Oct. 23, 2014
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Three weeks away from the start of the basketball season, the Patriot League held its annual media day Thursday morning at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Returning just 33 percent of its point production from the previous year, the defending conference regular season champion Boston University men's basketball team was picked sixth in the preseason poll by the head coaches and sports information directors.
Defending tournament champion American was the first-place selection of 13 voters and finished with 157 points, ahead of Army with five-first-place votes and 141 points. Holy Cross took third with two first-place votes and 127 points, and was followed in order by Lafayette (109), Bucknell (96), Boston University (82), Lehigh (74), Colgate (50), Loyola Maryland (36) and Navy (28).
After earning a 24-11 record and fourth postseason appearance in five years, the Terriers saw the graduation of three seniors, including two 1,000+ point scorers in D.J. Irving and Dom Morris. Led by fourth-year head coach Joe Jones, they will enter the great unknown in the minds of many, as BU only has two returning players with at least one start under their belt for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
A regular in the starting lineup last year, junior guard John Papale was a 2013 America East All-Rookie Team honoree and had a strong sophomore campaign in which he averaged 9.3 ppg behind 70 3-pointers, seventh most in a season in BU history. He is joined by forward Nathan Dieudonne (5.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg), who posted a double-double (16 pts., 12 rebs.) against Eastern Washington and finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in a win over St. Peter's.
Other key returnees include sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson (6.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and junior forward Justin Alston (2.8, 1.8 rpg). They will be joined on the court by six newcomers, though two of them were at practice every day last season.
Sophomore transfers Eric Fanning (Wagner) and Blaise Mbargorba (SMU) sat out last year due to NCAA rules and are now eligible to play. Ranked as high as No. 11 in the state of New Jersey as a guard, Fanning averaged 6.4 ppg and 2.9 rpg in 22 games as a freshman. Mbargorba is a former four-star ESPN recruit and will be excited to get his first collegiate game experience after missing his freshman season with the Mustangs due to a shoulder injury.
Freshman Nick Havener earned Class 8A All-State accolades at Riverview (Fla.) after averaging 13.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 3.4 bpg at Riverview (Fla.). Cheddi Mosely was ranked the No. 7 prospect in N.J. after averaging 10.4 ppg at St. Anthony's. He will be joined in the backcourt by Eric Johnson (12.3 ppg, 6.1 apg), who earned VISAA D-II All-State honors at Carlisle H.S. (Va.). Will Goff is the fourth newcomer who officially joined the Terriers after their trip to Italy late August and is another guard who averaged 13.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg at Desert Mountain (Ariz.).
The Terriers will open the regular season against crosstown rival Northeastern at TD Garden on Sunday, Nov. 16, as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tripleheader. Other key non-conference games include trips to 2014 NCAA runner-up Kentucky and Elite Eight participant Dayton. The Patriot League schedule will begin at in-state foe Holy Cross on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
In total, BU will host 14 games, starting with UMass Lowell on Sunday, Nov. 30, at Case Gym. Agganis Arena will serve as home court for the final eight Patriot League games with Lafayette serving as the first guest on Saturday, Jan. 10.
2014-15 Patriot League Preseason Poll
1. American (13 first-place votes), 157 points
2. Army (5), 141
3. Holy Cross (2), 127
4. Lafayette, 109
5. Bucknell, 96
6. Boston University, 82
7. Lehigh, 74
8. Colgate, 50
9. Loyola Maryland, 36
10. Navy, 28
