Seawolves vs. Terriers: Round 2

Wednesday was a solid win for Stony Brook. After letting the Hartford Hawks stall the often lethargic Seawolves offense for the first 7-10 minutes of the first half - the first points were scored 5 minutes into the game - Stony Brook came back, playing consistent defense and efficient offense and sending the Hawks to a 60-37 defeat.

Defense was a hallmark in Stony Brook's win. Tommy Brenton was downright fierce, and Stony Brook's starting five drove Hartford to season highs in turnovers. A pleasant surprise Wednesday was the play of sophomore Eric McAlister. The big man looked comfortable on the court, knocking down a nice jumper and playing solid defense. As the heir apparent to Dallis Joyner next season, I expect to see more of Eric with the "first team".

Hartford did little to help themselves against the Seawolves, allowing Bryan Dougher wide open 3's to the obvious dismay of Coach Gallagher. That said, Hartford has a TON of athleticism on its roster. There were some flashes of speed and skill that - once tamed - will be very tough to stop in this conference. Hartford's run of mediocrity may very well end next season once that roster matures. Kudos to Coach for keeping the Hawks playing strong, intense basketball. There was no let up even after the lead went to insurmountable proportions.

But the centerpiece of Stony Brook's week - and one of the crown jewels of its schedule - is the upcoming trial against Boston University. This is a game that has epic conference ramifications, and may very well determine the conference champion even at this early stage of play.

More on BU @ Stony Brook after the Break!

To look at the matchups between Stony Brook and BU, it's time to consult my good friend Ken Pomeroy

Stony Brook is currently ranked 135, hosting 177 BU. The Seawolf offense is ranked #3 in the conference, and its defense is #1. SBU's greatest advantages come on offensive boards and forced turnovers on defense, ranked #1 and #2 in the conference in these categories. Scoring doesn't come from any player in particular, with offense generally spread out amongst multiple players.

Contrast this with BU. BU enters conference play with the #4 ranked offense and #2 ranked defense. BU is stifling below the post, particularly buoyed by the play of Patrick Hazel. BU is a remarkably efficient offense, leading the conference in effective FG%. Most of BU's scoring comes thanks to the distribution of DJ Irving and the constant scoring threat of Darryl Partin. Partin can win or lose a game for the Terriers. But it was the losing streak during Irving's concussion recovery clearly illustrates his primary importance to the Terriers.

Overall, it's a tough game to predict. Ken Pomeroy sees SBU prevailing. I'd like to agree with this. BU didn't do enough to put SBU away in Boston, and the crowd won't be a big helper for BU this time. SBU thrives at home, and won't be likely to create a hole for itself through sloppy play like it did @BU. That said, don't expect BU to go quietly into the night. One streak from Partin and this game becomes interesting.

Prediction: SBU +6