university has a timeline up on its website so you can find out about all the major dates in it’s history. Very technologically savvy, these Hartford folks. 

How large is the campus? 350 acres total, in a location that’s actually in three different towns. Hartford leads the acreage count at 193, with Bloomfield behind at 133 acres and West Hartford eating dust with a mere 24 acres. So sorry, West Hartford. Better luck next time. 

How many people go there? 7,025, mostly undergraduates. A pipsqueak of a school in America East terms, but I’m sure they have a large heart or another cliché that makes up for the small student body.

Who is their coach? John Gallagher, in his second season. During Saturday’s game, our own Craig Meyer said Gallagher looks a little like Bill Simmons of ESPN, an idea I can be one board with.Their voices are a little different, however. Both are a bit nasally, but Simmons has a little more of that while Galleger speaks in a scratchier tone. It may also have been the fact that I usually hear one while he’s doing a podcast with important people and the other right after he’s finished yelling as a basketball coach, but I think there is a true difference.

Where do they play? Chase Family Arena, home of the quarter- and semifinals of this year’s America East men’s and women’s basketball tournament. According to KenPom, it seats 3,508 and is the 274th largest arena in D-I. Again, because I’ll be there this weekend, I’m sure it is the nicest arena in the America East. There must be no better place to hold a basketball tournament. Seriously, no place like Chase place. 


How did they do this year? 8-21, 7-9 in America East.


What is their rank and who will they play in the conference tournament?  Hartford is the six seed, and will face No. 3 BU on Saturday.


Who are their basic statistical leaders? Senior guard Andres Torres (11.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game), freshman forward Nate Sikma (4.2 rebounds per game), freshman forward Mark Nwakamma (0.7 blocks per game) 

Does this team have any notable wins? We’re in the bottom half of the conference, where notable wins are harder to come by. Their best win was probably at Maine, 64-49. 

Does this team have any notable loses? at Brown, 59-52; at Central Connecticut, 92-58; vs. Binghamton, 62-60

How did they do against BU? The Hawks lost at home to the Terriers in their first meeting of the year, 65-46. Darryl Partin had 22 points and Dom Morris contributed 12 boards, nine defensive and three offensive. The second meeting of the year between the schools was BU’s senior day and the final game of the year for both teams. The Terriers emerged with a 64-55 win.

Do they have a token non-Division-I opponent? No, although perhaps they should have one. The Hawks lone non-conference win came in BracketBusters against St. Peter’s, 67-51. Hartford went 0-12 in its regular out-of-conference schedule.

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 23.2 defensive turnover percentage

What about a random factoid from the game notes? Freshman guard Yolonzo Moore is a “II,” not the more typical “Jr.” I salute his originality.

Know Thy Foe: No. 5 New Hampshire Wildcats

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

What is the name of this school? It’s really nice and simple: the University of New Hampshire. So basic and classy, and I cannot think of any technicalities that would make it confusing or interesting at all. I kind of like it because of this. 

When was it founded? 1866, making it moderately old. It is a land-, sea- and space-grant school. I did not know the third option existed. Does this mean they have rights to build a space station? Will they soon be opening a campus on the moon? Is there an asteroid named after UNH? THE POSSIBILITIES ARE LIMITLESS, as long as the universe is expanding. 


Where is it located? Durham, New Hampshire, a town that always looks nice when I ride the train through it. There are some brick buildings, some trees, some hills and it always looks so collegiate through the long Amtrak windows. So much better than Exeter or Dover, the two other stops for the Amtrak Downeaster in New Hampshire.

How big is the campus? 2,600 rural acres. If you’re worried about not being able to connect to the Internet while on UNH’s campus, here’s a map showing their wireless access points. If you would like to know where you can go on campus to be active, try this map. And if you’ve ever wanted to see UNH on Google Earth instead of, you know, actually visiting, follow this link. Never believe rural means technologically inept. 

How many people attend UNH? The total enrollment is 14,596. Here are some fast facts, just so you can know a little more about UNH. 11,942 of those are undergrads. 55 percent are female and 45 percent are male. 20 percent are in the top tenth of their high school graduating class. The median SAT score is 1100. They have a comma in that number on their website. I’m not entirely sure why. 

