Posted a few days ago about BU landing 7'1" center Mat Piotrowski from New Jersey and I realized how vague it is to just put someone down as a seven footer, especially since big guys can be such a mixed bag. Sure this guy's tall, but is he bulky? Does he have decent footwork? How're his hands? Can he rebound? God forbid, does he have a decent jumper?
Being a BU recruit, Piotrowski isn't exactly burning up YouTube like John Wall was last year or anything, but there's some footage below of him in some practice drills. Don't take too much from these, obviously, because the kid's shooting uncontested shots in a video that I can only assume is supposed to make him look good, but it's still a glimpse into an intriguing recruit who we know almost nothing about as of now.
From what I can tell, he's got pretty good footwork for someone of his size that wasn't a high-major prospect, and even though the shots are uncontested, draining mid-range jumpers is still way too much to ask for a lot of America East big men. Plus, this kid can flush it quickly, effectively and with authority when he gets it on the low block, something BU was really missing from a guy like Pelage last year.
We'll keep the recruits and all up to date into the summer, and it'll probably be a brief break here up through finals week for the two of us
Thursday, April 29, 2010
From the Free Press: Transfers '10-'11
A very nice piece by Teddy that ran in the FreeP today on BU basketball's three transfers who will be suiting up to play next season: Daryl Partin, Matt Griffin, and Patrick Hazel.
Before every men’s basketball game this past season, three young men in suits stand under the basket while the team runs its layup line. Their names are Matt Griffin, Darryl Partin and Patrick Hazel. No, they are not coach Patrick Chambers’ assistants, even though their season of sitting on the bench has taught them many things about the game. They were the first three players Chambers invited to Boston University when he became head basketball coach. Men who had experience playing college basketball, but felt that they could find a better fit.
They are the type of players Chambers wants playing for him—men who have great attitude, hustle and devotion to their team. While the coaching staff and players are confident about these transfer players, most student fans know little about them.
Each of the transfers was in some form of contact with Chambers during his first year of college basketball. This contact helped to bring them to BU. Griffin played his freshman year at Rider but grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, not far from Villanova University, where Chambers was an assistant coach.
Hazel dealt with multiple factors in his decision to transfer to BU.
“Coming from Marquette [University], I had to deal with a coaching change,” Hazel said. “Things didn’t work out when the coaches changed. Coach Orlando [Vandross] was recruiting me out of high school, and it was just a perfect situation because [Chambers] coached at Villanova and I played against Villanova too.”
Partin also had contact with Chambers through playing at La Salle University. Both La Salle and Villanova are members of the Big 5, the unofficial fraternity of Philadelphia college basketball teams. Partin also brought up the importance of timing when one considers transferring. “Sophomore year is sort of a make or break year,” Partin said. “You don’t want to stay around and transfer after your junior year with one year left to play.”
NCAA rules state that players who transfer must not participate in games during their first season at their new school. Although each of the three would have preferred to play this year, they all said they were grateful for the opportunity to see the game played from a different viewpoint.
“It was certainly different sitting on the bench, you just got a different perspective of everything,” Griffin said. “Even though as a player you want to be out there, you take that opportunity and take advantage of it. You see the system that coach Chambers wants to run, and how he wants things done. I think will pay off for us in the long run.”
Hazel added that sitting out a year also helped each of them improve as players and brought them together as a family.
“You get to work on your weaknesses, get a lot stronger and better, get worked into the system,” Hazel said. “We’ll be ahead of a lot of guys that are going to be in the system next year. We can teach them, help them out. We’re leaders behind closed doors. It sucks to transfer in by yourself, and have to sit out by yourself. So we had all three of us together, staying back and hanging out.”
When Chambers became the head coach a little more than a year ago, one of the first things he said was that he wished to install a style of basketball that people at BU would be proud of. Fans over the past season have become accustomed to seeing selfless players with great attitudes, strong effort and hustle take the court every night. Partin spoke for his fellow transfers when asked how he, Griffin and Hazel would fit into Chambers’ style of play.
“Just playing hard, playing smart, playing together, playing with pride – like Coach Chambers says, BU basketball, that’s what we were about coming in,” Partin said. “Once we get the opportunity to do it now and practice, you have a year to build on it, it is right on. We are ready to go.”
Although the three could not play during the season, they were still members of BU basketball family. As a result they became close with everyone else on the team, including the nine graduating seniors.
“We were very fortunate to have nine seniors who made the locker room atmosphere great,” Griffin said. “We all wanted to be around each other because of them and obviously they had a great year and we have big shoes to fill. But we can take from them their work ethic and how hard they played, the way that they stuck together through tough times.”
Fans throughout the season have been most curious about Hazel, due to the fact that he played a season at Marquette, a quality Big East contender. Little do fans know that Hazel was the winner of Coach Chambers’ Attitude Club.
“The Attitude Club is keeping the stats like rebounds, assists, steals, but some of the others like deflections, dives, charges,” Hazel said. “Some of the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet and are a recipe for winning, and a winning attitude. Attitude is just what we all believe in, like the [attitude] triangle over there, playing hard, playing smart, playing together. It is like a competition between us, and us competing like that just makes the whole team better.”
BU basketball had one of its most successful seasons in the past few years, winning its first tournament game since 1959. Going into the upcoming season, expectations will be just as high due to its recent success. The three transfers, however, are not letting those expectations distract them.
“Our coach says a lot that the team from last year and the nine seniors laid down a foundation and we are just building,” Hazel said. “We don’t try to set expectations. We just try to make sure we’re coming out with the same drive, just trying to get better each day at a time.”
Before every men’s basketball game this past season, three young men in suits stand under the basket while the team runs its layup line. Their names are Matt Griffin, Darryl Partin and Patrick Hazel. No, they are not coach Patrick Chambers’ assistants, even though their season of sitting on the bench has taught them many things about the game. They were the first three players Chambers invited to Boston University when he became head basketball coach. Men who had experience playing college basketball, but felt that they could find a better fit.
They are the type of players Chambers wants playing for him—men who have great attitude, hustle and devotion to their team. While the coaching staff and players are confident about these transfer players, most student fans know little about them.
Each of the transfers was in some form of contact with Chambers during his first year of college basketball. This contact helped to bring them to BU. Griffin played his freshman year at Rider but grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, not far from Villanova University, where Chambers was an assistant coach.
Hazel dealt with multiple factors in his decision to transfer to BU.
“Coming from Marquette [University], I had to deal with a coaching change,” Hazel said. “Things didn’t work out when the coaches changed. Coach Orlando [Vandross] was recruiting me out of high school, and it was just a perfect situation because [Chambers] coached at Villanova and I played against Villanova too.”
Partin also had contact with Chambers through playing at La Salle University. Both La Salle and Villanova are members of the Big 5, the unofficial fraternity of Philadelphia college basketball teams. Partin also brought up the importance of timing when one considers transferring. “Sophomore year is sort of a make or break year,” Partin said. “You don’t want to stay around and transfer after your junior year with one year left to play.”
NCAA rules state that players who transfer must not participate in games during their first season at their new school. Although each of the three would have preferred to play this year, they all said they were grateful for the opportunity to see the game played from a different viewpoint.
“It was certainly different sitting on the bench, you just got a different perspective of everything,” Griffin said. “Even though as a player you want to be out there, you take that opportunity and take advantage of it. You see the system that coach Chambers wants to run, and how he wants things done. I think will pay off for us in the long run.”
Hazel added that sitting out a year also helped each of them improve as players and brought them together as a family.
