Monday, December 30, 2013

BU falls in final non-conference game against St. Joseph's

By Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff

PHILADELPHIA – Just over a week after defeating the University of Maryland, the Boston University men’s basketball team traveled to a packed Hagan Arena to take on St. Joseph’s University.

Following a strong effort in the first half, the Terriers (7-6) gave up the lead in the second half, falling to the Hawks (7-4) 73-67.

“Our lack of discipline showed tonight against a team that’s pretty good,” said BU coach Joe Jones.

The Terriers had a bumpy start to the first half, falling behind 5-0, turning the ball over and missing multiple shots on their end.

To jumpstart their offense, the BU looked to one of its senior tri-captains, guard D.J. Irving, who provided some offense with a quick layup to end the Hawks’ initial run.

Midway through the first half after staying close on the scoreboard with the Hawks, BU took a one-point lead off of two free throws from freshman guard Cedric Hankerson.

With 5:33 remaining in the frame, the Terriers held onto a 26-23 lead, with the Hawks threatening to tie the score.  In an effort to bring some more energy to his team and give BU some breathing room heading to the half, Jones called for some full court pressure defense.  The Terriers’ quickness put them in position to create turnovers, leading to crisp passes and open shots on the offensive end.

BU entered the halftime break with a seven-point lead, getting production all over the court, as eight of the nine players to enter the game for the Terriers scored during the half. 

At the end of 20 minutes, senior forward Dom Morris and sophomore guards Maurice Watson Jr. and John Papale led the team in scoring with six points apiece.  In the half, the Terriers shot well from the field, hitting 45.5 percent of their shots, while the Hawks shot 42.3 percent.

Looking to keep the momentum going from the end of the first, BU took an 11-point lead following a 3-pointer from John Papale just over a minute into the second half.

Despite building up a sizable lead early in the second half, the Hawks would not go away and went on a 13-2 run.  A jump shot from senior Langston Galloway tied the score at 43 with 13:50 left in the half, reigniting the crowd of 4,051 fans in attendance, forcing Jones to call a timeout.

Although there looked to be a shift of momentum towards the Hawks’ side, the Terries were able to compose themselves and regain the lead, holding onto a seven-point advantage with 8:46 remaining in the game.
Over the course of the next seven minutes, however, the Hawks went on a 20-4 run, and the Terriers found themselves trailing 67-58 with 1:03 left in the contest.

“I just think we lacked mental and physical toughness when they made their run,” Jones said.  “We didn’t handle it great, which is disappointing because we did a great job against Maryland.”

In the end, BU could not to dig itself out of the hole it created.  A combination of poor shooting, turnovers and defensive fouls did the Terriers in during the final stretch of the game.

During the opening half, the Terriers only turned the ball over only two times, while they coughed the rock up seven times in the second.   Although the nine turnovers were below the Terriers’ season average of 12.2 per game, the Hawks capitalized on BU’s mistakes in the final half of play, scoring eight points off of turnovers in the second.

“I thought we had a couple guys trying to do too much with the ball and that hurt us, and that’s disappointing,” Jones said.

While the Terriers and Hawks both shot the ball well in the opening frame, the second half saw a drastic change, as the Terriers shot 38 percent on 29 shots, while the Hawks shot 48 percent on 27 shots, while also making 17 free throws.

“We’ve got to stay together when those times come,” Jones said.  “We’re a good team, we just got to keep playing together on both sides of the floor and I think we would’ve been in good shape.” 

Boston University – Saint Joseph's University: 12-29-2013

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Photos from BU's loss against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 29, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pa.

Photos by Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Twitter Reacts to Boston University's 83-77 victory over Maryland

On Saturday Dec. 21, 2013, the Boston University men's basketball team defeated Maryland University.  This victory snapped the Terriers' (7-5) three game skid that started with an overtime loss at home against Harvard University.