Who or what is their mascot? UNH has not one, but two costumed mascots and they both look almost exactly the same. Both Wild E. Cat and Gnarlz are Wildcats, and both were introduced by the University in the 2000s. Wild E. Cat is the lighter mascot, designed for children and people who like bland things. Gnarlz is the more adventurous one, aimed at the student body because if there is anything that gets college kids going, it’s a furry, cartoonish Wildcat. 

UNH also once had a live mascot, which is always the coolest. It’s a shame they no longer have one. 

Who is their coach?  Bill Herrion is in his seventh season as the Wildcats' coach. His bio on UNH’s website says he is one of the most successful coaches in America East history, which is a pretty big claim to make. His son Ryan plays on the team, but has only been in for 30 minutes this year and scored only four points. I feel like that would be the worst. Your dad is the coach and he doesn’t play you? I would hate that. I feel kind of sorry for the kid.

Where do they play? Lundholm Gymnasium, which seats 3,000. It is the 303rd largest gym in Division-I according to KenPom. I saw it on TV this Sunday, when UNH played Binghamton, and it looks a lot like Case Gym. A small place that could easily do double duty as a large high school gym. I’m honestly surprised it seats almost a third more than The Roof. New Hampshire does have these weird marks in the corners of the court, and I’m not sure what they were all about. One looked like a shamrock. An explanation would be nice. 

Who are their basic statistical leaders? Senior guard Alvin Abreu (13.8 points per game, 1.0 steals per game), senior forward Brian Benson (8.4 rebounds per game, 0.9 blocks per game), junior guard Chandler Rhoads  (2.8 points per game)

Does this team have any notable wins? Vs. Vermont, 72-65;

Does this team have any notable loses? At Boston College, 67-64; vs. Loyola (Md.), 66-60

How did they do against BU? The Terriers got revenge for their loss last year in Durham, winning 52-50. But the Wildcats bit back at Case Gymnasium, upsetting the Terriers 56-54. 

Do they have a token non-Division-I opponent? Why yes, they do. Will Suffolk University please stand up and accept its check for an 85-64 loss to UNH? Thank you for starting the Wildcats off with a victory, the only time their record was above .500 this year. Maybe next time you'll win, Rams. Maybe next time.

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 28.5 defensive 3-point percentage 

What about a random factoid from the game notes? There is a section on how many rebounds senior center Brian Benson has in his career entitled Windex. I’m certain S.C. Johnson has no problems with that at all. 

Know Thy Foe: No. 4 Albany Great Danes

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

What is the name of this school? University at Albany is the name listed on the top of its website, and I’m not about to suggest that is wrong. University at Albany seems to be shorthand for State University of New York at Albany, but the SUNY title is listed under University at Albany title on the website. This is all very confusing and it would be much easier if they simply changed the name to Albany University or the University of Albany. Is that too much to ask for? As the esteemed Chris Berman and Company say on far too many Monday nights throughout the fall, “C’mon, man.”

I can't believe I just wrote that ending.

Where is it located? Albany, the state capital of New York. There are technically five campuses, one of which is located across the Hudson River, but the majority of the school is in Albany. And really, the other campuses are down the street or across the highway from the main campus. 

How old is it? The University was founded in 1844, so that means it will celebrate its 168th birthday this year. It was originally called the “Normal School” and was a teaching school. More on the fascinating history of the school can be found on its brief History & Traditions page, where every fact for this section was found.

How many people go there? 12,959 undergrads and 4,656 graduate students. The Fast Facts page on their website also lists “155,000-plus living alumni.” Sadly, it does not list how many dead alumni there are, which is the number everyone really wants to know. 

How big is the campus? 586 acres is what U.S. News & Report says, and it’s probably best to side with them. You can find maps of the whole place here, with the main campus broken down into eight individual maps. I can almost guarantee you will never get lost at Albany with these maps. 

