By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
Just as Rick Pitino closed speculation on one name for the open Boston University basketball coaching position, he opened the proverbial floodgates on another.
In the same Tuesday press conference in which he announced that his son Richard Pitino would not be taking the BU job because of a two-year commitment contract, the University of Louisville coach endorsed former Louisville and current Indiana Pacers assistant Walter McCarty for the position.
McCarty was an assistant for the Cardinals under Pitino from 2007-2010 before moving on to his current position with the Pacers, and also played for Pitino at the University of Kentucky, starting for Kentucky's 1996 NCAA national championship team. After leaving Kentucky, McCarty played in the NBA for 10 seasons, spending a majority of his career with the Boston Celtics, where he played from 1997-2005.
While Pitino admitted he's not sure how likely it is that McCarty will ultimately be hired, he feels that his former player's strong connection with the city of Boston would make him a great fit at BU.
"Walt would be a great candidate for the job," Pitino said in the press conference. "Being an ex-Celtic, he's very, very popular in that town. He would be a tremdendous fit for Boston University, but I don't know what they're thinking or what roads they are traveling."
Pitino, who also coached McCarty for three of his seasons on the Celtics, began his head coaching career at BU in 1978 when he was just 25-years-old.
Pitino's endorsement was followed Wednesday with a report from The Indianapolis Star that Pacers interim head coach Frank Vogel was told that if we were to be hired as the full time coach that he would need to replace several assistants, among them McCarty.
McCarty's name joins a list of speculated candidates that includes University of Maryland assistant and BU graduate Scott Spinelli, University of North Carolina-Charlotte and former BU assistant Orlando Vandross, University of Washington assistant Raphael Chillious, along with interim head coach Brian Daly.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Richard Pitino not a candidate for BU job
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
University of Louisville assistant Richard Pitino is not a candidate for the vacant coaching position at Boston University, Richard's father and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said Tuesday.
Pitino's name was being widely-mentioned as a possible candidate to replace former coach Patrick Chambers, who left the program Friday to become the head coach at Penn State University. Pitino was also speculated to be a candidate for the BU job in 2009 after Dennis Wolff was fired and Chambers was ultimately hired.
The 28-year-old Pitino rejoined his father Rick Pitino's staff at Louisville in April after a two-year stint as an assistant at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan. His arrival was part of an overhaul of Pitino's staff after former assistant Steve Masiello left to become the head coach at Manhattan College and former assistant Tim Fuller left for a similar position at the University of Missouri after just one season on the Cardinals' staff, a departure that prompted Pitino to consider a two-year commitment contract from anyone he brings on to his staff.
"Richard is under contract for two years," the elder Pitino said in a press conference today. "If the greatest job in America came up next year, he is not going anywhere."
Pitino's statements came within an hour of a tweet from CBS Sports and MSG Network college basketball writer Jon Rothstein, who claimed that Pitino was no longer under consideration for the BU job.
Upon Pitino's return to Louisville, rumors circulated that he was to be the program's head coach-in-waiting, but such reports were denied by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.
Other names who have been mentioned by national writers for the BU position have been University of Maryland assistant and former BU player Scott Spinelli, University of North Carolina-Charlotte assistant and former BU assistant Orlando Vandross, University of Washington assistant Raphael Chillious, as well as BU assistant and interim head coach Brian Daly.
University of Louisville assistant Richard Pitino is not a candidate for the vacant coaching position at Boston University, Richard's father and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said Tuesday.
Pitino's name was being widely-mentioned as a possible candidate to replace former coach Patrick Chambers, who left the program Friday to become the head coach at Penn State University. Pitino was also speculated to be a candidate for the BU job in 2009 after Dennis Wolff was fired and Chambers was ultimately hired.
The 28-year-old Pitino rejoined his father Rick Pitino's staff at Louisville in April after a two-year stint as an assistant at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan. His arrival was part of an overhaul of Pitino's staff after former assistant Steve Masiello left to become the head coach at Manhattan College and former assistant Tim Fuller left for a similar position at the University of Missouri after just one season on the Cardinals' staff, a departure that prompted Pitino to consider a two-year commitment contract from anyone he brings on to his staff.