“You get to work on your weaknesses, get a lot stronger and better, get worked into the system,” Hazel said. “We’ll be ahead of a lot of guys that are going to be in the system next year. We can teach them, help them out. We’re leaders behind closed doors. It sucks to transfer in by yourself, and have to sit out by yourself. So we had all three of us together, staying back and hanging out.”
When Chambers became the head coach a little more than a year ago, one of the first things he said was that he wished to install a style of basketball that people at BU would be proud of. Fans over the past season have become accustomed to seeing selfless players with great attitudes, strong effort and hustle take the court every night. Partin spoke for his fellow transfers when asked how he, Griffin and Hazel would fit into Chambers’ style of play.
“Just playing hard, playing smart, playing together, playing with pride – like Coach Chambers says, BU basketball, that’s what we were about coming in,” Partin said. “Once we get the opportunity to do it now and practice, you have a year to build on it, it is right on. We are ready to go.”
Although the three could not play during the season, they were still members of BU basketball family. As a result they became close with everyone else on the team, including the nine graduating seniors.
“We were very fortunate to have nine seniors who made the locker room atmosphere great,” Griffin said. “We all wanted to be around each other because of them and obviously they had a great year and we have big shoes to fill. But we can take from them their work ethic and how hard they played, the way that they stuck together through tough times.”
Fans throughout the season have been most curious about Hazel, due to the fact that he played a season at Marquette, a quality Big East contender. Little do fans know that Hazel was the winner of Coach Chambers’ Attitude Club.
“The Attitude Club is keeping the stats like rebounds, assists, steals, but some of the others like deflections, dives, charges,” Hazel said. “Some of the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet and are a recipe for winning, and a winning attitude. Attitude is just what we all believe in, like the [attitude] triangle over there, playing hard, playing smart, playing together. It is like a competition between us, and us competing like that just makes the whole team better.”
BU basketball had one of its most successful seasons in the past few years, winning its first tournament game since 1959. Going into the upcoming season, expectations will be just as high due to its recent success. The three transfers, however, are not letting those expectations distract them.
“Our coach says a lot that the team from last year and the nine seniors laid down a foundation and we are just building,” Hazel said. “We don’t try to set expectations. We just try to make sure we’re coming out with the same drive, just trying to get better each day at a time.”
It Is What It Is: Farewells and Predictions
My last column for the FreeP, and one of my least offensive ones by far; yet, some commentors somehow have a problem with honoring seniors. FreeP online readers, people are nuts....
Although it may not seem that way to a lot of us trying to finish papers and preparing for finals, another year is just about to end, one that has passed almost as quickly as it came. Just think for a second all that has transpired in the sports world in these past eight months that we’ve been on campus.
Ben Roethlisberger’s gone from revered Super Bowl-winning quarterback to an all-around scumbag even in his own city. The Yankees have gone from overpaid underachievers to 27-time world champions. John Holland has left BU to go play pro basketball in Greece. What? Wait a second, that was an April Fool’s joke?
Even as a columnist, I’ve learned some new things, like that people who are not my family, friends or editors actually read my columns. In some cases people even leave comments, which, for things like my “Wheels on the House” column, actually work to solidify my argument more than I could have in my allotted 1,000 words.
Moments like this give each and every one of us a chance to reminisce over what was.
Aside from a sport like hockey, we as BU sports fans have what I consider to be the privilege of watching athletes come in, develop athletically and personally, and ultimately leave with a degree, a reality that’s becoming decreasingly common in an age of one-and-done phenoms and the like.
So what better chance than now, with the year winding down, to honor these seniors who have given us so much as fans and supporters.
It is a time like this that is for Casey Brown and Janie Reilly, two phenomenal defensive presences that allowed our women’s soccer team to enjoy the kind of they had this past season.
It’s for someone like Zach Cohen who was routinely a dependable force of stability and consistency for a young, rebuilding men’s hockey team that was in desperate need of it. Here’s to a successful career with the Colorado Avalanche for ZC. Mazel tov!
What about those still playing out their careers as NCAA student-athletes, people like lacrosse players McKinley Curro and Xan Weitzel, who are leading a strong charge of BU to capture a sixth America East championship in just as many years?
The end of a semester is a perfect time to celebrate the accomplishments of players like men’s basketball seniors Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong, two young men who came back from major reconstructive surgery in the offseason to become key contributors on a 20-win team. Their talent and veteran leadership will be sorely missed next season.
It’s for a remarkable player like Samuel Appiah, a Ghanaian import who has shored up the midfield for the men’s soccer team for the past four years. Appiah will be taking his skills to the professional ranks next year, having been selected to play for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.
What about the fan favorite of seemingly every member of the Dog Pound, Eric Gryba? The senior defenseman who provided so much hard-hitting entertainment for Terrier fans for the past four years will now be moving on to the Ottawa Senators, where he will undoubtedly continue to crush some skulls.
It would be nothing short of criminal to leave women’s hockey seniors Melissa Haber and Melissa Anderson off such a list. Both of these players were largely to thank for BU’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA women’s ice hockey tournament. These two women may very well be the best players in the brief history of this ascending program.
To conclude, this is my own personal tip of the cap to Corey Lowe, the decorated men’s basketball senior. Lowe certainly has his detractors out there, but I will always remember him as an exceptional shooter and all-around player who, when it is all said and done, will justifiably go down as one of the best players to ever suit up in a Terrier basketball uniform.
To formally end my time here as a columnist, I’ll finish things off with some predictions for the summer and beyond that may or may not blow up in my face:
LeBron will get his long-awaited first title this summer as the Cavaliers will take down the Lakers in the NBA Finals. King James sweetens the deal by opting to stay in Cleveland once free agency hits.
The New Jersey Nets will win the NBA Draft Lottery, aka the John Wall Sweepstakes, next month. It may seem improbable now, but with a young core of Wall, Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams, look for the Nets to be a contender in the East by the time they move to Brooklyn.
With the Philly connections that exist between BU coach Patrick Chambers and new Boston College head coach Steve Donahue, look for BU and BC to start squaring off against each other on the hardwood sooner rather than later.
Blackhawks claim their first Stanley Cup since 1961 by taking down the Penguins in the finals.
I’m not even saying this as a lifelong Louisville fan, but more as a sensible observer – John Calipari and University of Kentucky basketball will end up on NCAA probation; the only variable is time. Calipari’s gotten into trouble in his only other two stints as a college basketball coach, and you don’t have to be David McCullough to realize that history has a way of repeating itself.
It will be a down year for BU hockey, with a sixth or seventh place finish in Hockey East, but I have a feeling that next year’s squad will show far more heart and will than the 2009-10 squad.
With so many new faces coming in, BU basketball will be a mystery, but there’s a lot to be excited about with this team. Holland and Jake O’Brien will emerge as the team’s stars, and I see future prime-time performers in freshmen Travis Robinson, Dominic Morris and DJ Irving, as well as Marquette University transfer Patrick Hazel. Stony Brook University may be the preseason pick to win AE, but I firmly believe that BU next year will be crashing the Big Dance for the first time since 2002.
On that note, may everyone, BU athletics aficionado or not, have a safe, happy and healthy summer, and enjoy every moment that life has to offer.
Although it may not seem that way to a lot of us trying to finish papers and preparing for finals, another year is just about to end, one that has passed almost as quickly as it came. Just think for a second all that has transpired in the sports world in these past eight months that we’ve been on campus.