Who or what is their mascot? Albany has some sort of passion for Great Danes. I don’t know why they are the Great Danes, but it’s original enough. The best thing about the Great Danes is it allows them to name their student section  the DANEger Zone, which in turn allows me to post Kenny Loggins’ “Highway to the Danger Zone.” They should name a road to Albany after the song. 

Who is their coach?  Will Brown, who has held the post since 2001. According to his official university biography, he’s the longest tenured coach in America East, which I’m not really sure is a good thing or a bad thing. He also recently received an extension.  He also has his own website, CoachWillBrown.com, where you can get updates from him  and a look into his coaching philosophy. There’s no coachspeak on there, I swear.

Where do they play? The Great Danes play at SEFCU Arena, which seats 4,538. According to KenPom, it’s the 244th largest gym in Division-I, which makes it sound really small. Judging by the few photos I have seen of the place, it seems like the seats behind the baskets are steep. Just a random observation, you know? 

UAlbany is also normally home to the New York Giants Training Camp, though the NFL lockout kept the Giants from having their normal camp in Albany this past summer. Don’t worry about any sad Great Danes, however, because the Giants plan to be back next year, Eli Manning, his one facial expression, and all.


How did they do this year? 18-13, 9-7 in the America East


What would be their rank in the tournament?  No. 4. Albany will play No. 5 New Hampshire on Saturday. 

Who would be their basic statistical leaders? Junior guard Gerardo Suero (21.7 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game), junior guard Mike Black (4.2 assists per game), junior forward Blake Metcalf (0.7 blocks per game)

Do they have any notable wins? Vs. Navy, 69-62

Do they have any notable loses?  At Syracuse, 98-74; at Cornell, 85-82; vs. Vermont, 50-47.

How did they do against BU?  The Terriers easily won the first contest, 70-57, at Agganis Arena. In the second game, BU came back from a large first half deficit to win 81-78 at SEFCU. 

Did they play a token non-Division-I opponent?  Nope. Instead, Albany played the current No. 2 team in that nation, Syracuse, in its third game of the year. That is an effort to be rewarded. Nice work, Albany.

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 75.0 free throw percentage 

What about a random factoid from the game notes? “UAlbany is one of nine schools out of 338 Division I men’s hoops programs without a senior on the roster” 

Know Thy Foe: No. 2 Vermont Catamounts

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

What is the name of this school? The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, though the University of Vermont works just as well.  Technically, it is the only state university in Vermont, but there are five other “state colleges” that receive public funding. When you compare this to the size of the SUNY system, you realize Vermont is a tiny state. 

Does it have some sort of geographically confusing acronym? Why, yes it does. The commonly used abbreviation for the University of Vermont is “UVM.” According to Wikipedia and the university website, UVM stands for Universitas Viridis Montis, which is Latin for University of the Green Mountains. However, UVM may have once led the author of this post to believe the school was in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont. It is not, something this author did not find out for a very long time. He also did not find out for a very long time how pretentious it is to refer to oneself in the third person.

Wait--that was confusing. Where is it located? Burlington. Do not doubt this, and always remember I have very little idea of what I’m talking about. The University of Vermont is located in Burlington, a nice city of approximately 40,000 people. Do you enjoy Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream? That all was started in a gas station in Burlington. Vermont is awesome.

When was it founded? 1791. Only Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and Brown are older schools in New England. Those Vermonters, they figured out this higher education thing early. 

How many people go there? 13,488. The official website of the university offers this tidy breakdown, which we present here for your inspection. Always good to know Vermont does not have students from every state. 

Total enrollment: 13,488
Undergraduate students: 10,459
Graduate students: 1,540
Medical students: 449
Post-baccalaureate certificate students: 17
Non-degree (CE) students: 1,023

Undergraduates enrolled from 48 states

347 international students from approximately 50 countries

Not to harp on this whole geography thing because, frankly, you’re really not all that good at it, but how big is the campus? The University of Vermont is spread over 460 acres of land in, again, Burlington. We remind you, once again, that Burlington is a different place from Montpelier. There are six sections of the campus, with three additional complexes, a business park and a place. A handy map of the whole thing can be found here. 

