We are currently in the doldrums of the professional sports calendar, which is why manufactured Red Sox Spring Training “news” such as Pablo Sandoval reporting to camp fat has dominated headlines over the last couple of weeks.
Fortunately, college basketball’s tournament season is on the horizon, culminating in March Madness next month. Though Boston schools may be more known for their academics than basketball teams, a couple of clubs from the Bay State seemingly always sneak their way into the field of 65.
Blast from the Past: Why Everyone from Boston Should Root for UMass in the NCAA Tournament
I spoke with five student journalists who cover college hoops for their respective school papers in an effort to find out which local teams might be worth latching on to over the next few weeks. If the Celtics’ not-so triumphant march to the eighth seed propels you to yawn rather than flick on a game, perhaps you could follow one of these clubs instead.
Harvard Crimson:
Record: 19-5, first in the Ivy League (The Crimson have won four consecutive Ivy League regular-season titles under head coach Tommy Amaker.)
Can they make a tournament run this March?
“I’d slow down there,” said Jacob Feldman, beat writer for the Harvard Crimson. “There are still four Ivy games to play, including key matchup against Yale in Cambridge in a little over a week.
If the Crimson does find itself in the Big Dance, I think it would take the right matchups to get it to its first Sweet Sixteen. This Harvard team is not the offensive juggernaut of past seasons. Senior Wesley Saunders is just about the only consistent scorer, so if the Crimson runs into a lockdown defensive team, that could be the end of any run before one could begin.”
Must-watch player(s):
Aforementioned guard Wesley Saunders is the team’s best player, but point guard Siyani Chambers is the most important,” said Feldman. “He got a lot of praise in the preseason and didn’t quite live up to it early on. Come the home stretch though, Chambers has picked his play back up, and its shown as Harvard reemerged atop the Ivy League and back in the Tournament discussion.”
Northeastern Huskies
Record: 19-10, third in the Colonial Athletic Association (But only half a game out of first.)
Has the Huskies’ success been surprising this season?
“Northeastern was ranked as the pre-season favorite to win the CAA, and I think their experience is a big reason why,” said Matthew MacCormack, beat writer for the Huntington News. “They returned six of their top seven scorers from last year, and whenever you have that continuity and familiarity of a system, you have a good chance at being successful.”
Must-watch player(s):
“Senior forward Scott Eatherton is definitely the straw that stirs the drink for the Huskies,” said MacCormack. “He’s 6-foot-9, has a developed mid range game and is a dominant rebounder. He leads the Huskies in scoring and rebounding, and is actually leading the CAA in field goal percentage.”
UMass Minutemen
Record: 16-12, fifth place in the Atlantic 10 (Made the NCAA Tournament last season.)
After last year’s tournament run, have the Minutemen fallen short of expectations this season?
“I didn’t expect the team to return to the NCAA tournament this season,” said Mark Chiarelli, beat writer for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. “I wrote in the preseason that, in my opinion, the combination of new parts and a difficult nonconference schedule would set UMass back. It’s difficult to replace three seniors and even more so when one of them was Chaz Williams, who completely changed the Minutemen’s offense.”
Must-watch player(s):
“This is a tricky one because UMass doesn’t have a traditional ‘true scoring option’ or a player who dominates the ball,” said Chiarelli. “Typically, opposing teams scout for Cady Lalanne, the Minutemen’s 6-foot-10 senior center. He’s averaging 11.6 points and nine rebounds per game — respectable numbers, but he hasn’t quite produced the offensive output that was expected. Still, considering the regularity of opposing double-team’s and his all-around skill set, he’s the first player to catch the eye.”
Boston University Terriers
Record: 13-15, fourth in the Patriots League (The Terriers won the conference last season.)
Has BU’s inconsistency this season been a surprise given how well they played last year?
“Not a surprise that BU has had an up and down season,” said Christopher Picher, beat writer for the Daily Free Press. “They have no seniors on the roster and Maurice Watson JR. transferred to Creighton University and he was their starting point guard and really strong player. They have a young team and Coach Joe Jones is now just finding a role for some of the players.”
Must-watch player(s):
“Sophomore guard Cedric Hankerson and sophomore small forward Eric Fanning,” said Picher. “They are one and two respectively in free throws attempted in the Patriot League. Both of these players can score at will and if they are shooting a high percentage BU can score in bunches and be dangerous.”
Boston College Eagles
Record: 9-18, last in the Atlantic Coast Conference (The Eagles haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2009.)
How would you describe Jim Christian’s first season as head coach?
“In one word: frustrating,” said Jack Stedman, beat writer for The Heights. “Everyone is frustrated right now because they want immediate results, and BC will tease everyone by playing really well against great teams for one half and then losing in the second. For now, his true capabilities as a coach are hindered by not having guys that he recruited himself, and on top of that, he’s had to deal with injuries to Lonnie Jackson, Daryl Hicks, and Idy Diallo. There isn’t much he could’ve done this season to make a big change from last year.”
Must-watch player:
“Olivier Hanlan, without a doubt, especially since there has been a lot of speculation about his future,” said Stedman. “In a lot of games (FSU, Providence, etc.) it looks like he will go for 40 in one night, and he is proving that he is still one of the best guards in the ACC and has a shot at being drafted.”
