Through the first three conference games, the Boston University men’s basketball team has taken its fans on a roller coaster ride that would make any amusement park proud.
Last Saturday against the University of Vermont, the Terriers (8-6, 3-0 America East), led by 18 points with only eight minutes remaining, only to see that lead dwindle to three over the next five minutes, courtesy of a 17-2 Catamounts run.
A three-pointer by junior guard Kevin Fitzgerald and clutch free throw shooting from sophomore forward Rashad Bell and senior guard Paul Seymour sealed a 65-62 win for the Terriers.
In its first conference game, the team built an early 19-4 lead against Binghamton University, and held a 10-point lead with 7:35 remaining. The Terriers had to hold on to win 70-65 in overtime.
While the team has shown the ability to make plays at crucial times, it has not been able to put opponents away when it has a big lead. However head coach Dennis Wolff does not appear overly concerned.
‘We’re 3-0 and we haven’t scratched the surface as to how well we can play,’ Wolff said. ‘Everybody knows we can play better and string consistent minutes together.’
BU hopes to begin piecing those minutes together tonight at Case Gymnasium against Stony Brook University. Last season, the Terriers routed the Seawolves at home by 36 points, but narrowly escaped with a two-point win on Long Island.
The Terriers will need consistent backcourt play tonight, as the Seawolves are led by a pair of guards, junior D.J. Munir and freshman Bobby Santiago. Munir has only played in six games this season after being academically ineligible, but has averaged 15 points per game since his return.
‘I think they’re going to change defenses a lot, and their two-guard [Munir] is going to take a lot of shots,’ Wolff said.
On Saturday, the Terriers struggled with Vermont’s full-court press, and it allowed the Catamounts to nearly pull off a come-from-behind win. After the game, Wolff said it looked like his team had never seen pressure before, and at yesterday’s practice, the team worked on breaking the press.
Wolff’s main problem with the team’s reaction to the press on Saturday was that it was passing the ball backward instead of up the court. Yesterday, Wolff emphasized getting the ball up and to the middle of the floor as quickly as possible when faced with the full court pressure.
The Terrier backcourt has been symbolic of the team’s up-and-down play so far in conference. Tonight, Wolff will start sophomore Chaz Carr and junior Matt Turner, the third different combination of Carr, Turner and Fitzgerald that he has used this season.
‘Everyone has had real good moments, but no one has consistently grabbed anything,’ Wolff said.
One player who has significantly improved recently has been Seymour. After an inconsistent junior campaign, in which the 6’6′ guard averaged career lows in points and shooting percentage, he seems to have found his touch.
‘Last year, I was frustrated, I couldn’t get myself going, and this year, I’ve been able to make some shots and help the team,’ Seymour said.
Seymour scored a team-high 17 points against Vermont, which leaves him only 14 points shy of the exclusive 1,000-point club at BU, a club with only 23 other members.
‘[1,000 points] is a nice thing to look back on, but right now I’m just concentrating on trying to help the team go through the league and get the number one seed in the conference,’ Seymour said.
‘Offensively, Paul got it going at the end of last year,’ Wolff said. ‘Lately, he’s played with confidence, has shot the ball well and handled the ball well [against UVM].’
In addition to Seymour, Bell has lifted his play of late. On Monday, Bell was named Co-America East Player of the Week, for his performances against the University at Albany and Vermont.
Against Albany, Bell scored 21 points, pulled down eight boards and set a Terrier record by going 13-13 from the free throw line. Against Vermont, Bell blocked five shots, setting the tone in the paint, as the Terriers blocked a team-record 12 shots.
‘It was difficult for [Vermont star Taylor] Coppenrath to get clean looks when Rashad was on him,’ Wolff said. ‘It was one of the reasons he was named Player of the Week.’
With a too-close-for-comfort 3-0 start behind them, the Terriers will try to get off the roller coaster and begin a smooth ride to another America East title.
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