Who or what is their mascot? Rally the Catamount. Rally is a popular--

HOLD UP! What’s a catamount? ARE THEY REAL? *Sigh* They always ask. I’ll turn to the official website of the  Vermont Athletic Department for an answer:

“On February 6, 1926, the UVM Cynic (the student newspaper) asked undergraduates whether they wanted a mascot and offered a ballot with lynx, wildcat, or other as options. They recevied [sic] a limited response. So, they tried again with a vote later in the year. Only male students were allowed to vote and the ballot this time included tomcat, camel, cow, or catamount. Catamount won by a vote of 138-126.Since that vote in 1926, the University of Vermont athletic teams have been nicknamed the Catamounts after a legendary mountain cat found in the state's Green Mountains. The species is believed to be extinct in the state since the mid-1800's.

Just one other Division I school shares the Catamount nickname - Western Carolina University, located in Cullowhee, North Carolina.”

Please tell me their coach is not a catamount. Why no, he is not. He’s John Becker, a perfectly normal human basketball coach in his first season at UVM. Before he became the head coach last May, he was an assistant under his predecessor, Mike Lonergan. According to his official biography, he was also once a color commentator for Division-III basketball, a job we can only assume requires a great deal of passion and dedication. I mean, would you ever be an analyst for small college basketball?

Where do they play? Patrick Gymnasium, where 3,266 fans can enjoy Catamount basketball. There are five different 360 degree views of Patrick Gym avalible on Vermont’s website, so even you can feel exactly what it is like to enjoy Vermont basketball. It is the 284th largest gym in Division-I, according to KenPom. 

Who would be their basic statistical leaders? Senior forward Matt Glass (11.9 points per game), sophomore forward Brian Voelkel (8.3 rebounds per game and 5.0 assists per game), sophomore forward Luke Apfeld  (0.4 blocks per game)

How did they do this year? 20-11, 13-3 in America East.

What is their rank in the conference tournament? No. 2. Vermont will play No. 7 Maine on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in Hartford.

What are some of their notable wins? Vs. Stony Brook, 68-49;

What are some of their notable loses? Vs. Harvard, 55-48; vs. Quinnipiac, 62-58; vs. Northeastern, 53-51; at Binghamton, 57-53 (I have no idea how that happened either)

How did they do against BU? 2-0. Vermont opened BU’s conference schedule by handing them an 83-69 loss in Burlington. The Catamounts then beat the Terriers at Agganis, 68-67, almost a month later, holding off a late run from BU after Vermont had lead by double digits. 

Do they have a token non-Division-I opponent? No, the Catamounts did not use that trick this year to get a win. Their effort should be applauded. 

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever? 35.2 offensive rebounding percentage 

What about a random factoid from the game notes? Freshman guard Four McGlynn’s real name is Patrick McGlynn IV. I understand how disappointed you are right now. I cried that much too when I found this out. Everything will be okay.

Know Thy Foe: No. 1 Stony Brook Seawolves

Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

Welcome to Know Thy Foe, a new feature appearing twice daily this week in advance of the America East men’s basketball tournament. Know The Foe will help you, an undereducated fan of America East basketball, become an expert on every team in the conference. It's also possible you'll know less than when you began reading this. A 50-50 proposition, to be honest. 

Could you please tell me a little about the full name of this school and the system it is a part of? Sure, straw man I’ve invented for this week-long exercise. The full name of the first school featured this week is Stony Brook University, though State University of New York at Stony Brook would also be considered acceptable. It is one of the four flagship schools of the SUNY system, a system which includes a school in every tiny hamlet in the state. No, really. It seems almost as big as the entire California state system, and there are far too many state schools in California. 

When was it founded? Stony Brook was founded in 1957. My dad was born in 1953. Ergo, my dad is older than Stony Brook. Also, he’s almost 60. I only realized that as I was writing this.

Don’t let the young age of SBU (not my dad) fool you, however. It’s not really much smaller than one university I’m quite familiar with that was founded in 1839. Stony Brook is a major research university and one of the pillars of the SUNY system, and it doesn’t even look a day over 55. 


