In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Boston University men’s basketball team will look to get back on track Wednesday against former American East foe Binghamton University.
This will be the second of three straight home games for the Terriers (1-4). Most recently, the team suffered a 69-59 loss at the hands of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in BU’s home opener Sunday. The Terriers were held to under 39 percent shooting from the field for the third consecutive game.
Although a lack of offense has plagued BU in the early going, Jones said he hopes that these games will serve as learning experiences for his young team.
“The big thing is we have to use these games to get better,” said BU coach Joe Jones. “We’re kind of a work in progress a little bit. We’re trying to get comfortable out there and figure some things out, but the biggest thing is we have to compete much harder consistently.”
This level of consistency that Jones referenced has been lacking thus far, as the Terriers are still looking to put together 40 minutes of solid play.
“For us to win games, we have to change our mentality,” Jones said. “We need to become more of a blue-collar type team, and I need to do a better job of motivating our team and making sure they’re going out and competing each and every possession.”
The Terriers’ tenacious style of play was evident in their game against No. 1 University of Kentucky on Nov. 21 where BU kept it close until the Wildcats (7-0) pulled away in the final 10 minutes. Sunday’s game against UMass Lowell (5-2) was no different, as the Terriers cut the deficit to three on four occasions in the game’s waning minutes, but could not gain the lead.
Sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson’s 22 points led the way for BU in the loss, and has been one of the few bright spots for the squad in the early going. Sunday’s game versus the River Hawks marked his third straight game with at least 22 points. With 20.6 points per game on the year, Hankerson ranks 23rd in the nation in scoring.
The play of 6-foot-7 junior forward Nathan Dieudonne has been impressive as well. Dieudonne has played the third most minutes of the team behind only Hankerson and junior guard John Papale, and is averaging nine points per game while leading the team with 7.8 rebounds per contest.
“Both Nate [Dieudonne] and Cedric [Hankerson] care a lot about winning along with the rest of our guys, and that’s why I feel really good about where we’re going,” Jones said. “We just have to keep pushing and trying to get better while keeping our work ethic.”
With several new faces in the lineup, BU is still working out the kinks and adjusting to a new rotation.
Sunday, the Terriers’ bench was shutout for the first time since February 19, 2012.
BU’s next opponent, Binghamton (1-6), is also facing an uphill battle this season. The Bearcats are in the midst of a four-game losing streak of their own and are fresh off a 68-54 loss to Cornell University on Saturday.
No player for the Bearcats is averaging more than 30 minutes a game while the Terriers have three doing so, exhibiting a playing style for the Bearcats that doesn’t rely heavily on any player in particular.
The leading scorer for the Bearcats is freshman guard Willie Rodriguez, who averages 11.4 points per game. He is followed by freshman Dusan Perovic with 9.9 points per game and sophomore guard Yosef Yacob with 8.9.
Against Cornell, Yacob paced the Bearcats with 15 points, going 6-for-7 from the free throw line and adding four assists. Despite strong shooting from Yacob, Binghamton shot only 33 percent in the second half and a dismal 62 percent from the free-throw line.
Wednesday’s contest should be a telling game for both teams as they look to right the ship and end losing streaks.
“I’m more concerned about our team right now than I am about them,” Jones said. “I think the number one thing is for us to go out and defend. We need to play as hard as we’ve played all year and put together a 40-minute game of competing.”
Nick Neville is a junior in COM studying journalism and the Sports Editor of the Daily Free Press. When he's not making a paper on Beacon Street, you can catch him working as a Sports Correspondent for the Boston Globe or helping to produce BU's only professional sports talk show, Offsides. Follow him on Twitter: @n_nebs95
