A Look Ahead: The 2007-08 Men's Basketball Season
November 7, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2007
BOSTON - When it comes to what basketball coaches look for in a team, talent and experience are two sides of the same coin. The 2006-07 Boston University men's basketball team was talent-laden but stocked with freshmen light on experience. After a year of collegiate play under their belts, the 2007-08 Terriers have a clearer grasp on what it takes to succeed at this level, and are one step closer to reaching their potential.
The core of the squad, a seven-member sophomore class, learned valuable lessons as freshmen and should be in a good position to help ease the transition of the three newcomers - Will Creekmore, John Holland and Matt Killen - by teaching directly from experience.
The freshmen are not the only new kids on the block this season. Assistant coaches Sean Ryan and Lamar Reddicks, as well as director of basketball operations Will Seward join the coaching staff this year. Ryan has served as an assistant at the College of Charleston and St. Anselm College, while Reddicks comes across the Charles River after seven years on the bench at Harvard. Seward was most recently an assistant at UMass Lowell.
"They bring an enthusiasm that will give us a shot of life," stated Wolff.
"They're very experienced, Lamar at a prestigious academic school and Sean at a very successful mid-major. I'm very excited about our staff heading in; I'm very excited that Orlando [Vandross] is here and is the associate head coach. And in Will, we have a guy who has experience recruiting in Division II and who has upped our experience level at that position as well."
The newcomers on the roster and the sidelines have added only good things to the mix. The team's commitment to working hard in the off-season and to each other has helped to re-establish the program's identity and propelled the group down the right track to improve.
"The chemistry on our team right now is as good as it has been in five or six years," believes Wolff. "The kids that are the returnees have a genuine liking for each other and have reached out to these younger guys, which is one of the reasons they came. I think there will be a connection that will be solid and carry over to the way they play on the court."
Should that connection continue into play in 2007-08, the BU men have very bright futures ahead of them. The coaches believe the next step for the squad is to have a winning season and reach the NCAA tournament.
"This team is an extension of last year's, but each year is new in regard to wins and losses, and now we have to come out and play winning basketball," said Wolff. "We have a very challenging non-conference schedule as we have always had, but I think we have significantly more experience to face it than we did this time last year. My expectation for this team is that we'll be competing for the [America East's] NCAA bid come March."
One of the things that will give BU a boost going into the start of the 2007-08 season is the Terriers' win in the championship game of the Kainan University tournament in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 31. BU defeated the University of British Columbia in a hard-fought 105-98 double-overtime decision.
BU accomplished both of the major goals on the trip, winning the championship and fostering a cultural exchange with Taiwanese people. That winning boost will be a bonus for the squad as it moves forward this year. The 2007-08 non-conference slate features some of the nationally prominent opponents the coaching staff has prided itself on scheduling during Wolff's tenure as head coach. In recent years, BU has notched wins against Florida State and Michigan while pushing Arizona and Stanford through to the buzzer.
Match-ups with Big East power Pittsburgh and the Atlantic 10's Saint Joseph's highlight the Terriers' early-season schedule. BU will meet the Panthers for the first time while renewing rivalries with Yale and Delaware. The Terriers will face three 2007 NCAA tournament teams in Pitt, George Washington and Holy Cross. Pitt received an at-large bid to the 2007 NCAA tournament after finishing third in the Big East. The Panthers ended 2007 with an overall record of 28-9 and a conference mark of 12-4. The Colonials ended the year with an overall record of 23-9 and a league mark of 11-5.
"We have a lot of respect for what has been going on with Pitt's program," stated Wolff. "UMass, St. Joe's, St. Bonaventure and GW are all quality Atlantic 10 opponents that present a challenge for our team."
BU began 2006-07 with just 50 career starts among 12 players and gained experience in a trial by fire. The maturation of last season's freshmen and the continued guidance of the junior class will help forge a team ready to tackle the challenges ahead and reach the next level.
