Memory Lane

As the tournament nears and the excitement grows, memories of past tournaments keep popping up. In the past 5 years or so, there have been some amazing games. Some have lead to drunken celebration, while some have ended in heartbreak, not just for the players, but for the fans as well.

The following is my list of the most memorable games in recent Terriers history, with both good and bad endings.

5. BU vs. Northeastern 2003 Semi-Finals

Earlier in the season, Northeastern managed to beat us on our own court, but we returned the favor with a sweet W a few weeks later in the dirty part of Boston. It lead up to this game. It was a nail-biter all the way, with great crowds of fans from each school screaming their lungs out, but when it came down to it, little J.J. Barea wasn't tough enough to pull out a win. We beat them, moving into the finals against dreaded Vermont.

4. BU vs. Maine 2005 Quarter-Finals

It was a sloppy, disgusting game from the start, with the only sound in the gym coming from three screaming, sloppy drunk assholes. Ten full minutes of the game passed and the score was 5-6. The game picked up, and was tight at the end. With 11 seconds left, Chaz Carr made two free throws, one to tie, and one to take the lead. Our celebration was interrupted when Maine inbounded the ball, took it up the court, and sank a wide, wide open 3-pointer with 2 seconds left. In the end, Chaz managed a shot from the top of the arc. It didn't go in, but it was close. That's when I learned that players can never let up, even until the last seconds ticks away.

3. BU vs. Hartford 2002 Semi-Finals

We've still got it on tape after it made ESPN's top plays. I'm talking, of course, about Stijn Dhondt's game winning three. The Hawks tied the game at 60, leaving .8 seconds left. Dohnt grabbed the half-court pass in mid air, landed, and banked the game winner. With .8 seconds left.

2. BU vs. Vermont 2003 Finals

This one is the heartbreaker. The big one. We had momentum from our win over NU, and we were playing on our own court. We'd done this before. We focused on Taylor Coppenrath, and minimized his points, but out of nowhere came Matt Scheftic with 21 points. The game winner with 5 seconds left was from non other than that perrenial jackass David Hehn. What was worse than helplessly sitting in the stands while Vermont fans celebrated on our court was reliving the experience when Big O brought a tape of that game to the Warehouse where we both worked one summer. He said he had the tape to study from it, but I think he just wanted to torture me.

1. BU vs. Maine 2002 Finals

The best memory I have of BU sports was storming the court after we won the America east tournament in 2002. The game wasn't even close. It was evident at half time that the game, the momentum, the plays, and the calls were all going our way, we had to win. Before last seconds even ticked away, students were running towards the center of the court and jumping into a mix of players, coaches, and fans. It was amazing.


Let's see what happens this weekend.

Extra credit reading material

The Freep came out with it's "Basketball Supplement" today, and it's a good primer for this weekend. Hey, maybe some students will read it and come to the games!! I do remember Binghamton's student paper coming out with a Special Edition for each day of the tournament, with recaps of the previous day's scores and articles about the day's match-ups. I wonder if we could convince the Freep to do that.

Anyway, the column by Josh Lerner and Chris Pasquale dissects the tourney teams and does a good job of making fun of each of them (I might have to steal the nickname "Cat-mounters"). Some of the highlights include comparing Vermont guard Kyle Cieplicki to E.T. and suggesting a "umBC Sucks!" cheer.

The article by Couper Moorhead is about efficiency stats and the on/off consistency of the Terriers, and Nick Cammarota writes a good one about BU's young guns as the head into their first tournament.

Overall, I was impressed by the Freep's coverage of the team this year (as I usually am), and this is a good showcase of that.

Oh by the way, here is another hard-hitting article about the Freep.

Tips on Surviving Tournament Weekend

Since the tournament is being held in Boston this year, Tall-boy and I have it easy. We get beds this year, we get to shower. We don't have to hang out in downtown Binghamton. Man, am I glad it's in Boston this year.

But while we've got a place to stay this year, I'm at the same time hoping there are more people out there just like us who, this year, have to survive a bitter cold weekend in Boston/Allston. I admire your courage, because it won't be easy. Hey, at least it's not Binghamton. Here are a few tips for those who are planning to enjoy the tournament the old fashioned way. That is to say, entering the weekend with no plan.