"Richard is under contract for two years," the elder Pitino said in a press conference today. "If the greatest job in America came up next year, he is not going anywhere."
Pitino's statements came within an hour of a tweet from CBS Sports and MSG Network college basketball writer Jon Rothstein, who claimed that Pitino was no longer under consideration for the BU job.
Upon Pitino's return to Louisville, rumors circulated that he was to be the program's head coach-in-waiting, but such reports were denied by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.
Other names who have been mentioned by national writers for the BU position have been University of Maryland assistant and former BU player Scott Spinelli, University of North Carolina-Charlotte assistant and former BU assistant Orlando Vandross, University of Washington assistant Raphael Chillious, as well as BU assistant and interim head coach Brian Daly.
Friday, June 3, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: Chambers leaves BU to coach at Penn State
By René Reyes and Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
In an announcement that was bound to come sooner rather than later, Patrick Chambers has accepted the head coaching position at Penn State University, the school confirmed in a press release today.
Brian Daily, Chambers' former assistant coach at Boston University, has been appointed the interim head coach of the Terriers for the moment, but the school will conduct a nationwide search to find Chambers' replacement.
The following is the press release from BU athletics:
BOSTON - Boston University assistant vice president and director of athletics Mike Lynch announced today that head men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers has accepted the head coach position at Big Ten member Penn State. Lynch also announced that BU associate head coach Brian Daly has been named interim head coach. A national search for the program's 25th head coach will begin immediately.
"I would like to thank Pat for his contributions to Boston University and to our men's basketball program," said Lynch. "As our head coach, he helped return BU to its winning tradition. We have a very bright future and I am confident that we will find a replacement who will continue to build on our tradition of excellence."
Daly has been a member of Chambers' coaching staff for the past two years and was promoted to associate head coach in May 2010.
"Brian Daly was an easy choice to assume the interim head coach position while a search is conducted," said Lynch. "He has been involved in all aspects of the program's operation and will provide a smooth transition to the next phase of Terrier basketball."
Chambers led the Terriers to back-to-back postseason appearances and America East Championship berths while becoming the first coach in program history to earn at least 20 wins in each of his first two years. This past season, BU hosted its first conference title game since 2003 and earned its first NCAA berth since 2002 (seventh overall) with a 56-54 victory over Stony Brook in front of an energized fan base at Agganis Arena.
Chambers compiled a 42-28 (.600) overall record and a 23-9 (.719) mark in league action. In the months of February and March, he was 21-4 (.840) after leading the Terriers to the semifinals of the 2010 CBI tournament and the second round of the 2011 NCAAs.
A native of Philadelphia, Chambers will be returning to his home state and coaching at a school where several family members and friends graduated from.
We'll have more details later on this breaking story, including any notices on BU's search for a new head coach.
In an announcement that was bound to come sooner rather than later, Patrick Chambers has accepted the head coaching position at Penn State University, the school confirmed in a press release today.
Brian Daily, Chambers' former assistant coach at Boston University, has been appointed the interim head coach of the Terriers for the moment, but the school will conduct a nationwide search to find Chambers' replacement.
The following is the press release from BU athletics:
BOSTON - Boston University assistant vice president and director of athletics Mike Lynch announced today that head men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers has accepted the head coach position at Big Ten member Penn State. Lynch also announced that BU associate head coach Brian Daly has been named interim head coach. A national search for the program's 25th head coach will begin immediately.
"I would like to thank Pat for his contributions to Boston University and to our men's basketball program," said Lynch. "As our head coach, he helped return BU to its winning tradition. We have a very bright future and I am confident that we will find a replacement who will continue to build on our tradition of excellence."
Daly has been a member of Chambers' coaching staff for the past two years and was promoted to associate head coach in May 2010.
"Brian Daly was an easy choice to assume the interim head coach position while a search is conducted," said Lynch. "He has been involved in all aspects of the program's operation and will provide a smooth transition to the next phase of Terrier basketball."