Ben Roethlisberger’s gone from revered Super Bowl-winning quarterback to an all-around scumbag even in his own city. The Yankees have gone from overpaid underachievers to 27-time world champions. John Holland has left BU to go play pro basketball in Greece. What? Wait a second, that was an April Fool’s joke?
Even as a columnist, I’ve learned some new things, like that people who are not my family, friends or editors actually read my columns. In some cases people even leave comments, which, for things like my “Wheels on the House” column, actually work to solidify my argument more than I could have in my allotted 1,000 words.
Moments like this give each and every one of us a chance to reminisce over what was.
Aside from a sport like hockey, we as BU sports fans have what I consider to be the privilege of watching athletes come in, develop athletically and personally, and ultimately leave with a degree, a reality that’s becoming decreasingly common in an age of one-and-done phenoms and the like.
So what better chance than now, with the year winding down, to honor these seniors who have given us so much as fans and supporters.
It is a time like this that is for Casey Brown and Janie Reilly, two phenomenal defensive presences that allowed our women’s soccer team to enjoy the kind of they had this past season.
It’s for someone like Zach Cohen who was routinely a dependable force of stability and consistency for a young, rebuilding men’s hockey team that was in desperate need of it. Here’s to a successful career with the Colorado Avalanche for ZC. Mazel tov!
What about those still playing out their careers as NCAA student-athletes, people like lacrosse players McKinley Curro and Xan Weitzel, who are leading a strong charge of BU to capture a sixth America East championship in just as many years?
The end of a semester is a perfect time to celebrate the accomplishments of players like men’s basketball seniors Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong, two young men who came back from major reconstructive surgery in the offseason to become key contributors on a 20-win team. Their talent and veteran leadership will be sorely missed next season.
It’s for a remarkable player like Samuel Appiah, a Ghanaian import who has shored up the midfield for the men’s soccer team for the past four years. Appiah will be taking his skills to the professional ranks next year, having been selected to play for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.
What about the fan favorite of seemingly every member of the Dog Pound, Eric Gryba? The senior defenseman who provided so much hard-hitting entertainment for Terrier fans for the past four years will now be moving on to the Ottawa Senators, where he will undoubtedly continue to crush some skulls.
It would be nothing short of criminal to leave women’s hockey seniors Melissa Haber and Melissa Anderson off such a list. Both of these players were largely to thank for BU’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA women’s ice hockey tournament. These two women may very well be the best players in the brief history of this ascending program.
To conclude, this is my own personal tip of the cap to Corey Lowe, the decorated men’s basketball senior. Lowe certainly has his detractors out there, but I will always remember him as an exceptional shooter and all-around player who, when it is all said and done, will justifiably go down as one of the best players to ever suit up in a Terrier basketball uniform.
To formally end my time here as a columnist, I’ll finish things off with some predictions for the summer and beyond that may or may not blow up in my face:
LeBron will get his long-awaited first title this summer as the Cavaliers will take down the Lakers in the NBA Finals. King James sweetens the deal by opting to stay in Cleveland once free agency hits.
The New Jersey Nets will win the NBA Draft Lottery, aka the John Wall Sweepstakes, next month. It may seem improbable now, but with a young core of Wall, Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams, look for the Nets to be a contender in the East by the time they move to Brooklyn.
With the Philly connections that exist between BU coach Patrick Chambers and new Boston College head coach Steve Donahue, look for BU and BC to start squaring off against each other on the hardwood sooner rather than later.
Blackhawks claim their first Stanley Cup since 1961 by taking down the Penguins in the finals.
I’m not even saying this as a lifelong Louisville fan, but more as a sensible observer – John Calipari and University of Kentucky basketball will end up on NCAA probation; the only variable is time. Calipari’s gotten into trouble in his only other two stints as a college basketball coach, and you don’t have to be David McCullough to realize that history has a way of repeating itself.
It will be a down year for BU hockey, with a sixth or seventh place finish in Hockey East, but I have a feeling that next year’s squad will show far more heart and will than the 2009-10 squad.
With so many new faces coming in, BU basketball will be a mystery, but there’s a lot to be excited about with this team. Holland and Jake O’Brien will emerge as the team’s stars, and I see future prime-time performers in freshmen Travis Robinson, Dominic Morris and DJ Irving, as well as Marquette University transfer Patrick Hazel. Stony Brook University may be the preseason pick to win AE, but I firmly believe that BU next year will be crashing the Big Dance for the first time since 2002.
On that note, may everyone, BU athletics aficionado or not, have a safe, happy and healthy summer, and enjoy every moment that life has to offer.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Big Recruit On The Way- And Yes, I Mean BIG
Admittedly, I was a little skeptical of the guy at first with all his grandiose talk of selling out Agganis and turning BU into a pseduo Gonzaga or Xavier, but I've gotta say, I have really become a huge fan of Pat Chambers. It's a little too soon to maybe view him as a X's on O's guy, but do we need any more evidence that the man can just flat-out recruit?
A big deal was made earlier this school year when he landed a package of kids from Philly, namely Travis Robinson, Dominic Morris, and DJ Irving, but the biggest deal was possibly made today: landing 7'1" center Mat Piotrowski out of New Jersey.
A few notes:
- Yes I meant the "biggest deal" comment as an intended pun. Thank you, I'll be here all week.
- The deal part of that comment however wasn't meant to insinuate anything. Coach Chambers isn't a shady character- he doesn't have to do what John Calipari did with Marquis Teague and give him some sort of under the table deal. Chambers is just an upstanding, charismatic guy who just flat out gets it done.
- And yes, you read that correctly: this guy's seven feet tall. And he's rated as an 87 on espn.com, two points behind Robinson and one ahead of Morris. Skilled and huge? Sounds excellent to me, and it the best news is that there's one more scholarship remaining, so we may not even be done here honestly.
Hey, it may not be Chris Webber and the Fab Five, but this is shaping up to be one hell of class.
I'll be posting occasinally for the next couple of weeks, but with finals and papers, no promises. This summer, though, it's gonna get in-depth, believe me
A big deal was made earlier this school year when he landed a package of kids from Philly, namely Travis Robinson, Dominic Morris, and DJ Irving, but the biggest deal was possibly made today: landing 7'1" center Mat Piotrowski out of New Jersey.
A few notes:
- Yes I meant the "biggest deal" comment as an intended pun. Thank you, I'll be here all week.
- The deal part of that comment however wasn't meant to insinuate anything. Coach Chambers isn't a shady character- he doesn't have to do what John Calipari did with Marquis Teague and give him some sort of under the table deal. Chambers is just an upstanding, charismatic guy who just flat out gets it done.
- And yes, you read that correctly: this guy's seven feet tall. And he's rated as an 87 on espn.com, two points behind Robinson and one ahead of Morris. Skilled and huge? Sounds excellent to me, and it the best news is that there's one more scholarship remaining, so we may not even be done here honestly.
Hey, it may not be Chris Webber and the Fab Five, but this is shaping up to be one hell of class.
I'll be posting occasinally for the next couple of weeks, but with finals and papers, no promises. This summer, though, it's gonna get in-depth, believe me
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
BU Basketball 2010-11?: Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good
Getting the bad news out of the way first really is the best policy, isn't it? Teddy and I have both come to the executive decision that BU basketball for this year and probably the year after it too will be the team to follow here one campus. Not saying we're abandoning the hockey team- games are still fun as hell, and I'm never one to turn my back on my team when they're down.
