FADEM: Unrealistically real predictions

It’s actually basketball time. Sure, you can say Terrier Tip-Off started the season, but we all knew in actuality that nothing would happen for two weeks.

Some things happened, but nothing the common fan got to see. In these two weeks, the men’s team scrimmaged two top Division-II teams ‘-‘- Bentley College and Merrimack College. They beat them both.

Now, here we are on Wednesday, Nov. 12, just two days away from actual college basketball ‘-‘- the women’s team plays Friday at 5 p.m. at Rhode Island before the men open up at 7 p.m. against George Washington at Agganis Arena. If things go well, everyone will be bumpin’ and grindin’ to ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ at the Coolio concert by 10.

I really don’t think preseason coaches polls matter in college basketball. Last year, the men’s team was picked first and finished sixth. UMBC and Hartford were picked fifth and sixth and finished first and second, respectively. The coaches are good at picking the basement dwellers year in and year out, I’ll give them that, but beyond that I trust them as much as I trust Pinocchio with a fully erect nose.

For a couple of months I can go with BU being the No. 1 team in the conference. However, everything will change once we get to see a taste of America East basketball. Predictions don’t mean anything at that point.

However, if the coaches can do it, I don’t see why I can’t. You know, just for kicks and giggles. But I don’t want to go along with the norm ‘-‘- I want to make some predictions regarding the entire state of BU basketball. Here are my unrealistically real predictions for this season:

1. Corey Lowe will shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc this year. Come conference play, he’ll be dropping 20 a game. He will be in a heated race with University of Vermont Mohawk enthusiast Marqus Blakely for the conference’s Most Valuable Player award. In addition, he’ll score his 1,000th career point by, at the very latest, the eighth game of the season. Corey’s potential will be fully realized this year.

2. Carlos Strong is going to break out. The dunk contest is a clear indicator of this. Basically, if you win the dunk contest, you’re destined for great things. Why do you think Christine Kinneary attempted to get the crown? John Holland won it last year and look what happened ‘-‘- America East Rookie of the Year. Well, this year it’s going to be the single game, 3-point record holder at BU ‘-‘- ‘Los Strong. He’ll get 15 a game in conference play and add a different dynamic to BU rebounding, which was at the bottom of America East last year.

3. Episode III: The Return of Tyler Morris. I’m confident in predicting that Tyler Morris will once again be different from the way he was the previous season. Last year Morris was plagued by a lingering leg injury that changed his play from 2006-07. This year, like the rest of the team, he’s healthy. I see Tyler’s assist total going way up in addition to leading the team in 3-point and free-throw percentage. His presence alone will change the way opposing teams defend the Terriers. Couple that with the threat of Lowe, Holland, Strong, Scott Brittain and a deep bench, and all of a sudden you’re looking at a team that reminds me of the 2007-08 Denver Nuggets ‘-‘- with defense.

4. Christine Kinneary will be an America East First Teamer and in the discussion for conference Player of the Year candidates. Not only that, Christine will break Debbie Miller’s program assist record to become the career leader. Christine needs 97 assists to break Miller’s career total of 477. She had 214 last year. Even I laughed when I actually saw that astronomical number. I knew it was high in 2007-08, but more than 200 assists? I’m just hoping Mike Lynch agrees with Jesus and I to retire her number after the season.

5. The men’s team’s new jerseys will be considered the ‘hippest’ in the conference. It’s always dangerous to put last names on the back of jerseys ‘-‘- it takes care of a lot of the work that opposing fans would need to do (i.e. buying a program). Matt Wolff is obviously always the biggest target when on the road, as fans can’t help but to make it known, as loudly as they can, that Matt is indeed the offspring of the coach. Matt will silence hecklers by standing out as one of the top defenders in the conference this year and look stylish in the road reds doing so. It runs in the Wolff family.

6. Case Gymnasium will be the place to be this year. I don’t just mean this for students looking to have the most fun at any sporting event ‘-‘- I mean it for each team, too. I don’t see BU loosing a home game all year in Case ‘-‘- the men or the women. The men’s team is riding a four-game winning streak at The Roof, while the women’s team is going on 12 straight dating back to two seasons ago.

7. Record-wise, the men’s team will finish an impressive 22-8. In non-conference games, BU will go 9-5. I’m throwing in a difficult BracketBusters game on the road in February that will prevent the men from 10 non-conference wins. In conference play, BU will claim the top spot with a solid 13-3 record ‘-‘- good enough for first place and a possible America East championship game in the intimidating confines of Case Gymnasium. The women’s final record will look something like 19-9. Even with a challenging non-conference schedule, BU will finish 7-5 while going 12-4 in America East. This is going to be good enough for third again, but with experience carrying over from last year in nearly an identical situation, I see the Terriers prevailing in the conference tournament.

I’m just one hot dog who watches a lot of BU basketball and is clearly dangerously optimistic. I love being in Case Gymnasium watching both basketball teams and I know they’re going to give you and me a fun and wild ride this season. If I’m totally off on these predictions, shove it right in my pie-hole. However, I don’t believe I will be ‘-‘- these basketball teams will give you great, mid-major basketball when you get tired of seeing the men’s hockey team dominate foes over and over again in embarrassingly good fashion. The road to Albany/Hartford starts Friday.

I won’t just predict, but I’ll guarantee this is going to be a great year for Terrier hoops.