Men's Basketball Season Preview: Young Terriers Face Early Challenges
November 10, 2005 | Men's Basketball
The Boston University men???s basketball team begins its season with a marquee lineup of games, starting Monday Nov. 14. The Terriers begin play in the preseason NIT at top-ranked Duke on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m., before returning home to take on the Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 22 at Agganis Arena. The Terriers have beaten the Wolverines two straight seasons in Michigan and will be looking for a series sweep in BU???s home-opener. Following a game at Rider over Thanksgiving weekend, the Terriers return home to play Atlantic-10 foe Rhode Island on Nov. 29, also at Agganis Arena. The pair of games at the new venue on BU???s campus are the first of four which will be played there this season. The Terriers will take on Vermont (Jan. 22) and Maine (Jan. 29) at Agganis as well.
Since the nature of college basketball causes even the best players to be replaced every four years, success at a given school has the potential to be ephemeral. However, if a program can develop a theme, a thread running through the years to connect players past with players current and players future, continued success can be achieved. Dennis Wolff has found such a skein and it is as simple as one of the most fundamental aspects of the game: defense.
Wolff, now in his 12th season as the head coach of Boston University men???s basketball, has built a program that has enjoyed long-running triumphs because it has benefited from quality athletes and because it has been carved from a quality foundation. Wolff???s teams have embodied his intense, aggressive approach with a hardscrabble man-to-man defense and an understanding that playing time is frequently dependent on defensive effort, not offensive production. The results have been indisputable. In the 325 games Wolff has coached at BU, the Terriers have allowed fewer than 55 points in nearly a quarter of those and amassed a remarkable 72-4 record when doing so. In 2004-05, the BU defense held opponents to just 37.1% shooting from the field - the lowest in the nation.
???From the first day I was hired as the coach here, I knew that if we were going to be successful, we had to get a team commitment to playing good defense,??? explained Wolff, who is BU???s all-time leader in wins with 192. ???Even in our bad years, we have defended well. If you can limit the opponents??? chances to score, you greatly improve your own chances of being successful.???
The team focus on defense will certainly be relevant in 2005-06, as the Terriers will be forced to replace 65% of their points from a year ago, as the top three scorers from 2004-05 are no longer with the team. Among the departed are graduated seniors Chaz Carr (1,406 points) and Rashad Bell (1,367 points), who rank eighth and ninth, respectively, all-time at BU in career scoring, and more importantly helped the Terriers win 85 games and advance to four straight postseason appearances, achievements which had never previously occurred in the 103-year history of BU basketball. Replacing such success is certainly part of maintaining that thread of a successful program, but the challenge will be large this year, especially for a team comprised of nine freshmen and sophomores, including seven players who have never set foot on an NCAA campus before this fall.
The cupboard is by no means bare, however, as seniors Shaun Wynn (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Kevin Gardner (Palos Verdes, Calif.), who have 167 games of experience combined, return, along with developing star Tony Gaffney (Berkley, Mass.) and solid role players Matt Wolff (Walpole, Mass.), Bryan Geffen (Bayside, N.Y.) and Omari Peterkin (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands).
???We have won the America East five times in my 11 years here,??? said Wolff. ???This year may be a little different approach, as the expectations outside of our program aren???t as high as they have been in the past few seasons. We do have a very talented roster of players and the challenge to improve daily remains the same.
???By the time we get into the heart of the league schedule, several of our players will have game experience and we will be able to determine who should be filling what role. By that time we will absolutely be able to compete and be near the top of the league standings.???
The energizing force on the Terriers will be senior co-captain Wynn. A third-year starter at the two-guard position, Wynn is the steadying presence on the team, rarely turning the ball over and always creating opportunities for teammates. His career assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.86, fifth-best in school history, and he is also a great pickpocket, recording two of BU???s top-10 single-season steal totals. A career 5.6 ppg scorer, he will not be asked to shoulder the scoring load, but simply to play the solid defense that helped him earn 2004 America East Defensive Player of the Year honors and to provide control and leadership on the floor.
???Shaun has been a very honest, hard-working player the whole time he has been here,??? commented Wolff. ???He recognizes what he has to do to be effective and does not try and do more than he is capable of.???
Senior co-captain Gardner, a sturdy presence in the post, was the Terriers??? second-leading rebounder last year (5.7 rpg) and has developed an accurate touch down low. He started all 29 games in 2004-05 and averaged a career-high 7.3 ppg, while shooting 52% from the field. He has the experience and the size to stop opposing forwards, however he must stay out of the foul trouble that has plagued him in the past in order to be effective.
???Kevin has improved considerably every year he has been here,??? observed Wolff. ???He needs to stay efficient in his offensive game and finish a little better around the basket, but we think he will have a terrific senior year.???
Gaffney could be a wild card on the Terriers, as he has the potential to have a breakout season after getting his feet wet as a freshman last year. The rangy 6-8 Gaffney is versatile enough to handle the ball, post up, step-out and hit the three and intimidate defensively and alter some shots. He averaged just 3.1 ppg and 2.9 rpg last year, but appeared in every game and will be called upon to carry more of the burden this year. He added over 20 pounds in the offseason, so he should be primed to be a force in the conference this year.