Where is it located? The main campus is in Stony Brook, New York, a nice-looking town on the north shore of Long Island with a population of 13,727. The first website Google returns when you search “Stony Brook,” not associated with the university, is for Stony Brook Village, a downtown business district offering a number of retail businesses, medical services, and upcoming events. After looking at that fine website, perhaps you would like to book a stay in Stony Brook? Remember, It’s All Here In The Stony Brook Village Center.

The university also has three other facilities on Long Island, and a center in New York City. Fine places, all of them, I’m sure.

How big is their campus? 1,454 total acres, 1,039 of which are on the main campus. If you would like to see a total breakdown of acreage by campus, it can be found here. It really is something you should know.

How many people go there? The total enrollment is 24,103, which is broken down into two major groups: East Campus and West Campus. Both groups are on the main campus, so I have no idea why this matters, but West has almost seven times the number of students as East, 20,654 to 3,367. The only logical conclusion is everyone must hate East.

Who or what is their mascot? Wolfie the Seawolf, a sort of swimming wolf the university tried to popularize in 2009 with a campaign entitled “Where in the World is Wolfie?” The campaign is ongoing, and you can catch up with Wolfie’s latest adventures on the “Where in the World is Wolfie?” Facebook page.

Is their coach a different creature? Yes, yes he is. Steve Pikiell is not a seawolf. He does not bleed seawolf blood. He is human; he bleeds human blood. He has held the job since 2005 and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1990. He’s been an assistant at Connecticut, Central Connecticut State, and George Washington. 

Where do they play? Pritchard Gymnasium. It holds 1,680 people, making it the 322nd largest in Division-I according to KenPom. It is a cramped place, by all accounts, and I’m still not entirely sure how national television broadcast crews manage to squeeze in there. I guess they employ smarter people than me to get the job done. And if you’ve read this far, you know how smart I am.

What was their final record? 20-8 overall, 14-2 America East

What is their rank in the conference tournament? No. 1. The Seawolves will play the winner of the play-in game between No. 8 UMBC and No. 9 Binghamton.

Who would be their basic statistic leaders? Senior guard Bryan Dougher (13.4 points per game), redshirt junior guard Tommy Brenton  (7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game), senior forward Dallis Joyner (0.7 blocks per game)

What are some of the notable wins this team has? Vs. Cornell, 68-59; at Northeastern, 76-69; vs. Vermont, 65-59

What are some of the notable losses this team has? at Northwestern, 63-58; at Boston College, 66-51; at Vermont, 68-49

How did they do against BU? 1-1. The Seawolves lost to the Terriers at Case Gymnasium, 61-55, on January 14th, but beat them two weeks later on Long Island, 66-57. The second game was televised on ESPNU, and was played in a sea of red. Seriously, the place was filled with people wearing almost nothing but bright red. It was cool, and an example of how smaller gyms can be as awesome as Cameron Indoor Stadium or another less-clichéd arena. 

Who was their token non-Division-I opponent and does that opponent even acknowledge the game ever took place? For their first win of the year, the Seawolves beat Mount Ida College, 93-39, at home. Mount Ida is a Division-III school located in Newton that lists “arranging a visit to campus is easy” as its 10th best reason to attend Mount Ida. The Mustangs do not list their game against the Seawolves on their online schedule, claiming only their games against D-III opponents actually happened. 

The Mustangs went 9-17 in games they remember, and lost 79-43 to Saint Joseph’s University (Maine) in the quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament. We here at Full Court Press congratulate Mount Ida on a great season and a strong performance against Stony Brook.

Do you have some statistic from KenPom presented without any context whatsoever?  51.5 effective field goal percentage in conference play 

What about a random factoid from the game notes? Each player has a QR code on their page of the game notes, so if you would rather read about their statistics on your tiny phone screen instead of an 8.5-by-11 piece of paper, you can! Technology for the win!

On Senior Day, resilient upperclassmen pull through

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

For some, the Boston University men’s basketball team’s game Saturday against the University of Hartford would seem moot. The Terriers were playing a team they had already throttled earlier in the season and, more importantly, they had already locked up the third seed in next week’s America East Conference Tournament.