GUARDS
Wolff will look to sophomore trio Corey Lowe, Tyler Morris and Carlos Strong to anchor the back-court. Lowe and junior Marques Johnson should step into the point position with the departure of Brian Macon to graduation. Macon, a junior college transfer, was solid as the one-guard for two years, tallying 176 assists and showing an upperclassman's leadership. Johnson averaged just under 13 minutes per game in 2006-07 and was more than capable in spelling his fellow guards.
"MJ played very well over the summer," noted Wolff. "He knows his role and understands how we need him to play that role."
Lowe, Morris and Strong were three of the most prolific freshman guards in BU history. Lowe, a member of the America East All-Rookie team and a three-time AE Rookie of the Week, started all 26 games played. He was the team's leading scorer with 14.1 points per game (ppg) and 16.4 ppg in conference play. He stood seventh in the league in scoring and third in 3-point field goals made. The Newton, Mass., native's scoring average ranked him third all-time among BU freshmen and his 61 triples are third-best in program history among rookies and rank him sixth on the team's single-season 3-pointers made list.
Lowe made continual progress as a true freshman despite a foot injury that forced him to miss four games. He has used the summer to further that improvement and has made a favorable impression on Wolff.
"I think Corey demonstrated on the trip to Taiwan and at the practices that his concentration level is better," said the head coach. "He was able to sustain good play for longer periods of time. He had a good freshman year, but it was a little inconsistent. I think what he demonstrated during the trip and through the summer is that he is much more committed to being consistent, and if he is, he will be one of the better players in the league."
Morris' ability to be both a perimeter threat and a scorer in the lane gave BU another steady offensive option last season and earned the red-shirt sophomore recognition as the America East Rookie of the Year in addition to second-team all-conference and all-rookie team honors. Morris started all 30 games last season after missing his freshman year with an ankle injury suffered in the preseason. He was second on the team in scoring in 2007, averaging 13.4 points per game to rank 10th in the America East. He shot 46.9 percent from behind the 3-point line to lead the league. The Lawrence North High School graduate was fifth all-time among BU freshmen scorers and fourth in 3-pointers made with 60. Morris also tallied a team-best 71 assists.
Strong was the ultimate sixth man for the Terriers in 2007. He played in 28 games off the bench and was the team's third-leading scorer, with 9.5 points per game. The two-time conference Rookie of the Week honoree recorded the squad's second-highest season 3-point percentage (40.1 percent; 55-for-137), which ranked him fourth in the conference. His 55 treys stood him fourth among all Terrier freshmen. The Portland, Maine, native put on the best performance by a bench player in BU history when he shot 10-for-13 from the floor with a school-record eight 3-pointers to score a career-high 30 points against Binghamton on Feb. 8. Strong was a solid contributor during the America East tournament, averaging 9.0 ppg and four rebounds per game in two contests.
"Carlos has taken a good freshman year and worked terrifically in the weight room and on his game," stated Wolff. "As good as he was last year, I think he will only be better in the future.
"And Tyler has set the bar for all of them in regard to working on his game and being committed to being a good player. So I look for the three of them to continue to play well individually and together. The perimeter play of those guys will probably be the strength of our team this year."
Red-shirt junior Matt Wolff is coming off two consecutive knee injuries after a successful freshman season in 2004-05. Wolff tore ligaments in his knee as a sophomore after playing in just four games in 2005-06 and then re-injured the same knee last summer. The product of Walpole, Mass. will be counted on for size, versatility and leadership.
Stated Coach Wolff, "Matt is probably the one guy capable of playing outside and inside a little bit depending on match-ups. He will provide depth that we did not have last year."
Sophomore Sherrod Smith played in 21 games last season. But the Milwaukee, Wis., native struggled at times to fit into the rotation. Wolff acknowledged Smith's off-season dedication, saying, "Sherrod has worked hard in the off-season. A lot of what he has to concentrate on is his understanding of how to play within the way we try to play. He is a little closer to being able to do that than he was, but he can shoot; he has some athleticism."
