TIP-OFF: The Boston University menâÂ?
TMs basketball team heads west over the holiday break to play in the Cable Car Classic for the first time since 1988. The Terriers (4-6) will join Bucknell (8-1), UC-Riverside (0-8) and host Santa Clara (5-5) in the two-day tournament on Dec. 28-29 at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, Calif. The Terriers will open play on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at approximately 11 p.m. (EST) against Bucknell, immediately following the Santa Clara-UC Riverside contest. WednesdayâÂ?
TMs winners will meet in the championship game at 11 p.m. Thursday, with the losers playing in the consolation game at 9 p.m. BU has been hot as of late, winning four of its last five to recover from an 0-5 start. BU defeated Canisius 69-56 on Dec. 22 in its most recent outing. BU played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation in the first part of the year, and as of Dec. 9, USA TodayâÂ?
TMs Sagarin rating had the TerriersâÂ?
TM docket as the sixth-toughest in the country. Four of BUâÂ?
TMs first five opponents (Duke, Michigan, Rhode Island and George Washington) had combined for a 33-4 record as of Dec. 23. Bucknell, which became the first Patriot League team to win a game in the NCAA tournament last season with an upset of Kansas, was unofficially ranked 29th in the Dec. 19 AP poll. The Bison have wins at DePaul and at Syracuse this season, and have also beaten a common foe with BU, Rider, 56-54. The Terriers lost at Rider 71-64 on Nov. 26.
ABOUT BUCKNELL: The Bison are led by Chris McNaughton, who has team-highs of 15.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg, and Kevin Bettencourt, who is averaging 13.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg. Bucknell is allowing just 56.8 ppg on the season and opponents are shooting just 36.4% from the field (12th-lowest in the country). Conversely, the Bison are hitting 51.1% of their field goal attempts, 12th-best in the nation. Bucknell has a pair of New Englanders in its projected starting lineup, as Bettencourt, a senior guard, attended Peabody HS in Peabody, Mass., and sophomore forward Darren Mastropaolo attended Falmouth HS in Falmouth, Maine.
RADIO-TV COVERAGE: Both games of the Cable Car Classic will be broadcast on radio on WTTT-1150-AM. Doug Brown and former Boston College and Ohio State head coach Jim OâÂ?TMBrien will provide the call. BU head coach Dennis Wolff began his Division I coaching career under OâÂ?TMBrien at St. Bonaventure from 1982-85. The radio broadcast can be accessed on the internet at http://www.bu.edu/athletics/fans/tv-radio-schedule.html.
RETURNING TO STRENGTH: BU has returned to as full strength as it will be this season, as sophomore forward Tony Gaffney returns to action against Canisius on Dec. 22. Gaffney, who was suspended for violating team policy on Nov. 28, after playing just three games, has been reinstated after fulfilling his obligation to the team. Gaffney played in all 29 games last year and was averaging 6.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg before his suspension. Additionally, freshman forward Ben Coblyn returned on Dec. 10 after missing four games with a high ankle sprain. BU had been down to just nine healthy bodies for four games when Gaffney and Coblyn were out. The Terriers are still missing two players from the squad they started preseason practice with: On Nov. 29 against Rhode Island, sophomore guard Matt Wolff tore ligaments in his left knee and underwent surgery on Dec. 23 to repair the damage. He is out for the season. Freshman guard Tyler Morris tore ligaments in his ankle and developed bone chips during preseason practice, and will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery in mid-November. Of the now 11 healthy and active players, just five had seen action in a Division I college basketball game prior to this season.
BU HISTORY VS. CABLE CAR CLASSIC FIELD: BU has not faced any of the three teams in the Cable Car Classic.
THE COACHES: The Terriers are led by 12th year head coach Dennis Wolff (Connecticut âÂ?~78). Wolff is 196-139 (.585) in his career at BU, 226-157 (.590) in 14 years overall, including a 30-18 record in two seasons at Connecticut College. Wolff is the all-time leader in victories at BU, having surpassed Mike Jarvis (101) on Jan. 22, 2001. Wolff is a three-time America East Coach of the Year (1997, 2003, 2004) and has twice been named both NABC District I and New England Coach of the Year (1997, 2004).
Under Wolff, BU has dominated in America East play, sporting a stout 126-67 (.653) mark, including 72-25 (.742) in home league contests. Wolff has led the Terriers to at least a share of four America East regular-season titles (1997, 2002, 2003, and 2004) and two America East Tournament championships (1997, 2002). BU has advanced to a pair of NCAA Tournaments under Wolff and has won 20 or more games on five occasions during his tenure.
