Boston University Terriers
Patriot (24-10, 15-3)
Boston U made a smooth transition to the Patriot League. With a 15-3 league mark, the Terriers dominated their new conference. Coach Joe Jones picked up some nice wins along the way, including an 83-77 win over Maryland in late December.
Big Wins: 11/23 at UC Irvine (74-68), 12/2 at Quinnipiac (69-66), 12/21 at Maryland (83-77)
Bad Losses: 11/22 vs Eastern Washington (68-80), 12/15 Norfolk State (82-86), 2/1 Lehigh (80-82)
Coach: Joe Jones (3 seasons at Boston University)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Boston U backcourt is absolutely loaded. Maurice Watson Jr. is a speedy point guard who can score in bunches. He ranks in the top five in the nation with 6.9 assists per game and in the top 30 in steals per game. That is not bad at all for a player who can also carry the Terriers offensively. D.J. Irving, John Papale and Cedric Hankerson are the reason why this group makes so many three-pointers. Irving can also create opportunities for himself and Hankerson is a super talented freshman who can go off for 20 points on any given night. He can also get shut out of the scoring column just as easily.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Being undersized in the Patriot League is not a problem. It is a guard oriented league. But the lack of size was prevalent in non-conference play and will be again in the postseason. Dom Morris is a wide-bodied player who can eat up some space in the paint. He does a nice job using that space to score too. But Morris and Nathan Dieudonne are the only two real frontcourt players in the regular rotation. Travis Robinson is a 6-5 small forward and Malik Thomas is a big 6-7 wing. Both are under 200 pounds and bring athleticism to the floor, not bruising frontcourt play. That puts a lot of pressure on Morris and Dieudonne to be tough and stay out of foul trouble.
Probable Starters:
Maurice Watson Jr., Sophomore, Guard, 13.5 ppg, 6.9 apg, 2.1 spg
D.J. Irving, Senior, Guard, 12.2 ppg, 2.3 apg
John Papale, Sophomore, Guard, 9.3 ppg, 1.2 apg
Nathan Dieudonne, Sophomore, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Dom Morris, Senior, Forward, 11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Cedric Hankerson, Freshman, Guard, 6.0 ppg
Travis Robinson, Senior, Forward, 5.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Malik Thomas, Junior, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.5 (133rd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.4 (107, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.7 (103, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.5 (169, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (27, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.8 (76, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (87, 4)
Rebound Margin: -0.8 (219, 4)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (74, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.9 (129, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 CIT First Round loss to Loyola (MD)
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Kansas
2010 CBI First Round win over Morehead State
2010 CBI Second Round win over Morehead State
2010 CBI Semifinal loss to Virginia Commonwealth
2005 NIT First Round loss to Georgetown
2004 NIT Opening Round loss to Rhode Island
2003 NIT First Round loss to St. John's
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
