At Last, Basketball Is Here!! Terrier Tip-Off Preview

While men's hockey and men's soccer have been channeling their inner 2008 Detroit Lions of recent, there is some good news to be had: the unofficial start of the BU men's basketball season.

It's a new era for Terrier hoops with coach Pat Chambers leading the way for a very, very, very talented team that we will probably be discussing ad nauseum for the next six months.

For now, though, is the Terrier Tip-Off, BU's equivalent of Midnight Madness that you see at bigger schools, ignoring the obvious facts that official practices started this time last week and that the event goes from 9-10:30. Enough complaining for now.

Essentially, the Tip-Off is a pep rally that is somewhat of a formal introduction of the men's and women's basketball teams. It comes complete with dance numbers, some loud tunes, and even a few surprises are thrown in.

What the two of us here on Honey and Vinegar are going to do is focus on what we see as the most important event of the night: the slam dunk contest.



Below we have handicapped the odds on who we think has the best chance to win and we give our final picks on the matter.


The Odds:

John Holland: 3-1

Carlos Strong: 4-1

Scott Brittain: 9-1

Jake O'Brien: 8-1

B.J. Bailey: 19-1

Valdas Sirutis: 21-1

Jeff Pelage: 17-1


The list of guys who end up participating probably won't be this long, but since the two of us have no clue who will actually be a part of it, we had to give our best guesses.

Now on to the picks:

Full of Vinegar Lock aka Teddy's Pick: Carlos Strong

It came down to Strong and John Holland, but it's got to be Strong, a man who has won this contest in the past. Usually over-looked in this category because he's a shooting guard, Los can throw down with the best of them, so it has to be him.

Baby and the House Guarantee aka Craig's Pick: John Holland

Call me a wuss for picking the guy who made it to #1 on Sportscenter's Top Plays and who is by far the best dunker on this team, but I have a good feeling that Holland will rebound from a disappointing performance in last year's edition of the dunk contest. Expect a runner-up finish from Los, surprisingly strong showings from Brittain and O'Brien, and hopefully a shattered backboard courtesy of "the Junkyard Dog" Jeff Pelage.

I'm not too keen on eligibility rules and what not, but if he is able to participate, look out for Marquette transfer Patrick Hazel. Even if he's not able to do it this year, Hazel's my dark horse for next year's contest.

Should be an exciting time tonight at The Roof, hope to see you there.