By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
With the Marquette chapter of his career firmly behind him, it came time for Patrick Hazel to make the crucial decision of where to play next, where to fulfill the second chance that transferring granted him.
And from the start of the process, there was one school that stood out above the rest to the rising junior forward – Boston University.
Coming out of Blair Academy, Hazel had been pursued hard by then-BU and current University of North Carolina at Charlotte assistant Orlando Vandross before making the decision to sign with Marquette.
About a week after Hazel informed Williams of his intention to transfer, he was contacted by new BU head coach Pat Chambers, who had just completed a five-year stint as an assistant at Villanova University.
Having routinely scouted Marquette for coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats, Chambers knew of Hazel and was impressed with what he had seen, believing that Hazel’s style of play would help embody a new brand of BU basketball that placed a special emphasis on defense and rebounding.
“He was active, he made winning plays, he made a difference in the game, but most of all, he played hard,” Chambers said. “And anyone that Tom Crean thinks plays hard or Buzz Williams thinks plays hard, you know what, I’m probably going to agree with them that this kid’s got ability and some raw talent that we have to work with.”
The sense of familiarity Hazel found at BU, with its former Big East coach and fellow New York-area players like John Holland, all it took was a single visit for Hazel to make a decision. BU was where he wanted to be.
“This was a big decision that would change the rest of my life and I felt like I was most comfortable here,” Hazel said. “I didn’t even want to go on any other visits because I knew I wouldn’t feel as comfortable as I felt here. Just knowing those guys, it made a big difference.”
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Rebounding from adversity: Part 1 of a two-part series on junior forward Patrick Hazel
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
In college basketball, much like life itself, things don’t always follow a designated path or go entirely according to plan.
If things always worked out like they were supposed to, Ohio State University and the University of Kansas would have squared off for the national title while Butler University and Virginia Commonwealth University would have been afterthoughts by the end of the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend.
But aside from all the upsets that generally define March Madness, the reality of things not working out applies strongly to individual players.
It is the exception and not the rule for a player’s collegiate career to pan out just how he envisioned it coming out of high school. For every Kemba Walker, there are hundreds of other players who didn’t fully realize their dreams or were unable to properly rewrite their stories when preconceptions got derailed.
Inevitably, storybook endings are in short supply in college basketball.
This is a script and a lesson that Patrick Hazel knows well. The Boston University junior forward has experienced the setbacks and disappointments that plague many careers on the college hardwood, but he has also been able to redefine both his game and himself amidst such adversity.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
In college basketball, much like life itself, things don’t always follow a designated path or go entirely according to plan.
If things always worked out like they were supposed to, Ohio State University and the University of Kansas would have squared off for the national title while Butler University and Virginia Commonwealth University would have been afterthoughts by the end of the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend.
But aside from all the upsets that generally define March Madness, the reality of things not working out applies strongly to individual players.
It is the exception and not the rule for a player’s collegiate career to pan out just how he envisioned it coming out of high school. For every Kemba Walker, there are hundreds of other players who didn’t fully realize their dreams or were unable to properly rewrite their stories when preconceptions got derailed.
Inevitably, storybook endings are in short supply in college basketball.
This is a script and a lesson that Patrick Hazel knows well. The Boston University junior forward has experienced the setbacks and disappointments that plague many careers on the college hardwood, but he has also been able to redefine both his game and himself amidst such adversity.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Griffin selected as NSCA All-American
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
Junior guard Matt Griffin was among five Boston University student-athletes named All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year, the National Strength and Conditioning Association announced Tuesday in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The team tri-captain and Rider University transfer averaged 6.2 points per game, 2.6 assists per game and shot a team-high 45.8-percent from 3-point range in his first year in a BU uniform after having to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules.
The other BU athletes honored were softball senior April Setterlund, women's lacrosse senior Rachel Collins, men's swimming & diving senior Kyle Ernst and women's swimming & diving senior Maria McIntyre.
Junior guard Matt Griffin was among five Boston University student-athletes named All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year, the National Strength and Conditioning Association announced Tuesday in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The team tri-captain and Rider University transfer averaged 6.2 points per game, 2.6 assists per game and shot a team-high 45.8-percent from 3-point range in his first year in a BU uniform after having to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules.
The other BU athletes honored were softball senior April Setterlund, women's lacrosse senior Rachel Collins, men's swimming & diving senior Kyle Ernst and women's swimming & diving senior Maria McIntyre.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
UPDATE: Holland impresses at Portsmouth Invitational
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
After a storied career for the Boston University men's basketball team that culminated with an America East Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, senior forward John Holland will now embark on a basketball career beyond Commonwealth Ave. and several opportunities have already presented themselves for the program's second all-time leading scorer.
The 2011 AE Player of the Year participated in the Portsmouth (Virginia) Invitational Tournament last weekend, a round-robin tournament that serves as a chance for top seniors from programs around the nation to showcase themselves to NBA teams.
