Who would’ve thought, with just two games remaining in the Boston University men’s basketball regular season, two rookies would emerge from the veteran-laden squad as impact players? But, with the rotation cut down to seven players by injuries, that’s just what freshmen Jake O’Brien and Jeff Pelage accomplished in the Terriers’ 63-57 victory over Iona College.
The revelation for O’Brien was not his offense, even though he hit 5-of-8 three pointers on his way to 17 points. O’Brien has been a major contributor all season ‘-‘- starting all 27 games ‘-‘- and has shown he can be effective in the post and lethal on the wing.
‘I think some of the teams that are a little more familiar have guarded him a little more closely than they did [Saturday],’ BU coach Dennis Wolff said. ‘I’m sure their coaches told them, ‘Don’t leave him alone,’ and there were some times when he could have had a cup of coffee and shot it. He was that open.’
What O’Brien did show over the final minutes was the ability to be a dominant defensive player, blocking two key shots. The first was a fly-swatter block of a jumper, and the second a perfect stuff of a dunk attempt by Iona’s Devon Clarke. The only downside to the performance was that it’s impossible not to expect more of the same, which shouldn’t be a problem if the shots keep falling.’
‘I was hitting a lot of shots, which I think helped me out on the defensive end,’ O’Brien said. ‘It made me a little more aggressive, and I was able to make those plays down the stretch.’
Then there’s Pelage, averaging 11.3 minutes of play per game, tying his career highs in points (9) and rebounds (8). When starting forward Scott Brittain picked up his second foul with 13:32 remaining in the first half, the duty fell on Pelage to plug the hole in the middle.
‘If Scott’s in trouble, I’m there,’ Pelage said. ‘I’ve got to pick up the slack since he’s just not in there. It’s my responsibility. I can’t shade away.’
He hardly shaded away. Pelage left his mark on both offense, catching lobs on two seal-offs in the post and finishing over the help defense, and on the boards, initiating contact to put himself in position to rebound. But what was so special about Pelage’s game, one which Wolff called his best of the season, was the poise he displayed at the key center position of the Terrier press break, one which requires quick decisions and crisp passes.
‘I don’t really hesitate, because when you hesitate, you’re more prone to make the mistake, so I just let it happen,’ Pelage said.
And like O’Brien’s defensive signature on the final tally, Pelage’s aggressiveness on Saturday only heightens expectations. It’s one thing to think a player can do certain things, but seeing him do it can only make you want more.
‘We’re pushing him constantly to try to do more,’ Wolff said. ‘We think he should be doing more. We got on him pretty hard on Thursday. He’s a big kid. When he went after rebounds today in his space, he’s pushing guys out of the way and he’s getting rebounds and not standing there watching it.
‘He’s tickled everybody all year with his potential, and we need him to play more aggressively.’
For many freshmen, learning a new system and getting used to new teammates, aggressiveness can only be found with a map. But with the talent on hand, if these rookies can channel whatever fire pushed them to the new levels of the past weekend, they could in turn push the Terriers over the top of the America East hill.
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