Chambers led the Terriers to back-to-back postseason appearances and America East Championship berths while becoming the first coach in program history to earn at least 20 wins in each of his first two years. This past season, BU hosted its first conference title game since 2003 and earned its first NCAA berth since 2002 (seventh overall) with a 56-54 victory over Stony Brook in front of an energized fan base at Agganis Arena.
Chambers compiled a 42-28 (.600) overall record and a 23-9 (.719) mark in league action. In the months of February and March, he was 21-4 (.840) after leading the Terriers to the semifinals of the 2010 CBI tournament and the second round of the 2011 NCAAs.
A native of Philadelphia, Chambers will be returning to his home state and coaching at a school where several family members and friends graduated from.
We'll have more details later on this breaking story, including any notices on BU's search for a new head coach.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
UPDATE: Rothstein: Chambers 'likely' to Penn State
By Craig Meyer and René Reyes/DFP Staff
Sources indicated that Penn State University will likely hire Boston University head men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers to be the Nittany Lions' next coach, MSG and CBS Network college basketball Jon Rothstein tweeted Thursday.
And on Friday, Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports tweeted that per his sources, Chambers was officially "offered the Penn State job earlier today." After Duquesne University head coach Ron Everhart withdrew his name from Penn State's head coaching search Thursday evening, only Chambers and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter remained as the final two candidates for the Nittany Lions' head coaching job.
However, this afternoon, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports tweeted that "Ron Everhart and Rob Jeter have both publicly withdrawn at Penn State. That means, barring a shock, BU's Pat Chambers is getting the job."
Current BU players may have foreshadowed the official announcement of Chambers' hire at Penn State, with sophomore forward Dom Morris posting on his Facebook status today, "Worst news I heard in my life besides hearing that my father past away...smfh," and sophomore forward Travis Robinson posting, "It's a business...gotta remember that...smh."
Amid these swarm of rumors surrounding the head coaching vacancy at Penn State, Chambers recently had agreed to a contract extension in early May to continue at BU through the 2015-16 campaign.
Chambers, who just completed his second season as the Terriers' bench boss, owns a career 42-28 record, with two postseason tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Goodman tweeted on Thursday that, per his sources, Chambers has not yet been offered the job, but that he is "in the mix." ESPN's Andy Katz reported Thursday that no decision has been made, but that Penn State had narrowed its finalists for the job down to Chambers and Jeter, stating that both candidates have already interviewed for the position.
If Chambers is indeed hired by Penn State, BU would be placed with the task of conducting a search for a new coach at a very late moment of the proverbial coaching carousel.
A team official said that there was no comment on the situation when contacted by The Daily Free Press this afternoon.
Additionally, in a move that could signal Chambers' departure from Commonwealth Ave., Chambers' former assistant coach Dwayne Killings has accepted the same position at Temple University, according to The Recruit Scoop.
Sources indicated that Penn State University will likely hire Boston University head men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers to be the Nittany Lions' next coach, MSG and CBS Network college basketball Jon Rothstein tweeted Thursday.
And on Friday, Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports tweeted that per his sources, Chambers was officially "offered the Penn State job earlier today." After Duquesne University head coach Ron Everhart withdrew his name from Penn State's head coaching search Thursday evening, only Chambers and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee head coach Rob Jeter remained as the final two candidates for the Nittany Lions' head coaching job.
However, this afternoon, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports tweeted that "Ron Everhart and Rob Jeter have both publicly withdrawn at Penn State. That means, barring a shock, BU's Pat Chambers is getting the job."
Current BU players may have foreshadowed the official announcement of Chambers' hire at Penn State, with sophomore forward Dom Morris posting on his Facebook status today, "Worst news I heard in my life besides hearing that my father past away...smfh," and sophomore forward Travis Robinson posting, "It's a business...gotta remember that...smh."
Amid these swarm of rumors surrounding the head coaching vacancy at Penn State, Chambers recently had agreed to a contract extension in early May to continue at BU through the 2015-16 campaign.