Playing on a Portsmouth Sports Club team with Villanova University guard Corey Fisher and University of Florida center Vernon Macklin, among others, Holland averaged 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game in three games.
Holland’s standout moment came in his team’s first game last Thursday against a Mike Duman team that featured the likes of Virginia Tech University guard Malcolm Delaney, University of Pittsburgh center Gary McGhee and Michigan State University guard/forward Durrell Summers. In the game, Holland went off for a game-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes of play.
“His size, scoring ability and versatility are all intriguing,” Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress wrote of Holland’s performance and his rising professional stock. “And though he is still an under-the-radar prospect at this stage, his progress is still well worth monitoring.”
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com.
After a storied career for the Boston University men's basketball team that culminated with an America East Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, senior forward John Holland will now embark on a basketball career beyond Commonwealth Ave. and several opportunities have already presented themselves for the program's second all-time leading scorer.
The 2011 AE Player of the Year participated in the Portsmouth (Virginia) Invitational Tournament last weekend, a round-robin tournament that serves as a chance for top seniors from programs around the nation to showcase themselves to NBA teams.
Playing on a Portsmouth Sports Club team with Villanova University guard Corey Fisher and University of Florida center Vernon Macklin, among others, Holland averaged 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game in three games.
Holland’s standout moment came in his team’s first game last Thursday against a Mike Duman team that featured the likes of Virginia Tech University guard Malcolm Delaney, University of Pittsburgh center Gary McGhee and Michigan State University guard/forward Durrell Summers. In the game, Holland went off for a game-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes of play.
“His size, scoring ability and versatility are all intriguing,” Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress wrote of Holland’s performance and his rising professional stock. “And though he is still an under-the-radar prospect at this stage, his progress is still well worth monitoring.”
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Holland garners AP All-America honors
By René Reyes/DFP Staff
Boston University men's basketball senior forward John Holland earned the Associated Press All-America honorable mention honors, the AP announced on Monday.
The 6-foot-5 swingman from the Bronx, N.Y., joins an elite group of former Terriers to have received the accolade. Other honorees include Kevin Thomas, Steve Wright, Tony Simms and Tunji Awojobi, who was the last BU player to garner AP All-America honors.
The 2010-11 America East Player of the Year and member of the Lou Henson "Mid-Major" All-America team, Holland led the America East Conference in scoring for the second straight year with 19.2 points per game. He also averaged a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game and posted 47 steals.
In his senior season at BU, Holland scored 27 points and snagged 11 rebounds to help BU claim its first conference title since 2002 with a 56-54 victory over Stony Brook University on March 12. He also tallied a game-high 19 points in BU's 72-53 loss to the top-seeded University of Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Boston University men's basketball senior forward John Holland earned the Associated Press All-America honorable mention honors, the AP announced on Monday.
The 6-foot-5 swingman from the Bronx, N.Y., joins an elite group of former Terriers to have received the accolade. Other honorees include Kevin Thomas, Steve Wright, Tony Simms and Tunji Awojobi, who was the last BU player to garner AP All-America honors.
The 2010-11 America East Player of the Year and member of the Lou Henson "Mid-Major" All-America team, Holland led the America East Conference in scoring for the second straight year with 19.2 points per game. He also averaged a team-high 5.8 rebounds per game and posted 47 steals.
In his senior season at BU, Holland scored 27 points and snagged 11 rebounds to help BU claim its first conference title since 2002 with a 56-54 victory over Stony Brook University on March 12. He also tallied a game-high 19 points in BU's 72-53 loss to the top-seeded University of Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Monday, March 28, 2011
From the FreeP: Brick by Brick
By Craig Meyer, René Reyes and Luke Coughlan/DFP Staff
Even for a man who dedicates so much effort, determination and focus to tapping at proverbial stones, Boston University men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers is a relentless builder.
When he was first introduced as the Terriers’ next coach in April 2009, Chambers spoke of a vision that he had for the program moving forward, a vision that would hopefully one day make BU a nationally relevant mid-major. Inheriting a talented group of seniors with Corey Lowe, Carlos Strong and Tyler Morris from his predecessor Dennis Wolff, Chambers’ blueprint and plans for BU basketball began to come to fruition as the team hit its stride late in the season, going on a run that got it within one game of the NCAA Tournament.
The next logical step in this pseudo-construction project would be to lay the foundation, but entering the 2010-11 season, uncertainty reigned for what would be a very telling season in Chambers’ tenure.
Wolff’s former players were gone to graduation and filling that large void would be three transfers and seven freshmen brought in by Chambers.
Despite being picked yet again to finish first in the AE preseason coaches’ poll, there was a lingering doubt as to whether all these new parts could come together to form a strong, cohesive unit. The results of such an experiment could also have a large effect on the perception of Chambers’ plan for the program. After all, no building can stand on faulty groundwork.
