Boston University Terriers
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #119
Conference Rank: #2 Patriot
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Boston U is making the move to the Patriot League and it is not a bad time to do it. Bucknell and Lehigh have dominated the conference for years, but now they are without Mike Muscala and C.J. McCollum, respectively. That certainly opens the door for Boston U to make a big splash during their first year in their new conference. With D.J. Irving leading the way, the Terriers may even have the best player in the conference. Irving, a 6-0 senior, averaged 14.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals last season. Back in 2011-2012, Irving led the America East Conference in assists, but he does not need to do that anymore. The emergence of Maurice Watson has allowed Irving to roam around more on offense. With the ball in his hands or not, Irving is one of the most dangerous guards in his new conference. Watson was just a freshman last year, but he proved to be just as effective finishing around the basket as Irving. Watson lacks Irving’s shooting touch at this point in his career, yet he more than made up for that by dishing out 5.4 assists per game.
2012-13 Record: 17-13, 11-5
2012-13 Postseason: CIT
Coach: Joe Jones
Coach Record: 33-29 at Boston U, 119-137 overall
Who’s Out:
For the most part Coach Joe Jones went with a seven man rotation in 2012-2013. All seven of them are back, so one has to go down the bench quite a ways to find anybody not returning. Eventually one finds Zach Chionuma. The guard did make an appearance in all 30 games, but he averaged a mere 5.7 minutes per contest.
Who’s In:
Coach Jones should have the opportunity to go deeper than seven this year thanks to the addition of Cedric Hankerson and Dylan Haines. Haines, a 7-0 power forward, will need time to add strength and develop his game, but Hankerson has the talent to push a very talented backcourt for minutes. Hankerson spurred offers from the likes of Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech to come to Boston U. The 6-5 shooting guard from Miami, Florida is a great all-around scorer who has the size to attack the basket and help out on the glass. Even if the depth in front of him proves to be too talented for Hankerson to make a huge impact as a freshman, he will be the star of this team soon enough.
Who to Watch:
Dom Morris was the other regular starter, joining Irving and Watson. Morris, a 6-7 senior, is the interior scoring threat who opens up lanes for Irving and Watson. Morris is more than just a threat to score; he is extremely efficient in the paint and can even step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. Morris’ game has continued to improve over the years and do not be surprised if he increases his 11.6 point and 6.4 rebound averages of a year ago. Travis Robinson and Nathan Dieudonne both started beside Morris last season. Robinson, a 6-5 senior, is much more of a wing than a post presence. He connected on an impressive 41.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. When Boston U needs to play bigger, Dieudonne is their man. The 6-7 power forward had a very promising freshman campaign and he is capable of seeing a dramatic increase in his production with that year of experience under his belt.
Final Projection:
There are a couple of choices at the small forward position as well. Like Robinson and Diedonne, John Papale and Malik Thomas split time in the starting lineup. Like Robinson and Diedonne, Coach Jones will also be able to call on the player that fits best in any particular situation. If the Terriers need a shooter, they will go with Papale. The 6-3 sophomore connected on nearly 42 percent of his 5.2 three-point attempts per game. Offensively Papale is pretty much just a shooter, but he does have the size to attack the basket. And, more importantly, he has a year of experience which will help him gain confidence. Malik Thomas is the bigger wing. At 6-7, he could even slide up to the four spot if Boston U wants to play even quicker than usual. Thomas is a capable shooter, although nowhere near as prolific as Papale. He does add much more toughness and rebounding prowess though. The important thing is that Coach Jones has options to fill in around Irving, Watson and Morris. And they are experienced options as well.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Maurice Watson, Sophomore, Guard, 11.2 points per game
D.J. Irving, Senior, Guard, 14.2 points per game
John Papale, Sophomore, Guard, 9.3 points per game
Nathan Dieudonne, Sophomore, Forward, 4.5 points per game
Dom Morris, Senior, Forward, 11.6 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.8 (160th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.5 (118, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.9 (90, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.3 (151, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.0 (24, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.0 (52, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.7 (64, 2)
Rebound Margin: -2.8 (277, 9)
Assists Per Game: 13.6 (115, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.5 (112, 3)
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