WolffâÂ?TMs assistants are Orlando Vandross (America International âÂ?~92), Mike Winiecki (Richmond âÂ?~89) and Mike Costello (BU âÂ?~00).
Bucknell is led by Pat Flannery (Bucknell âÂ?~80), who is 275-190 in 17 years overall, 180-147 in 12 years with the Bison.
Santa Clara is led by Dick Davey (Pacific âÂ?~64), who is 222-169 in 14 years overall and with the Broncos. He has led SCU to three NCAA Tournament appearances.
UC-Riverside is led by David Spencer (Delaware âÂ?~72), who is 0-8 in his first season as a head coach. He had been an academic coordinator at UCR since 2001 and has prior coaching experience at Hawaii, Long Beach State and Nevada.
BU vs. PATRIOT LEAGUE: BU is 50-72 against current members of the Patriot League. BU and Colgate were both members of the North Atlantic League from the 1981-82 season until the 1989-90 campaign. The Terriers will face another Patriot League member in Holy Cross on Jan. 2, 2006. Terrier head coach Dennis Wolff is 6-2 all-time against the Patriot League (his record in parentheses):
American 2-0 (2-0)
Army 9-6 (1-0)
Bucknell 0-0 (0-0)
Colgate 22-15 (0-0)
Holy Cross 12-47 (3-2)
Lafayette 2-4 (0-0)
Lehigh 1-0 (0-0)
Navy 2-0 (0-0)
The Terriers are 1-2 all-time against the West Coast Conference (home of Santa Clara), including 0-1 against Gonzaga and 2-0 against Pepperdine. The Terriers are 1-2 all-time against the Big West Conference (home of UC-Riverside), including 0-1 against UC Santa Barbara and 1-1 against UC Irvine.
TERRIERS IN IN-SEASON TOURNAMENTS: BU has been playing in in-season tournaments since 1954, when it went 1-2 in the Richmond Invitational. BU is 49-78 all-time in in-season tournaments (not including the preseason NIT). The only in-season tournaments the Terriers have won are: the 1964 and 1974 Beanpot, and the 1996 Christmas Shootout in Tampa, Fla. BU is 10-15 in in-season tournaments under current head coach Dennis Wolff. BU last played in one in 2002, when the Terriers beat Florida State (84-69) and lost to Arizona (85-71) in the Fiesta Bowl Classic.
RETURNING TO THE CABLE CAR CLASSIC: BU has made an appearance in the Cable Car Classic on one other occasion. In 1988, under then-head coach Mike Jarvis, BU went West and lost to UNC Charlotte 76-53 in the first round and came back to beat Navy 75-54 in the consolation game.
CANISIUS RECAP: Kevin Gardner tied his career-high with 20 points and Ben Coblyn established his career-high with 14 as the Boston University menâÂ?TMs basketball team defeated Canisius 69-56 on Dec. 22. The Terriers dominated the game down low, outscoring Canisius 36-18 inside the paint. Gardner and Coblyn combined for 15 of BUâÂ?TMs 20 two-point buckets, and along with forward Omari Peterkin, combined for 30 rebounds. BU outrebounded the smaller Golden Griffins 41-29. Gardner and Coblyn each had 11 boards, while Peterkin finished with eight. Corey Hassan added 16 points for BU, including 7-7 from the free throw line in the second half.
With the score tied at 49-49, Coblyn had three straight baskets to key a 10-0 run, as the BU defense held Canisius scoreless for almost six minutes. Coblyn, who had never reached double figures in scoring in his career, was 7-8 from the field. Hassan started the skein with three free throws after being fouled while shooting a three.
BU seemingly took control of the game early in the second half when the Terriers made three consecutive three pointers in the span of one minute. Trailing 36-34 with 15 minutes left, Hassan hit a pair of threes, sandwiched around a Brian Macon triple to give BU a 45-39 lead with 13:50 remaining. A Peterkin hoop completed an 8-0 run and gave BU a 47-39 edge, but Canisius roared back, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to tie the game at 49.
BU shot 48% from the field for the game, and held Canisius to just 35.7%. The Golden Griffins were led by Jon PopofskiâÂ?TMs 12 points. CanisiusâÂ?TMs leading scorer on the season, Kevin Downey, was held to just eight points thanks to the strong defensive effort of Shaun Wynn.
