Boston University Preview: Primed for a Repeat?

Last Season: 21-12, 12-4 (AE Tourney Champs), lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Kansas

Head Coach: Joe Jones

Key Losses: John Holland, Jake O’Brien, Coach Patrick Chambers

Newcomers: Zach Chionuma, James Kennedy, Mat Piotrowski, Malik Thomas

Projected Lineup:

- G: D.J. Irving, So.

- G: Darryl Partin, Sr.

- C: Jeff Pelage, Sr.

- F: Dom Morris, So.

- F: Patrick Hazel, Sr.

- Bench: Matt Griffin Sr. G, Chris Kurz Sr. F, Travis Robinson So. F, Mike Terry So.

A Look Back:

2010-11 was a tale of two seasons. It took the Terriers a couple of months to get  on tracked; a strong late season run propelled them past a nose diving Maine to finish 2nd behind a Vermont team they beat twice. The scoring load was carried by departed POY John Holland (leading the league at 19.2). Coach Chambers provided a spark to the league with some exceptionally recruiting, two trips the AE championships game, and then quickly jumped to Penn State. If he succeeds, hopefully you'll see more coaches thinking of the AE as a stepping stone that shakes up the current petrified coaching mediocre you see now.

How Big of a Part(in)?

In his final year of eligibility (but only second year as a Terrier after beginning his career at LaSalle), Daryl Partin (14.5 PPG) will be relied on heavily. The loss of O'Brien punctuated made the pressure even more acute -- Partin will have to prove he can be relied on every night instead of dramatic shifts in production that we saw last year. At 6'6, athletic, and a streaky shooter, Partin is a player of very similar mold to Holland. His size makes him a very tough match-up for defender, he's a very high volume shooter (28.4 %Poss in conference play, 4th in the league) and his 104.5 offensive rating in the conference was well better than his non-conference performance (and a big difference in the tale of two halves for the Terriers). There's not question he can be a POY in the AE (on a very grainy and probably illegal feed, I was able to catch the game against Cornell last year where he was just unconscious), the question is whether he can handle the pressure of being the alpha dog.  

More on the reigning champs after the jump

Steady Inside (at least) :

BU has one of the steadiest interior combinations in the league in large part because of Patrick Hazel. The Marquette transfer was 2nd in the league in blocked shots and more than held his own against taller players every night. Pelage, when healthy, grabs more than his fair share of boards. However, it's the young power forwards who have incredible upside. Dom Morris is a solid (look at him, I mean he’s SOLID) forward and has the combination of body and skill set to run this league in a few years. He can carve out the paint along with anyone in the league, but also has a soft touch from the outside (perhaps too soft as it detracts from what should be a dominating inside game). If the will is there, Morris should be a stud.

And then there's freshman James Kennedy from Boston -- don't expect there to be any intimidation factor in his development. He's played on the renowned BABC AAU team with 2013 #1 recruit Nerlens Noel, who might be a once in a generation defensive talent. The 6'7 forward should immediately contribute inside, especially if Morris isn't able to make a sophomore leap. 

The motor that powers the engine.

Soph. D.J. Irving. We tagged him as the #1 player in the America East earlier in the week and his effect won't go unnoticed. The America East is almost always won by the team with the best player (Coppenrath, Jamar, Blakely, Holland etc.) and Irving has the ability to separate himself from everyone else in the league. He's got another gear that no one can touch and he uses is with savvy that is beyond his years. He'll need to shoulder more of the scoring load and shoot better from deep -- and there's no question he has the ceiling to do that.  

Worst Case: B.U. has the horses to win it all, but it doesn’t always work out that way. The team will rely so heavily on Irving and Partin that an injury to either would be devastating. This team is also fairly young and has already had a lot of success -- will they stay hungry enough for new Coach Joe Jones? If the bench doesn't come along by the conference slate, this team will be giving a lot of run, maybe too much, to the starters.

Best Case: Regular season and repeat tourney champs. Irving's shooting percentage from outside is up to 35%+ and Partin leads the league in scoring while we debate who deserves the POY award. betting man would find unattractive odds to bet against them.