But as Teddy put it:
"It's time to put all your baskets in the egg...no wait, put all your eggs in the basket of BU basketball, because hockey sure as hell's going to suck next year"
Even though the Terriers finished fourth in the America East regular season and second in the conference tournament after they were picked in the preseason to win the conference for the millionth year in a row, all in all, Pat Chambers' first year should be considered a mild success.
Looking forward to next year, though, is a different matter entirely. Here's a rundown of who they're losing and who's coming on board:
Adios:
Corey Lowe
Carlos Strong
Tyler Morris
Scott Brittain (I'm guessing)
Valdas Sirutis
Michael Schulze
Brendan Sullivan
Tunde Agboola
Sherrod Smith
And Introducing...:
Travis Robinson
Dominic Morris
D.J. Irving
Anthony Mayo
Mike Terry
Malik Thomas
HJ Gaskins
Patrick Hazel
Daryl Partin
Matt Griffin
So for all those that we've lost, I'll do a rundown of them all.
Lowe, as weird as his exit from the program was, is a big loss. When he was on there was never a better guard in the league and his hot hand is the primary reason that BU a) made it as far as they did in the conference tournament and b) didn't get completely destroyed by Vermont in the 'ship.
Strong's another huge loss. Guy was a terrific defender, a very good rebounder for his size, and he was our most consistent outside shooter.
Morris rounds out the big losses, seeing as he was a terrific shooter, a great on-ball defender and most importantly, a great leader. The loss of his senior leadership may in fact be the biggest blow to this team.
For Brittain, it wasn't the end that any of us were hoping for or expected, but it unfortunately ended the way it did. Best of luck to Scott, and protect that head of yours.
Sirutis certainly improved from his junior to senior year, but I really wouldn't call him much of a loss.
Schulze and Tunde were both walk-ons, and as much as I loved both of them, walk-ons are literally a dime a dozen, only better because you don't actually have to pay for them unless you're John Calipari or something.
Brendan Sullivan's got the prestigious title of being the only BU hoopster who I've ever played against, but his skills at FitRec, needless to say, didn't really translate exactly to form on a DI basketball court.
And as awesome as it was that Sherrod got to ball with the POTUS who beat Clark Kellogg in a game of H-O-R-S-E, again, not really losing much.
Of the new guys:
Robinson's the gem of the freshman class, a do-it-all small forward with freakish athletic ability and a very good above-the-rim game. If his jumper's even halfway decent, we're looking at a guy who could run train on this conference in the coming years.
Morris is the prototypical big-bodied power forward who can clear the lane, collect rebounds and score as well. He's just behind his teammate Robinson in the recruiting rankings.
Chambers seemed to be really high on Irving, the presumed point guard of the future here at BU, describing him as lightning quick. Sounds perfect for his up-tempo offense, no wonder he was so giddy.
Mayo's allegedly a lock-down defender who's still pretty raw offensively. He comes in as the true center of this freshman class.
Terry's a combo guard with excellent speed and from what I've heard a good outside shot.
Thomas is one of the few guys in the class not from the Philadelphia area. Again, a pretty raw prospect who just by looking at his picture is rail thin. Some time in the weight room may be necessary for him to take that next step.
Gaskins rounds out the Friends' Central guys and is the lowest-rated of the recruits. He's going to be a walk-on and in all honesty, his inclusion in this seems like a package deal for Morris and Robinson.
Of the three transfers:
Hazel comes from Marquette and judging by the looks of it, he was highly pretty highly recruited coming out of high school, at least enough to get a scholarship offer from Tom Crean. Crean later bolted for Indiana and I guess Ugly John didn't fit in as well with current coach Buzz Williams. From what I can tell, this guy's got the most potential to hit it big here
Partin seems like a Corey Lowe type and by that I mean a gunner. Don't see him starting next year, but may get some nice minutes off the bench.
Griffin looks to be a good pure point guard, a guy with good passing ability and a decent shot. May vie for the starting point spot come the season opener.
We'll try to do a series this summer focusing on the transfers and learning more about them, but what we do know is that it should be a very interesting season next year as BU basketball truly undergoes a radical transformation in Pat Chambers' second year at the helm
But as Teddy put it:
"It's time to put all your baskets in the egg...no wait, put all your eggs in the basket of BU basketball, because hockey sure as hell's going to suck next year"
Even though the Terriers finished fourth in the America East regular season and second in the conference tournament after they were picked in the preseason to win the conference for the millionth year in a row, all in all, Pat Chambers' first year should be considered a mild success.
Looking forward to next year, though, is a different matter entirely. Here's a rundown of who they're losing and who's coming on board:
Adios:
Corey Lowe
Carlos Strong
Tyler Morris
Scott Brittain (I'm guessing)
Valdas Sirutis
Michael Schulze
Brendan Sullivan
Tunde Agboola
Sherrod Smith
And Introducing...:
Travis Robinson
Dominic Morris
D.J. Irving
Anthony Mayo
Mike Terry
Malik Thomas
HJ Gaskins
Patrick Hazel
Daryl Partin
Matt Griffin
So for all those that we've lost, I'll do a rundown of them all.
Lowe, as weird as his exit from the program was, is a big loss. When he was on there was never a better guard in the league and his hot hand is the primary reason that BU a) made it as far as they did in the conference tournament and b) didn't get completely destroyed by Vermont in the 'ship.
Strong's another huge loss. Guy was a terrific defender, a very good rebounder for his size, and he was our most consistent outside shooter.
Morris rounds out the big losses, seeing as he was a terrific shooter, a great on-ball defender and most importantly, a great leader. The loss of his senior leadership may in fact be the biggest blow to this team.
For Brittain, it wasn't the end that any of us were hoping for or expected, but it unfortunately ended the way it did. Best of luck to Scott, and protect that head of yours.
Sirutis certainly improved from his junior to senior year, but I really wouldn't call him much of a loss.
Schulze and Tunde were both walk-ons, and as much as I loved both of them, walk-ons are literally a dime a dozen, only better because you don't actually have to pay for them unless you're John Calipari or something.
Brendan Sullivan's got the prestigious title of being the only BU hoopster who I've ever played against, but his skills at FitRec, needless to say, didn't really translate exactly to form on a DI basketball court.
And as awesome as it was that Sherrod got to ball with the POTUS who beat Clark Kellogg in a game of H-O-R-S-E, again, not really losing much.
Of the new guys:
Robinson's the gem of the freshman class, a do-it-all small forward with freakish athletic ability and a very good above-the-rim game. If his jumper's even halfway decent, we're looking at a guy who could run train on this conference in the coming years.
Morris is the prototypical big-bodied power forward who can clear the lane, collect rebounds and score as well. He's just behind his teammate Robinson in the recruiting rankings.
Chambers seemed to be really high on Irving, the presumed point guard of the future here at BU, describing him as lightning quick. Sounds perfect for his up-tempo offense, no wonder he was so giddy.
Mayo's allegedly a lock-down defender who's still pretty raw offensively. He comes in as the true center of this freshman class.
Terry's a combo guard with excellent speed and from what I've heard a good outside shot.
Thomas is one of the few guys in the class not from the Philadelphia area. Again, a pretty raw prospect who just by looking at his picture is rail thin. Some time in the weight room may be necessary for him to take that next step.
Gaskins rounds out the Friends' Central guys and is the lowest-rated of the recruits. He's going to be a walk-on and in all honesty, his inclusion in this seems like a package deal for Morris and Robinson.
