Men's Basketball Notes
November 18, 1999 | Men's Basketball
The Boston University men's basketball program will begin its 91st season of play against Northern Illinois University at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 19 in first round play at the Doral/Florida International Tip-Off Classic at Golden Panther Arena.
Basketball Notes
| No. | Name | Yr. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | 1998-99 Stats/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Dereck Franklin | So. | G | 6-0 | 180 | Chantilly, VA | 7.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg |
| 34 | Matt Turner | Fr. | G | 5-9 | 160 | West Haven, CT | Making first collegiate start |
| 23 | Mike Costello | Sr. | F | 6-4 | 210 | Belmont, MA | 7.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg/138 career 3pt'ers |
| 42 | Ignacio Rodriguez | So. | F | 6-9 | 225 | Canary Islands, Spain | 4.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg |
| 55 | Jean Avebe | Sr. | C | 6-7 | 210 | Yaounde, Cameroon | 7.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg |
The 91st Season The Boston University men's basketball team begins its 91st season of varsity competition in 1999-2000. Since 1901-02, the Terriers have totaled an 842-850 record (.498). In the last 20 years, B.U. has registered a 330-254 mark (.565)... In that span, there have been 14 winning campaigns, six 20-win seasons, and four NCAA Tournament appearances (1983, 1988, 1990, and 1997).
Last Season Opener of the 90s Tonight marks the 1999-2000 season opener for the Terriers... Overall, Boston University is 52-36 in season openers, 2-3 under Dennis Wolff... Last season, the Terriers lost to UNC Charlotte, 65-50, at Case Gymnasium... The Terriers are 5-4 in season openers in the 90s.
In-Season Tournaments Boston University has a 47-71 overall record in in-season tournament play, including three titles... Under head coach Dennis Wolff, the Terriers have a 6-8 record, including one-title - the 1996 University of South Florida/Sports Foundation Classic.
Northern Illinois is First-Round Opponent The Terriers will begin the 1999-2000 season vs. Northern Illinois University at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 19 in the first round of the Doral/Florida International Tip-Off Classic in Miami, FL... Florida International and Radford University will meet in other first-round matchup at 7:30 p.m.
Family Ties NIU assistant coach Andy Greer is the older brother of B.U. assistant Larry Greer... Andy Greer was an assistant coach at B.U. under Mike Jarvis in 1989-90.
Against the Tournament Field -Northern Illinois University - First meeting... This is the third straight season that the Terriers have faced a member of the Mid-American Conference... Last season, B.U. fell to Miami (Ohio) University, 70-53, in Nova Scotia... Overall, B.U. is 4-6 against the MAC.
- Florida International - FIU leads, 1-0... The Golden Panthers defeated the Terriers, 59-54, in the first round on the Orange Bowl Tournament on December 28, 1984 in Miami...B.U. has never met any other member of the Sun Belt Conference.
- Radford University - First meeting... The Terriers will host Liberty, also a member of the Big South, on January 14... B.U. is 0-1 against the Big South, losing to Coastal Carolina, 85-78, at Walter Brown Arena on December 10, 1992.
Terriers Against Non-Conference Foes In head coach Dennis Wolff's five seasons, the Terriers are 24-22 against non-conference opponents... Last season B.U. was 4-4 in non-conference games.
Seventh Trip to the Sunshine State This is B.U.'s seventh trip to the state of Florida... The Terriers are 4-8 in games played in the Sunshine state. - During the 1965-66 season, the Terriers, under the direction of head coach John Burke competed in the Hurricane Classic in Miami... B.U. lost contests to Miami, 81-60, and Georgia Tech, 83-40. - Four years later, the Charlie Luce led Terriers participated in the West Palm Beach Tournament in West Palm Beach... The Terriers defeated Florida Southern, 83-68, behind Jimmy Hayes' 30 points, but lost to Stetson, 86-67, in the championship game. - On January 3, 1976, Roy Sigler's Terriers dropped a 92-81 decision at South Florida. - Five days later, despite 21 points from Neil Burns, the Terriers bowed to Rollins College in Winter Park, 80-67. - On December 27, 1981, the Terriers under the direction of head coach Rick Pitino, lost 67-61 at South Florida... Gary Plummer had 20 points and seven rebounds for B.U. - On December 28, 1984,John Kuester's Terriers lost to Florida International, 59-54, in the opening round of the Orange Bowl Tournament. In the consolation game, the Terriers defeated Drexel, 62-59. - During the 1996-97 season, Dennis Wolff's squad won the Sports Foundation Classic at Sun Dome in Tampa, FL.... The Terriers defeated Loyola, MD, 71-51, and South Florida, 65-49... Terrier great Tunji Awojobi scored 44 points on 19-of-29 shooting and grabbed 22 rebounds in the two-day tournament.