• First and foremost, you're not allowed into the city unless you already have beer in your car. Alcohol should have been the first thing you packed for road trip.
• There is only one thing that will get you through four straight games of mediocre basketball. Sparks, Sparks, and more Sparks. Get a sixer from Marty's (Comm Ave. and Harvard Ave.) or Blanchards (Brighton Ave. and Harvard Ave.) and you'll be set for the day.
• The T might seem like a quick and easy way to get around B.U.'s campus, but
• please don't encourage them, lest they raise the fucking fare again.
• Boston is an amazing city to be in and there's so much to see. Too bad you'll be in a quiet, half-empty arena from about 11:30 AM to about 11:00 PM.
• Make sure to bring either a bottle of Axe body spray or a bottle of Febreeze. If you're doing the tournament the old fashioned way, you won't have a place to shower for the weekend. Either one of these will help hide the fact that you're technically homeless for a couple days.
  
• Here's a fair warning for Binghamton fans: If you're rooting for "B.U.", we're going to assume you mean the Terriers, even though we know you don't.
• It's March, so you know it's going to be very cold. If you can't handle sleeping in your car, the best places to pick up a girl who will take you home with her are The Kells, White Horse, and Wonderbar, for those of you who like underage girls.
• Bars and food places close early in Boston. And while you'll probably be starving for food at 2:30 AM, stay away from Rednecks BBQ.
• And don't forget to say hi to this crazy neighborhood whack job. This is the notorious Mr. Butch. He owns Allston while not actually owning any possessions at the same time. He'll make fun of you for being Polish, then he'll asked you for money so he can get a 40. At least that's what he did to me.

Good luck, brave souls. If you can survive a weekend in Allston with nothing but your wits, then you can survive anywhere.

I-90

Is this visual a foreshadowing of the championship game? Time will tell...

Incidentally, this reminds me of way back in 2003 when the guys in 15 Ashford climbed up to the I-90 billboard one night and cut out the giant picture of Ryan Butt, which they took home and kept in their house.

It was amazing, I wish I thought of it first. Wait... that gives me an idea... do you think if we rolled Corey up he would fit in my car?

Spring Break-out

I must correct my esteemed colleague the High Roller on one point he made during his previous post. He says, "if you're stuck in Boston for spring break... you have something to do now."


Well, now BU students have one less excuse to attend the games, because according to a highly-placed source (uh, this girl I know who is still at BU) Spring Break does not start until the weekend of March 10th - one week after the tournament. This is a departure from the last 3 times the tourney was held in Boston (01-02, 02-03 and 03-04) when almost no students showed up. It prevented super-fans like my man Nick (oh, he'll be out in full force this year) from attending the games.

This year, BU students do not have to choose between getting wasted in an exotic location like London or Cancun, and getting wasted right here while rooting for their Terriers - they can do both!

Combining the free ticket giveaway and the lack of a Spring Break, I will now be disappointed if we are outnumbered by Binghamton students at this game.

Free Tix

Yeah, I'll admit that I'm lazy. Last night, I was so lazy that I didn't bother giving the necessary info for the free tickets, and instead dared you to e-mail us to find out. I figure it's much easier to cut and paste the e-mail that's floating around the internet.

FREE Tickets For Boston University Students!

Show the rest of America East what a home court advantage really is! Be there to watch your Terriers make some real March magic and clinch their chance to face the best teams in the country. It's the most wonderful time of the year...NCAA Tournament time!

The Terriers are the #3 seed in the America East Championship and will face rival BU, #6 Binghamton, this Saturday night at 8:30 p.m.*

Bring your BU ID to the Agganis Arena Ticket Office to pick up your FREE ticket now until any time prior to the game. Each student will be entitled to one FREE ticket for any session of the America East Championship at Agganis Arena that Boston University participates in; If the Terriers advance to the semifinal round, free tickets for that session will also be available.

So there you have it. Pretty simple, right? Bring your BU ID to the Agganis ticket office at anytime and get your free ticket. And you can get another one if/when we win Saturday and move on to Sunday. So if you're stuck in Boston for spring break and you think you have nothing to do, well you have something to do now.

