In the midst of a three-game losing skid, the Boston University men’s basketball team will look to bounce back Wednesday night when it welcomes American University to Agganis Arena in a rematch of the 2014 Patriot League tournament final.
This is the second three-game losing streak of the season for the Terriers (7-10, 3-3 Patriot League). BU has dropped its past three contests by an average of five points. In its last outing Sunday, the Terriers went back and forth with Loyola University Maryland, but ultimately fell in overtime, 91-86. BU coach Joe Jones said he remains positive about his young, inexperienced group and is focused on preparing his team to make a postseason run in the Patriot League tournament and beyond.
“The thing I’m trying to do with this group is get them to the point where each day we’re working on getting better, and just having a better understanding on what it takes to win basketball games,” Jones said. “If we just stay focused and try to get better every day and keep teaching these guys, I feel like in March, we’re going to have a chance to make a run. That’s really the whole goal, to be the best in March. I don’t know who’s going to win this league. That’s not my end goal. My end goal is to be the best team in March.”
If the Terriers want to be the best team in the Patriot League in March, they will have to find a way to beat the Eagles (11-7, 4-2 Patriot League), who are currently on a three-game winning streak. The team is coming off a 78-76 thriller against Lafayette College on Saturday and is third in the league standings.
The Eagles, who downed the Terriers 55-36 in the 2014 Patriot League tournament final, are known for their superb defense. They allow an average of 55.6 points per game, good for first in the conference. The Eagles also hold opponents to 42 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent on 3-point shots. As good as American is on defense, Jones said he thinks BU’s defense play will prove key in the matchup.
“The first thing is that we got to start with our defense. That’s where it starts,” he said. “They’re definitely going to run the shot clock down with the way they play, and they’re going to take opportunities when we break down. That’s kind of the ultimate test, if we can keep our will throughout the shot clock.
“We know they have four starters back from last year, so they’re going to be in the right defensive spots and do all the right things defensively,” he said. “We just have to focus on our defense before we focus on anything else.”
A resurgence of good defense should lead to an increase in scoring opportunities, something that sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson needs. During the three-game losing streak, the Terriers’ leading scorer has averaged only 13 points per game, almost five points below his season average.
“The whole thing is, you don’t go through your whole season and throw up 25 points every game,” Jones said regarding Hankerson’s offensive woes. “Right now, we are just trying to focus on the defensive end and let the offense come. If we stick to that approach, then he’s going to be just fine.”
Nick is currently writing for the Boston Hockey Blog. In the past, he has served as associate sports editor, and has covered men's and women's cross-country, women's soccer, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse for the Daily Free Press. You can keep track of Nick's exciting life by following him on Twitter at @nikfraz14
