Sports

MEYER: BU’s other top team: men’s basketball

Being restricted on words and relatively short on time, this column won’t have any long-winded introduction, for I need every single word available to me in order to get to the heart of a matter that I’m beyond excited for ‘-‘- the upcoming BU men’s basketball season.

As it has been discussed ad nauseam, a new era is here for BU basketball with the arrival of a new coach, Pat Chambers, along with a new style of play and a brand new attitude.

All of the energy and excitement surrounding a perpetually over-looked program wouldn’t be here without some sort of justification, with the anticipation for the season coming in the form of a star-studded basketball team that has as good of a chance as they’ve had this decade to make the NCAA Tournament.

It all starts with the guys on the team ‘-‘- the 2009-10 edition of Terrier basketball is built around what is considered to be the best one-two punch in the league in John Holland and Corey Lowe.’

Right now, Lowe is probably going to be starting the season as the team’s point guard, something with its upside and downside. Lowe’s one of the more accomplished players in the history of the program, so it’s fantastic to have the offense run through him, but he also has to cut down on his 97 turnovers from last year. That being said, there’s really nobody else who I trust handling the ball more than Lowe.

Like Lowe, Holland is a reigning first-team all-conference member and is arguably the most dynamic player in America East. We’ve seen the highlight reels of Holland dunking, but he’s far from a one trick pony. He is a consummate small forward, a versatile player who can stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from the outside, but who can also penetrate and play above the rim with the best of them. He and Lowe are early favorites to take home conference player of the year honors.

A major question mark for the team this season will be the play of Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong, both of whom are coming off season-ending surgeries last season. One of the two (possibly Strong) will be starting, while the other will be playing key minutes off of the bench. As evidenced in the dunk contest at the Terrier Tip-Off, Strong can certainly throw down, but he’s a better fit for this team at shooting guard (same goes for Morris).

Both players have a lot to prove in their senior years, and their performances could be the keys to the success of this team.

Scott Brittain returns at center, and perhaps more surprisingly, Jake O’Brien returns at power forward after a failed, drawn-out attempt to transfer to a bigger program. Brittain put up solid averages in points and rebounds last year, which is really all you need in a league devoid of dominant big men. O’Brien will hopefully demonstrate an improved low-post game along with a better ability to collect boards, but he presents a unique matchup problem for other teams due to his ability to shoot from long range.

Jeff Pelage showcased significant improvement throughout last season and has shed a lot of weight in the offseason, but he’s still very much a work in progress. He could be a very useful reserve for the Terriers if he continues to develop. Also in the fold is highly-touted freshman point guard B.J. Bailey who, like Pelage, should get considerable minutes off of the bench.

How does all of this translate to the schedule? The non-conference slate is a very challenging, but not overbearing, one for BU this year. There are really only three games that I give the Terriers virtually no chance to win: on the road against University of Connecticut, at Atlantic-10 favorite University of Dayton over winter break and against Dennis Clemente and Kansas State University in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Other than those few games, the team should be favored and/or at the very least competitive with any other team that they square off against.

After the implosion at Binghamton, the BU men have a clear path to an America East Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Marqus Blakely and Vermont have always been trouble for BU, and Albany, Stony Brook and the UNH should all be challenging to fend off, but the Terriers are far and away the most talented team.

This brings us to coaching. Chambers has been brought in to do what Dennis Wolff could not: consistently win conference titles and generate interest in the team around campus. He is walking into an almost ideal situation, with a veteran-laden roster that is hungry for a berth in the Big Dance. He has displayed an enthusiasm that is necessary to truly catapult this program out of the neutral gear it’s been in for quite some time.

Chambers brings a new coaching staff, an impressive resume, and what promises to be a new style of play for fans long accustomed to the anemic offenses of Wolff’s tenure. People keep talking about the implementation of a Villanova style of play.

I’ll ignore the fact that there’s technically no such thing as a Villanova style of play, but I get what’s being implied: BU will be running a high-scoring, guard-oriented offense that will truly highlight the playmaking abilities of guys like Lowe and Holland.

How this team responds to a new offensive set and a change of culture with a coaching overhaul will likely be what defines this season.

Thus, the wait is finally over for the college basketball season, with the Terriers taking to the court on Nov. 13 for the first official game. With a newfound passion for BU basketball emerging and with the hockey team floundering, the pieces are in place and the stage is set for what could very well be a benchmark year for this program.

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