Riding a three-game winning streak, the Boston University men’s basketball team will hope to keep the good times rolling Wednesday night when it visits Colgate University.
The Terriers (10-9, 3-3 Patriot League) will enter the matchup less than 48 hours removed from an overtime victory over Loyola University Maryland.
Hampered by injuries, the Terriers — who are down to a seven-man rotation — have had to completely change their team identity, resulting in players changing their roles. In particular, junior guard Eric Fanning has shined on the offensive end, highlighted by a career-high 37 points in Monday’s win.
The process has been difficult, but BU head coach Joe Jones said he’s seen an uptick in team confidence as the reshuffled squad has had a chance to jell.
“When you have those types of things going on within your team, it’s going to hurt the continuity of what you’re doing,” Jones said. “Once that happens, you have a lack of confidence. Now, we’ve had a chance to get this group together for at least a significant period of time and you’re reaping the benefits of guys understanding a little bit more what their roles are as opposed to what they were like when we started the year.”
Meanwhile, Colgate (8-9, 4-2 Patriot League), fresh off of a four-day break, is also not short on confidence. The Raiders have racked up four key conference victories and fell just short against the College of the Holy Cross and the United States Naval Academy.
“They’re tough,” Jones said. “[Colgate head coach Matt Langel] does a great job coaching them. They’re always in the right spots. They play every possession. They don’t take a possession off. They do what they do, in terms of how they play defensively. Offensively, anybody that plays can do something, whether they can shoot it or drive it.”
Senior and reigning Patriot League Player of the Week Austin Tillotson leads the Raiders, who sit third in the conference standings. In wins over Bucknell University and the United States Military Academy, Tillotson averaged 17 points and 5.5 assists. Saturday’s road victory over the Bison (8-9, 5-1 Patriot League) handed Bucknell its first conference loss of the season and snapped a five-game winning streak.
Jones pointed to the Raiders’ ability to spread defenses out by attacking off the dribble as a key area of emphasis.
“They get you to help and then they share the ball really well,” Jones said. “And they’re good enough 1-on-1 players if you don’t help that they can get to the rim. So, our ability to keep the ball in front of us and then the guys off the ball to do a good job of supporting the basketball is going to be important. Our ability to guard handoffs and ball screens is going to be critical and our ability to limit them to one shot is going to be important.”
The Raiders have also proven to be apt on the glass, an area in which BU has repeatedly struggled throughout the 2015-16 campaign. The Terriers ended the game Monday night with yet another double-digit rebounding disparity.
“We did a poor job of blocking out [Monday],” Jones said. “We sat and watched possession after possession of them going at the glass. I have to figure out a way to be able to get through to them the importance of blocking out and rebounding each and every night.”
Jones said that extra effort plays will likely dictate the course of the game against a feisty Colgate squad.
“Making more toughness plays, 50-50 balls, charges, loose balls — those are the things that are going to be really critical,” Jones said. “Those extra possessions that each team gets an opportunity to get, that’s where the game is going to be won and lost.”
Jackie is a sports reporter for The Daily Free Press and has previously served as Managing Editor and Associate Sports Editor of the FreeP. At this moment, she's probably watching Shark Tank and thinking of ways to work, "and for that reason, I'm out," into casual conversations. Please send all inquiries in the form of a box combo from Cane's with no coleslaw and extra fries or follow her on Twitter at @jackie_bam