Of the three transfers:
Hazel comes from Marquette and judging by the looks of it, he was highly pretty highly recruited coming out of high school, at least enough to get a scholarship offer from Tom Crean. Crean later bolted for Indiana and I guess Ugly John didn't fit in as well with current coach Buzz Williams. From what I can tell, this guy's got the most potential to hit it big here
Partin seems like a Corey Lowe type and by that I mean a gunner. Don't see him starting next year, but may get some nice minutes off the bench.
Griffin looks to be a good pure point guard, a guy with good passing ability and a decent shot. May vie for the starting point spot come the season opener.
We'll try to do a series this summer focusing on the transfers and learning more about them, but what we do know is that it should be a very interesting season next year as BU basketball truly undergoes a radical transformation in Pat Chambers' second year at the helm
BU Hockey 2010-11?: The Forecast is Suck
Just got on today and realized that I haven't updated the blog here in a while; needless to say, midterms, papers, and other business have made posting more of a once-in-a-while activity for me, especially since hardly anyone even reads this thing. I know for a fact that two of our four "official followers" are frauds: one's my girlfriend just trying to be nice and the other one's my boy from back home who's at Georgetown. He, too, is trying to be nice, meaning I'm the biggest charity case around.
Anyhow, the men's college hockey season came to what most BU fans would consider to be the worst end possible, with Jerry York & Company hoisting the national championship trophy after throttling Miami and Wisconsin both by a combined 11 goals in a three day span.
This is not a time for me to hate. Do I like BC hockey? No. But do I respect them? Yes. That's what truly makes a rivalry a flat-out hate-fest for me- if you don't respect your opponent.
I'll compare this to Kentucky basketball. I've basically been genetically predisposed to hate UK hoops, but for the longest time I couldn't hate them too much because they were led by Tubby Smith, a well-respected man who's a hell of a guy from all I hear. Tubby won them a championship in his first season and would consistently pile up 20 win seasons and SEC titles, but never another Final Four. Never bothered me too much because UK was still among the elite programs in the sport, and as I said, Tubby was a good guy who recruited good kids.
Then after the 2006-2007 season came to a close, the news broke in Lexington that Tubby wasn't a heavily-tanned white man as most of the Wildcat faithful were led to believe, but is in fact an African-American male. Obviously, this wouldn't stand for that fan base, so Tubby was exiled to coach at Minnesota and they brought Billy Gillispie in from Texas A&M.
Again, my respect for the program waned a bit because- let's be serious here- Gillispie's a drunken fool. However, Kentucky sucked under him, so I more than lived with that.
After this epic mistake, Kentucky brought in the biggest scumbag in perhaps the dirtiest of college sports, John Calipari, who I have about as much respect for as Joseph Stalin. Actually, Stalin, despite being an evil bastard, had an awesome 'stache, so he gets the nod over Cal. Thus, I now hate Kentucky basketball more than I ever have, not because they're really good again, but because they're run by a man who's abandoned two Final Fours, a man who clearly has no respect for NCAA rules, and a man who stockpiles goons and punks like DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe on his teams.
Now realizing that this UK basketball analogy's more than run its course, the point is that the hatred that you have for a place inevitably diminishes a bit if you have respect for said opponent. I respect BC hockey, especially Jerry York; in fact, I'll come right out and admit it: I really like Jerry York, he's no horse's ass. Anyone who shows their grandchildren the opening sequence from Alaska-Fairbanks games thinking it will entertain them is someone I can always be a fan of.
Anyhow, what BC's win may do for all of us on campus is make us realize that much more how bad we're going to be next year, having lost Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen, ZC (to graduation, in all fairness) and Nick Bonino.
It's clearly going to be a team centered around Warsofsky playing solid D and making plays, Millan holding it down in net, and continued improvement from the likes of Saponari, Trivino, and all the freshman from last year.
Expectations are going to be low, so brace yourselves, but hopefully this team turns out to be a pleasant surprise and finishes, say, fifth in Hockey East.
Sure doesn't seem like the championship parade was a year ago...
Anyhow, the men's college hockey season came to what most BU fans would consider to be the worst end possible, with Jerry York & Company hoisting the national championship trophy after throttling Miami and Wisconsin both by a combined 11 goals in a three day span.
This is not a time for me to hate. Do I like BC hockey? No. But do I respect them? Yes. That's what truly makes a rivalry a flat-out hate-fest for me- if you don't respect your opponent.
I'll compare this to Kentucky basketball. I've basically been genetically predisposed to hate UK hoops, but for the longest time I couldn't hate them too much because they were led by Tubby Smith, a well-respected man who's a hell of a guy from all I hear. Tubby won them a championship in his first season and would consistently pile up 20 win seasons and SEC titles, but never another Final Four. Never bothered me too much because UK was still among the elite programs in the sport, and as I said, Tubby was a good guy who recruited good kids.
Then after the 2006-2007 season came to a close, the news broke in Lexington that Tubby wasn't a heavily-tanned white man as most of the Wildcat faithful were led to believe, but is in fact an African-American male. Obviously, this wouldn't stand for that fan base, so Tubby was exiled to coach at Minnesota and they brought Billy Gillispie in from Texas A&M.
Again, my respect for the program waned a bit because- let's be serious here- Gillispie's a drunken fool. However, Kentucky sucked under him, so I more than lived with that.
After this epic mistake, Kentucky brought in the biggest scumbag in perhaps the dirtiest of college sports, John Calipari, who I have about as much respect for as Joseph Stalin. Actually, Stalin, despite being an evil bastard, had an awesome 'stache, so he gets the nod over Cal. Thus, I now hate Kentucky basketball more than I ever have, not because they're really good again, but because they're run by a man who's abandoned two Final Fours, a man who clearly has no respect for NCAA rules, and a man who stockpiles goons and punks like DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe on his teams.
Now realizing that this UK basketball analogy's more than run its course, the point is that the hatred that you have for a place inevitably diminishes a bit if you have respect for said opponent. I respect BC hockey, especially Jerry York; in fact, I'll come right out and admit it: I really like Jerry York, he's no horse's ass. Anyone who shows their grandchildren the opening sequence from Alaska-Fairbanks games thinking it will entertain them is someone I can always be a fan of.
Anyhow, what BC's win may do for all of us on campus is make us realize that much more how bad we're going to be next year, having lost Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen, ZC (to graduation, in all fairness) and Nick Bonino.
It's clearly going to be a team centered around Warsofsky playing solid D and making plays, Millan holding it down in net, and continued improvement from the likes of Saponari, Trivino, and all the freshman from last year.
Expectations are going to be low, so brace yourselves, but hopefully this team turns out to be a pleasant surprise and finishes, say, fifth in Hockey East.
Sure doesn't seem like the championship parade was a year ago...
It Is What It Is: Women's Softball Making Strides
The month-long span or so from the final buzzer of the Final Four to the end of the school year has always read like a four-letter word to most college sports fans, like myself.
Even if we don’t have our own team here at Boston University, college football is in full force during the fall months, with brilliant autumn foliage serving as the backdrop to hard-hitting gridiron action. If BU students get tired of watching the games on TV, they can just swallow up their pride like me and catch a few games at Boston College. At the risk of being called a traitor, they’re actually a hell of a time.
In the winter, of course, we have BU hockey to look forward to, which, even in a down year like this past one, is still by far the signature sport here on campus. There’s also exciting college basketball to take in, whether it be at The Roof or just on TV in your dorm.
But the spring? Well that’s where you hit a bit of a snag as a college athletics aficionado.
This time last year, I was going through the same thing – school year winding down, papers due, finals to prepare for, but really nothing going on athletics-wise on campus from what I knew.