The Golden Griffins were hot from the outside in the opening 20 minutes, hitting 6 of 10 from three-point range to take a 30-28 lead into the halftime locker room. BU stayed close thanks to Gardner, who had 11 points in the half. Canisius took its largest lead of the game, 26-20 on PopofskiâÂ?TMs third three-pointer, but BU quickly tied the game with an 8-2 run in the next three minutes.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE: With Kevin Gardner (20-11) and Ben Coblyn (14-11) each recording double figures in both points and rebounds, it took a check of the record book to determine the last time that had happened in BU history. The answer came almost four years ago on Mar. 2, 2002, in the America East Tournament first round against Northeastern. In that game, Jason Grochowalski scored 21 points and hauled in 11 rebounds, while Billy Collins scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Terriers beat the Huskies 86-76 en route to the tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth.
CANISIUS NOTABLE:
- Kevin Gardner matched his career-high of 20 points set against Boston College on Dec. 11, 2004. He also came within one of his career-high in rebounds (12), set at BC on Nov. 29, 2003 and again this season against Rhode Island (11/29).
- Gardner recorded his second double-double of the season and the third of his career. The others: 12 points, 11 rebounds vs. Binghamton (1/9/05) and 12 points, 11 rebounds against Michigan (11/22/05).
- Ben CoblynâÂ?TMs 14 points and 11 rebounds were both career-highs. His previous bests had been nine points (at Duke) and eight rebounds (at Maine) earlier this year.
- Corey Hassan scored in double figures for the fifth straight game, however his streak of leading the team in scoring ended at four. Hassan is averaging 15.4 ppg in his last five contests.
- Hassan has hit at least one three-pointer in each of BUâÂ?TMs 10 games this season. ItâÂ?TMs the best run for a Terrier since Chaz Carr had treys in 20 straight games last year.
- Hassan also set his career-high in assists with six. His previous best had been three, established in BUâÂ?TMs previous game, at UMass.
- BU tied its season-high with 20 assists against the Golden Griffins - a game after a season-low four dishes against UMass. The Terriers also had 20 assists against Harvard on Dec. 6.
- Omari Peterkin tied his career-high with eight rebounds. He also had eight against New Hampshire on Dec. 8.
- BU held CanisiusâÂ?TM leading scorer Kevin Downey to just eight points, marking the first time in 28 games Downey had not scored double figures. He had been averaging 17.1 ppg coming in, but BU held him to just 3-11 shooting from the field.
- BU has now beaten Canisius in 11 of the teamâÂ?TMs last 12 meetings.
- The TerriersâÂ?TM 41-29 rebound advantage was their largest of the year and their biggest since they outrebounded Hartford 41-25 on Feb. 5, 2005.
- BU shot a season-best 70% from the free-throw line, making 14-20 attempts. The Terriers were 10-11 from the line in the second half.
- After having shot just 13 free throws in its first three games, the Terriers are 64-99 from the line in the last seven contests. Opponents still hold a 152-112 advantage in free-throw attempts on the year and a 94-72 advantage in free throws made.
A HELPING HAND: Senior Shaun Wynn continues to get his teammates the ball in scoring opportunities. Wynn has handed out a team-high 37 assists in nine games - and has committed just 18 turnovers, a 2.06 assist:turnover ratio, which is second-best in the league. He had a stretch earlier this year where he had 12 assists and just one turnover in three games (Harvard, UNH, Maine). He had a game-high six assists at Duke (the same amount as the entire Blue Devil team) and seven against Michigan and has led the team in dishes six times this season. Last season, Wynn was fifth in the America East with 100 assists (3.4 apg) and he now has 249 for his career. Jeff Timberlake âÂ?~89 holds the school record with 772 dishes, but Wynn could climb into the top-10 with a solid year; Jim Schwartz âÂ?~97 currently is 10th all-time at BU with 332 assists.
GARDNER HARVESTING THE BOARDS: If there is a missed shot in a game, there is a good chance Terrier senior forward Kevin Gardner will be the one to grab the rebound. Gardner leads the team and is second in the America East with 7.3 rpg, and is on a pace to destroy his career-high on the boards. He passed the 400-rebound mark for his career against UNH (12/8) and now has 424. Gardner came in to 2005-06 with a 4.1 rpg average in his three years, with his best season of 5.7 rpg coming last year. He has already recorded games of 11 boards (Michigan 11/22, Canisius 12/22) and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds (URI 11/29) this season. In 85 previous games, Gardner had just three performances of 10 or more rebounds (@BC in 2003; Binghamton and Northeastern in 2005). Tunji Awojobi was the last Terrier to average double figures in rebounding in a single season, grabbing 10.2 caroms per game in 1996-97.
