The Weight of Great Expectations

Every season, we judge our team in two ways: the level of success on the court (number of wins, how far they get in the postseason, etc) and how that success measures up against our expectations. We set those expectations right about now - the weeks leading up to the season.


But in the case of BU, many times those expectations are made for us. For the 4th straight year, we've been picked first in the league. A Marqus Blakely-led Vermont team was never picked first? Three years ago, we were coming off a 6th place finish with a bunch of sophomores, and picked first?

Yet we haven't come in first since 2003-04, and so according to the expectations, BU has been a failure.

This year might be the most undeserved #1 pick yet! We lost 9 seniors, and there are 3 guys remaining on our team who have suited up for BU. Four other guys averaged less than 5ppg at their previous schools. And of course 7 straight-off-the-boat freshmen.

There wasn't another AE team that looks better on paper than this??

The reviews from Monday's Scarlet vs. White scrimmage were underwhelming. Not surprising for a pre-season exhibition. The Terriers are going to take quite a while to learn and gel, and the out-of-conference schedule is gonna tough sleddin for the Chambers Gang too. If right now we're the best the America East has to offer, they can write us into play-in game right now!!

Now this all isn't to say that this year's Terriers can't win the conference or be very good. But setting those kind of expectations on this squad is unfair.