After a 10-day layoff, the Boston University men’s basketball team (3-1 overall, 0-0 America East) will travel across the Charles River tonight to face the Crimson of Harvard University (2-2). After finishing second in the Red Auerbach Colonial Classic at George Washington University over Thanksgiving break and suffering their only loss of the season, the Terriers will look to bounce back with a win tonight.
Tonight’s game will be the 51st between the two schools. Harvard leads the series 31-19, but BU has won eight of the last nine meetings. The Terriers hope for a more comfortable win tonight, unlike last season’s 58-57 thriller at The Roof. In order to do this, BU must do a better job of containing sophomore guard Elliot Prasse-Freeman, who was instrumental in keeping last season’s game so close, as he led the Crimson with 16 points.
One thing the Terriers can be optimistic about is that they will be facing a very young Crimson squad. In fact, Harvard University will start three sophomores, one junior and only one senior. But the Terriers cannot take this apparent luxury for granted as BU could possibly start three freshmen as well: red-shirt freshman forward Jason Grochowalski, guard Derrick Breland and forward Ryan Butt.
It will be the job of the deep Terrier front line to stop Harvard University’s senior forward Dan Clemente. Clemente leads the Crimson with just under 20 points and seven rebounds per contest. Prasse-Freeman leads the team in assists, recording a little more than eight per game. This makes the Crimson much more potent from a variety of different areas.
If the Terriers are going to win this game, they must continue to play the stifling defense they have played thus far. The Crimson are shooting more than 50 percent from the floor this season, but the Terriers, however, flaunt the second best team defense in America East. The opposition has only been able to convert on 39.4 percent of their field goal tries. The Terriers are also keeping their opposition under 68 points per contest and forcing about 14 turnovers per game.
BU will use the game as preparation for its America East season opener at Northeastern University’s Cabot Gym on Saturday.
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