Inexperienced Terriers optimistic for 2014-15 campaign

In its first season in the Patriot League last year, the Boston University men’s basketball team took the conference by storm, dropping just three league games and capturing the regular season title. The Terriers came within 40 minutes of an NCAA tournament berth, but against American University in the Patriot League Championship game on March 12, the team put up its worst offensive performance of the season and fell, 55-36.

Without many of the key players from the 2013-14 campaign, this season presents a wholly different challenge for BU coach Joe Jones and his team as they attempt to attempt to refocus and rebuild.

“We’ve been trying to make sure that we have a healthy culture within our program and that we’re representing the program in the right way and doing things the right way,” Jones said. “We have so many new and young guys so we want to make sure the culture is right. We want to make sure that the guys understand really what we’re trying to emphasize on offense and defense. We’re also trying to make each player understand the things that they need to specifically do a better job of helping the team win.”

Having already lost forwards Dom Morris and Travis Robinson as well as guard D.J. Irving due to graduation, the Terriers were dealt another blow when three players, including starting point guard Maurice Watson Jr., announced in early April their plans to transfer. Overall, the Terriers lost more than one-third of their offensive production and the last year’s leaders in rebounds, blocks, assists and steals.

Only two starters from the 2013-14 Patriot League regular season championship team return in junior guard John Papale and junior forward Nate Dieudonne.

“I just think overall, it was more about everything that we lost in terms of the experience and understanding of what needs to be done,” Jones said. “Having guys with more experience that know what we need to do, that’s what we’re lacking right now.”

Papale averaged 9.3 points per game, good for fourth on last season’s squad, and shot 41.4 percent from behind the arc. Dieudonne was second on the team in rebounds behind Morris and averaged 5.2 points per contest.

With a less experienced roster, role players from last year should see a significant increase in minutes and in leadership responsibilities.

Jones said junior forward Justin Alston, who had a breakout 17-point performance against Lafayette College on Feb. 8, and sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson have stepped up to the challenge in the early going. Last year, Hankerson averaged 6.0 points per game in 14.6 minutes and made 41.2 percent of his field goal tries.

“Right now the three juniors have done a good job,” Jones said. “Cedric Hankerson has also done a good job of being someone that’s at least becoming more vocal. We’re going to have to lead more by committee. Those are the guys that I’m going to point to. We have to use them.”

As has been the case for the last two seasons, the Terriers are expected to feature a guard-heavy lineup. However, this year’s BU team will have some added height in sophomore center Blaise Mbargorba. The 6-foot-11-inch transfer from Southern Methodist University, who sat out last season due to NCAA regulations, is the only true center listed on BU’s roster.

“Blaise has great length and size,” Jones said. “His greatest gift is that he really competes and plays hard. He’s a team player who wants to see the team win. He’s a defensive presence and at times it’s tough to cover him because he’s so long. He’s done a great job of getting better.”

Another transfer student, sophomore guard Eric Fanning, should also make an immediate impact on the court.

“Fanning is a great scorer,” Jones said. “He’s learning our system and what we’re trying to do, but he’s a great scorer.”

After facing off against Northeastern University at TD Garden on Sunday, the Terriers will hit the road for a series of non-conference matchups. On Nov. 19, BU will visit Norfolk State University, who upset the Terriers 86-82 in overtime last season at Case Gym.

On Nov. 21, the team will make the trek to historic Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, to meet up with NCAA runner-up University of Kentucky. The game will serve as a homecoming for Dieudonne, who played his high school basketball in at Trinity High School in nearby Louisville, Kentucky.

BU then returns to the Northeast to take on the University of New Hampshire on Nov. 25 before opening up play at home with three-straight games at Case Gym against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (Nov. 30), Binghamton University (Dec. 3) and St. Peter’s University (Dec. 6).

Other key non-conference matchups include trips to crosstown rival Harvard University (Dec. 8) and the University of Dayton (Dec. 20).

The Terriers will kick off Patriot League play on Dec. 31 at the College of the Holy Cross. Jones’ squad should receive its biggest tests in conference play from preseason favorites American, which the Terriers host Jan. 21 and meet up with again Feb. 18. The U.S. Military Academy, which BU visits Jan. 29 and welcomes Feb. 25, should prove to be another challenging conference opponent.

While his team was picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League preseason poll, Jones said although some players may use preseason rankings as motivation, he does not give them much credence.

“Right now I’m more concerned about us trying to get better and what we can teach our guys,” Jones said. “That’s the most important thing right now. Our guys can kind of use that as motivation and I think that’s a positive thing.”

Above all, Jones said he wants this season’s team to be known for its competitive spirit and team unity.

“I want to have a team that really, really competes,” Jones said. “I want a team that we can be really proud to say represents us. It’s important that our guys understand that they’re representing a program and a university and be team that is going to go out and compete every night and play together. That’s important. Competing and playing together and playing smart — those are the main things we want to accomplish.”