Chambers, who just completed his second season as the Terriers' bench boss, owns a career 42-28 record, with two postseason tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
Goodman tweeted on Thursday that, per his sources, Chambers has not yet been offered the job, but that he is "in the mix." ESPN's Andy Katz reported Thursday that no decision has been made, but that Penn State had narrowed its finalists for the job down to Chambers and Jeter, stating that both candidates have already interviewed for the position.
If Chambers is indeed hired by Penn State, BU would be placed with the task of conducting a search for a new coach at a very late moment of the proverbial coaching carousel.
A team official said that there was no comment on the situation when contacted by The Daily Free Press this afternoon.
Additionally, in a move that could signal Chambers' departure from Commonwealth Ave., Chambers' former assistant coach Dwayne Killings has accepted the same position at Temple University, according to The Recruit Scoop.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Report: Chambers candidate at Penn State
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
Boston University men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers is on a short list of four candidates that are under consideration to become the next head coach at Penn State, ESPN college basketball writer Andy Katz reported Monday.
According to multiple sources of Katz, Chambers is on a list that includes Duquesnse University coach Ron Everhart and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter. Penn State is looking to replace Ed DeChellis, who resigned to become the head coach at the United States Naval Academy last week.
Everhart, who is reportely the front-runner for the position, has spent the past five seasons at the Pittsburgh-based school and has compiled a 83-74 record after taking over a Dukes team that won just three games the season prior to his arrival. Jeter is a Pittsburgh native and spent several seasons in the Big Ten as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin. Since taking over for Bruce Pearl in 2005, Jeter has posted a 101-89 record in six seasons at the helm.
Chambers' name has emerged just months after he helped lead the Terriers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in almost a decade. In his two seasons on Commonwealth Ave., Chambers has produced identical 21-14 records with two postseason appearances. BU reached the semfinals of the College Basketball Invitational in 2010 before losing to eventual champion Virginia Commonwealth University.
A former Villanova University assistant and Philadelphia native, Chambers has proven to be an able recruiter in southeastern Pennsylvania. Eight players on the Terriers' roster are from the Philadelphia-area, with six of those coming from a 2010 recruiting class that ranked in the top ten among mid-major programs according to ESPN.com.
On May 6, Chambers agreed with BU administration to a contract extension through the 2015-2016 season.
Read all of Katz's story in the link below:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6608264
Boston University men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers is on a short list of four candidates that are under consideration to become the next head coach at Penn State, ESPN college basketball writer Andy Katz reported Monday.
According to multiple sources of Katz, Chambers is on a list that includes Duquesnse University coach Ron Everhart and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter. Penn State is looking to replace Ed DeChellis, who resigned to become the head coach at the United States Naval Academy last week.
Everhart, who is reportely the front-runner for the position, has spent the past five seasons at the Pittsburgh-based school and has compiled a 83-74 record after taking over a Dukes team that won just three games the season prior to his arrival. Jeter is a Pittsburgh native and spent several seasons in the Big Ten as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin. Since taking over for Bruce Pearl in 2005, Jeter has posted a 101-89 record in six seasons at the helm.
Chambers' name has emerged just months after he helped lead the Terriers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in almost a decade. In his two seasons on Commonwealth Ave., Chambers has produced identical 21-14 records with two postseason appearances. BU reached the semfinals of the College Basketball Invitational in 2010 before losing to eventual champion Virginia Commonwealth University.
A former Villanova University assistant and Philadelphia native, Chambers has proven to be an able recruiter in southeastern Pennsylvania. Eight players on the Terriers' roster are from the Philadelphia-area, with six of those coming from a 2010 recruiting class that ranked in the top ten among mid-major programs according to ESPN.com.
On May 6, Chambers agreed with BU administration to a contract extension through the 2015-2016 season.
Read all of Katz's story in the link below:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6608264
Saturday, May 7, 2011
From the FreeP: Chambers agrees to contract extension through 2016
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
As he stepped on to the podium to address the press after his team’s heartbreaking 55-49 to Boston University in the America East tournament semifinals, University of Hartford men’s basketball coach John Gallagher joked that he just ran into BU athletic director Mike Lynch on his way to the press conference and that he gave Lynch a simple piece of advice regarding his own basketball coach, Patrick Chambers.
