One-Bid Wonders

Ryan Cook, 6’2” 190, R-Sr., G, UMBC
Overall: 31.6 MPG, 15.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 55.8 TS%, 104.5 ORtg
Conference: 30.4 MPG, 13.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 54.2 TS%, 104.7 ORtg
Despite a huge usage rate, Cook posted a very healthy offensive rating, and finished in the top 5 in the catch-all “NBA Efficiency” stat – the only four players with better efficiency scores are on our 1st team. Cook’s performance compares favorably Reed and Edwards, similar scoring guards/wings with high usage rates. An extremely high-energy player, Cook is an accurate shooter from behind the arc, can beat his man and get to the hoop off the bounce, finishes with authority above the rim and is a master of the lost art of the mid-range jumper. Cook is also a premier defender, relentless rebounder, and terrific presence in the locker room. Arguably the best player in the league during the non-conference season, Cook hit a bit of a wall down the stretch – due in large part to having no one to help relieve him of any of the burden – but remained a dynamic player nonetheless. (more…)

BU forward Dom Morris threw down a thunderous dunk Wednesday night (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Playing host to the final America East contest in its long history, The Roof at Case Gymnasium was rocking Wednesday night.

Not the outdated, glorified high school gym, where empty chair-backs outnumbered occupied seats – boisterous as the listed attendance of 712 may have been.

It was the rims that reached a deafening decibel level in Boston University’s 79-69 win over Albany, with Terrier forwards Dom Morris and Nate Dieudonne throwing down a pair of poster-worthy And-1 dunks over helpless Great Danes defenders.

“It was exciting,” exclaimed Boston University head coach Joe Jones. “Both [Dunks] were pretty impressive.”

Morris, a bruising junior listed at 6’7” 240 (but closer to 6’6” 250), threw down the first, and more powerful, of the two slams, a thunderous, two-hand jam on Albany forward Sam Rowley that nearly snapped off the snap-back rim.

With 16:37 remaining in the second half, Morris freed BU sniper John Papale with a perfect screen near the top of the key and immediately bolted to the right block. Without hesitation, Papale fired to a streaking Morris, who in one motion caught the pass and launched himself at the hoop off of two feet. Rowley rotated over and hammered Morris with a hard foul, but it wasn’t enough to stop the native of Newark, Delaware, from throwing down a two-handed sledgehammer.”

“It was great to dunk on someone and get the ‘And-1,’” said Morris, who let out a bellow and flashed a thousand-watt smile before swishing the ensuing free-throw. (more…)

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr. converts a tough lay-up in traffic in the Terriers 79-69 win. Watson posted his second career, and second straight, double-double with 11 points and 10 assists (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – With 10:15 remaining in the second half Wednesday night, Boston University freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. stood with the ball, motionless, on the right wing. In the blink of an eye, Watson put the ball on the floor and, in one zero-to-sixty step, was at full speed, driving the lane and the Albany Great Danes were backpedaling on their heels.

Just as quickly, Watson stopped on a dime and fired the ball to freshman gunner John Papale on the right wing, sending Albany scrambling in an air raid drill. In one swift motion, Papale caught Watson’s dish and swung it – like a hot potato – to junior point guard D.J. Irving, the second half of the Terriers lightening-fast dynamic ball handling duo, in the right corner.

Albany forward Jayson Gurrier, in an all out dive, managed to take out Irving’s legs, sending him sprawling to the hardwood, just as the junior let fly. It was no use: with the referee’s whistle echoing off the rear-wall of Case Gymnasium, Irving’s three settled, soft as silk, through the bottom of the cylinder, pushing the Terriers lead to 53-49.

On the ensuing possession, the Great Danes worked the ball to their own star point guard, Mike Black, who sprung loose on the left wing. Black let fly, but his shot fell flat, clanging off the back iron and caroming over the top of the backboard and out of bounds.

It was the night in the nutshell, as Boston University continued its personal vendetta against the America East; punishing every conference foe that gets in their way on their way out the door. On Wednesday night, it was Albany’s turn, with BU stepping on the gas to dust the Great Danes, 79-69, in a run-and-gun romp.

“You’re either going to give up lay-ups off to those two guys,” said Brown off the Terriers dual-point guards, “or they’re going to find [Papale] and he’s going to hit jumper after jumper.”

In their best offensive outing of the season, the Terriers shot 51.9 percent from the floor (28-of-54), 40 percent from downtown (10-of-25) and moved the ball magnificently, dishing out 17 assists to just four turnovers. Four players broke double-figures for BU, which has now won a season-best five straight games and ten of their last twelve. (more…)

By Matt Whitrock and Sam Perkins

Sent Packing! Stony Brook freshman Jameel Warney rejects Vermont guard Josh Elbaum in the first half of the Seawolves 65-48 win on Friday (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Stony Brook, NY) – Jameel Warney is a force in America East unlike anything we’ve seen in years.