Good luck trying to tell that to BU’s seniors.

Playing the last home game of their college careers, barring BU hosting the conference championship game, the Terriers’ five seniors contributed 38 points to help carry BU past an energized and resilient Hartford team 64-55 Saturday at Case Gymnasium.

With the end of the Terriers’ season quickly approaching, regardless of how far they advance, first-year BU head coach Joe Jones used the moment as a chance to stress how important this senior class has been to the program.

Terriers outlast Hartford 64-55

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

The Boston University men's basketball team beat the University of Hartford 64-55 at Case Gymnasium Saturday in its final regular season game.

The win lifted the Terriers above the .500 mark for the season at 16-15 and gave them a 12-4 mark in conference play. With that, the team is locked in for the third seed in next week's America East Conference Tournament in West Hartford, Conn.

On the team's Senior Day, senior guard Darryl Partin was the only scorer in double figures for the game with 21 points. Fellow senior guard Matt Griffin and sophomore forward Travis Robinson each added eight points. Senior center Jeff Pelage added seven points, his highest scoring total since Jan. 17, 2010 when he was a sophomore.

For the game, the Terriers outrebounded the Hawks 38-17, including a 12-4 edge on offensive boards.

A full game recap and sider will be posted on the website by tomorrow night.

BU-Hartford Slideshow

All photos by Junhee Chung/DFP Staff

BU vs. Hartford Live Blog

Starting lineups:
University of Hartford Hawks
F Mark Nwakamma
F Nate Sikma
G Andres Torres
G Yolonzo Moore II
G Clayton Brothers

Boston University Terriers
F Patrick Hazel
F Chris Kurz
C Jeff Pelage
G Darryl Partin
G Matt Griffin

Final Score: BU 64, Hartford 55

Team leaders:
Points
Hartford: Yolonzo Moore II, 17
BU: Darryl Partin, 21

Rebounds
Hartford: Nate Sikma, Andres Torres and Clayton Brothers, 3
BU: Darryl Partin, Malik Thomas and Matt Griffin, 5

Assists
Hartford: Andres Torres, 6
BU: Matt Griffin, 5

Five things to look out for in BU vs. Hartford

By René Reyes/DFP Staff

Since this afternoon’s matchup with the University of Hartford marks the final regular-season game of the year, Full Court Press decided to spruce things up a bit and list five storylines for this game. Here they are:

1.) Senior Day
Seniors Darryl Partin, Jeff Pelage, Chris Kurz, Matt Griffin and Pat Hazel will be honored in a pre-game ceremony before tip-off. They'll be introduced with their families and presented with frame jerseys. This ceremony is one of the most emotional ones that the players will ever experience, and from the looks of all the cars outside, Case Gymnasium could be packed. To capacity? We'll just have to wait and see. It'll be nice to see BU coach Joe Jones end up going with these five seniors as a starting lineup. It just works out perfectly. What a moment that would be for these players.

From the FreeP: Terriers trounce UMBC, get back to .500

By René Reyes/DFP Staff

Freshman guard Zach Chionuma picked the right time to record his first-ever double-figure scoring game for the Boston University men’s basketball team.

After a one-minute appearance in last Sunday’s BracketBusters matchup, the Jamesville, N.Y. native made the most of his extended minutes off the bench against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Chionuma scored a career-best 12 points in 18 minutes, senior guard Darryl Partin netted a team-high 17 and sophomore forward Travis Robinson and senior center Patrick Hazel each chipped in 10 apiece as BU trounced UMBC 73-52 Wednesday at RAC Arena.

“I thought we played well,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “I felt coming into the game that [UMBC] was one of the more improved teams if you look at their scorers and see what they were doing in their last four or five games. They have played very, very well.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

From the FreeP: BU looks to put pieces together in tilt with UMBC

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

In the HBO drama “The Wire,” among many of the show’s central themes was a simple, succinct phrase – “All the pieces come together.”

Much in the same way, a basketball team is dependent on dissimilar parts coming together to form a coherent, successful product.