Through much of the Terriers’ non-conference slate, such fears surrounding a remodeled team appeared justified. Though BU (21-14) got off to a respectable 4-3 start, highlighted by a 76-67 win over George Washington University in the Preseason National Invitational Tournament, it failed to find much consistency on a game-to-game basis and struggled shooting the basketball, shooting 40 percent or below from the field in five of its first seven games.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com.
Even for a man who dedicates so much effort, determination and focus to tapping at proverbial stones, Boston University men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers is a relentless builder.
When he was first introduced as the Terriers’ next coach in April 2009, Chambers spoke of a vision that he had for the program moving forward, a vision that would hopefully one day make BU a nationally relevant mid-major. Inheriting a talented group of seniors with Corey Lowe, Carlos Strong and Tyler Morris from his predecessor Dennis Wolff, Chambers’ blueprint and plans for BU basketball began to come to fruition as the team hit its stride late in the season, going on a run that got it within one game of the NCAA Tournament.
The next logical step in this pseudo-construction project would be to lay the foundation, but entering the 2010-11 season, uncertainty reigned for what would be a very telling season in Chambers’ tenure.
Wolff’s former players were gone to graduation and filling that large void would be three transfers and seven freshmen brought in by Chambers.
Despite being picked yet again to finish first in the AE preseason coaches’ poll, there was a lingering doubt as to whether all these new parts could come together to form a strong, cohesive unit. The results of such an experiment could also have a large effect on the perception of Chambers’ plan for the program. After all, no building can stand on faulty groundwork.
Through much of the Terriers’ non-conference slate, such fears surrounding a remodeled team appeared justified. Though BU (21-14) got off to a respectable 4-3 start, highlighted by a 76-67 win over George Washington University in the Preseason National Invitational Tournament, it failed to find much consistency on a game-to-game basis and struggled shooting the basketball, shooting 40 percent or below from the field in five of its first seven games.
Read more at www.dailyfreepress.com.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
From the FreeP: Holland's final games confirm his status as all-time BU great
By Jack Flagler/DFP Staff
If the Boston University basketball season had ended two weeks ago, senior forward John Holland would have hung up his jersey as one of the program’s best players of the last decade. He finished second on BU’s all-time scoring list and delivered a handful of highlight-reel dunks every season.
But after Holland’s performance in the final two games of the season, he will be remembered as one of BU’s best ever.
Holland single-handedly willed a flat Terrier squad to victory over Stony Brook University and an America East title. Then, he put the team on his shoulders again to keep BU close against the University of Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
After four years and hundreds of games in a BU uniform, Holland will be most remembered for those last two performances.
Kansas coach Bill Self praised him as a player who could contribute in the Big 12 Conference, and for one half against KU, he was the best player on the floor. He scored 15 points in the first 20 minutes and kept BU within four points before Kansas went on a second-half run to put the game away.
If the Boston University basketball season had ended two weeks ago, senior forward John Holland would have hung up his jersey as one of the program’s best players of the last decade. He finished second on BU’s all-time scoring list and delivered a handful of highlight-reel dunks every season.
But after Holland’s performance in the final two games of the season, he will be remembered as one of BU’s best ever.
Holland single-handedly willed a flat Terrier squad to victory over Stony Brook University and an America East title. Then, he put the team on his shoulders again to keep BU close against the University of Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
After four years and hundreds of games in a BU uniform, Holland will be most remembered for those last two performances.
Kansas coach Bill Self praised him as a player who could contribute in the Big 12 Conference, and for one half against KU, he was the best player on the floor. He scored 15 points in the first 20 minutes and kept BU within four points before Kansas went on a second-half run to put the game away.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
From the FreeP: Watching BU keep up with Kansas through first half was something special
By Shep Hayes/DFP Staff
As the clock struck seven in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday, the sun set over the Arkansas River. Slowly, quietly and without protest, the great ball of fire slid under the horizon and darkness began to fall on the “Gateway to Oklahoma’s Green Country.”
A few blocks east of where the river separates the city into two parts, on the edge of downtown Tulsa, the sun was also setting on the 2010-11 Boston University men’s basketball season. In front of a mostly hostile crowd that had made the four-hour drive down from Lawrence, Kan., the Terriers slipped out of the bright lights of March Madness.
Thirty-five games after the season began in mid-November against Northeastern University, the Terriers’ season came to a close in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 1 University of Kansas Jayhawks
The Terriers, the No. 16 seed in the Southwest regional, would not make history. In 107 prior attempts, the 16 seeds had lost to the one seeds. Friday night, of course, was no different. For the 108th straight time in NCAA history, the lower ranked team lost.
As the clock struck seven in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday, the sun set over the Arkansas River. Slowly, quietly and without protest, the great ball of fire slid under the horizon and darkness began to fall on the “Gateway to Oklahoma’s Green Country.”
