To be honest, it’s probably the worst possible stat to have.
Not because it’s mind-bogglingly awful or because it can be avoided, but because the memory of it lingers for an entire offseason. And with every offseason it lingers, it becomes more and more painful.
The discouraging truth is that the Boston University men’s basketball team has lost three-straight America East Tournament first-round games. And despite the missed free throws and buzzer-beating heartbreakers that haven’t gone the Terriers’ way, it’s a stat that once again has a chance to bite the dust this weekend at Agganis Arena.
For the first time since 2001-02, the Terriers will play host to the conference tournament and get to show off BU’s highly touted facility for something other than hockey.
But when the Terriers take the court Saturday at 8:30 p.m. against Binghamton University, the streak probably won’t even be on their minds – most likely because almost half of the team wasn’t here to experience any of those defeats.
As has been said all year, BU is one of the youngest teams in the nation, but has matured quickly. It’s a combination of youthful non-memory and an entire season of experience that has the Terriers feeling optimistic, despite sliding into the tourney on three-straight losses.
“Again, it depends on if you want to look at the glass half-full or half-empty,” said BU coach Dennis Wolff. “I’m looking at losing all these close games, and I don’t have an answer for it. The only thing I know how to do is move on. I told the guys it’s time to begin a new season and we have to respect the fact that Binghamton can absolutely beat us.
“After 28 games, they’re not freshmen anymore,” he continued. “I’m just disappointed that we can’t sustain longer periods of good play, because every game, including [Sunday's 73-63 loss to the University at Albany], we could have had them. We’re going to spend the entire week, trying to get ourselves in shape to play good basketball.”
The freshman guard trio of Corey Lowe, Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong headlines a rookie class that wants nothing more than to play good basketball. Including freshman forward Scott Brittain, four of BU’s key players haven’t been experienced any of BU’s recent tournament woes.
Going back even further, senior co-captains Brain Macon and Omari Peterkin weren’t even around to experience BU’s last conference championship in 2002. This team is simply a group of kids, who want and know how to win, attempting to break a trend they weren’t even here to start.
It seems like they would have a good chance of doing so, too. When it comes down to it, the task is temptingly simple. Win three games – go dancing.
The Terriers’ 11-17 record is deceptive, as are the regular season statistics of that up-and-coming guard trio.
Lowe finished the season averaging 14.5 points per game, while Morris and Strong averaged 13.9 and 9.6, respectively. The problem is, through no fault of their own, there hasn’t been a game this season when all three were firing on all cylinders. Sure, they’ve complemented each other very well in the majority of BU’s outings, but if there was ever a time for the trio to be “on,” it’s now.
“We have to be able to sustain good play on the offensive end,” Wolff said. “And what’s going on now, and as good as all three of those freshman guards have been, it’s almost like we’re getting one and a half of them at each game and we need all three of them. Some of it might be fatigue.”
Enter – a week of rest before the tournament. The Bearcats will have had 10 days off, which may work for or against them, but the Terriers’ week of non-game action should only help, especially to become detached from the way they finished the regular season.
“I told them after Sunday’s game, we’re going to try to wipe the slate clean to some degree and try to win three games in a row,” Wolff said.
“[It's their] first year in college, it’s an adjustment to how different BU is academically, plus you’ve got a coach that’s demanding you play defense and you’re being asked to score,” he said. “I just think the normal wear and tear is present. And the fact that college practices are way harder than high school. Common sense makes you think they’re a little bit worn out, but there’s not a whole lot of wiggle room in terms of not playing them.”
Wolff has played them, and they’ve all met, if not exceeded, expectations – especially Scott Brittain, who looked as though he may not have been the player Wolff bargained for earlier in the season. Over the course of the season, Brittain has averaged 6.9 points per game and pulled down 5.7 boards per game.
“I think Scott Brittain has been a little bit overlooked all in all this year,” Wolff said. “He’s actually had a pretty good year. His upside is probably a little bit as good as the other guys. I think in all three of the cases, I think in Scott’s case, he’s someone who’s played some good outside games.
“If Scott was on any other team in the league, he’d be a shoe-in to be on the all-rookie team,” he continued.
BU’s other game-changing big man, Peterkin, should also perform well, not only because he has all year, but because every game on the Agganis hardwood could be his last. That goes for Macon as well.
“I think there’s always going to be emotion,” Wolff said. “If you’re fond of the kids, like we are, knowing that you’re heading toward the last couple of games you’re going to coach them, you always have feelings about that.”
No time has been better in the senior leaders’ careers than now to finally get the Terriers off their first-round schnide. And while it may seem like the stage at Agganis will be pressure-filled, even the Terriers’ youngest have experienced high-end pressure.
“Tyler won the Indiana State Championship, which I’m sure got a much bigger crowd than we’ll get Saturday, and Corey won two state championships at the FleetCenter,” Wolff said. “Now it’s just that the level of competition is a little harder and how they deal with that.”
That thirst for competing on a big stage is what has everyone involved with this version of the Terriers so excited. BU has a will to win that it may have been missing for the past three seasons. The best part is, this desire is coming from a group of athletes who will be here for a long time.
“That’s the common denominator, and that’s where we’ve made progress,” Wolff said. “Maybe it doesn’t appear like everybody would like in wins and losses, but that’s where it’s at. All the guys want to be good players.”
As the saying goes, good players become great players in the postseason. Saturday night will be no exception. Saturday night will be a chance for BU to avoid a horribly long offseason thinking about the very worst stat to have.