After spending the last four days in the Baltimore area, the Boston University men’s basketball team is hoping for all of their pieces to come together at just the right time. Currently riding a two-game losing streak, the Terriers will look to get back on track as they take on the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

BU (14-15, 10-4 America East) is fresh off of a 69-56 Sunday loss to Loyola University (Maryland) in the annual ESPN BracketBusters game. It was BU’s first BracketBuster loss in three seasons, and it came on the road against one of the better and more undervalued mid-major teams in the country. The Greyhounds’ win over BU was their 20th of the season and they currently find themselves ranked No. 92 in the most recent RPI standings.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

From the FreeP: BU falls under .500 after BracketBusters challenge

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

The Boston University men’s basketball team has been in a consistent battle with the .500 mark throughout the 2011-12 season. Sunday afternoon, The Terriers fell back under .500 in a 69-56 loss to Loyola University (Maryland) as part of ESPN’s annual BracketBusters event in Baltimore.

BU (14-15, 10-4 America East) was down by only one point at the end of the first half, but Loyola (20-7) dropped 40 points in the second on 68.2-percent shooting from the field en route to its win.

BU coach Joe Jones referenced consistency as being the key to the Terriers’ successes and struggles.

“At points in the game, I thought we did a really good job,” Jones said.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

Terriers square off against Greyhounds in BracketBusters

By René Reyes/DFP Staff

It’s been 16 years since the Boston University men’s basketball team last faced Loyola University Maryland on the hardwood floor.

The year was 1996 with Terrier great Tunji Awojobi leading the way by netting a game-high 25 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in the 71-51 win. That same year BU went on to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

After a stinging two-point loss to the University of New Hampshire on Wednesday, BU will to look to right the ship against Loyola Sunday in a Sears BracketBusters contest. The game will be played at the Greyhounds’ home court at Reitz Arena with tip-off slated for 12 p.m.

The Terriers post a perfect 4-0 record in the annual BracketBusters, including three wins against Metro Atlantic Athletic opponents. They defeated Saint Peter’s College in 2008, Iona College in 2009 and Canisius College in 2011.

BU-UNH Press Conferences

From the FreeP: Morris shines in loss to New Hampshire

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, it goes without saying that Dom Morris is an impressive physical specimen.

But, for much of his career with the Boston University men’s basketball team, the sophomore power forward hasn’t seen his enormous potential translate into consistent, tangible success.

Don’t look now, but that may soon be changing.

Though his team suffered one of its worst losses of the season Wednesday night to the University of New Hampshire, Morris had little to do with his team’s underwhelming effort as he posted his second consecutive game scoring in double figures, notching 17 points while pulling down 12 rebounds.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

From the FreeP: Terriers on losing end of ‘carbon-copy’ contest

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

When the Boston University and the University of New Hampshire men’s basketball teams last met, the game came down to the final seconds of regulation, with the Terriers eking out a 52-50 win.

Things were not much different Wednesday night at Case Gymnasium when BU and UNH came down to the final possession once again. This time, however, the victor was different, as the Wildcats topped the Terriers 56-54, their first win at BU since 1994.

“[It was a] carbon-copy of the first game,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “Except we were on the wrong end this time.”

The Terriers (14-14, 10-4 America East) rallied from a six-point deficit in the first half to take the lead 2:48 into the second. However, New Hampshire (11-14, 6-8 America East) kept attacking BU’s marginal advantage and never allowed it to take a lead of more than four points.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

Even in losing effort, Morris shines

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, it effectively goes without saying that Dom Morris is an impressive physical specimen.

But, for much of his career for the Boston University men’s basketball team, the sophomore power forward hasn’t seen his seen that enormous potential translate into consistent, tangible success.

Don’t look now, but that may soon be changing.

Though his team suffered one of its worst losses of the season Wednesday night to the University of New Hampshire, Morris had nothing to do with his team’s underwhelming effort as he posted his second consecutive game scoring in double figures, notching 17 points while pulling down 12 rebounds.