Cut out that Bracket

Filled out your America East Tournament bracket yet? No? Then you are a less pathetic person than I. But seriously, 9 teams? Print it out and fill it in; it coudln't possibly take more than 4-5 seconds.

You can find a printable form here, courtesy of America East. You only have 3 days left, better get crackin'.

Attention Binghamton Fans: DO YOU KNOW PHIL?

Our date for the America East tournament quarterfinal has been set: it's none other than SUNY Binghamton - ugly step-sister to SUNY Buffalo, nerdy half-brother to SUNY Albany and SUNY Stony Brook. I know none of them go by "SUNY" anymore, but they used to and I happen to know that they hate that name and it's our job to antagonize them as much as possible during tournament time.

However, Binghamton served as a receptive host for our AE tourney exploits the last two years, and we shall do the same for them. Especially helpful last year was some guy named Phil, who took us under his wing after we met him at a bar downtown. Phil saw our BU shirts, asked where we were staying, and we told him the parking garage across the street. Phil showed us uncommon decency in offering us a place to stay, partying with us, and schooling us in foosball in his basement. We repaid him by leaving about 10 BU Basketball t-shirts at his house on our way out, which we were supposed to give out to BU fans at the tournament. But the High Roller and I never thought this was enough pay-back for Phil's generosity.

Binghamton fans, this is where you come in. If you know Phil, if you've seen him on the street or took a class with him, please tell him to come to Boston this weekend. We would be honored to have Phil as our special guest for this year's tourney, if only we knew how to ask him. I'd say Phil was about 5'11", short blond hair, glasses, and a little husky but not fat (I'm not sure how accurate that is. Perhaps the High Roller can give a better description, as I only met Phil after half a bottle of SoCo and a sixer of Central NY's finest: the repulsive Genny Cream Ale).

So Binghamton Bearcat fans, I ask you: Do you know Phil?

The Countdown Begins

4 more days. That's right, 4 more days until the tournament begins, and craziness ensues. Hopefully everyone has their tickets already, and if not, it's not too late. The student package is $30 for all four sessions, and even if you're not a student anymore, you can buy it online for the discount.

Or if you just want to support BU by watching them battle Binghamton in the fourth game on Saturday, you can do that and it won't cost you a thing. BU is giving a free ticket for one session to every BU student to try to bolster support for the Terriers. To find out the details on how to attain a free ticket, email us at the e-mail address in the upper right hand corner of this page.

Get the ticket, go to the game, have a hell of a good time.

Let 'em play, coach

I was right about that buzz - a great crowd came out to see a great game. Almost a full house saw BU lose by 2 to first-place Vermont.

The whole game can be summarized by describing the last 15 seconds. Vermont pulled the bullshit tactic of fouling BU every time up the court when they were up by 3, so they couldn't tie it. They did this 3 times. Yes it's legal, but it's so lame and frankly it's poor sportsmanship. Finally, they got BU to turn it over with 4 seconds left, and won the game.

Doesn't matter though - despite the loss, BU wrapped up the #3 seed for the tournament with Hartford's loss. We play at Albany tomorrow afternoon in what should be a preview of a semifinal game a week later.

What's that sound...?

It's the buzz surrounding the BU men's hoop team on campus this week. It's a very slight buzz, but you can still feel/hear it.

A series of three different Freep articles talking about tonight's big tilt against Vermont. Each of them, in one way or another, begged students to show up and show support at the Terriers' last home game before the tourney. The High Roller claimed he was going to write a Letter to the Editor, but he apparently got lazy.

The driving force behind this is the widely-distributed fact that Vermont will be bussing 300-400 senior citizens (aka UVM fans) down for the game, including - I shit you not - the governor of Vermont. Like his time can't be better spent milking his goats or advocating on behalf of cheese?

If you are reading this blog, there's about a 99% chance you're already going to the game - and if not, you're watching on NESN like me. But if for some reason you can't feel the buzz, have a few beers after school/work to get a real buzz and head to the game.

Props

Quick props to Carlos Strong for earning his second Rookie of the Week award with his stellar performance against Binghamton. 30 points tends to do that. He followed up with 9 against New Hampshire. Bummer we lost, but we managed a season split against UNH. Home game tomorrow night. Be there. Back to work now.

