2012-13 Men's Basketball Season Preview
November 7, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2012
Without a single three-year letterman, a youthful Boston University men's basketball team enters the 2012-13 season seeking its third postseason appearance in the last four years. The Terriers will begin their quest on Friday (Nov. 9) at crosstown rival Northeastern before traveling to Canisius on Monday (Nov. 12) and finally opening the home schedule against Atlantic 10 foe George Washington on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Entering his second year at the helm, head coach Joe Jones will guide a squad that only has three members back from the BU team that claimed the 2011 America East championship and seven total from last season's squad that finished with a 16-16 record and 12-4 mark in league play. Previously a head coach at Columbia, Jones faced a similar challenge during his second year with the Lions when the program also underwent a transitional period.
"Both situations are similar in that I'm working with young programs," Jones said. "We're still experiencing a change in cultures, philosophies, and terminology. I'm hoping that this year, fans will start to see the effect of me being around these guys for two years now and them really understanding what we're trying to do on the offensive and defensive end.
"We kept it simple last year because I joined during the summer and tried to win with a team that had won it the year before," he added. "This year is like starting from ground one. There will be a challenge for the returning players because they will have to understand things differently."
Jones notes one major difference between the two experiences is that he inherited a Lion squad that was still trying to find its way in the Ivy League, while BU has an expectation each season to strongly contend for the America East title. This belief embedded in the program is one reason why Jones and the team selected juniors D.J. Irving, Travis Robinson and Dom Morris to serve as captains.
The three men experienced the jubilation of clinching the automatic NCAA bid in 2011 and the disappointment of being eliminated in the conference tournament's quarterfinal round last season by four points. They will look to pass along their experiences and show the younger players how much hard work and effort are needed every single day to succeed.
The group of underclassmen includes a talented four-member freshman class heralded by ESPN.com as one of the best at the non-BCS level. One of the key contributors will be guard Maurice Watson Jr., who was one of only 40 in the nation to be designated a PARADE All-American. Named Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kentucky, forward Nathan Dieudonne will bring size and athleticism under the basket on both sides of the court.
The freshmen are now part of a 14-man roster, which also features sophomores Malik Thomas, Zach Chionuma and James Kennedy. Jones and his coaching staff have been working diligently with the team since the summer to prepare the players for a season in which BU will be without a 1,000-point scorer for the first time since the 2007-08 season following the graduation of America East Player of the Year Darryl Partin ('12).
"What's really important to me offensively is our ability to share the basketball," said Jones. "We didn't do a good job sharing last year because the guys relied on one person to score. This year we're going to have to score by committee, and I've been very impressed with what I've seen this fall."
Defensively, BU graduated the program's No. 2 all-time blocker Patrick Hazel ('12), who was a two-time All-Conference Defensive Team honoree. The Terriers have also lost big men in forwards Jeff Pelage and Jake O'Brien but still have the athleticism to cause trouble for opponents.
"We will look to be more aggressive with our pressing because of our size and quickness," Jones said. "There will be an adjustment period with our new schemes, but this team has a chance to be very good as the year goes on."
Jones believes that while the team may be young, fans will still have the opportunity to experience an exciting brand of basketball on the court this season and watch a team grow as the season progresses into one that will compete for a regular season title and postseason berth.
"Fans will see a fast-paced, fun style of play," he commented. "Sometimes playing fast comes at the expense of the defense, but we'll avoid that. We want to play hard on both ends of the floor because fans respect teams that really compete and play unselfishly."
GUARDS
A preseason All-Conference honoree, junior point guard D.J. Irving is the team's top returning scorer at 11.4 ppg and will look to continue directing the offense. Last season, he dished out 157 assists and recorded an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.34, seventh-highest mark in program history. In one of his best performances, he recorded a career-high 23 points and 11 assists for his first career double-double and the program's first points-assist double-double since 1998.
He will be joined the backcourt by freshman Maurice Watson Jr., who was ranked No. 92 in the nation by ESPN.com and No. 16 at the point guard position. He netted 2,356 career points, second most in Philadelphia Public League history, and led his high school to the state semifinals his senior year while averaging 21.8 ppg and 7.5 apg.
Standing 6-foot-5, sophomore Zach Chionuma will compete for minutes at the two-guard after having to play behind Darryl Partin and Matt Griffin last year. He averaged just 2.0 ppg in 7.6 minutes of action but had his moments to shine. Competing at UMBC, he tallied a season-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three made field goals coming from behind the arc.