HASSAN THE ASSASSIN: Just 10 games into the season, true freshman Corey Hassan is proving to be a legitimate long distance threat. The Merrimack, N.H., product leads the team with 27 three-pointers, and has hit at least one in every game. Although early, Hassan has a chance to be one of the great freshman three-point shooters in school history. Paul Seymour made 70 threes as a rookie in 1999-2000, while Chaz Carr hit 45 during his freshman year of 2001-02. Hassan already ranks in the top-10 on that list, checking at no. 8, and is on pace to can at least 76 treys on the year. Hassan leads the team in scoring with 11.5 ppg as well. The last freshman to lead BU in scoring was Tunji Awojobi, who averaged 18.9 ppg in 1993-94.
BU TOP-10 FRESHMAN THREE-POINTERS MADE
No. Name Total Year
1. Paul Seymour 70 1999-2000
2. Chaz Carr 45 2001-02
3. Tremain Byrd 38 1993-94
Jason Grochowalski 38 2000-01
5. LeVar Folk 35 1995-96
6. Raja Bell 33 1994-95
7. Mike Costello 32 1996-97
8. COREY HASSAN 27 2005-06
9. Mark Daly 22 1988-89
10. Brian Holden 21 1990-91
WYNN IN THE RECORD BOOKS: After WynnâÂ?TMs lethally efficient season last year, in which he handed out 100 assists and recorded 53 steals while only committing 44 turnovers, the senior guard has an opportunity to leave his mark in the Terrier record books. Wynn has 136 career steals, placing him 9th all-time at BU. Shawn Teague holds the school mark with 201 thefts, but a comparable season to 2004-05 could move Wynn as high as fourth. Wynn also has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.94, the fourth-best in school annals. Jeff Timberlake (âÂ?~89) is tops on the list at 2.24.
A FAMILY AFFAIR: For BU head coach Dennis Wolff, the office can feel like home sometimes. His son, Matt, is a sophomore guard on the Terriers this season. Matt Wolff, who is 6-6 and played in every game as a freshman, is a solid defender who can light it up from the outside and creates match-up problems for opposing defenses. He tore ligaments in left knee against Rhode Island on Nov. 29, however, and is out definitely this season. Matt played his high school ball at Walpole HS, where the family lives, where he averaged 19 ppg as a senior. The basketball connection for the Wolff family does not end with the father-son combo; Nicole Wolff, DennisâÂ?TM daughter and MattâÂ?TMs sister plays for the University of Connecticut as a junior guard. Dennis Wolff graduated from UConn in 1978, where he was a two-year letterwinner.
COUNTDOWN TO 200: Dennis Wolff is just four wins shy of his 200th win at BU. Wolff is 196-139 in 12 seasons on the Terrier bench and is already the schoolâÂ?TMs all-time leader in victories. Wolff won his first game at BU in his debut, an 80-78 victory over Rider on Nov. 25, 1994. It took Wolff 80 games to reach the 50-win mark, 108 games to go from 50 to 100, and 83 games to go from 100 to 150. BU is 46-18 since Wolff won his 150th game.
Dennis Wolff: DEAN OF AMERICA EAST COACHES: With the retirement of VermontâÂ?TMs Tom Brennan at the end of last season, Dennis Wolff is now the elder statesman among America East coaches. Wolff is in his 12th season on the bench, and no other leading man in the conference has coached at his current school for more than five years. Brennan had been at Vermont for 20 years. Coming in to 2005-06, WolffâÂ?TMs 192 wins at BU were more than the coaches at the other eight schools in the America East combined (174). In terms of total years coached among league mentors, WolffâÂ?TMs 13 total years of experience trails New HampshireâÂ?TMs Bill Herrion (18), BinghamtonâÂ?TMs Al Walker (17) and UMBCâÂ?TMs Randy Monroe (14).
