The men’s basketball team is now less than a week away from tipping off their season opener against Northeastern University.
But the grind started during the summer, when the athletes stayed on a relatively empty campus as part of their offseason schedule. After three physically challenging and focused months, head coach Joe Jones shared the pride he has for his players’ efforts during that span.
“They put in a ton of time,” Jones said. “We had very clear meetings in terms of what we wanted them to improve on, and I saw our guys go out and really work on those things. And so that’s been a huge benefit.”
Granted, with how last season ended, the Terriers have unfinished business to attend to this time around. Despite a heart-breaking loss to Lehigh University in the Patriot League Semifinals on March 10, in which the Terriers led by 18 points at half, the team did not point fingers.
After all, this inexperienced squad heated up late in the season and secured the No. 2 seed.
“Games just get crazy, so you have to really be able to weather those storms as a unit,” graduate guard and captain Miles Brewster said. “We drifted apart that game, but with another year of experience for everybody, I think that’s something that we’ll be much more prepared for.”
Brewster will once again play an integral part in the Terriers’ success. He’s coming off a decorated 2023-24 season, concluding the PL inside the top three in steals, assists and turnover ratio and 3-point percentage.
The captain also enters the 2024-25 campaign as part of the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, following multiple accolades like second-team All-Conference, All-Defensive and Academic All-Conference first-team recognitions.
For BU basketball, everything begins with leadership. This group of select players, like Brewster, lead by example and strengthen the character of a culture-driven organization.
The youngest of the Terriers’ four captains, junior guard Ben Roy, is entering his third season as one of the most valuable assets of this team.
“[Roy] is a tough, competitive guy,” Jones said. “He’s all about the team … He’s a big-time winner, and our guys recognize that.”
Roy finished second in both assists and steals, with 55 and 29 respectively. But his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
“Just me having a little more experience, being able to be a voice, being an outlet for guys to come and talk to when they need,” Roy said of what his role as captain entails.
While this team holds a strong off-court presence, it also displays on-court talent. Sophomore guard Kyrone Alexander came in as a freshman last year and quickly established himself as one of the team’s attacking pillars.
He led the team in free throws and also claimed a spot in the PL All-Rookie Team. Even though he sustained a foot injury during training camp, Alexander will look to take a leap as a sophomore.
“I think people really underestimate the value of experience,” Alexander said. “Coming into my sophomore year I know what to expect. I know the challenges of this season … Coming in with an idea based on my past season is going to do wonders for me.”
Looking at the team holistically, the reason for optimism lies in two factors: experience and individual improvement. This squad returns all but one player, Anthony Morales, while bolstering their talent by adding three newcomers: freshman duo Azmar Abdullah and Ben Defty, as well as sophomore forward Quinn Nielsen, a Citadel transfer.
The results of the Terriers’ offseason work promise significant progress. They will now see multiple ways to beat any team, without having to change the identity the coaching staff has built.
“We really like our team,” Jones said. “We feel like guys have really improved. I would say that’s the thing that I’ve been most impressed with.”