Following the loss to Harvard, the Terriers blew an early but sizable second half lead and collapsed against a tough George Washington team.  To top things off, they fell to Norfolk State in overtime during their final game of the season at the Case Gymnasium, blowing another late lead.

BU needed a big win against the Terrapins (7-5) and as a result of great production from two of their senior co-captains, D.J. Irving and Dom Morris, the Terriers were able to pick up a big win against an ACC opponent.


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

From the FreeP: Men’s basketball falls to Harvard, 79-68

By Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff
Between the great showing from fans and the rapid play on the court, it was a high-intensity afternoon at Case Gymnasium Saturday afternoon during this year’s battle between the Harvard University and Boston University men’s basketball teams.
Unfortunately for the team and the home crowd of 1,223, the Terriers (6-3) could not carry the momentum from the end of the second half into overtime and fell to the Crimson (9-1) by a score of 79-68.
“It was probably as good of a game as I expected it to be,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “It was a great college game.”
Similar to the Terriers’ loss against the University of Connecticut earlier this season, Saturday’s contest against Harvard was a game of scoring runs.
Despite a raucous crowd, Harvard went on a 12-3 run capped off by a 3-pointer from guard Siyani Chambers to give the Crimson a 24-15 lead with 7:46 remaining in the opening half.
Immediately after the Harvard scoring burst, the Terriers went on a similar run, and a 3-pointer from senior forward Travis Robinson tied the game at 24 with a little more than four minutes remaining in the half.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the FreeP: Turnovers sink BU in overtime loss vs. Crimson

By Jacklyn Bamberger/DFP Staff

Turnovers and mental mistakes ultimately proved to be the downfall of the Boston University men’s basketball team in Saturday’s 79-68 overtime loss to crosstown rival Harvard University at Case Gym.
From the opening tip, both the Crimson (9-1) and the Terriers (6-3) brought high-pressure defense. Harvard’s defensive intensity, particularly from guard Wesley Saunders and forward Kyle Casey, forced early turnovers from sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr., senior forward Dom Morris and senior guard D.J. Irving in the game’s opening minutes. This allowed the Crimson to open up a 10-5 lead with in the first five-and-a-half minutes of the opening half.
The Terriers played catch-up from there, countering every Crimson run to keep the deficit manageable. Pressure from the Crimson defense, coupled with the need to get back into the game, resulted in the breakdown of BU’s offensive rhythm and poor shot selection.
“I think defensively, [Harvard] got up and pressured us,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “They took away some passes, and any time a team does that to you, it kind of takes you out of rhythm. They were taking away some passes and kind of forcing us to play more one-on-one at times. I think at times in the game, that took us out of rhythm and led to some mistakes.”
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Sunday, December 8, 2013

BU vs. Harvard Videos: Post Game Press Conference and Game Highlights

Harvard Press Conference

Features: Coach Tommy Amaker, sophomore guard Siyani Chambers, and junior guard Wesley Saunders



BU Players Press Conference

Features: Senior forward Dom Morris, and sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr.



BU Press Conference

Features: Coach Joe Jones



BU vs. Harvard Game Highlights


Game Highlights courtesy of Harvard Athletics via youtube.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

From the FreeP: BU men's basketball wins 2 of 3 in California tournament

By Jacklyn Bamberger/DPF Staff
The Boston University men’s basketball team came away from their weekend in Irvine, Calif., with a 2-1 record, posting key wins over the University of California-Irvine and Long Island University-Brooklyn and falling to Eastern Washington University.
Friday, the Terriers faced an Eastern Washington (4-2) squad that was fresh off of an 82-44 thrashing of Walla Walla University. The Eagles proved to be a formidable foe for the Terriers as neither team could break through in the opening half.  Eastern Washington went into the break nursing a 39-34 lead.
Eagles forward Venky Jois and guard Tyler Harvey troubled the Terriers in the second half, as they each broke into double digits to extend the Eastern Washington lead to 12 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest.  BU would never come close, as the Eagles went on to win the game 80-68.
Eastern Washington shot 54.4 percent from the field and used its height advantage to outscore the Terriers in the paint 34-22.
Sophomore guard Nathan Dieudonne recorded his first ever double-double Friday, scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds. Watson Jr. led the Terriers with 18 points.
The Terriers used the loss against the Eagles as motivation for Saturday and Sunday’s games.

Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Thursday, November 14, 2013

UMass-Lowell – Boston University Basketball: 11-13-2013

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From the FreeP: Men’s basketball eases past Lowell, 91-65

By Justin Pallenik/DFP Staff

The Boston University men’s basketball team could not have asked for a better home opener, defeating the University of Massachusetts-Lowell by a score of 91-65 Wednesday night at Case Gym.
The Terriers (2-0) opened on a tear with a 22-4 run to start the game and never looked back. Using the full-court press to generate early turnovers, BU made it look easy with uncontested layups.
“Coming into it, I expected it to be a pretty competitive game,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “I watched [Lowell] on film against [University of Michigan]. I think we were fortunate the press really helped get us going. But they shot a great percentage for the game, they got good shots, they took good ones, but I thought we were able to turn them over and get going.”
The press created early fast-break opportunities, but it was the Terriers’ half-court game that separated them from Lowell (0-2). The BU frontcourt led by senior forward Dom Morris dominated the low post early and often, outscoring Lowell 16-2 in the paint over the first six minutes.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the FreeP:Maurice Watson Jr. nearly notches triple-double in win

By Alex Rozier/DFP Staff

The Boston University men’s basketball team had an easy day at the office Wednesday night, flying past the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, 91-65, in its home opener at Case Gym.
While many Terriers (2-0) contributed in the dominating victory, a large credit of thanks has to be directed to sophomore point guard Maurice Watson Jr.
In a game where offense was not hard to come by for the Terriers, Watson spent his 27 minutes on the floor weaving through the defense of the River Hawks (0-2).
Watson filled up the box score in the contest, as the Philadelphia, Pa., native finished with 18 points, seven assists and eight rebounds.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

BU vs. UMass-Lowell Press Conferences 11-13-2013

Want to see what the coaches had to say following Wednesday night's game?  Look no further...


UMass Lowell


BU

Monday, November 11, 2013

Malik Thomas' Game Saving Steal against Northeastern University 11-10-13

It came as no surprise on Sunday afternoon as the battle between Boston University and Northeastern University came down to the last possession once again.  Last season, the Terriers gave up a buzzer beating three pointer to give the Huskies their first win of the season.

This year, the result was quite different.  With 3.5 seconds remaining, the Huskies had an opportunity to edge the Terriers once again, but the lanky and athletic Malik Thomas made sure his crosstown rivals would not get another opportunity to beat the Terriers once again.

Watch below as Thomas saves the day for BU.



Northeastern vs. BU Press Conferences

Press conferences following Boston University's 72–69 victory over Northeastern University during the first Coaches vs. Cancer Massachusetts College Basketball Tripleheader at TD Garden. BU Press Conference featuring head coach Joe Jones, senior guard DJ Irving, and sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr.

 

Northeastern Press Conference featuring head coach Bill Coen.

 

From the FreeP: Strong play of guards boosts BU men’s basketball against Huskies

By Christopher Dela Rosa/ DFP Staff

Going into Sunday’s game, there was a lot to be said about the backcourt of the Boston University men’s basketball team.
For the Terriers (1-0), the dynamic duo of guards in sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. and senior D.J. Irving highlight a strong group of Terriers in the 2013-14 season. Sunday afternoon, the Terriers proved that despite a limited and height-challenged frontcourt, their backcourt can put the extra weight on their shoulders and carry the team when needed.
“We don’t really think we have a size disadvantage,” Irving said. “I feel like we have more heart than any other team that we’ve played against.  I’d rather have heart.”
Watson shared a similar sentiment.
“Bigger is not always better,” Watson added. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the FreeP: Men’s basketball opens season with victory over Northeastern