A few blocks east of where the river separates the city into two parts, on the edge of downtown Tulsa, the sun was also setting on the 2010-11 Boston University men’s basketball season. In front of a mostly hostile crowd that had made the four-hour drive down from Lawrence, Kan., the Terriers slipped out of the bright lights of March Madness.
Thirty-five games after the season began in mid-November against Northeastern University, the Terriers’ season came to a close in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 1 University of Kansas Jayhawks
The Terriers, the No. 16 seed in the Southwest regional, would not make history. In 107 prior attempts, the 16 seeds had lost to the one seeds. Friday night, of course, was no different. For the 108th straight time in NCAA history, the lower ranked team lost.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Former BU men’s bball coach to head Virginia Tech women’s team
By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff
After a two-year absence, Dennis Wolff has re-joined the ranks of collegiate basketball head coaches, but this time around, he’ll be coaching in a whole different game – literally.
The former Boston University men’s basketball coach was named as the head coach of the women’s basketball program at Virginia Tech University Tuesday.
The hiring was confirmed by several Virginia news outlets on Monday after Sam Perkins of One-Bid Wonders first reported the school’s decision on Sunday.
Wolff headed the Terrier men’s basketball program for 15 seasons, compiling an overall record of 247-197, a mark that makes him BU basketball’s all-time winningest coach. In his time on Commonwealth Avenue, Wolff led the Terriers to five America East regular-season championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
He was fired following the conclusion of the 2008-09 season after his team fell to University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the quarterfinals of the AE Tournament, and was replaced by current BU head coach and then-Villanova University assistant Patrick Chambers.
This marks the first time Wolff has ever been a collegiate women’s head coach. His daughter Nicole was the 2002 McDonald’s Player of the Year before playing at the University of Connecticut.
The 56-year-old Wolff is taking the Virginia Tech women’s job after spending a year as the director of basketball operations for coach Seth Greenberg and the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team.
Wolff replaces former coach Beth Dunkenberger, who went 110-104 in seven seasons with the program, but went just 11-19 and 1-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference play this past season.
After a two-year absence, Dennis Wolff has re-joined the ranks of collegiate basketball head coaches, but this time around, he’ll be coaching in a whole different game – literally.
The former Boston University men’s basketball coach was named as the head coach of the women’s basketball program at Virginia Tech University Tuesday.
The hiring was confirmed by several Virginia news outlets on Monday after Sam Perkins of One-Bid Wonders first reported the school’s decision on Sunday.
Wolff headed the Terrier men’s basketball program for 15 seasons, compiling an overall record of 247-197, a mark that makes him BU basketball’s all-time winningest coach. In his time on Commonwealth Avenue, Wolff led the Terriers to five America East regular-season championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
He was fired following the conclusion of the 2008-09 season after his team fell to University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the quarterfinals of the AE Tournament, and was replaced by current BU head coach and then-Villanova University assistant Patrick Chambers.
This marks the first time Wolff has ever been a collegiate women’s head coach. His daughter Nicole was the 2002 McDonald’s Player of the Year before playing at the University of Connecticut.
The 56-year-old Wolff is taking the Virginia Tech women’s job after spending a year as the director of basketball operations for coach Seth Greenberg and the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team.
Wolff replaces former coach Beth Dunkenberger, who went 110-104 in seven seasons with the program, but went just 11-19 and 1-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference play this past season.
Monday, March 21, 2011
From the FreeP: Holland proves he can hang with nation's best
By Scott McLaughlin/DFP Staff
TULSA, Okla. – As he sat at the podium in the BOK Center’s media room after the Terriers’ 72-53 loss to Kansas, senior forward John Holland was asked what his emotions were following the whole NCAA tournament experience and his last game in a Boston University uniform.
Holland answered the first part of the question by saying it was an experience he would never forget. Then he paused.
“I’m OK,” he said a moment later. “We played as hard as we could. We left it all out on the floor. So I’m OK.”
Next to Holland, BU coach Patrick Chambers let a brief smile come over his face before looking down. After Holland left the stage and returned to the locker room, Chambers explained his reaction.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com.
TULSA, Okla. – As he sat at the podium in the BOK Center’s media room after the Terriers’ 72-53 loss to Kansas, senior forward John Holland was asked what his emotions were following the whole NCAA tournament experience and his last game in a Boston University uniform.
Holland answered the first part of the question by saying it was an experience he would never forget. Then he paused.
“I’m OK,” he said a moment later. “We played as hard as we could. We left it all out on the floor. So I’m OK.”
Next to Holland, BU coach Patrick Chambers let a brief smile come over his face before looking down. After Holland left the stage and returned to the locker room, Chambers explained his reaction.
Read more at dailyfreepress.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)