While they waited in their office minutes before the Boston University men’s basketball team’s Tuesday afternoon practice, assistant coaches Jason Williford and Chris McLaughlin talked about the upcoming NCAA Tournament, discussing the matchups and agreeing that this year’s brackets will be as competitive as ever.
The dialogue may have been normal for this time of the year, but the two assistants’ exchange was an eerie reminder that the Terriers had failed to secure a coveted spot in the field of 65 when, after their record-breaking regular season, nothing less was expected of them.
“I think we’re gradually getting back to an even disposition,” said BU head coach Dennis Wolff, 10 days after his team’s shocking quarterfinal loss to Stony Brook University in the America East Tournament. “But, I don’t know if the hurt of that loss will go away as quickly as we’d all like.”
There is some consolation for the Terriers (23-5, 17-1 America East), however, in the form of their second trip to the National Invitational Tournament in as many years. BU was rewarded for its program-record 23 regular-season wins with the chance to continue playing Wednesday night in the opening round of the NIT at the Ryan Center in Kingston, R.I. against the University of Rhode Island.
The Rams (19-13, 7-9 Atlantic 10) finished third in the Atlantic 10 in the regular season and are also making their second consecutive NIT appearance. Last season, Rhode Island hosted and won its opening game over Seton Hall University before losing to Temple University in the following round.
After last year’s one-point loss to the University of Vermont in the America East Championship, the Terriers got their first taste of the NIT since 1986, but fell 62-57 in the opening round at St. John’s University, the tournament’s eventual champion.
This year, however, when BU was expected to make it to the Big Dance and possibly make some noise in the first round, an NIT berth is nice, but it’s not what the Terriers wanted.
“All losses are bad,” Wolff said. “I think this one was a little more painful because it was a little more unexpected. We lost in the championship game [to Vermont] where it could have gone either way.
“But, I thought we went into the NIT last year with a good frame of mind and we played a good game,” he added. “It’s a very similar mindset this year – Let’s go play a good game.”
If the Terriers are to stay with the Rams, they have to focus their efforts on the defensive boards. Rhode Island averages about 40 rebounds per game (16 on the offensive glass) and outrebounds its opponents by an average of seven per contest.
“They’re all over the glass,” Wolff said. “We’re going to have to match how physical they are, while playing our style on offense.”
Senior point guard Kevin Fitzgerald said the Terriers have spent extra time in practice this week working on rebounding drills.
“It’s going to be a tough game inside,” Fitzgerald said. “But our big men will be ready for it.”
With seven players standing at 6 feet 6 inches or taller, the Rams will try to push the Terriers around, but Wolff said his team knows what’s at stake.
“We need to understand that the margin of error at this time of the year is smaller,” the coach said. “We’re going to have to get into them and fight for the ball.”
BU may be playing on the eve of the NCAA Tournament, the night before the real madness begins, but a win at Rhode Island (which would be the program’s first-ever NIT victory) would help alleviate the pain of last week’s loss.
Wolff said a win would be nice, but added that his team should be proud of what is has accomplished thus far.
“I don’t know if we need to make up for the [the Stony Brook loss],” Wolff said. “We won 23 regular-season games. We had a tough loss, but I don’t think we have anything to make up for with this team.”
Fitzgerald said the Terriers have regained a positive attitude and want to prove what type of team they really are.
“I feel like I was cheated out of ending the season in the right way,” the senior said. “But [Wednesday] is now our chance to show everyone that we have a good team if we get a quality win and move on in the NIT.”
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