The Boston University men’s basketball team faces off against the University of Vermont in the America East championship game Saturday at noon (watch it live on ESPN2). If the Terriers (19-12) defeat the Catamounts (24-9) in their first conference title bout since 2003, they’ll earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Read on as The Daily Free Press’ four men’s basketball beat writers predict whether BU is destined for March Madness.
John Barone (Former sports editor): It probably comes as no surprise to casual observers that the Terriers have averaged a healthy 75 points per game during their 8-1 stretch since Feb. 1. Many may not realize, however, that BU has also held opponents to 65 points or fewer in all but one of those contests. What does that mean for Saturday? The Terriers don’t necessarily need to shoot the lights out to cut down the nets at Patrick Gymnasium. Defense has become a staple of this BU team, and I don’t expect that to change Saturday. Winner: BU.
Josh Cain (Associate sports editor): The University of Vermont has history on its side heading into Saturday afternoon. The Catamounts defeated the Terriers, 56-55, in the 2003 America East final at Case Gymnasium. Vermont also beat BU in both of their 2009-10 regular-season duels. The most recent was a 76-75 shootout decided by a last-minute Catamount layup, and the first was a 78-58 shellacking of the Terriers in Burlington.
Unfortunately for the Terriers, they will be heading back to Patrick Gymnasium for the America East title game, and that’s why I’m picking the Catamounts to take this one. That is with one concession, however. If BU plays the same stranglehold defense that has limited its last six opponents to 56.7 points per game, the Terriers will have a good opportunity to dance for the first time since 2002. Winner: UVM.
René Reyes (Assistant sports editor): For BU to punch a ticket to the Big Dance for the first time in eight years, junior forward John Holland must wake up from his scoring slump in the America East Tournament on Saturday and prove why he would have been a much better choice for conference Player of the Year honors than Stony Brook University senior guard Muhammad El-Amin. I expect Holland to do just that. University of Vermont senior forward Marqus Blakely will be a man on a mission in search of his first trip to the NCAA Tournament, and will put up his usual monster numbers.
But in the end, like the last contest between these teams, this game will come down to the last possession. Senior guard Corey Lowe will make up for dribbling the ball off his foot and out of bounds with four seconds remaining in the Terriers’ heartbreaking 76-75 loss to the Catamounts on Feb. 9 at Agganis Arena. This time around, the Newton native knocks down the game-winning 3-pointer as time expires to lead BU past UVM and take the Terriers dancing for the seventh time in school history. Winner: BU.
Matt Whitrock (Sports columnist): Saturday’s game has the potential to be the best America East final in years. BU and Vermont, in addition to being traditional rivals, are both led by seniors — Corey Lowe and Marqus Blakely, respectively — seeking an NCAA Tournament appearance before their collegiate careers come to an end. The Catamounts and Terriers are fairly evenly matched. Playing the game at Patrick Gymnasium offers the Cats an advantage, but Vermont’s seniors have lost a conference championship game at home before, in 2007, and BU has played fantastic basketball over the past month.
The Terriers’ issues against the Catamounts this season have come on defense. BU showed marked improvement at the defensive end in its third meeting with Stony Brook. If the third time’s the charm versus the Catamounts’ offense, the Terriers should be able to put up enough points. But stopping the Vermont attack is easier said than done. As always, limiting Blakely will be the key.
No question, this will be a tough game for BU. That being said, the Terriers have developed a habit of making winning plays when the chips are down, something that would’ve come in handy against the Catamounts last month. It’ll be a close one, but I think BU goes dancing, 72-68. Winner: BU.
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