Sophomore Tunde Agboola became the first walk-on taken in open tryouts in Wolff's 13-year tenure as head coach of the Terriers last year. Agboola returns in 2007-08 to provide depth at the guard position.
"Tunde has improved as a basketball player. He needs repetitions at practices to continue to improve his skill."
FORWARDS
The frontcourt will be looking for a leader to step into the role vacated by the graduated Omari Peterkin, who came into his own in his senior year. Peterkin averaged 8.0 ppg and 6.4 rpg and was the team's leading shot-blocker, with 44. BU will need to replace his size and ability to take up space in the paint.
Sophomores Scott Brittain and Valdas Sirutis and juniors Ibrahim Konate and Max Gotzler will be in the hunt to take over for Peterkin. Brittain has played the most basketball this past summer of all the Terriers. After traveling to Taiwan in May with the team, he competed with the Under-19 Canadian Junior National Team at the FIBA World Championships in Serbia in July. Brittain played in 29 games in 2007, starting 28. He averaged 7.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg, steadily improving throughout the year. His numbers were better in conference play - 9.1 ppg and 6.7 rpg and he stood ninth in the America East in offensive rebounds and seventh in defensive boards.
Sirutis showed flashes of his potential late in the season, highlighted by a solid performance in the America East tournament. Against Binghamton in the quarterfinals, the Lithuanian scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting with four rebounds. For the year, he averaged 12.1 minutes in 26 games. "Valdas has had a good spring and summer," said Wolff. "He played very well in the conference tournament, and hopefully he will be able to continue that."
Konate and Gotzler will add upperclass leadership to the frontcourt. The 6-8 Konate has now participated for two full seasons after sitting out his freshman year with a leg injury. He played in 27 games off the bench in 2007 and was second on the team in blocks, with 15.
Gotzler is a transfer from NAIA Oregon Institute of Technology who sat out last year under NCAA transfer rules. The 6-7 German exhibits a deft touch on offense for a forward and also shows toughness on defense. His energy and enthusiasm during practice has made an impact on the improvement of his teammates and himself. While with OIT, Gotzler averaged 7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and shot 51.7 percent from the floor over two seasons.
"Max adds strength and experience where we are lacking it," said Wolff. "I think he is a very aggressive guy inside, and he will help us that way. Max also gives us another option down low."
This season's recruiting class is composed entirely of forwards who should nicely complement the current contingent of guards. Creekmore is a 6-9 forward from Tulsa, Okla. Holland, a 6-6 small forward from the Bronx, N.Y., spent a year at St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey. The 6-10 Killen is a center from Leawood, Kan.
"I think Holland is going to give us size on the perimeter," opined Wolff. "Having Holland and Matt [Wolff] back healthy gives us two bigger wing players compared to what we had last year. I think Will Creekmore and Matt Killen will give us an additional post presence that will be needed with Omari's graduation. We are counting on them to come in and contribute to some degree right from the start."
Creekmore was an all-state selection by the Oklahoma Coaches' Association, the Tulsa World and the Daily Oklahoman. Wolff calls Creekmore a big-bodied, very skilled low post scorer and says his early success will hinge on his efforts in the weight room over the summer.
Killen averaged a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, along with four blocks at Blue Valley High School in Kansas. A co-captain of his high school squad, Killen was named an all-league performer as well as an All-Mid-Kansas All-Star.
"Matt is a long, athletic post player," continued the head coach. "I think how quickly he develops will hinge on gaining weight and feeling comfortable playing against bigger kids. I think Matt has a tremendous upside, so it is important from a coaching perspective that we are patient as he is developing."
Holland averaged 10 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks per game while spending a post-grad year at St. Benedict's. He scored 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three blocks per contests during his high school career at Fordham Prep.
"John is a high-energy wing player," said Wolff. "He has more skill than people gave him credit for initially. I think he will be somebody who will push his way into the mix.