Trailblazing Terriers In Dennis Wolff's five seasons, the Terriers men's basketball team has competed in six in-season tournaments across the country... Since 1994-95, B.U. has participated in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, HI; the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque, NM; the Sports Foundation Classic in Tampa, FL; the Red Auerbach Colonial Classic in Washington, DC; the ASU/Tribune Classic in Tempe, AZ; and the Montanta State/Touch America Holiday Stores Classic in Bozeman, MT.
Recapping the Exhibition Season Nov. 7 - Nantucket Nectars Naturals 70, Boston University 68 Jean Avebe's jumper put Boston University ahead, 68-67, with 2:32 to play, but the Terriers were unable to score again, as Matt Turner's potential game-winning three-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer... Despite the loss, several Terriers turned in strong individual performances... Turner made his debut in the Scarlet and White in impressive fashion, leading all scorers with 22 points, including three 3-pointers... Another freshman, Jacob Kudlacz, also turned in a strong debut with 17 points... Avebe added nine points, and pulled in a game-high 16 rebounds.
Nov. 14 - Boston University 68, Citizens Bank All-Stars 57 After trailing 31-29 at halftime, the Terriers controlled the second half, leading by as many as 15... Freshman Paul Seymour scored all eight of his points, including a pair of three-pointers, during an 11-0 second-half run that put Boston University on top for good... Kudlacz registered a double-double by scoring a game-high 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds... Mike Costello was the other Terrier to reach double figures with his 14 points... Avebe added nine points and 12 rebounds, as the Terriers held a 51-36 rebounding edge as a team.
Reviewing 1998-99 Boston University completed the 1998-99 season with a disappointing 9-18 record... The Terriers, who finished 5-13 in the league-play, lost to Towson, 71-58, in the first round of the America East Championships... It was the first non-winning season since 1994-95, and just the second campaign in the 1990s that the squad did not reach double figures in victories.
Quoting Wolff on 1998-99 "It was definitely a disappointing year for us. We were disjointed and never established a sense of character. However, our young players were able to gain some experience and learn from it."
A Very Young Team B.U. has just two seniors - Mike Costello and Jean Avebe - and no juniors on its 1999-2000 roster In all, there are five freshman and five sophomores Two sophomores, Billy Collins and Stijn Dhondt, will sit out 1999-2000 as a result of his transferring from Rutgers and Cuseta College, respectively... In all, the Terriers return 42.2 percent (732-of-1736) of their scoring production and 51.3 percent (493-of-962) of their rebounding totals from 1998-99.
Quoting Wolff on 1999-2000 "We will be young and raw, but I feel we will improve as the season progresses. The freshmen class is talented, but will have to grow up quickly."
Costello is Fourth on B.U. Career Three-Point List With 137 three-pointers, senior Mike Costello ranks fourth on the B.U. career three-point list.... Mark Daly 92 is the career leader with 202. In 1998-99, Costello (7.8 ppg) connected on a team-high 48 three-pointers, including eight games with three or more... Costello finished ninth in America East with a .365 success rate from three-point land.
Jean Avebe Steps Up
Defense Will Be The Key Defense has been a cornerstone in the Dennis Wolff era. In Wolff's five seasons, B.U. has a 74-22 mark when holding opponents under 70 points... In 1998-99, B.U. was 9-5 when holding opponents under 70 points, and were 8-1 when allowing under 60. The Terriers also held opponents under .400 shooting from the field 10 times in 1998-99... B.U. was 8-2 in those games.
Three-Point Field Goal Streak at 93 Entering the 1999-2000 season, B.U. has a 93-game three-point field goal streak... The last time the Terriers were held scoreless from beyond the three-point arc was Feb. 10, 1996, when they were 0-for-10 in a loss at Vermont... B.U. has hit three-pointers in 145-of-147 games in the Dennis Wolff-era.
America East Success Boston University is one of the charter members of the America East Conference, which was founded in 1979. In those 20 seasons, the Terriers have won a league-record 165 conference and 30 tournament contests, including championships in 1983, 1988, 1990, and 1997.
Butt Signs National Letter of Intent Ryan Butt, a 6-7, 235-pound power forward from Hempfield H.S. in Landisville, PA, signed a national letter of intent to play for the Terriers on Thursday, November 11.