BU-UNH Slideshow

All photos by Junhee Chung/DFP Staff

BU vs. UNH Live Blog

From the FreeP: New-look Terriers take on New Hampshire

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

When the Boston University men’s basketball team played the University of Maine last Thursday at Case Gymnasium, the Terriers took the court with a different starting lineup. Four of the Terriers primary starters of the 2011-12 season sat on the bench, with only sophomore forward Travis Robinson remaining from the usual starters for the tip-off.

“I felt like some other guys, you know, in practice and in games, were doing a good job and it was something I thought was needed,” said BU coach Joe Jones after his team’s 64-57 win over the Black Bears.

In the press conference, and again in a break from practice on Tuesday, Jones cited a lack of effort in his decision to bench the quartet. But despite the better effort – and a win – Jones isn’t sure if he’ll stick with the same lineup in the team’s game versus the University of New Hampshire Wednesday night.

“I haven’t come to that decision yet,” Jones said. “Another practice, I’ll watch some more film and we’ll make that decision when we get to it.”

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

From the FreeP: Notebook: Terriers experience success in America East

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

In a year where the conference sports the nation’s only winless team in Binghamton University, it’s not a secret that the America East Conference is among the worst conferences in Division-I basketball.

If anything, it has allowed the Boston University men’s basketball team to continue a recent run of success in the conference portion of its schedule.

After finishing non-conference play 4-10, the Terriers have gone 10-3 in league play, something that is far from an isolated case, as BU has had its way with the conference for the last four seasons.

In that time, in regular season games, the Terriers have gone a total of 22-33 in non-conference games, but have turned things around in America East play, going 44-17.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.

BU-Maine Press Conferences

Snap Judgements: 2/9 vs. Maine

By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff

To impersonate Charles Barkley, the first half was “turrible.”
It took 7:24 of play between Maine and BU Thursday night before either team broke the double digit barrier. A 3-pointer from senior guard Darryl Partin pushed BU over the hump from nine points to 12. BU would end up on 12-4 run to build its first lead while Maine would not break the 10-point barrier for another 3:52, with a layup from freshman guard Xavier Pollard. The Black Bears had only six points when the clock reached the mid-point of the half.

So, it is not really a stretch to say it took a while for both teams to warm up. Going even further in depth, there was a period, from 16:55 left in the first to 13:53, when the score remained a paltry 4-2. The ball changed hands seven times in that stretch, and both teams were able to extend possessions with offensive rebounds. Still, neither could find the hoop. It was an ugly time of basketball.

New look, same result: Terriers take down Black Bears 67-54

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

On Thursday night at Case Gymnasium, the most mundane of events quickly became unpredictable and hard to figure out.

As the Boston University men’s basketball team and its opponent, the University of Maine, walked out on the court for the opening tip, just as it does every game, a collective sense of surprise echoed through the gym.

For BU fans and media alike who had grown so accustomed to similar starting lineups throughout the year, Thursday’s game was a clean break, as BU came out with an unorthodox and unexpected lineup of Matt Griffin, Mike Terry, Malik Thomas and Jeff Pelage, along with usual starter Travis Robinson.

With the new group of players leading the Terriers out on the court, the team came away with a 67-64 win over Maine, but even on a night in which BU went over the .500 plateau for the first time this season, most of the focus remained with the altered lineup.

BU vs. Maine Live Blog

From the FreeP: Men’s basketball takes on Maine in conference tilt

By René Reyes/DFP Staff

There is a sense of urgency for the Boston University men’s basketball team.

No player has embodied the Terriers’ sentiment more than Darryl Partin, whose collegiate career dwindles down with each passing day. The senior swingman has pumped in 65 points over the last three games, including a career-high 33 points in a comeback win over the University at Albany on Monday.

With only five regular-season contests remaining before the America East tournament and BU (13-13, 9-3 America East) pinned to the No. 3 spot in the standings, Partin and his teammates will welcome the University of Maine (11-11, 5-6 America East) to Case Gymnasium Thursday night at 7 p.m.

“Darryl has done a good job of carrying us at certain points when we need him offensively,” said senior guard Matt Griffin. “He’s really been aggressive, assertive and taken the role on of taking tough shots. He did a great job against Albany of making tough shots when we really needed it."

Read more at dailyfreepress.com.