After turning down scholarships from the likes of Iowa, Penn State and Charlotte, the 6’8” 250 pound bruiser from Plainfield, New Jersey had amassed a hype even larger than his massive frame.

“He’s the best big man that will ever play here, absolutely,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said at the time.

Over the course of his first season of college ball, Warney has not only lived up to the lofty expectations, but exceeded them.

Through 25 games, Warney currently ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding at 7.6 boards per game, 10th in scoring at 12 points per game, while leading the league in field goal percentage (62.4 percent) and blocked shots (1.6 per game). In conference play, Warney has been even better, averaging 12.6 points per game (8th), 8.3 rebounds (4th) and 1.6 blocks (1st), while shooting an insane 65.9 percent from the floor.

“It’s unbelievable; he has the best hands I’ve ever seen,” raved fifth-year senior Tommy Brenton, the team’s captain and emotional leader. “He makes me look good, honestly, I’ll just throw it up there sometimes [and] he catches it.”

His raw numbers become all the more impressive when considering the defensive attention already being paid to the Seawolves workhorse.

“In high school he would have five guys on him,” said Steve Pikiell following the Seawolves dominating 65-48 win over conference rival Vermont. Warney shrugged off double and triple teams to post 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to go with 10 rebounds to help the Seawolves secure a resounding win and two game cushion in the conference standings.

Simply put, Warney is already the runaway Rookie of the Year. But he’s more – much more – and much better than his raw numbers. When looking at his advanced statistics, Warney is not only the most efficient offensive player in the conference, but the most impactful rookie to come through the America East in more than half a decade. (more…)

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr., pushed the ball in transition against New Hampshire Sunday afternoon. Watson posted his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, adding six assists and three steals in the Terriers 68-56 win (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Following Boston University’s 68-56 win over visiting New Hampshire, BU freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. – listed at 5’10” on the Terriers’ official roster – was asked just how tall he would like to credit himself with being.

“Five-ten,” said Watson with a mischievous smile, “Five-ten and a half in my sneakers.”

Dwarfed by a surrounding scrum of 5’9” writers, it was immediately apparent that the Lansdowne, Pennsylvania native was taking some serious liberties in assessing his stature.

But Watson and equally diminutive back-court mate D.J. Irving played like seven-footers on Sunday, as the dynamic-duo dominated the game and destroyed the visiting Wildcats on the glass, 43-28. The pint-sized playmakers powered the Terriers, combining for 23 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals.

“Those two kids can play – they can play basketball, doesn’t matter if they’re five-whatever or six-four, those two kids can play,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion of the tiny tandem.

A week after notching a career-high 13 assists, Watson posted his first career double-double, pulling down a game and career-high 10 rebounds to go with 13 points. The America East leader in assists at 5.2 per game, Watson dropped six dimes and swiped three steals.

Officially listed at 6’ but checking in much closer to 5’9”, Irving added nine rebounds and ten points, to go with six steals and two steals. After spending his first two years on Comm. Ave., as the Terriers starting point guard, the junior from Chester, Pennsylvania, moved off the ball this year to make room for Watson, but still ranks fifth in the America East in assists.

“Either one of those guys can initiate offense,” said Boston University head coach Joe Jones.

Junior forward Dom Morris continued his stellar junior season, scoring 13 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line, to go with eight rebounds and three steals. Red-shirt sophomore forward Malik Thomas added 10 points and freshman sharp-shooter John Papale added nine points, with the duo combining to connect on four of the Terriers seven made three’s.

The Terriers shot 45.5 percent from the floor (25-of-55), 43.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-16) and 78.6 percent from the line (11-of-16). BU jumped all over New Hampshire in the opening stanza, leading 34-17 at the half and pushed their lead to 20 early in the second, before coasting to the win.

“I thought we played a great half of basketball – I was very pleased with our effort for the first 20 minutes,” said Jones. “In the second half, just like you knew they would, they played with great heart in the second half. For the majority of the second half I thought they outplayed us.”

The Wildcats continued their season-long trend of being unable to put the ball in the bucket, shooting a dismal 37.5 percent from the floor (21-of-56), while bombing their way to a horrifying 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from downtown.