“When’s the extension?” Gallagher said.
Whether it was Gallagher’s insistence or not, almost two months, an AE title and a NCAA Tournament berth later, Chambers has received just that.
On Thursday, Chambers agreed with BU administration to a two-year extension on his original five-year deal that will keep him signed with the Terriers until the end of the 2015-2016 season.
Chambers announced the news Thursday afternoon via his personal Twitter account, additionally thanking BU administration, his coaching staff, as well as his players.
“To be able to go until 2016 and keep this program headed in the right direction and to know that we’re going to be here a while is comforting to myself, my family and my assistants, and it should be great for our players and our incoming recruits,” Chambers said in a phone interview with The Daily Free Press. “It was a big day for our program and I’m just excited that our administration knows we’re headed in the right direction.”
Aside from the number of years that were added to the deal and the 2016 timeline, no other details about the contract were released regarding salary and possible bonuses. As a private institution, BU is not obligated or required to reveal or publish such information.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
As he stepped on to the podium to address the press after his team’s heartbreaking 55-49 to Boston University in the America East tournament semifinals, University of Hartford men’s basketball coach John Gallagher joked that he just ran into BU athletic director Mike Lynch on his way to the press conference and that he gave Lynch a simple piece of advice regarding his own basketball coach, Patrick Chambers.
“When’s the extension?” Gallagher said.
Whether it was Gallagher’s insistence or not, almost two months, an AE title and a NCAA Tournament berth later, Chambers has received just that.
On Thursday, Chambers agreed with BU administration to a two-year extension on his original five-year deal that will keep him signed with the Terriers until the end of the 2015-2016 season.
Chambers announced the news Thursday afternoon via his personal Twitter account, additionally thanking BU administration, his coaching staff, as well as his players.
“To be able to go until 2016 and keep this program headed in the right direction and to know that we’re going to be here a while is comforting to myself, my family and my assistants, and it should be great for our players and our incoming recruits,” Chambers said in a phone interview with The Daily Free Press. “It was a big day for our program and I’m just excited that our administration knows we’re headed in the right direction.”
Aside from the number of years that were added to the deal and the 2016 timeline, no other details about the contract were released regarding salary and possible bonuses. As a private institution, BU is not obligated or required to reveal or publish such information.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Thursday, May 5, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: Chambers agrees to contract extension through 2016
By René Reyes and Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
It turns out there's a little more that comes with winning an America East Conference title than just an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Boston University men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers announced Thursday afternoon via his Twitter that he has agreed to a contract extension through the 2015-2016 season.
In his tweet, Chambers thanked BU administration, his staff, as well as his players.
Aside from the 2016 timeline, no other details about his contract were released -- as it was when he signed his original contract in April 2009 -- with regards to salary and bonuses. As a private institution, BU is not required to reveal or publish such information.
Chambers receives the extension in the wake of leading the Terriers to an AE title and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002. BU ultimately fell to the No. 1 seed University of Kansas, 72-53, in the tournament's second round.
After five seasons as an assistant coach under Jay Wright at Villanova University, Chambers took over the reigns of the program from longtime coach Dennis Wolff in 2009. In his two seasons on Commonwealth Ave., Chambers has compiled a 42-28 overall record (21-14 in each season), including a 23-9 record in AE play.
It turns out there's a little more that comes with winning an America East Conference title than just an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Boston University men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers announced Thursday afternoon via his Twitter that he has agreed to a contract extension through the 2015-2016 season.
In his tweet, Chambers thanked BU administration, his staff, as well as his players.
Aside from the 2016 timeline, no other details about his contract were released -- as it was when he signed his original contract in April 2009 -- with regards to salary and bonuses. As a private institution, BU is not required to reveal or publish such information.
Chambers receives the extension in the wake of leading the Terriers to an AE title and their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002. BU ultimately fell to the No. 1 seed University of Kansas, 72-53, in the tournament's second round.