Was I going to be the diligent student and get all my work done weeks in advance? Absolutely not. That was the definitive moment when I discovered that BU offers much more beyond the traditional “power sports” in the period that I used to think of as the doldrums of spring.
Without a baseball or a men’s lacrosse team, spring is truly a season for the ladies here with the softball and women’s lacrosse teams competing.
The ever-growing popularity of lacrosse, as well as the team’s seemingly perpetual presence in the top-20 of the national polls, has made them more of a staple here on campus.
Yet, I don’t think softball’s registered the same level of interest and enthusiasm and I’m not entirely sure why.
Is it the sport itself?
Is it the fact that the field is tucked behind a supermarket in an area that most BU students don’t pass unless they’re stumbling on Ashford Street at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night?
Whatever the reasons may be, they don’t hold too much merit because the team is doing its job and more on the field this year, whether most of the BU community is willing to pay attention or not.
What truly separates softball from the other sports here is the sheer number of games that this team plays in such a short period of time – 54 regular-season games in roughly two-and-a-half months this year. Not even hockey’s seemingly endless season can match that.
While the games may be numerous and the season relatively short, this has undoubtedly morphed into one of BU’s better programs under current coach Shawn Rychcik. Winning season after winning season certainly paid dividends, and it reached a climax last year with an America East Championship and a berth in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s edition of Terrier softball may not quite be up to par with last year’s, but with a 20-13 start and success thus far in conference play, a postseason berth is not out of the question, especially with the kind of talent that this team features.
Of course, this conversation has to center around standout junior outfielder April Setterlund who is leading the team in virtually every imaginable offensive category. Most astoundingly, her .570 batting average puts her second among all Division I softball players with at least 65 plate appearances this season.
Many BU athletes have experienced some level of achievement this year, but what Setterlund has accomplished thus far I think has to trump anything that anyone else wearing scarlet and white has done this year.
While it’s hard to stop praising Setterlund, the offense doesn’t end with her. Senior third basemen Rachel Moeller, senior first basemen Rachel Hebert and junior catcher Caitlin Rentler are all valuable presences in the Terrier lineup.
A solid pitching staff is anchored by freshman Whitney Tuthill and senior Cassidi Hardy, both of whom will be counted on heavily if BU wants to experience postseason play beyond the AE Tournament like it did last year.
So while the bright stadium lights of college football and the glimmering courts of college basketball won’t be in service for at least a few more months, don’t be so quick to make the same mistake that I once did – these spring sports like softball are always worth checking out.
I mean, there are certainly worse ways to spend a sunny spring afternoon than watching a .570 hitter and a talented supporting cast play some ball, right?
Sure, BU softball may not be up there with the UCLAs and Arizonas of the world, but we have a great program here that’s brought the kind of success that’s more than worth our attention and support.
Even if we don’t have our own team here at Boston University, college football is in full force during the fall months, with brilliant autumn foliage serving as the backdrop to hard-hitting gridiron action. If BU students get tired of watching the games on TV, they can just swallow up their pride like me and catch a few games at Boston College. At the risk of being called a traitor, they’re actually a hell of a time.
In the winter, of course, we have BU hockey to look forward to, which, even in a down year like this past one, is still by far the signature sport here on campus. There’s also exciting college basketball to take in, whether it be at The Roof or just on TV in your dorm.
But the spring? Well that’s where you hit a bit of a snag as a college athletics aficionado.
This time last year, I was going through the same thing – school year winding down, papers due, finals to prepare for, but really nothing going on athletics-wise on campus from what I knew.
Was I going to be the diligent student and get all my work done weeks in advance? Absolutely not. That was the definitive moment when I discovered that BU offers much more beyond the traditional “power sports” in the period that I used to think of as the doldrums of spring.
Without a baseball or a men’s lacrosse team, spring is truly a season for the ladies here with the softball and women’s lacrosse teams competing.
The ever-growing popularity of lacrosse, as well as the team’s seemingly perpetual presence in the top-20 of the national polls, has made them more of a staple here on campus.
Yet, I don’t think softball’s registered the same level of interest and enthusiasm and I’m not entirely sure why.
Is it the sport itself?
Is it the fact that the field is tucked behind a supermarket in an area that most BU students don’t pass unless they’re stumbling on Ashford Street at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night?
Whatever the reasons may be, they don’t hold too much merit because the team is doing its job and more on the field this year, whether most of the BU community is willing to pay attention or not.
What truly separates softball from the other sports here is the sheer number of games that this team plays in such a short period of time – 54 regular-season games in roughly two-and-a-half months this year. Not even hockey’s seemingly endless season can match that.
While the games may be numerous and the season relatively short, this has undoubtedly morphed into one of BU’s better programs under current coach Shawn Rychcik. Winning season after winning season certainly paid dividends, and it reached a climax last year with an America East Championship and a berth in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s edition of Terrier softball may not quite be up to par with last year’s, but with a 20-13 start and success thus far in conference play, a postseason berth is not out of the question, especially with the kind of talent that this team features.
Of course, this conversation has to center around standout junior outfielder April Setterlund who is leading the team in virtually every imaginable offensive category. Most astoundingly, her .570 batting average puts her second among all Division I softball players with at least 65 plate appearances this season.
Many BU athletes have experienced some level of achievement this year, but what Setterlund has accomplished thus far I think has to trump anything that anyone else wearing scarlet and white has done this year.
While it’s hard to stop praising Setterlund, the offense doesn’t end with her. Senior third basemen Rachel Moeller, senior first basemen Rachel Hebert and junior catcher Caitlin Rentler are all valuable presences in the Terrier lineup.
A solid pitching staff is anchored by freshman Whitney Tuthill and senior Cassidi Hardy, both of whom will be counted on heavily if BU wants to experience postseason play beyond the AE Tournament like it did last year.
So while the bright stadium lights of college football and the glimmering courts of college basketball won’t be in service for at least a few more months, don’t be so quick to make the same mistake that I once did – these spring sports like softball are always worth checking out.
I mean, there are certainly worse ways to spend a sunny spring afternoon than watching a .570 hitter and a talented supporting cast play some ball, right?
Sure, BU softball may not be up there with the UCLAs and Arizonas of the world, but we have a great program here that’s brought the kind of success that’s more than worth our attention and support.
It Is What It Is: Women's Softball Making Strides
The month-long span or so from the final buzzer of the Final Four to the end of the school year has always read like a four-letter word to most college sports fans, like myself.
Even if we don’t have our own team here at Boston University, college football is in full force during the fall months, with brilliant autumn foliage serving as the backdrop to hard-hitting gridiron action. If BU students get tired of watching the games on TV, they can just swallow up their pride like me and catch a few games at Boston College. At the risk of being called a traitor, they’re actually a hell of a time.
In the winter, of course, we have BU hockey to look forward to, which, even in a down year like this past one, is still by far the signature sport here on campus. There’s also exciting college basketball to take in, whether it be at The Roof or just on TV in your dorm.
But the spring? Well that’s where you hit a bit of a snag as a college athletics aficionado.
This time last year, I was going through the same thing – school year winding down, papers due, finals to prepare for, but really nothing going on athletics-wise on campus from what I knew.
Was I going to be the diligent student and get all my work done weeks in advance? Absolutely not. That was the definitive moment when I discovered that BU offers much more beyond the traditional “power sports” in the period that I used to think of as the doldrums of spring.
Without a baseball or a men’s lacrosse team, spring is truly a season for the ladies here with the softball and women’s lacrosse teams competing.