“In the first half we were just three happy again,” said Herrion with a snap of his fingers, “when we do that, we’re not good.” (more…)

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6’6″ 250 pound Boston University forward Dom Morris (right) drives against 6’7″ 260-plus pound Maine center Alasdair Fraser (left) Tuesday night. Morris scored a career-high 20 points for the Terriers in a 79-72 win, while Fraser was held to 16 points in the loss (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – If the definition of insanity is repeating the same mistake over and over again and expecting different results, then the Boston University Terriers and the University of Maine Black Bears played one bat-something-crazy game Tuesday night.

Facing off for the 100th and final time as conference foes, both teams continued their season long trends of shooting themselves in the foot while doing their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Terriers pounded Maine’s porous perimeter defense, burying 11-of-22 3-pointers and rode a scorching hot first half to a 79-72 win, but not before nearly blowing a 22 point second half lead while displaying an inexcusable lack of effort.

“We played a great first half,” said BU head coach Joe Jones. “The first seven, eight minutes of the second half I was pleased with and then we lost our concentration: I thought we could have extended our lead – it was really poor on our part in terms of decision making on offense down the stretch.”

The league’s worst 3-point field goal percentage defense, the Black Bears once again employed their never-fails-to-fail 2-3 zone defense of doom in an attempt to combat a barrage from downtown – a defense as useful defending the 3 as a screen door is on a submarine.

“We missed a couple shots, they got a couple turnovers, they got in transition and they hit 3’s – it wasn’t 2’s,” said Maine head coach Ted Woodward.

Not to be out-done, after dropping four conference games – along with a near epic meltdown against an overmatched UMBC squad – by simply not playing hard until the final buzzer, the Terriers once again failed to show even the slightest sense of urgency while mailing it in down the stretch.

“When we don’t play with energy, we’re not very good,” said Jones. “If we’re not going to come out and go after people, we’re going to struggle.”

The Terriers shot 58.1 percent from the floor (18-of-31) and 57.1 percent from behind the arc (8-of-14) in the opening stanza, and 49.1 percent from the floor (28-of-57) and 50 percent from three (11-of-22) for the game. BU dished out 18 assists, forced 18 turnovers and won the rebounding battle against the bigger and stronger Black Bears 34-33.

But the Terriers committed 16 turnovers of their own – many of them by simply being lazy and careless with the ball – resulting in 24 Black Bears points, allowing Maine to make a game of it. The Black Bears also scored 38 points in the paint to the Terriers 20, but shot just 26.7 percent from 3 (4-of-15).

“There were some really positive things: we shot 58 percent in the first half, we were 11-for-22 [from three], we had 18 assists – which is huge,” said Jones. “But if we want to be a championship caliber team… We have to concentrate at a higher rate a lot more consistently.”

Junior forward Dom Morris scored a career-high 20 points shooting a stellar 9-of-13 from the floor, to go with seven rebounds, two steals and a block to pace the Terriers.Freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr., scored 14 points, dished out eight assists and swiped three steals. Freshman gunner John Papale scored 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and junior wing Travis Robinson added nine; The duo combined to shoot 7-of-13 from behind the arc. Junior guard D.J. Irving struggled through a tough night on offense, shooting just 1-of-5 from the floor and committing six turnovers, but the diminutive 5’10” guard found a way to contribute, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. (more…)

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Hartford forward Oren Faulk sends Boston University guard D.J. Irving’s shot packing in the first half Saturday night. Faulk rejected two shots and the Hawks scored a resounding 66-58 win (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(West Hartford, CT) – America East team’s that don’t double Hartford forward Mark Nwakamma do so at their own peril, and any player forced to cover the 6’6” sophomore one-on-one should be afraid – very afraid.

Nwakamma shrugged off a foul-plagued first half to play a herculean second, pouring in 22 points while ripping down 12 rebounds to lead Hartford to a 66-58 win and season sweep over visiting Boston University. A one-man wrecking crew, Nwakamma single-handedly demolished the Terriers’ front line, hitting 9-of-15 shots in his second career double-double. The Leander, Texas, native added three assists, two steals and two monster rejections, while committing just two turnovers.

“He was terrific in the second half,” said Boston University head coach Joe Jones of Nwkamma, “he brought them home at the end.”

“Coach has confidence in me and I have confidence in myself: when I’m single covered to go right at them,” said Nwakamma.

Hartford shot 51.1 percent from the floor (23-of-45) and 43.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-16), and held the Terriers to just 37.5 percent from the field (21-of-56) and 34.6 percent from three (9-of-26).

“We got great ball reversals, great post touches, I think 16 three’s is the perfect number of three’s for us to be taking,” said Hartford head coach John Gallagher. “I think we established physicality early. We are slowly becoming a physical team, which is exciting – very physical.”

