After a tough loss to No. 18 University of Connecticut Sunday afternoon, the Boston University men’s basketball will head for warmer weather as it travels to Irvine, Calif., to take part in the 2K Sports Classic Irvine Sub-Regional this weekend.
The three days on the west coast will see the Terriers (2-1) face off against Eastern Washington University, University of California-Irvine and Long Island University-Brooklyn.
“It’s gonna be wonderful, I’m looking forward to it,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “I know the guys are looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to playing against all three teams that are going to give us great competition.”
The Terriers’ first game will come against Eastern Washington (1-1) Friday night. Last weekend the Eagles opened up their season and fell to the University of Washington by a score of 92-80. Eastern Washington jumped out to an 11-point lead during the first half, but could not hold on, as the Huskies (2-1) went on a late 12-0 run to put the game out of reach and secure a 92-80 win.
Coming back from the loss, the Eagles posted an 82-44 win over Walla Walla University this past Tuesday. Heading into the second half only up by four points, Eastern Washington exploded for 46 to close out the victory.
Guard Tyler Harvey has led the way for the Eagles, averaging 18.7 points through the first three games. He has not only led the team in scoring average, but he’s been efficient as well, shooting an impressive 46.5 percent from the field.
After taking on the Harvey and the Eagles, BU will play a strong Irvine (2-2) team Saturday afternoon.
Irvine may prove to be a difficult foe for the Terriers, especially since BU struggled against UConn’s (4-0) height in the frontcourt. The Anteaters have an intimidating presence of their own in 7-foot-6, shot-blocking center Mamadou Ndiaye.
“We’ve got to play our normal game, move [Ndiaye] around and not worry about him so much, but just play our game,” Jones said. “I’m confident our guys will adjust and take advantage of what the defense gives them.”
In Irvine’s victory against Washington last Thursday, Ndiaye scored 18 points and was one block and two rebounds shy of recording a triple-double in just his third collegiate game.
In their final game of the weekend, the Terriers will take on a balanced team in LIU (1-1). The Blackbirds are coming off a heartbreaking 73-72 loss at the hands of the Indiana Unversity.
The Blackbirds held a slim lead at the end of the first half on the road in Bloomington, Ind., but crumbled down the stretch and fell just short of pulling off the upset.
“We scrimmaged [LIU] last year and it’s a nice matchup,” Jones said. “They have really good guards, we have good guards, they like to play fast, and we like to play fast, so it’ll be a great matchup.”
With Blackbird forward Julian Boyd out due to an ACL tear he suffered early in the season, the focus in the matchup will be on the backcourts of the two teams.
Guard Jason Brickman has stepped in for the Blackbirds to replace Boyd, and has posted impressive stats. Against Indiana (4-0), Brickman recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points, while dishing out 11 assists.
Brickman has been a strong point for the Blackbirds, but he will have to combat the combination the Terriers have at guard with senior D.J. Irving, sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. and sharpshooting sophomore John Papale. The trio of guards has combined for a potent offensive force, as they have scored a combined 100 points through the first three games.
With challenging teams awaiting the Terriers this weekend in California, Jones said he is excited for the trip and the three games.
“It’s great for us to go out to the west coast and experience that,” Jones said. “It should be a lot of fun as well as get a chance to play against some great teams.”
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