The ever-growing popularity of lacrosse, as well as the team’s seemingly perpetual presence in the top-20 of the national polls, has made them more of a staple here on campus.
Yet, I don’t think softball’s registered the same level of interest and enthusiasm and I’m not entirely sure why.
Is it the sport itself?
Is it the fact that the field is tucked behind a supermarket in an area that most BU students don’t pass unless they’re stumbling on Ashford Street at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night?
Whatever the reasons may be, they don’t hold too much merit because the team is doing its job and more on the field this year, whether most of the BU community is willing to pay attention or not.
What truly separates softball from the other sports here is the sheer number of games that this team plays in such a short period of time – 54 regular-season games in roughly two-and-a-half months this year. Not even hockey’s seemingly endless season can match that.
While the games may be numerous and the season relatively short, this has undoubtedly morphed into one of BU’s better programs under current coach Shawn Rychcik. Winning season after winning season certainly paid dividends, and it reached a climax last year with an America East Championship and a berth in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s edition of Terrier softball may not quite be up to par with last year’s, but with a 20-13 start and success thus far in conference play, a postseason berth is not out of the question, especially with the kind of talent that this team features.
Of course, this conversation has to center around standout junior outfielder April Setterlund who is leading the team in virtually every imaginable offensive category. Most astoundingly, her .570 batting average puts her second among all Division I softball players with at least 65 plate appearances this season.
Many BU athletes have experienced some level of achievement this year, but what Setterlund has accomplished thus far I think has to trump anything that anyone else wearing scarlet and white has done this year.
While it’s hard to stop praising Setterlund, the offense doesn’t end with her. Senior third basemen Rachel Moeller, senior first basemen Rachel Hebert and junior catcher Caitlin Rentler are all valuable presences in the Terrier lineup.
A solid pitching staff is anchored by freshman Whitney Tuthill and senior Cassidi Hardy, both of whom will be counted on heavily if BU wants to experience postseason play beyond the AE Tournament like it did last year.
So while the bright stadium lights of college football and the glimmering courts of college basketball won’t be in service for at least a few more months, don’t be so quick to make the same mistake that I once did – these spring sports like softball are always worth checking out.
I mean, there are certainly worse ways to spend a sunny spring afternoon than watching a .570 hitter and a talented supporting cast play some ball, right?
Sure, BU softball may not be up there with the UCLAs and Arizonas of the world, but we have a great program here that’s brought the kind of success that’s more than worth our attention and support.
Even if we don’t have our own team here at Boston University, college football is in full force during the fall months, with brilliant autumn foliage serving as the backdrop to hard-hitting gridiron action. If BU students get tired of watching the games on TV, they can just swallow up their pride like me and catch a few games at Boston College. At the risk of being called a traitor, they’re actually a hell of a time.
In the winter, of course, we have BU hockey to look forward to, which, even in a down year like this past one, is still by far the signature sport here on campus. There’s also exciting college basketball to take in, whether it be at The Roof or just on TV in your dorm.
But the spring? Well that’s where you hit a bit of a snag as a college athletics aficionado.
This time last year, I was going through the same thing – school year winding down, papers due, finals to prepare for, but really nothing going on athletics-wise on campus from what I knew.
Was I going to be the diligent student and get all my work done weeks in advance? Absolutely not. That was the definitive moment when I discovered that BU offers much more beyond the traditional “power sports” in the period that I used to think of as the doldrums of spring.
Without a baseball or a men’s lacrosse team, spring is truly a season for the ladies here with the softball and women’s lacrosse teams competing.
The ever-growing popularity of lacrosse, as well as the team’s seemingly perpetual presence in the top-20 of the national polls, has made them more of a staple here on campus.
Yet, I don’t think softball’s registered the same level of interest and enthusiasm and I’m not entirely sure why.
Is it the sport itself?
Is it the fact that the field is tucked behind a supermarket in an area that most BU students don’t pass unless they’re stumbling on Ashford Street at 2 a.m. on a Saturday night?
Whatever the reasons may be, they don’t hold too much merit because the team is doing its job and more on the field this year, whether most of the BU community is willing to pay attention or not.
What truly separates softball from the other sports here is the sheer number of games that this team plays in such a short period of time – 54 regular-season games in roughly two-and-a-half months this year. Not even hockey’s seemingly endless season can match that.
While the games may be numerous and the season relatively short, this has undoubtedly morphed into one of BU’s better programs under current coach Shawn Rychcik. Winning season after winning season certainly paid dividends, and it reached a climax last year with an America East Championship and a berth in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s edition of Terrier softball may not quite be up to par with last year’s, but with a 20-13 start and success thus far in conference play, a postseason berth is not out of the question, especially with the kind of talent that this team features.
Of course, this conversation has to center around standout junior outfielder April Setterlund who is leading the team in virtually every imaginable offensive category. Most astoundingly, her .570 batting average puts her second among all Division I softball players with at least 65 plate appearances this season.
Many BU athletes have experienced some level of achievement this year, but what Setterlund has accomplished thus far I think has to trump anything that anyone else wearing scarlet and white has done this year.
While it’s hard to stop praising Setterlund, the offense doesn’t end with her. Senior third basemen Rachel Moeller, senior first basemen Rachel Hebert and junior catcher Caitlin Rentler are all valuable presences in the Terrier lineup.
A solid pitching staff is anchored by freshman Whitney Tuthill and senior Cassidi Hardy, both of whom will be counted on heavily if BU wants to experience postseason play beyond the AE Tournament like it did last year.
So while the bright stadium lights of college football and the glimmering courts of college basketball won’t be in service for at least a few more months, don’t be so quick to make the same mistake that I once did – these spring sports like softball are always worth checking out.
I mean, there are certainly worse ways to spend a sunny spring afternoon than watching a .570 hitter and a talented supporting cast play some ball, right?
Sure, BU softball may not be up there with the UCLAs and Arizonas of the world, but we have a great program here that’s brought the kind of success that’s more than worth our attention and support.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April Fool's Day
Happy April Fool's Day to everyone, particularly John Holland for that trick he pulled the other night. Gotta tell you, though, next time you say "not coming back", a joke's not supposed to cause Teddy that much unnecessary stress.
C'mon John Holland, get outta here with that
C'mon John Holland, get outta here with that
It Is What It Is: Short-Term vs. Long-Term
Like it is in any other sport, the annual tradition of the coaching carousel is upon us in college basketball.
We may forget that just a year ago, the Boston University men’s basketball team was a part of all of this, albeit on a much smaller scale. The final result of this is familiar to anyone reading this – out was Dennis Wolff after 15 seasons on the job, and in came an energetic, ambitious assistant from Final Four team Villanova University: Pat Chambers.
With Chambers’ arrival came about as much hype and anticipation on campus as you can ever expect from BU basketball – promises of change and a brand new attitude that entailed a fast-paced offense and a new commitment to excellence.
As the end of Chambers’ first regular season here came to a close, however, it didn’t exactly take a Rhodes Scholar to see a startling similarity between the Terriers’ current coach and his predecessor – a 17-12 overall record, with an 11-5 mark in America East play (albeit against a tougher schedule this year).
In the eyes of some, this raised some interesting questions, ones that invariably included speculation and hypothetical scenarios, yet they all seemed to have a common theme to them – did BU make the right move in canning Wolff? Even if it was the correct decision, was the timing right?
In a sense, Chambers went from being the heralded “savior of the program” to an object of intense criticism in less than a year.
