Five minutes and 45 seconds into Friday’s season opener against St. Bonaventure University, junior co-captain Matt Wolff reached the score sheet for the first time in two years.
Wolff helped freshman John Holland score his first collegiate basket — a 3-pointer from the right side — by feeding him a strong chest pass from the wing. With the assist, it appeared as though Wolff’s anxiety, 54 games in the making, disappeared.
“I can’t even describe it. It was a great feeling,” Wolff said. “I haven’t played in two years, so it was a lot fun.”
Once the opening jitters subsided, Wolff became a key contributor.
With Boston University down by two early, the Walpole native stole the ball from SBU’s Michael Lee and fed Holland again, this time on a backdoor cut toward the net for a thunderous two-handed dunk. On BU’s ensuing possession, Wolff pick-pocketed senior Zarryon Fereti, leading to two converted free throws by sophomore Carlos Strong to put BU up, 11-9.
Not only did the steals translate into points, but they energized a Terrier team that played uncoordinated basketball at the start.
“I was a little anxious,” Wolff said. “But it was easier for me on the defensive end.”
The 6-foot-6 forward finished with a career-high seven assists, five steals and four rebounds (three offensive) to go along with two points (1-of-6) on a fastbreak layup in the second half. Wolff also logged a team-high 38 minutes.
Wolff, who spent the offseason reconfiguring his shot, had some bad misses, but his play at the top of BU’s zone frustrated the Bonnies’ senior guards, Fereti and Tyler Relph, who were a combined 0-of-11 and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc.
“They put me in a position to make plays at the top of the full court zone,” Wolff said. “I have to be active. That’s what I can do to help the team try to win.”
Thanks in large part to Wolff’s ability to erase passing lanes and force bad decisions, the Terriers finished the game with a turnover ratio of plus-nine. That margin is doubly impressive considering the 6-foot-8 Lee patrolled the peak of SBU’s 1-3-1 zone. Still, BU coughed the ball up just 11 times.
“[Passing was more difficult] because they were big and long and in the passing lanes,” said BU coach Dennis Wolff, Matt’s father.
Offensively, Matt’s decision-making and hustle allowed the Terriers to play a quicker game than fans are used to, with 10 fastbreak points on the night. Wolff appeared extremely confident with his passes and rarely led his teammates into poor shooting positions.
Wolff played in 29 games during his freshman season, averaging 4.3 points per game and tallying 25 assists and 16 steals. Matt played four games in 2005-06 before tearing a ligament in his left knee, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year. Wolff re-injured the knee in November 2006 and used the whole season to recover from surgery.
