Men's Basketball to Open 117th Season at Northeastern Monday Night on NESN

Monday, November 3

Boston, MA

7:30 PM

Boston University

Northeastern

Men's Basketball to Open 117th Season at Northeastern Monday Night on NESN

November 2, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Watch on NESN Stream on FloCollege Live Stats Game Notes

Boston University (0-0) at Northeastern (0-0)
Date & Time: Monday, Nov. 3 | 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Matthews Arena | Boston, Mass.
X: @BUGameDay | @TerrierMBB

BOSTON – The Boston University men's basketball team will open its 117th season by visiting crosstown rival Northeastern Monday night. The NESN broadcast will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The contest will mark the second to last ever basketball game at the famed 115-year-old Matthews Arena, which was first known as Boston Arena for many decades. Purchased by Northeastern in 1979, the facility's previous tenants included Boston Bruins (1924-28), Boston Celtics (1946-55) and several local collegiate hockey teams. The Terriers' arguably most memorable moment happened in 1983 when they defeated Holy Cross to claim the ECAC North title and an automatic NCAA berth.

TERRIER TIDBITS

Entering his 15th season with 234 wins, head coach Joe Jones needs 14 more to surpass Dennis Wolff (1994-2009) for the program record.
Selected second in the Patriot League preseason poll while collecting two first-place votes, BU returns three starters from last season's squad that finished tied-for-third in the PL standings at 10-8.
Earning a 12-4 record at Case Gym, the Terriers went 4-12 on the road last season with wins coming against UMBC, Howard, Maine and Lehigh.
Junior and 2025 All-PL Second Team honoree Kyrone Alexander received Preseason All-PL recognition after averaging 12.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.2 spg. This past summer, he competed for Barbados in the FIBA World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifiers, averaging 24.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg.
Classmate Michael McNair (10.1 ppg) shot over 40 percent from 3-point territory for the Terriers, while graduate student Malcolm Chimezie averaged 8.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg with a team-high 25 blocks.
Seniors Ben Roy (2.4 apg, 4.6 assist-to-turnover ratio) and Otto Landrum (3.9 rpg) are back after missing the PL tournament due to injury.
Graduate student Ethan Okwuosa only played the season opener at Northeastern, tallying nine points and two assists, before his season was ended by injury, and junior Matai Baptiste started six of 11 contests averaging 5.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg with his last appearance occurring at Merrimack in December.
Looking to take the next step in their development, sophomores Azmar Abdullah (6.8 ppg) and Ben Defty (4.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 17 blks.) appeared in all 32 games last season.
BU welcomed five newcomers after averaging 67.1 ppg and 43.8 FG% last season while holding opponents to 68.5 ppg and 44.9 FG%.

SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN

The Huskies were picked t-eighth in the 13-team CAA preseason poll after posting a 17-15 mark last year with a 9-9 conference mark.
Northeastern went 3-1 in home non-conference games last year with wins over Colgate (78-75), Harvard (78-56) and La Salle (82-68) alongside a 79-76 loss to Princeton.
Recipient of Preseason All-CAA Second Team honors, guard LA Pratt averaged 11.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg last year for the Huskies after transferring from Elon.
Northeastern welcomed a pair of transfers in guard Mike Loughnane from Davidson and forward Haris Elezovic from West Virginia.
Bill Coen enters his 20th season as head coach with the Huskies, who averaged 70.1 ppg and 45.2 FG% last year while holding opponents to 69.7 ppg and 44.2 FG%.

SERIES HISTORY

Northeastern owns a 77-75 edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1920-21.
Seventeen of the last 18 meetings have been decided by single digits with nine contests decided by five points or less.
Last season at Case Gym, after BU grabbed a 47-40 lead at 18:12 in the second half, the Huskies rallied to pull ahead, 69-62, at 3:45. BU cut the deficit to one a minute later but never got any closer in the 80-72 loss.
Two years ago at Matthews Arena, the matchup featured seven ties and 13 lead changes. The Huskies owned a 57-53 lead with 2:36 left and went on a 10-3 spurt over the next two minutes to pull away in a 67-58 decision.
BU last won at Matthews Arena, 77-74, in 2018.

LOOKING AHEAD

BU will conclude the season-opening two-game road trip at Big 10 school Northwestern on Friday (Nov. 7) with a 6 p.m. ET tip. The game will be shown live on Peacock.
Northwestern won the lone meeting, 78-74, at home on Dec. 19, 1959.
The Terriers will seek their first win against the Big 10 since defeating Indiana, 71-67, at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in 2009.