I’ve always been in the camp that agreed with the decision to let Wolff go, but if BU’s primary concern was to win the America East title this year and nothing less, then it probably wasn’t the right call.
Think about it – this was a team that came into the year with 13 players, nine of whom were seniors, 12 of whom had played at least one year under Wolff, and one — B.J. Bailey — who signed with BU at least partially because of Wolff.
This was a group of guys who had become accustomed to playing the game of basketball a certain way, and even though I’m obviously far from a Division I basketball player, even I know basic human nature. Tendencies like that, ones practiced every day for months and months (and in some cases years and years) are hard to break, let alone completely revamp.
If you have a veteran-laden team playing for a coach who’s instilled his style of play in his players for some time, it’s usually not the wisest thing to pull the plug on that prematurely, especially when there is a good chance that said team can make the NCAA Tournament.
So why make the change then? Because there was something much larger at stake than a mere shot at a No. 15 or 16 seed in the Big Dance – i.e., the chance to build a stronger men’s basketball program here at BU.
Don’t get me wrong. Conference titles are great but it’s not the job of an athletic director to view things as they relate to the short term. They’re not the types of people who are big on quick fixes. They are not of the ilk to put the Band-Aid over the proverbial gaping wound.
Rather, ADs are the ones bestowed with the fundamental trust of looking toward the long term, eyeing and trying to meet the goals that will not only advance the athletic department of a university, but also the given institution itself.
Dennis Wolff was undoubtedly a good coach, one who ran a clean, respectable program, but it became painfully obvious over his 15-year tenure that BU basketball wasn’t going to be much more than what he had made it into. The Terriers would consistently have good teams, but, just as consistently, would come up short in a conference in which they really should win pretty routinely (at least based upon facilities, location of the school, etc.).
Much of this talk questioning the move to go with Chambers was quieted as BU made a run to the AE championship game and notched a couple of wins in the College Basketball Invitational, but I think as the early returns on Chambers go, I’m going with an inconclusive.
I was skeptical of the idea that a first-year coach could make a firmly rooted half-court team into Loyola Marymount University circa 1990 in the span of a single year, so I couldn’t say I was too disappointed or angered when BU didn’t live up to their billing as the preseason conference favorite. Injuries, much like they were with Wolff in his final season, certainly didn’t help the cause.
That being said, I don’t think a brief conference tournament run and a few wins in a third-rate tournament should have us all declaring this season to be an overwhelming success.
Nevertheless, even with the loss of nine seniors, the future of this program looks bright with what is arguably the best recruiting class in the history of the program coming in. Admittedly, recruiting can be a bit of a crapshoot, with some guys never living up to their billing and hype, but with five guys who are ranked in the 80s, you’d have to think at the very worst at least one or two of them will pan out.
Chambers himself even opted to pursue long-term rewards over instant gratification by luring in three promising transfers as opposed to stocking the team with junior college players.
In retrospect, AD Mike Lynch’s decision this time about a year ago was without doubt risky, but it was one that was made with an eye towards the future well being of this program.
If BU basketball and the BU Athletic Department as a whole were ever going to be much more than they already were, a change had to be made. And while the desired outcome wasn’t produced in year one, it may only be a matter of time before BU basketball fulfills that vision, that dream of being a mid-major power in college basketball.
We may forget that just a year ago, the Boston University men’s basketball team was a part of all of this, albeit on a much smaller scale. The final result of this is familiar to anyone reading this – out was Dennis Wolff after 15 seasons on the job, and in came an energetic, ambitious assistant from Final Four team Villanova University: Pat Chambers.
With Chambers’ arrival came about as much hype and anticipation on campus as you can ever expect from BU basketball – promises of change and a brand new attitude that entailed a fast-paced offense and a new commitment to excellence.
As the end of Chambers’ first regular season here came to a close, however, it didn’t exactly take a Rhodes Scholar to see a startling similarity between the Terriers’ current coach and his predecessor – a 17-12 overall record, with an 11-5 mark in America East play (albeit against a tougher schedule this year).
In the eyes of some, this raised some interesting questions, ones that invariably included speculation and hypothetical scenarios, yet they all seemed to have a common theme to them – did BU make the right move in canning Wolff? Even if it was the correct decision, was the timing right?
In a sense, Chambers went from being the heralded “savior of the program” to an object of intense criticism in less than a year.
I’ve always been in the camp that agreed with the decision to let Wolff go, but if BU’s primary concern was to win the America East title this year and nothing less, then it probably wasn’t the right call.
Think about it – this was a team that came into the year with 13 players, nine of whom were seniors, 12 of whom had played at least one year under Wolff, and one — B.J. Bailey — who signed with BU at least partially because of Wolff.
This was a group of guys who had become accustomed to playing the game of basketball a certain way, and even though I’m obviously far from a Division I basketball player, even I know basic human nature. Tendencies like that, ones practiced every day for months and months (and in some cases years and years) are hard to break, let alone completely revamp.
If you have a veteran-laden team playing for a coach who’s instilled his style of play in his players for some time, it’s usually not the wisest thing to pull the plug on that prematurely, especially when there is a good chance that said team can make the NCAA Tournament.
So why make the change then? Because there was something much larger at stake than a mere shot at a No. 15 or 16 seed in the Big Dance – i.e., the chance to build a stronger men’s basketball program here at BU.
Don’t get me wrong. Conference titles are great but it’s not the job of an athletic director to view things as they relate to the short term. They’re not the types of people who are big on quick fixes. They are not of the ilk to put the Band-Aid over the proverbial gaping wound.
Rather, ADs are the ones bestowed with the fundamental trust of looking toward the long term, eyeing and trying to meet the goals that will not only advance the athletic department of a university, but also the given institution itself.
Dennis Wolff was undoubtedly a good coach, one who ran a clean, respectable program, but it became painfully obvious over his 15-year tenure that BU basketball wasn’t going to be much more than what he had made it into. The Terriers would consistently have good teams, but, just as consistently, would come up short in a conference in which they really should win pretty routinely (at least based upon facilities, location of the school, etc.).
Much of this talk questioning the move to go with Chambers was quieted as BU made a run to the AE championship game and notched a couple of wins in the College Basketball Invitational, but I think as the early returns on Chambers go, I’m going with an inconclusive.
I was skeptical of the idea that a first-year coach could make a firmly rooted half-court team into Loyola Marymount University circa 1990 in the span of a single year, so I couldn’t say I was too disappointed or angered when BU didn’t live up to their billing as the preseason conference favorite. Injuries, much like they were with Wolff in his final season, certainly didn’t help the cause.
That being said, I don’t think a brief conference tournament run and a few wins in a third-rate tournament should have us all declaring this season to be an overwhelming success.
Nevertheless, even with the loss of nine seniors, the future of this program looks bright with what is arguably the best recruiting class in the history of the program coming in. Admittedly, recruiting can be a bit of a crapshoot, with some guys never living up to their billing and hype, but with five guys who are ranked in the 80s, you’d have to think at the very worst at least one or two of them will pan out.
Chambers himself even opted to pursue long-term rewards over instant gratification by luring in three promising transfers as opposed to stocking the team with junior college players.
In retrospect, AD Mike Lynch’s decision this time about a year ago was without doubt risky, but it was one that was made with an eye towards the future well being of this program.
If BU basketball and the BU Athletic Department as a whole were ever going to be much more than they already were, a change had to be made. And while the desired outcome wasn’t produced in year one, it may only be a matter of time before BU basketball fulfills that vision, that dream of being a mid-major power in college basketball.
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