AE Championship Rematch-BU vs. SBU (Preview / Game Thread): Let's see how this goes without John Holland

Tomorrow at high noon, Stony Brook and BU will tip off for the first time since the two played in the conference title game last season. While the title game was on ESPN2, this game will be on ESPN3, which is still nice for an AE game. SBU gets another game with limited student support for BU. Similar to the AE Championship game, this game falls on a BU break, so whatever support there was going to be will be even less, which in a big game could prove vital. Also, James Kennedy will be wearing 23 in white, not John Holland, which is bad news for Terrier Nation and a reason to rejoice for Seawolf fans.

What's At Stake: Stony Brook is looking to stay perfect in AE play, and get a quality road win. BU is looking to prove that they have found their groove and are the title contender they were thought to be pre-season.

-Get Malik Thomas involved: Say what? A crazy notion at the beginning of the season, Thomas has proven to be our jolt of life of the bench. While Matt Griffin can come in and knock down the 3, Malik has shown he can score inside and outside. Against Maine he decided to throw in 9 rebounds as well. BU is going to need production of the bench if they hope to win this game.

-Stay calm and run the offense: When the Terriers are playing well you can tell by the shots they are taking. They work the ball around and can create good, clean, OPEN shots. But this season they have had a tendency to get flustered when things are looking bad and they start throwing up any and every shot. This starts with Darryl Partin, as a senior he has to be the one to make smart decisions.

-Big men play big: Stony Brook is always athletic, especially down low, so we can't give up offensive rebounds and second chance points. They also have to contain the big men so the Seawolves don't get any open 3's. SBU has proven they can be streaky from beyond the arc, so don't let them get in a rythem.

-Have John Holland play: Please?

X-Factor: DJ Irving. It doesn't take an expert to see that when Irving is on the court and effective, BU plays much better. 3 assists in the loss to Vermont, and 8 and 11 in the Binghamton and Maine wins. Hopefully the game in Burlington was just getting the kinks out following the concussion and this is the DJ we are going to see for the rest of the season. If he plays to his potential, I don't think there is anyone in the conference who can stop him. If he has a bad game, or even an average game, getting a win won't happen.

Prediction: Tough call. Not gonna lie, I'm nervous for this game. The Terriers haven't proved to me that they can overcome adversity yet this season, which you can bet they will face tomorrow.

If John Holland plays: BU by 5

If John Holland doesn't play (aka my real prediction): SBU by 6