Playing the Best Boston University annually plays a challenging non-conference schedule: Last season, the Terriers played three teams that reached the 1999 NCAA Tournament (UNC Charlotte, Miami (Ohio), and Delaware) as well as two that played in the postseason N.I.T. (Alabama and Colorado). In 1999-2000, B.U. will compete in two in-season tournaments - in November at Florida International and in late December in 1999 N.I.T. Champion California's holiday tournament. In addition, the Terriers will renew their long-time rivalries against New England neighbors Massachusetts and Providence.
Joe Tompkins Tribute This season the Boston University men's basketball team will be wearing black arm bands in tribute to longtime B.U. employee and Terrier supporter Joe Tompkins... Joe died suddenly at work on Tuesday, July 13, 1999... He worked as a custodian at B.U. for 30-plus years and loved the interaction with the coaching staff and the student-athletes.
1999-00 Player Notes
#23 Mike Costello Sr. G Belmont, MA
#55 Jean Avebe Sr. F Yaounde, Cameroon 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Starter both games averaging 9.0 ppg and 14 rpg... Shot 8-of-18 (.44 %) from the floor in the preseason... Had a high of 16 rebounds in 70-68 loss to Nantucket Nectars Naturals on November 7. 1998-99: Appeared in all 27 games, starting 14... Averaged a career-high 7.5 points (8.8 ppg in conference games) and 4.9 rebounds a game... Shot a team-high .538 (85-of-158) from the field... Had eight double-figure scoring efforts... Recorded team highs in points (16) and rebounds (8) vs. Hartford on 2/21... Shot 7-of-12 from the field and dished out a career-high three assists against the Hawks... Posted a career-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting vs. Northeastern... Had 12 points and six rebounds at Maine on 2/6... Scored 14 points and added seven rebounds vs. Vermont on 1/22... Pulled down a team-high nine rebounds in a starting role at Hofstra on 1/17... Scored 11 points against UNH on 1/12... Added 11 points in a starting role vs. Maine on 1/10... Posted a then-career-high 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting at Delaware on 1/5... Scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting vs. Canisius on 12/29... Tied a career high with 11 rebounds vs. Manhattan on 12/22... Had a team-high seven rebounds at Northeastern on 12/5... Pulled down 10 rebounds vs. American on 11/30... Had six rebounds vs. Miami (Ohio) on 11/27... Scored four points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench vs. Alabama on 11/22... Made his fourth career start vs. UNC Charlotte on 11/17 Career: Has appeared in 76 career games, starting 17... Has scored 311 career points... A tremendous athlete, who is still reaching his potential... A native of Cameroon, Avebe only started playing basketball as a teenager... Played one year of scholastic basketball in New York State in 1995-96... Averaged 3.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 1997-98.
#3 Dereck Franklin So. G Chantilly, VA 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Started both games, averaging 4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 3.5 apg... Played all but one minute in 70-68 loss to Nantucket Nectars Naturals on November 7. 1998-99: Earned America East All-Rookie Team honors... Appeared in all 27 games, starting 22... Sixth on team in scoring (7.5 ppg)... Second in assists (69, 2.6 apg) and steals (27, 1.0 spg)... Had a team-best .788 free throw percentage (63-of-80)... Had nine double-figure scoring outings... Four-time America East Rookie of the Week (11/29, 12/28, 1/3, and 1/24)... Scored all 13 of his points in the second half vs. Drexel on 2/15... Added eight points and five rebounds vs. Hofstra on 2/13... Had 10 points at Maine on 2/6... Scored seven points and tied a season high with seven rebounds at UNH on 2/4... Had a season-high four steals at Hartford on 1/24... Scored 15 points and added a season-high seven rebounds vs. Vermont on 1/22... Hit a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime against Vermont... Added 10 points and three rebounds at Hofstra on 1/17... Scored 12 points at Drexel on 1/15... Hit a season-high three three-point field goals for nine points vs. UNH on 1/12... Scored a season-high 18 points, including 6-of-6 free throws in the final 0:43 at Towson on 1/3... Scored 13 points and dished out a team-high five assists vs. Colorado on 12/28... Added 10 points, all in the second half, vs. Manhattan on 12/22... In his first collegiate start vs. Miami (Ohio), scored a team-high 15 points, 13 in the second half... Scored five points and added three rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench vs. Alabama on 11/22... Scored three points off the bench in his collegiate debut vs. UNC Charlotte on 11/17. Career: Solid defensive player with slashing offensive style ... An All-D.C. Metro selection in 1997-98 for Chantilly H.S.... Played in the Capital Classic All-Star Game in April 1998.