By Jacklyn Bamberger/DFP Staff
In its first game of its 2013-14 campaign, the Boston University men’s basketball team came from behind to defeat crosstown rival Northeastern University 72-69 Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. The win marked the Terriers’ first victory over the Huskies in four years.
Sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr., senior guard D.J. Irving, sophomore forward Nathan Dieudonne, sophomore guard John Papale and senior forward Dom Morris started the game for the Terriers (1-0).
Northeastern (0-1) won the tip and Husky forward Scott Eatherton immediately drove the ball to the basket, recording the game’s first points. The Terriers answered, as Watson hit a lay-up and Papale subsequently buried a 3-pointer to give the Terriers a 5-2 lead with 18 minutes remaining in the half. From there, the momentum shifted back and forth as both teams struggled to find a consistent source of offense.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Thursday, November 7, 2013

From the FreeP:Optimistic BU men’s basketball team awaits promising 2013-14 season (Season Preview)

By Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff


Photo by Kenshin Okubo
Photo courtesy of Daily Free Press
On March 19, the Boston University men’s basketball season came to an unfortunate end when they lost to what will soon become a new Patriot League foe in Loyola University-Maryland during the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Nearly eight months after their disappointing loss to Loyola, there is nothing but positivity surrounding the Terriers as they get ready to begin their first season in the Patriot League.
Just a few weeks ago, at the Patriot League media day in Bethlehem, Pa., it was announced that the Terriers were unanimously selected as the top team in the conference.
“I think our guys and our staff are used to that,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “When we first got here, we were picked to win, so it’s not uncharted territory for us, it’s what we deal with, it’s who we are and I think at BU, a lot of our sports are picked to be successful. I just think it’s part of the culture here at BU and I think our guys have embraced it.”
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the Freep: Patriot League preseason power rankings

By Alex Rozier/DFP Staff


1. Boston University – Last year, the Terriers finished second in the America East Conference before a first-round exit in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). This season, BU is looking to improve upon that finish in a new conference. BU’s transition process should be alleviated by the return of all of its starters, which includes its scoring, rebounding and assist leaders from last season. A lot of the Terriers’ high expectations in the Patriot League come from the reputation built by senior guard D.J. Irving. After averaging 14.2 points per game and 3.6 assists per game last year, Irving was voted the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year in a coaches’ poll. Irving was also named a Preseason Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com and NBCSports.com. BU is also getting back sophomore guard Maurice Watson Jr. and senior forward Dom Morris, each of whom scored more than 11 points per game last season.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the FreeP: Dom Morris grows into key player on men’s basketball team

By Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff
During the spring of 2011, Dom Morris was just a freshman enjoying the ride as the Boston University men’s basketball team traveled to Tulsa, Okla., to play in the NCAA Tournament.
That year, the Terriers took on the No. 1-seeded Kansas University in the second round and were able to stay competitive with the Jayhawks for most of the contest. Going into the half, the Terriers were only down by four points, largely because of a stellar scoring output from then-senior guard John Holland.
“It was great, we worked hard as a team to make it there,” Morris said. “It felt like we deserved to be there.”
Unfortunately, the Terriers could not capitalize on their great first half and they fell by a score of 72–53. Morris had nine points and an assist in that game.
Despite the loss, to this day, the memory of Mar. 18, 2011, is one of Morris’ fondest memories as he and the Terriers enter the 2013-14 season.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

From the FreeP: 7 Questions with Maurice Watson Jr.