After five seasons as an assistant coach under Jay Wright at Villanova University, Chambers took over the reigns of the program from longtime coach Dennis Wolff in 2009. In his two seasons on Commonwealth Ave., Chambers has compiled a 42-28 overall record (21-14 in each season), including a 23-9 record in AE play.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
From the FreeP: Growing up fast
By René Reyes/DFP Staff
It’s a common occurrence for Dom Morris to be mistaken for an upperclassman at Boston University. A 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame and a grown man’s beard can do that to a 20-year-old freshman.
Initially, Morris’ peers believed him to be one of the junior transfers – along with Patrick Hazel, Matt Griffin and Darryl Partin – whom BU men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers recruited to instill veteran leadership and experience in his young squad. In extreme cases, some thought the forward from Newark, Del., would be pairing up with dynamic scorer John Holland as the Terriers’ only seniors for the 2010-11 campaign.
“Some of the students were a little confused when I first stepped on campus,” Morris said.
Over the course of the year, however, Morris became the grizzled veteran he was perceived to be, playing his way into the Terriers’ starting lineup by midseason. He averaged 23.2 minutes and ranked third on the team in rebounds (147) and sixth in scoring (5.7 points per game) over 32 appearances.
Lost in all the celebration of BU’s first America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 were Morris’ contributions down the stretch.
With a left ankle injury limiting Holland in road matchups at Binghamton University and University of Vermont in late February, Morris tallied 13 points and 21 rebounds in wins over the Bearcats and Catamounts to cap off the regular season.
It’s one thing for Morris to stuff the stat sheet in games where BU’s No. 2 seed in the AE tournament was all but wrapped up. It’s another thing for the rookie to deliver against Stony Brook University in a situation as pressurized as the AE championship game on March 12.
While Holland’s individual 14-0 run will forever live in Terrier lore, Morris’ left-handed layup with 2:17 remaining trimmed BU’s deficit to 54-52 and set up the dramatic finish. Holland would score four unanswered points, and the Terriers bested the Seawolves, 56-54, to clinch their sixth conference crown in program history.
Months before that fateful afternoon, Chambers and his coaching staff saw on a day-to-day basis that Morris possessed the capability to excel at the collegiate level. His work ethic in practice and grasp of the fundamental ideals of BU basketball – defense and rebounding – set Morris apart from the other six freshmen and earned him more minutes as the season progressed.
“As I saw every day in practice, he got a little bit better, a little bit more confident and that started to transfer onto the court,” Chambers said. “That’s when you start to trust as a coach. You see him practice every day. You see him at film sessions. You see and know what he’s doing, and then, you don’t have a problem starting him or playing him major minutes.”
Hazel, one of BU’s tri-captains and a player Morris looks up to, echoed his coach’s words.
“We needed some of the young guys to step up and be an impact right away,” Hazel said, “and Dom embraced that challenge every day in practice and through experience in the games.”
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
It’s a common occurrence for Dom Morris to be mistaken for an upperclassman at Boston University. A 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame and a grown man’s beard can do that to a 20-year-old freshman.
Initially, Morris’ peers believed him to be one of the junior transfers – along with Patrick Hazel, Matt Griffin and Darryl Partin – whom BU men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers recruited to instill veteran leadership and experience in his young squad. In extreme cases, some thought the forward from Newark, Del., would be pairing up with dynamic scorer John Holland as the Terriers’ only seniors for the 2010-11 campaign.
“Some of the students were a little confused when I first stepped on campus,” Morris said.
Over the course of the year, however, Morris became the grizzled veteran he was perceived to be, playing his way into the Terriers’ starting lineup by midseason. He averaged 23.2 minutes and ranked third on the team in rebounds (147) and sixth in scoring (5.7 points per game) over 32 appearances.
Lost in all the celebration of BU’s first America East title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 were Morris’ contributions down the stretch.
With a left ankle injury limiting Holland in road matchups at Binghamton University and University of Vermont in late February, Morris tallied 13 points and 21 rebounds in wins over the Bearcats and Catamounts to cap off the regular season.
It’s one thing for Morris to stuff the stat sheet in games where BU’s No. 2 seed in the AE tournament was all but wrapped up. It’s another thing for the rookie to deliver against Stony Brook University in a situation as pressurized as the AE championship game on March 12.