BU ON TV: The Terriers will make a minimum of six television appearances in 2005-06. BU begins the season at Duke on ESPN2 in the preseason NIT. The Terriers will then play three games at Agganis Arena (Michigan, 11/22; Vermont, 1/22; Maine, 1/29) on the New England Sports Network (NESN) as part of a university package with the station. Eric Frede will provide play-by-play for those games, with Ronny Perry handling analysis. The Terriers will also be televised at Holy Cross (NESN), Albany (2/4 - NESN) and at Vermont (2/23 - NESN).
SPECIAL GUESTS HIGHLIGHT RADIO BROADCASTS: BU alum Doug Brown returns to the microphone to broadcast Terrier basketball over the airwaves this season. A collection of former Terrier players and former rival coaches will aid Brown in providing color analysis.
Former forward Billy Collins (2000-2003) will serve as the color commentator in the majority of the broadcasts. Collins will anchor Brown in all 11 home games, as well as select road contests. Collins was a two-year starter and three-year captain for BU and averaged 10.3 ppg in 74 career games in the Scarlet and White. Former Vermont head coach Tom Brennan, who led the Catamounts to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005 before retiring in the off-season, will work games at Duke (11/14) and at Binghamton (2/14). Dave Wallace (1992-95), who was captain of Dennis WolffâÂ?TMs first team at BU, will work the games at George Washington (12/2) and at UMBC (1/5). BU Hall-of-Famer Drederick Irving (1984-88), who is second in Terrier history with 1,931 points, will work the Rider game (11/26). Jim Schwartz (1994-97), who was a captain on the Terriers 1997 America East championship team, will work at Stony Brook (1/19), and former Boston College and Ohio State head coach Jim OâÂ?TMBrien will call games at Canisius (1/22) and at the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara (12/28-29).
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Despite losing its top three leading scorers from a team that went 20-9 and advanced to the NIT a year ago, the Terriers were chosen to finish second in the America East Preseason CoachesâÂ?TM Poll. BU garnered 52 total points, including three first place votes, to finish behind Albany and just ahead of Maine. This marks the third straight season BU has been the coachesâÂ?TM choice to finish second. The Terriers were picked to win the conference in 2002-03. BU won the league crown in 2002-04 and finished third in 2005.
Preseason CoachesâÂ?TM Poll
Rank) Team - Points (First-Place Votes)
1) Albany - 61 (5)
2) Boston U. - 52 (3)
3) Maine - 46 (1)
4) Binghamton - 43
5) Hartford - 41
6) Vermont - 31
7) Stony Brook - 21
8) UMBC - 15
9) New Hampshire - 14
WYNN PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Senior guard Shaun Wynn (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was tabbed by league coaches as a preseason all-conference selection. Wynn led the Terriers with 3.4 assists per game in 2004-05 and his 2.27-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was the seventh-best in school history. Wynn was the 2003-04 America East Defensive Player of the Year.
Preseason All-Conference Team
Lucious Jordan, Albany
Jamar Wilson, Albany
Andre Heard, Binghamton
Shaun Wynn, Boston U.
Kevin Reed, Maine
FOUR INCREDIBLE YEARS: The BU basketball program has flourished in the last four seasons under head coach Dennis Wolff, accomplishing things never seen before in the programâÂ?TMs 103-year history. BU went 20-9 in 2004-05, the TerriersâÂ?TM fourth consecutive 20-win season. BU went 22-10 in 2001-02, 20-11 in 2002-03 and 23-6 in 2003-04. The 85 wins are the most in any four-year period in program history. Prior to 2001-02, BU basketball had achieved 20 or more wins just seven times in 92 seasons of competition. The Terriers also earned an invitation to the 2005 postseason NIT, marking the fourth consecutive season the school participated in postseason play. BU earned an NCAA Tournament bid in 2001-02, and has been to the NIT three straight years. Prior to 2001-02, BU basketball had made seven postseason appearances: NCAA in 1959, 1983, 1988, 1990 and 1997, and NIT in 1980 and 1986.
BU LEADS NATION IN FG PCT DEFENSE IN 04-05: A major reason for BUâÂ?TMs success last season was its ability to gum up opposing offenses. BU led the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowing foes to shoot just 37.1% from the floor. The Terriers also held opponents to just 55.7 ppg, the third-lowest total in the country. BU allowed 59 points or less in 18 of 29 games last year, and the Terriers were 16-2 in those contests. The Terriers completely neutralized Hartford on Jan. 6, holding the Hawks to just 22 points in a 73-22 victory; it was the lowest point total scored by a Terrier opponent in 64 years.