???If Tony can keep his focus and maintain his new body he certainly has a chance to be an impact player on this team and in this league,??? predicted Wolff.
Matt Wolff showed flashes of brilliance last year as a role player and will probably come off the bench to provide defensive intensity at the small forward slot. He scored 17 points in just his second collegiate game against Fordham and was huge in a BU come-from-behind victory over Albany. However, he struggled in the last half of the season, averaging just 2.6 ppg in his last 15 games, compared to 6.1 ppg in his first 14.
???Matt had a good start last year then struggled a little with his confidence,??? said Wolff, of his son. ???He comes in to provide stability for us and if he can make a few shots in the process that is a huge bonus.???
Among the other returnees, Geffen, who averaged 14.3 minutes per game, is a crisp ball-handler with long-range shooting ability. He will compete for more floor time and has improved his conditioning over the summer.
Peterkin is still trying to get in the flow of his career, having sat out for one year after transferring from Notre Dame in 2003. He debuted in the second semester of 2004-05, and showed signs of his potential, averaging 2.3 ppg and 2.2 rpg in less than 10 minutes per game. He is a big body in the paint (6-8, 255) and he possesses a soft touch, which should translate to more scoring production as well as a solid defensive presence.
A couple of Terriers who sat out last season as redshirts are back, with a year in the program under their belt. Ben Coblyn (Amherst, Mass.) actually saw action in three games before shutting down for the season with a lower back injury. He returns healthy, albeit untested, and should be an effective post player. He may get the chance to start early on and his quickness and athleticism in the paint could surprise some opponents.
Ibrahim Konate (Bamako, Mali), a 6-8 forward is a wiry presence down low who will make his biggest contributions defensively with his shot-blocking ability. He must show some improvement on the offensive end to earn steady playing time, but he will definitely be a factor on the defensive end of the court.
Five newcomers join the squad this season, including just the second junior college transfer in Wolff???s 12 years at BU, Brian Macon (Boynton Beach, Fla.). Macon will be an important player for the Terriers as he has the potential to step in and claim the starting point guard spot as well provide some of the needed scoring punch. He is very strong for his size (5-8) and is a mature ball-handler. He is a solid shooter and his quickness can help make up for his lack of height. Macon averaged 9.1 ppg and 6.6 apg in two seasons at Miami Dade College, and shot a remarkable 40.1% from three-point land during his career.
???Brian is a very heady player, who really has an idea of how to play the point and get other guys involved,??? stated Wolff.
Corey Hassan is an athletic wingman out of Merrimack, N.H., who could be the instant offense the Terriers are looking for off the bench. He is a sharp shooter who should see extensive playing time during the year.
Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind.) is a combination guard who is one of the better ball-handlers on the team. He was not the star in high school, as he played with current top-rated prep star Greg Oden at Lawrence North HS. Morris is very athletic and very competitive and will bring fire and passion to the court when he is in the game. Morris will miss the entire 2005-06 season, however. He injured his ankle in preseason practice and was required to undergo surgery. He will return as a redshirt freshman in 2006-07.
Brendan Sullivan (Darien, Conn.) was a late signee over the summer, however he could mold into a terrific player. He is a solid shooter and can stretch defenses by popping outside with his 6-8 frame. He needs to put on some weight and get strong enough to handle the college game, but the coaching staff believes in his potential.
Marques Johnson (Hazlet, N.J.) is another gifted ball-handler who averaged 13.5 ppg and almost seven assists per game in high school. He will have the opportunity to run the team at the point, as he makes very smart decisions with the ball.
BU will have its work cut out in a very competitive, even America East this season. Defending champion Vermont lost four starters from last year???s NCAA squad, and Northeastern departed the league for the Colonial Athletic Association. Of the remaining seven teams, none finished with a winning record in league play, and only Albany and Binghamton return as many as four starters. The America East???s automatic bid will be fought for in the league tournament, which plays its opening rounds in Vestal, N.Y. (Binghamton???s home), with the title game being played at the highest remaining seed.
The Terriers face a tremendous non-conference schedule, beginning the season at Duke in the preseason NIT, followed by the home opener against Michigan at Agganis Arena. The Terriers will also travel to California for the Cable Car Classic over Christmas vacation to take on 2005 NCAA Cinderella Bucknell.
???We will be an inexperienced team this year but we have many strengths, such as our ability to defend and our improved depth,??? summarized Wolff. ???Our scoring will come from different places, and every game will be a team effort. I like the blend of players we have assembled and I think we have a great chance to be in contention right there in the end.???
There in the end like they always are. That is the effect of the constant thread of Dennis Wolff???s tapestry of defense to keep the Terriers competitive year in and year out.
To purchase tickets for Terrier home games, or for more information, click here or
visit the Ticket Office at 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or call 617-353-GOBU (4628).