Part of the heralded recruiting class, freshman John Papale was tabbed one of the nation's top-25 3-point shooters by ESPN.com. Named New Haven Register Player of the Year his senior year, he led his team to the NEPSAC Class A title as a junior. He also finished as the school's leading all-time scorer with 1,335 points in just three seasons.
There are two other new faces at the position. Sophomore Dylan Brossman averaged 12.0 points per game at Cocalico H.S. in Pennsylvania while leading the football team in interceptions at corner back. Senior Jamaal Gill played basketball at New Rochelle H.S. in New York and joins the Terriers after competing in both sprints and the jumps with BU's track and field team.
FORWARDS
Almost tripling his minutes played from his freshman season, junior Travis Robinson started in 28 games and was a key contributor, averaging 5.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg. He led the team in 3-point shooting at 39.7 percent and was an impressive 22-of-23 at the charity stripe for 95.7 percent. Scoring in double figures on eight occasions, he nailed four treys and went 5-of-5 overall to post a career-high 16 points against Delaware.
Standing 6-foot-5, Robinson will be joined on the wing by 6-foot-7 sophomore Malik Thomas. Having the ability to play anywhere from the two-guard position to power forward, he overcame an early-season injury to finish the season second on the team in blocks with 15. He tallied a team-high 17 points at La Salle and led BU in rebounding six times to finish the year at 4.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg while averaging 15.3 mpg.
A captain alongside Robinson and Irving, junior Dom Morris received All-Rookie honors his freshman season and then became the team's top rebounder last season at 5.9 rpg, which ranked ninth in the conference. He also finished third on the team in scoring at 6.8 ppg and more importantly shot 49.4 percent from the field after ending his first season at 41.8 percent. A big body in the middle, he has worked hard this offseason on improving his conditioning and will be looking to build upon his sophomore year in which he recorded two double-doubles, including an 11-point and 11-rebound performance in a victory at Boston College.
Senior Chris Kurz and sophomore James Kennedy are the other two returning forwards. Kennedy missed the final 16 games of the season due to injury and showed glimpses of his potential with a five-rebound performance at Texas in just 11 minutes of action. Kurz has appeared in 20 games over the last two seasons and helps provide depth at the position.
Like Watson and Papale, the 6-foot-7 freshman Nathan Dieudonne brings plenty of accolades from high school to the Terriers. Both his father and brother played football at Air Force, but he found his niche on the hard court. Named the state of Kentucky's Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year his senior season, he averaged 14.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 1.4 spg to help his team claim the state title.
Joining BU from Washington D.C., 6-foot-8 Justin Alston averaged 11.4 ppg as a senior and was a Maryland All-League honorable mention selection. Freshman K.C. Nwosu stands 6-foot-6 and is an athletic wingman from New Rochelle H.S. who will also provide depth.
SCHEDULE
The Terriers will face another challenging non-conference schedule this season to prepare for the America East schedule. Besides playing at crosstown rivals Northeastern and Harvard, BU will have a home-and-home series with Coastal Carolina, a Big South squad that finished with a 19-12 record and was a College Insider Tournament participant.
After competing against three Atlantic 10 teams last season, BU will only play one this year in George Washington on Friday, Nov. 17 to open the home schedule. The two teams will meet for the seventh time in eight years after the Terriers claimed a win during the 2010 NIT Season Tip-Off for their first victory in the series since 1979.
Over the previous three seasons, BU has earned wins against the ACC (Boston College), Big Ten (Indiana) and Pac-12 (Oregon State). The Terriers will have their chance against the Big East when they visit Rutgers on Nov. 20.
After hosting Quinnipiac (Dec. 16) and Cornell (Dec. 22), BU will end the conference schedule with the UCF Holiday Tournament, an event that will kick off with two-time defending Atlantic Sun champion Belmont on Dec. 28. On the following day, the Terriers will face either the host Golden Knights or Howard.
A founding member of the America East back in 1979, BU will then open its final season in the conference on Jan. 2 at Maine before joining the Patriot League next summer. Banned from the AE tournament due to the upcoming move, the Terriers will be unable to earn their second conference crown in the last three years.
However, they can focus their sights on an achievement not accomplished since 2004, finishing atop the league standings at the end of the season. Picked to finish third by the conference's head coaches, BU has posted a 12-4 record in each of the last two seasons after an 11-5 performance in 2010.
The final conference game will take place at Agganis Arena on Feb. 28 against Stony Brook. The two teams last met there in 2011 when BU claimed the automatic NCAA berth in a thrilling come-from-behind 56-54 victory.
