The Boston University men’s basketball team begins play in the National Invitational Tournament tonight when the Terriers travel to Jamaica, N.Y. to face St. John’s University at 7:30.
In their third-ever appearance in the NIT, the Terriers (20-13, 15-4 America East) will need to stop two-time All-Big East First Team selection Marcus Hatten and his 22.8 points per game. The 6-foot 1-inch senior finishes his regular-season career as the Big East’s all-time leader in scoring average at 23 points per game.
The Red Storm (16-13, 8-10 Big East) are the all-time leader in a bittersweet category NIT Championships. While they have won the tournament five times, those are five years where the Storm failed to qualify for the Big Dance.
The Terriers, on the other hand, have only made two NIT appearances in the modern era of the tournament, and are making their first since 1986, when they lost to Providence College, 72-69. In their other appearance, in 1980, the Terriers fell hard to Boston College, losing by 21.
One thing the Terriers will need to overcome is the disappointment of last Saturday’s loss to the University of Vermont. While the Red Storm were never seriously on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Terriers were one baseline jumper away from their second straight dance. BU will have to come out strong in the early going, unlike Saturday’s title game, where the Terriers fell into a 16-2 hole before the first timeout. An early deficit like that on the road could spell the end of the road for the Terriers.
Another compelling storyline involves Red Storm head coach Mike Jarvis, who coached the Terriers from 1985-1990, compiling a 101-51 record on Commonwealth Avenue. Jarvis went on to George Washington University before settling down in the city that never sleeps. He will face the man who now holds the record for career wins at BU, as Wolff will be going for his 150th win tonight.
The winner of tonight’s game will face off with the winner of the Brown University-University of Virginia game, scheduled for tonight in Charlottesville, Va.
The Terriers are one of 24 teams in the tournament who received a first round bye, while 16 teams are forced to play an opening round game. BU would have to win three games at campus sites in order to reach the NIT final four at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
ESPN and ESPN2 will broadcast most of the NIT, however tonight’s BU-St. John’s game will not be aired.
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