Hartford won the rebounding battle 36-27, and in a heated and physical game that saw tempers flair and the benches empty after the final buzzer, thoroughly out-worked, out-fought and out-toughed the Terriers all night.

“They completely outplayed us in every facet of the game,” said Jones. “They executed at a higher level, they played harder, longer – they chased down loose balls.”

“I thought our guys, coming off an excruciating loss up eight the other night, we just showed our character,” said Gallagher, referencing Wednesday night’s home loss to Vermont, in which Hartford coughed up an eight point second half lead.

After spending their previous five games allergic to the low-blocks – bombing away bricks from behind the arc – Hartford outscored BU 30-24 in the paint. The Hawks also smothered the Terriers dribble-penetration – the lifeblood of their offense – turning Boston University into a jump shooting team.

Guard Wes Cole scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes off the bench, reserve forward John Peterson added nine and guard Yolonzo Moore II chipped in eight for the Hawks, who had 10 different players log four or more minutes, with eight contributing in the scoring column. Reserve forward Oren Faulk added two blocks.

The Terriers were led by junior guard D.J. Irving, who scored 14 points but required 13 shots to do it, to go with eight rebounds and three assists. Travis Robinson added 11 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-5 from behind the arc. Freshman point guard Maurice Watson scored 10 points while dishing out four assists and freshman forward Nate Diuedonne added eight points and six rebounds off the bench. (more…)

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UMBC forward Adrian Satchell (30) and guard Ryan Cook (12) battle with Boston University forward Dom Morris (15), Travis Robinson (24) and Nate Dieudonne (right foreground) as Terrier guard Zach Chionuma looks on (3) (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Forwards Dom Morris and Chase Plummer did their best Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo impressions on a wind-swept winter afternoon in Boston. Case Gymnasium stood in for the O.K. Corral and the Wild West deserts of Tombstone, Arizona, as and the Boston University Terriers and University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers engaged in an all-out shootout on Saturday.

Morris led six Terriers in double-figures, scoring a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds to lead the Terriers to an 81-75 win.

“I think we were doing a really good job offensively – for the most part – getting what we wanted but we just weren’t able to get stops in the second half,” said UMBC interim head coach Aki Thomas.

“We’re trying to get our guys to understand the importance of playing their best night in and night out and tonight we just didn’t have it,” said Terriers second year head coach Joe Jones. “The silver lining is that we won the game and we made the plays that it took down the stretch to win the game.”

Boston University head coach Joe Jones was unhappy with the Terriers’ lack of intensity and energy in Monday’s 81-75 win (Photo by Sam Perkins)

Boston University freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. scored 10 points while dishing out six assists to just one turnover, forward Malik Thomas scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds and freshman forward Nate Dieudonne scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 14 minutes off the bench. Guard D.J. Irving added 13 points and freshman gunner John Papale chipped in 11.

Plummer was brilliant for the Retrievers, shrugging off swarming double-teams to pour in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, burying three triples and ripping down a game-high 11 rebounds.

“He’s quick: Once he gets the ball he’s turning. I know what he’s doing but by the time you react to it the ball is already in the air,” said Morris, a rival and nemesis of Plummer’s since their high school and AAU days.

Guard Ryan Cook added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists to just one turnover, hitting 6-of-9 shots and swishing all three of his three-point attempts. Senior guard Brian Neller scored 12 points, burying four bombs from long range and forward Adrian Satchell added 11 points and six rebounds.

Boston University shot a red-hot 51.7 percent from the floor (31-of-60), while UMBC shot an even hotter 52.5 percent from the floor (31-of-59) and a scorching 54.5 percent from behind the arc (12-of-22). The Retrievers dished out 17 assists to the Terriers 15. But the Terriers outscored the Retrievers 46-26 in the paint, committed just five turnovers on the day while forcing 12 Retrievers fumbles, and hit 15-of-20 free throws while UMBC attempted just two all game.

“There’s no need to talk about the free-throws because we didn’t guard anybody,” said Jones.

Fresh of an 85-80 overtime road win at Albany on Wednesday which saw Irving score six points in the final nine seconds of regulation, the Terriers appeared to be suffering from a hangover after Wednesday’s emotional high. After Cook opened the game with a lay-up, Thomas threw the ensuing unpressured inbounds away, leading to a Satchell lay-up. After Morris missed a bunny for the Terriers, Plummer drilled a three and UMBC led 7-0.

“The first possession, we go to take the ball out after they score – when that happens you’re just not ready to go,” said Jones. “Whether the Albany game – the overtime win, the emotional win – had anything to do with it, who knows, but the bottom line: We did not come out with the energy that it takes to be a great team. And that’s what we’re striving for.”