By Jacklyn Bamberger/DFP Staff

1. Do you have a go-to pre-game meal?
Steak tips and rice with a side of ranch and an orange Gatorade. I also have to have a little something sweet, like candy.
2. What was your Halloween costume this year?
I was a doctor this year.
3. Most challenging class you’ve taken at BU so far?
Definitely microeconomics.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com

Thursday, October 24, 2013

BU named preseason favorite in Patriot League, Irving named Preseason Player of the Year

By Sarah Kirkpatrick/DFP Staff

At the Patriot League men’s basketball media day Thursday, Boston University was named the unanimous preseason favorite to win the conference title in its first season in the Patriot League.

BU received all 18 first-place votes in a poll of coaches and sports info directors within the Patriot League, totaling 162 points. (Voters could not rank their own team.) Lafayette College came in second with 130 points and two first-place votes.

Senior guard D.J. Irving earned Preseason Player of the Year honors. He was joined on the preseason all-conference team by Bucknell University guard Cameron Ayers, Loyola University-Maryland guard Dylan Cormier, Lehigh University guard Mackey McKnight and College of the Holy Cross forward Dave Dudzinski.

The Terriers finished with a 17-13 overall record and a 11-5 record in America East play, led by Irving’s 14.2 points per game average. Irving also received a first-team America East nod last season. Senior forward Dom Morris (11.6 ppg, 6.4 rebounds per game in 2012-13) and sophomore forward Maurice Watson, Jr. (11.2 ppg, 5.4 assists per game in 2012-13) also return for BU.

Patriot League Men’s Basketball Preseason Rankings
  1. Boston University (162 points)
  2. Lafayette College (130)
  3. U.S. Military Academy (115)
  4.  Bucknell University (113)
  5. Loyola University-Maryland (109)
  6. Lehigh University (93)
  7.  College of the Holy Cross (70)
  8.  Colgate University (49)
  9. American University (36)
  10. U.S. Naval Academy (23)


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

BU Basketball at Coaches vs. Cancer Breakfast and Mass. College Basketball Media Day

By Christopher Dela Rosa/DFP Staff

Boston – Sept. 26, 2013 – On Thursday afternoon, all of the head coaches of D­–1 basketball programs in Massachusetts assembled at TD Garden for the third annual Massachusetts college basketball media day.

Media day was preceded with a Coaches vs. Cancer breakfast, in which the state’s first ever tripleheader featuring six Massachusetts D–1 schools was announced.  The tripleheader will take place at TD Garden on November 10th and feature games between BU and Northeastern, Boston College and UMass, and Harvard University and Holy Cross.

The proceeds from the event will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer, a nation-wide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coachers (NABC).

Following the breakfast and announcement, coaches were made available to the media, and Full Court Press caught up with BU head coach Joe Jones.

During that time Coach Jones spoke about leadership within the team and what he expects from this year’s incoming class.  Here’s what he had to say:

Jones on captains this season:

“We should be in great shape.  We have three seniors that were captains last year so they got their feet wet when it comes to being leaders of the team.  Now they’re seniors and they’re tremendous people.  That’s the first thing I’d say is they’re tremendous people, I think they handle themselves well the right way, so guys will follow them.  They understand the ropes, they won a championship as freshman; they’re great student athletes to have as your leaders.  We feel like we’re in great shape in that department and I feel like they will be able themselves.”

Jones on sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. as leader

“We’ve talked about that because it’s a little tricky.  By nature he’s a leader because of the way he is and the position that he plays.  So our captains are very comfortable with him being a vocal leader on the team so that wont change, and that’s why I love our team, they have very good chemistry and are very accepting.”

Jones on 2013–14 schedule

“I don’t know if there’s any game we’ve circled so to speak.  As much as we are anxious to play, we think the non conference will gear us up for conference play and we want to get better as the year goes on.”

Jones on what to expect from freshman class


“It’s hard to say right now.  Dylan Haines hurt his wrist so he’s out.  We were hoping he could give us some added depth in the front court.  Cedric Hankerson we think is going to have a great career.  How quickly he can get comfortable with the things we’re trying to do, will dictate how much of an impact he can make.  I think both guys can make an impact, how much though, remains to be seen.”