While Holland’s individual 14-0 run will forever live in Terrier lore, Morris’ left-handed layup with 2:17 remaining trimmed BU’s deficit to 54-52 and set up the dramatic finish. Holland would score four unanswered points, and the Terriers bested the Seawolves, 56-54, to clinch their sixth conference crown in program history.
Months before that fateful afternoon, Chambers and his coaching staff saw on a day-to-day basis that Morris possessed the capability to excel at the collegiate level. His work ethic in practice and grasp of the fundamental ideals of BU basketball – defense and rebounding – set Morris apart from the other six freshmen and earned him more minutes as the season progressed.
“As I saw every day in practice, he got a little bit better, a little bit more confident and that started to transfer onto the court,” Chambers said. “That’s when you start to trust as a coach. You see him practice every day. You see him at film sessions. You see and know what he’s doing, and then, you don’t have a problem starting him or playing him major minutes.”
Hazel, one of BU’s tri-captains and a player Morris looks up to, echoed his coach’s words.
“We needed some of the young guys to step up and be an impact right away,” Hazel said, “and Dom embraced that challenge every day in practice and through experience in the games.”
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
From the FreeP: High-scoring Chionuma to join m. basketball team
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
Despite the explosion of talent evaluation websites like Rivals.com, Scout.com and the like that rate and rank high school basketball players around the country, college basketball recruiting is far from an exact science.
Invariably, there are players who are projected to be stars on the next level who simply don’t pan out – that is, the considerable and oftentimes rough transition from the high school to college ball proves to be too overwhelming.
Yet on the other hand, there are the proverbial diamonds in the rough, players who, for one reason or another, were looked over during the recruitment process and have blossomed into stars or key contributors on top teams.
On the mid-major level, this trend is incredibly evident. Teams like Butler University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Morehead State University have utilized the talents of players like Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Jamie Skeen, Joey Rodriguez and Kenneth Faried, among others, who were passed over by bigger-name programs in bigger conferences.
While not on the level of any of the aforementioned players, at least not yet, Boston University men’s basketball coach Pat Chambers feels that for his 2011 recruiting class, he has uncovered an overlooked player who he believes could pay major dividends for the program – Zach Chionuma.
Chionuma is a six-foot-four shooting guard out of Marianapolis Prep in Thompson, Conn., where he just completed a post-graduate season. Chionuma, along with Quinnipiac University commit Ousmane Drame, led Marianapolis to a 19-10 record this past season.
He is ranked as the No. 51 player in New England, 13 spots behind fellow BU commit James Kennedy, by the New England Recruiting Report.
A major asset of Chionuma’s game is undoubtedly his ability and instincts to score the basketball. The aggressive nature of his offensive game has been lauded by several major recruiting outlets, but in the same respect, it was also criticized by some as being reckless and lacking a sense of control especially when it came to his shot selection.
However, there is a prevailing sentiment that Chionuma’s occasionally erratic offensive play was, if anything, a product of being the primary scorer on a team in a challenging conference.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Despite the explosion of talent evaluation websites like Rivals.com, Scout.com and the like that rate and rank high school basketball players around the country, college basketball recruiting is far from an exact science.
Invariably, there are players who are projected to be stars on the next level who simply don’t pan out – that is, the considerable and oftentimes rough transition from the high school to college ball proves to be too overwhelming.
Yet on the other hand, there are the proverbial diamonds in the rough, players who, for one reason or another, were looked over during the recruitment process and have blossomed into stars or key contributors on top teams.
On the mid-major level, this trend is incredibly evident. Teams like Butler University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Morehead State University have utilized the talents of players like Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Jamie Skeen, Joey Rodriguez and Kenneth Faried, among others, who were passed over by bigger-name programs in bigger conferences.
While not on the level of any of the aforementioned players, at least not yet, Boston University men’s basketball coach Pat Chambers feels that for his 2011 recruiting class, he has uncovered an overlooked player who he believes could pay major dividends for the program – Zach Chionuma.