The Retrievers were selfless with the ball and stifling defending the perimeter, pushing their lead to 25-15 on a pull-up three by Cook with 7:09 left in the first.

UMBC freshman point guard Aaron Morgan pushes the ball in transition Saturday (Photo by Sam Perkins).

But the Terriers woke up, rattling off 10 straight points over the next four minutes to tie the game, with Morris and Papale providing four points apiece during that stretch.

The Retrievers responded with brilliant ball movement, as Plummer threaded the needle with a left handed hook pass from the paint past three defenders to Neller, who banged a three. Point guard Quinton Jones found Neller again with a nifty no-look pass out of a loose ball scramble for another deep three with 56 seconds remaining and the Retreivers went into the half leading 32-31. (more…)

Binghamton guard Mike Horn (left) and forward Jordan Reed (right) chase after Boston University guard D.J. Irving Saturday afternoon. Irving scored 16 points and BU blew out Binghamton 83-59 (photo by Sam Perkins)

(Boston, MA) – The reports of the Boston University Terriers’ demise are greatly exaggerated.

Through their first two games of the America East conference schedule, the Terriers were listless and lifeless: Holding eight-point second half leads on the road against Maine and at home against Hartford, the Terriers went softly into that good night and flat-lined down the stretch in back-to-back losses. Fast forward two games and the Terriers are alive and kicking.

They’re running, too.

After gassing America East heavyweight Vermont down the stretch in a gut-check win on Tuesday, Boston University turned on the jets and left visiting Binghamton in the rear-view mirror on Saturday in an 83-59 win.

“I was proud of the way they responded,” said Terriers head coach Joe Jones. “In the Vermont game: that was unbelievable effort. And to come back and get the job done [today]: that was big.”

The Terriers played a near perfect game, attacking the hoop off the dribble, making the extra pass to the open man, burying open three’s, pounding the ball into the post and finishing with authority above the rim. And as the game wore on, they only played harder, crisper and with more resolve.

The Terriers shot 54.5 percent from the floor (30-of-55) and 44.4 percent from downtown (12-of-27) while tying a while tying a season-high with 12 made three’s. BU dished out 19 assists, held the Bearcats to just 30.9 percent shooting from the floor (21-of-68) and won the rebounding battle 41-35.

“If we get stops and rebound and run; I don’t think there are many teams in the league that can stop us,” said Terriers’ junior guard D.J. Irving.

Irving paced four Terriers who scored in double figures with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with a game-high seven assists. Freshman deadeye guard John Papale scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and just missed his first career double-double with a game and career-high nine rebounds. (more…)

Boston University Terriers D.J. Irving (left) and Malik Thomas (middle) defend Vermont point guard while Boston University head coach Joe Jones looks on. The Terriers swarming defense and intense energy were the difference, as BU paced Vermont 63-53 Tuesday night (photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – They say that an animal is the most dangerous when it is wounded – the adrenaline is flowing and the instinct to survive at all costs is the strongest. The same is true in Basketball: when a team’s back is up against the wall, the chips are down and its season is on the brink, it is usually the most dangerous.

Facing a fight or flight scenario, with its already depleted roster further decimated by injuries and its season likely hanging in the balance, the Boston University Terriers chose to fight – with furious vengeance.

Boston University overcame the loss of two starters to injury, a decided height disadvantage, the shortest bench in the league and an early 10 point deficit to knock off defending America East Champion Vermont 63-53.

“It was a great character win – there’s no doubt,” said Terriers head coach Joe Jones. “You just saw some guys out there just battling and able to use their quickness and their athletic ability to our advantage: That’s what a BU team should look like.”

The out-gunned and out-manned Terriers relied on guts and guile, and flat out played harder than the heavily favored Catamounts – out-hustling and out-working the bigger and deeper Catamounts for 40 minutes, while imposing their will on Vermont’s vaunted offense. Catamount starters Brian Voelkel, Luke Apfeld and Candon Rusin combined to shoot 0-for-18 from the floor, while Voelkel committed an uncharacteristic five turnovers.

“We were just sloppy with the ball and our best players were throwing the ball all over the gym. Instead of trying to make simple plays, they were trying to make great plays,” said Vermont head coach John Becker.

Undersized forward Dom Morris, the Terriers’ lone low-post threat, chopped down the Catamounts’ trees in the low post, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting while ripping down 10 rebounds. Guard D.J. Irving scored a game-high 20 points, taking Catamounts defenders off the dribble at will, while dishing out four assists.

“We battled today: It felt like this was the first game that we battled for 40 minutes,” said Morris. (more…)