Boston University Terriers (17-13 overall, 11-5 America East)
Projected starting five:
Sr. G D.J. Irving
So. G Maurice Watson, Jr.
So. G John Papale
Sr. F Travis Robinson
Sr. F Dom Morris
Important departures:
G Zach Chionuma (1.5 ppg) (transferred to Bryant) is the only player of note who has departed from last season’s team.
Returning:
97.7 percent of scoring and 97.5 percent of rebounding
Additions:
Fr. G Cameron Curry
Fr. C Dylan Haines
Fr. G Cedric Hankerson
Fr. G Braiten Madrigal
Schedule Highlights:
The Terriers will have plenty of challenges in non-league play with just four home games, including a visit from Ivy League favorite Harvard. They play at Connecticut in the 2K Sports Classic, then three games at UC Irvine, and later travel to Maryland and Saint Joseph’s. They start Patriot League play with four of six at home, giving them a chance to get off and running, while they play four of their last six away from home.
Projected finish and outlook:
Don’t be surprised if the Terriers make a grand entrance into the league by being the top team. They have a solid combination of talent and experience, along with some options from a personnel standpoint. They have the league’s best backcourt with Irving and Watson, with Papale’s shooting completing the trio very nicely and three freshmen providing added depth, especially Hankerson. Morris really started to come into his own last year and looks primed to have a big finish to it, while Robinson is simply a solid glue guy. Junior Malik Thomas has long been an intriguing prospect and can be a difference-maker off the bench, while Nathan Dieudonne showed some promise as a freshman last season and the Terriers are high on Haines, a seven-footer who played for one of the best prep coaches last season in Jere Quinn at St. Thomas More. Boston University has long been a program that produces good defensive teams, and last season’s was no different, although they could stand to improve on the glass as they were out-rebounded by almost three per game last season. In all, though, this is the likely team to beat this season.
