Quick Facts: 2009-10 Record: 21-14 (11-5 America East)
Letterwinners Returning: 3
Starters Returning: 3
Newcomers: 7
Head Coach: Pat Chambers (2nd season)/ 21-14 career record
It would be difficult to find a Boston University men's
basketball fan that wouldn't categorize the 2009-10 season as a success. After
a difficult 2-6 start to his first season as the head coach of the Terriers,
Pat Chambers and his team emerged as one of the best in the America East. The
Terriers ended up finishing the season with a 21-14 (11-5 America East) record,
which included a spot in the America East Conference Tournament Championship
game for the first time since 2003 and a run to the semifinals of the College
Basketball Invitational.
After such a successful first season as head coach, it's not
surprising that Chambers and his staff are excited to get the 2010-11 campaign
going. However, in order to meet, and perhaps surpass, the performance of last
season, the coaching staff must figure out how to replace the nine seniors that
it lost. While that task will certainly be difficult, the return of leading
scorer John Holland, who averaged 19.2 points per game, certainly makes the
task a little easier. Despite the gaudy statistics from last season, Chambers
believes there are certainly areas in which Holland can improve as he enters
his senior year.
"We had nine seniors last year, and John didn't really have
to be in a leadership role," explained Chambers. "John is a great player, but
as a coach, you always want improvement in every area of the game, whether it's
shooting better shots, decision-making, rebounding or just flat out playing
harder. But I think leadership is the biggest thing for John this year."
Chambers is expecting junior forward Jake O'Brien, who along
with Holland was an America East All-Conference selection last season, to
assume a leadership position on this young squad, which features seven incoming
freshman and three guys who sat out last season due to the NCAA transfer rules.
"John and Jake, if you look at the stats from last year,
played a good chunk of the minutes," Chambers said. "I think they were 35+
(minutes per game). Jake is just going to have to do the same thing that John
is going to have to do, which is show these guys the work ethic."
With the experience that both have gained during their time
at Boston University, Chambers expects that they can show these newcomers the
work ethic and commitment it takes to compete for an America East championship.
"They need to show this is the work ethic, and when we step on
the court we have to play hard every possession. Every time we are out
shooting, we don't take anything for granted. Jake can say 'Hey, I've been in
these big games. I've been through the battles and I've been through coaches tirades.
I've been through the good and the bad. I've been through a lot of stuff' and
take his wisdom and pass it down to these guys."
While much is expected of the three transfers (Matt Griffin,
Rider; Patrick Hazel, Marquette; Darryl Partin, La Salle) who are now eligible,
the second year head coach cautions people who are expecting these players to
come in and completely dominate the conference.
"It doesn't matter where they came from," cautioned
Chambers. "They have to work hard and they have to earn it. Just because they
may have transferred from a higher level, that doesn't mean anything. It just
means they are going to have to work that much harder to step up and get those
minutes and earn that role. I'm not going to handle anything and they know that."
With an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule, which
includes an appearance in the NIT Season Tip-Off and a trip to Kentucky, it
might take some time for this inexperienced roster to fully gel. However, with
the return of Holland and O'Brien, this team has enough talent to stay
competitive while the seven freshman learn to understand how basketball is
played at the Division I level. Once the newcomers understand what it takes to
win at this level, the Terriers could become the team to beat for the America
East championship.