MACON: A RARE JUCO FIND FOR BU: Guard Brian Macon becomes just the second junior college transfer to suit up for the Terriers in Dennis WolffâÂ?TMs 12 seasons. Macon comes to BU from Miami Dade College, where he averaged 10.1 ppg and 7.1 apg for a SharksâÂ?TM team that went 27-5 and won the Southern Conference. Stijn Dhondt (2001-02) is the only other juco player in the Dennis Wolff era.
TOP THREE SCORERS DEPART: The Terriers lost 59% of their scoring output from last year with the graduation of Rashad Bell and Chaz Carr and the transfer to UMass of Etienne Brower. Bell led the team with 15.6 ppg and finished his career ninth all-time in scoring at BU with 1,367 points. Carr averaged 13.1 ppg and was eighth all-time in scoring with 1,406 points. Brower averaged 8.3 ppg. At least one member of the trio led the Terriers in scoring in 26 of 29 games.
DUAL HOMES OF BU BASKETBALL: BU will split its home games this season, playing four contests at the sparkling new Agganis Arena, which opened in January 2005, and seven games at its traditional home, Case Gymnasium, otherwise known as âÂ?oeThe Roof.âÂ?Â? The games at Agganis Arena feature some of the heavyweights on BUâÂ?TMs schedule, as the Terriers host Michigan (11/22), Rhode Island (11/29), Vermont (1/22) and Maine (1/29). The Maine contest will be the nightcap of a doubleheader with the womenâÂ?TMs team. Agganis Arena seats 7,200 and was christened in basketball last season when the Terriers upset Vermont 61-55. Agganis Arena is the permanent home of BU menâÂ?TMs hockey and the facility will host the early rounds of the 2007 America East MenâÂ?TMs Basketball Championships.
BU has played at The Roof since 1972-73, compiling an extraordinary 180-74 (.709) record there. Dennis Wolff-coached teams have been even better, running up a 94-32 (.746) mark at Case since his arrival in 1994-95. BU has a current nine-game home win streak at The Roof and is 39-8 (.830) there since the beginning of 2001-02.
A LITTLE GREEN: The 2005-06 edition of BU basketball ranks among the youngest in the America East. The 12 players on the active roster have combined to start 90 games in their college careers - 89 of which have come from two players. Seniors Shaun Wynn and Kevin Gardner have combined for 167 games played and 89 starts, leaving the other 11 Terriers with 106 games played and one start (Matt Wolff, last season) between them. Only Vermont has a more inexperienced team, as the Catamounts lost four starters who helped lead them to three straight NCAA Tournament berths. A look at the leagueâÂ?TMs experience coming in to 2005-06:
School Games Started Games Played
Vermont 40 177
BU 90 273
UMBC 119 289
New Hampshire 126 228
Maine 133 292
Binghamton 155 283
Stony Brook 169 299
Albany 247 396
Hartford 271 449
In terms of total games played on the current roster, this is not the youngest BU team in Dennis WolffâÂ?TMs 12 years. The 1999-2000 Terriers combined for just 231 career games played heading into the season.
ELITE COMPANY: BU has won 20+ games in each of the last four seasons. The Terriers are one of just 23 Division-I programs in the nation that can boast such a streak: BU, Vermont, Wake Forest, Duke, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Texas, Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Utah State, Memphis, Kent State, Southern Illinois, Creighton, Utah, Arizona, Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi State and Gonzaga.
MORRIS OUT FOR THE SEASON: Freshman guard Tyler Morris (Indianapolis, Ind.) will miss the entire season after tearing several ligaments in his foot in preseason practice. Morris, who was expected to contend for playing time in the backcourt, landed on a teammateâÂ?TMs foot less than two weeks into practice, and underwent surgery on November 7 to repair the ligaments. Morris will redshirt this season and return for his freshman year of eligibility in 2006-07.
NOT AFRAID TO PLAY THE BIG BOYS: A staple of the Terriers under Dennis Wolff has been their willingness to play anyone, anytime, anywhere. A look at some of the major programs BU has gone up against in the regular season in WolffâÂ?TMs first 11 years: Providence, Kentucky, Duke, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Carolina State, George Washington, Rhode Island, TCU, Connecticut, Alabama, Colorado, Massachusetts, California, Iowa, Boston College, Stanford, Florida State, Arizona, St. JosephâÂ?TMs and Michigan. Some of the most significant wins in school history have come against this list, including back-to-back victories at Michigan (2003 and 2004) and a 15-point win over Florida State in 2002.