Chionuma is a six-foot-four shooting guard out of Marianapolis Prep in Thompson, Conn., where he just completed a post-graduate season. Chionuma, along with Quinnipiac University commit Ousmane Drame, led Marianapolis to a 19-10 record this past season.
He is ranked as the No. 51 player in New England, 13 spots behind fellow BU commit James Kennedy, by the New England Recruiting Report.
A major asset of Chionuma’s game is undoubtedly his ability and instincts to score the basketball. The aggressive nature of his offensive game has been lauded by several major recruiting outlets, but in the same respect, it was also criticized by some as being reckless and lacking a sense of control especially when it came to his shot selection.
However, there is a prevailing sentiment that Chionuma’s occasionally erratic offensive play was, if anything, a product of being the primary scorer on a team in a challenging conference.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Monday, May 2, 2011
From the FreeP: Kennedy to bolster frontcourt next season and coming years
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
In his first two seasons as the head coach of the Boston University men’s basketball program, Pat Chambers has worked at creating a distinct brand of play that he hopes will epitomize BU basketball in the same way that other styles of play have defined other programs in the past.
Nolan Richardson had his pressing “40 Minutes of Hell” at University of Arkansas. John Calipari has implemented his patented dribble-drive offense with great success at both University of Memphis and now at University of Kentucky. And for decades, Pete Carril brought about a new calculated approach to the game with his Princeton offense at – you guessed it – Princeton University.
For Chambers and his BU program, his vision for the future of Terrier basketball will be decided by a style of play that focuses on two core attributes of the game – defense and rebounding.
For a crucial recruiting class that will look to help fill the pronounced void left by the graduation of America East Player of the Year John Holland, Chambers has landed a player who embodies those fundamental ideals of BU basketball – James Kennedy.
Kennedy is a 6’7”, 220-pound power forward who spent a post-graduate season at nearby Cushing Academy in Ashburnham and possesses a traditional low post-game that should allow him to stand out in a conference like the AE where such players are in short supply.
“Kennedy is very much an ‘old school’ type power forward and that definitely differentiates him from most 4-men in the America East,” said Adam Finkelstein of the New England Recruiting Report. “Most low- to mid-major programs aren’t able to play with two traditional big men anymore because there simply aren’t enough of them available in recruiting.
“Kennedy will give BU the flexibility to go with a two post line-up and so better match-up with programs from higher level conferences.”
This past season, Kennedy helped lead his Penguins squad to a 21-7 record and a No. 13 ranking among Massachusetts high school basketball teams. Additionally, he played AAU ball for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
In his first two seasons as the head coach of the Boston University men’s basketball program, Pat Chambers has worked at creating a distinct brand of play that he hopes will epitomize BU basketball in the same way that other styles of play have defined other programs in the past.
Nolan Richardson had his pressing “40 Minutes of Hell” at University of Arkansas. John Calipari has implemented his patented dribble-drive offense with great success at both University of Memphis and now at University of Kentucky. And for decades, Pete Carril brought about a new calculated approach to the game with his Princeton offense at – you guessed it – Princeton University.
For Chambers and his BU program, his vision for the future of Terrier basketball will be decided by a style of play that focuses on two core attributes of the game – defense and rebounding.
For a crucial recruiting class that will look to help fill the pronounced void left by the graduation of America East Player of the Year John Holland, Chambers has landed a player who embodies those fundamental ideals of BU basketball – James Kennedy.
Kennedy is a 6’7”, 220-pound power forward who spent a post-graduate season at nearby Cushing Academy in Ashburnham and possesses a traditional low post-game that should allow him to stand out in a conference like the AE where such players are in short supply.
“Kennedy is very much an ‘old school’ type power forward and that definitely differentiates him from most 4-men in the America East,” said Adam Finkelstein of the New England Recruiting Report. “Most low- to mid-major programs aren’t able to play with two traditional big men anymore because there simply aren’t enough of them available in recruiting.
“Kennedy will give BU the flexibility to go with a two post line-up and so better match-up with programs from higher level conferences.”
This past season, Kennedy helped lead his Penguins squad to a 21-7 record and a No. 13 ranking among Massachusetts high school basketball teams. Additionally, he played AAU ball for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
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