The home stretch

A quick look at the America East standings with 4 games remaining reveals this:

1. Vermont 11-1
2. Albany 11-3
3. BU 7-5
4. Maine 6-7
5-9. The losers

BU has 2 tough games left (vs. Vermont, @ Albany) and 2 against the losers (vs. Stony Brook, @ UMBC). If BU can TCB against UMBC and SBU, they will have 3rd place wrapped up. It would be nice to take one against Vermont or Albany, but we don't need it to get 3rd.

And really, 3rd place is a great place to be heading into the tournament. Whether we pull into 2nd place somehow or not, we're going to have to face Albany in the semis. And if we beat Albany, we're going to have to play at Vermont or host the 4th place team in the title game, no matter what.

The key is not slipping into 4th place. Nobody wants to play the #1 seed in the semis and then have almost no shot at hosting the championship game. And by taking care of bidness against Stony Brook and UMBC, we can avoid that.

Put your boring hats on, we're going to New Hampshire

The Terriers head to New Hampshire for another chance to embarrass the Wildcats. Why else would anyone ever go to New Hampshire? Am I right?

When we played New Hampshire back in January, we nearly doubled them up. This time around the Terriers are coming off a strong win over Binghamton, while the Wildcats have lost five in a row. That, and Big O should be back in uniform, making buckets and grabbing boards as he's been doing all year long. Who would you say has the momentum going into this game?

Don't forget to listen to the action at BU's men's basketball page.

My prediction: BU over UNH 66-50

Back to full strength (I hope!)

When the Terriers take the court in Durham NH tomorrow, they will be a full team for the first time since 1/18 against Stony Brook, a span of 6 games. When Corey went down, I resolved to not shave until he came back, and then when Omari got hurt, I extended the Bic-boycott until he came back too. The team's injuries have been killing my luck with the ladies - needless to say, I hope the PT folks have been doing their job.

That said, I don't know whether Omari will be back tomorrow is a certainty, but Wolff did say last week that if the Binghamton game was a day later, Omari might have played. So chances are good he's ready.

Note: For the rest of the year, "full strength" will mean without Matt Wolff - the radio guys said it's been decided that he's done for the year now. No word on whether he can petition the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, but maybe his dad knows a guy who knows a guy.

When it Rains it Pours

And it sure did pour Thursday night, thanks mainly to Carlos Strong. The Terriers sank thirteen 3-pointers, with eight, a single game record, by the rookie Strong. But that's not to say it was a one man show. In the end, it was a team effort that prevailed as BU held on for the win, 66-54.

The absence of Big O was noticeable, but Scott Brittain filled in and played well, and the rest of the Terriers shot lights out. We turned the ball over a hell of a lot, but we were more aggressive on offense than I've ever seen. I liked the game strategy that they used, and I hope they stick with it in future games.


For anyone who missed this one, I feel sorry, as it was a real treat to see Carlos get his first standing O of his college career. Let's hope it's his first of many.

Here's a few random thoughts to wrap up this post:

-I've come to the conclusion that Ibe can be described as the black hole of basketball. No, not black ho (I threw that in there for any fans of "Eddie", starring Whoopi Goldberg). Whenever he has possession of the ball, our offense slows to a crawl. Whether he's under the hoop, hopelessly trying to make a lay-up or at the top of the arc pump-faking away rather than swinging it like he should be, I'd just prefer that he pretends the ball is a hot potatoe when we're on offense.

-I'll never get used to this new announcer. The way that he says "Tyler Morris" makes me want to puke. And that red hair? Jeez, get a life.

-I've had it with this year's Rhett. Yeah, he can dance alright and he can do the worm, but he's no more than an attention-grabbing showboat who sucks at free throws and thinks it's funny to stand in front of you and block your view. Enough is enough.

-That block from behind by Corey Lowe was pretty sick, and it was good to see him back on the court. He reminds me of a young Lucious Jordan. Anyone agree?

-I think one of the cheerleaders likes me. She kept trying to sell me raffle tickets. Maybe she just wanted my money.

-Big O should be back in the line-up for our next game, so no worries.

-And finally, RIP Anna Nicole Smith. I know this has nothing to do with basketball, but what a bummer. Anyone remember that scene in Naked Gun 33 1/3 where it looks like shes got a penis? That was pretty freaky, huh?