#42 Nacho Rodriguez So. F Canary Islands, Spain 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Sat out both games due to an ankle injury. 1998-99: Appeared in 25 games, starting 15... Averaged 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds... Averaged 4.8 rebounds per game in conference play... Had nine points (on 4-of-4 shooting), five rebounds, and a season-high three steals vs. Hartford on 2/21... Scored a season-high 12 points and added eight rebounds off the bench at Vermont on 2/19... Missed the Drexel (2/15) and Northeastern (2/10) games due to a sprained ankle... Added seven points and a season-high nine rebounds at UNH on 2/4... Scored a then-season-high 10 points and added five rebounds off the bench vs. Towson on 1/29... Pulled down eight rebounds vs. Vermont on 1/22... Led team in rebounding at Drexel (5) on 1/15 and vs. UNH (6) on 1/12... Added six rebounds at Towson on 1/3... Scored six points and added four rebounds vs. Colorado on 12/28... Scored eight points and added three rebounds at Harvard on 12/8... Scored seven points and contributed two steals vs. Alabama - his first collegiate start - on 11/22... Played 19 minutes off the bench against UNC Charlotte on 11/17 and scored six points - all in the second half. Career: Hard-working, active player with solid offensive skills... Runs the floor well... Played at St. Thomas More Prep School in Oakdale, CT... Seven players from his high school team earned Division I scholarships.
#21 Jerome Graham So. F N. Minneapolis, MN 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in both exhibitions averaging 2.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg... Started against Nantucket Nectars Naturals on November 7. 1998-99: Has appeared in 16 games off the bench... Averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds a game... Established season highs in points (10) and rebounds (8) in a season-high 23 minutes at Vermont on 2/19... Shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line, and blocked a season-high three shots vs. the Catamounts... Pulled down a season-high five rebounds at Hartford on 1/24... Played a then-season-high 15 minutes vs. Vermont on 1/22, scoring one point and blocking a season-high two shots... Hit two free throws vs. UNH on 1/12... Contributed first collegiate points (2) in five minutes vs. Maine on 1/10... Played two minutes and grabbed one rebound off the bench vs. UNC Charlotte on 11/17. Career: First-year player who adds depth to frontcourt... A Minnesota All-State selection in 1998 for Washburn H.S.
#13 Marshall Crane So. G Bow, NH 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in both preseason games... Scored one point in 68-57 win over Citizens Bank All-Stars on November 14. 1998-99: Sat out the 1999 spring semester to concentrate on academics... Appeared in four games, totaling 15 minutes... Hit his first collegiate three-point field goal vs. Canisius on 12/29. Career: Good long-range shooter... Played for Bishop Brady H.S., the New Hampshire state finalist in 1997-98.
#22 Mark Michalek So. G Englewood, CO 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in preseason game vs. Citizens Bank All-Stars. 1998-99: Has appeared in 15 games off the bench... Averaged 0.5 points and 0.5 rebounds a game... Contributed two assists vs. Vermont on 1/22... Had two rebounds vs. Canisius on 12/29... Played a season-high 19 minutes vs. Colorado on 12/28... Scored his first collegiate points on an off-balance first-half layup vs. Miami (Ohio) University on 11/27... Also had two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in nine minutes off the bench. Career: Walk-on player.... Steady defender and ball handler... Played scholastically at Cheshire (CT) Academy.
#34 Matt Turner Fr. G West Haven, CT 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in both games, averaging 15.0 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 3.0 rpg... Started and scored game-high 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting in a 70-68 loss to Nantucket Nectars Naturals on November 7... Also had four steals in the preseason and shot 5-of-14 from three-point range.
#14 Jacob Kudlacz Fr. C-F Glen Cove, NY 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in both games, averaging 16.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg... Started and scored game-high 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 68-57 win over Citizens Bank All-Stars on November 14... Had three blocked shots and shot 7-of-10 from the free-throw line during the preseason.
#5 Paul Seymour Fr. G Liverpool, NY 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in both preseason games, averaging 6.0 ppg and 3.5 rpg... Scored eight points including two key three-point field goals in the Terriers, 68-57, win against Citizens Bank All-Stars on November 14.
#20 John Sadusky Fr. G Fairfax, VA 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Appeared in one preseason game... Started and scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in a 68-57 win over Citizens Bank All-Stars on November 14.
#24 Jason Grochowalski Fr. F Shrewsbury, MA 1999-00 Exhibition Notebook: Sat out preseason due to a broken finger.
