Boston will be led once again by senior wing Jim Hayes.  Hayes has been the focal point of the Terrier offense since he enrolled four years ago.  The 6’3 wing from Rockville Center New York is a true scorer that can produce from anywhere on the court.  Hayes was unselfish (some say to a fault) this season as he gave up points for team play.  He decided to become more of an option than the focus for the offense and more players became involved.  Boston used several different lineups and a liberal substitution pattern to frustrate teams.  Though Hayes was the number one option from the perimeter, several others gave ample support on any given night to keep the Terrier machine running.

The player who by far exceeded any expectations Coach Wulff had when he got here was junior post James Garvin.  Garvin became the defensive presence this team sorely needed underneath but that was not all.  His great shot blocking and solid rebounding provided great contributions to a team he was glad just to make as the season started.  His defense might have got him into the lineup but he also became a solid offensive contributor as the season progressed. The undersized Garvin (6’7) actually averaged double digit points for the season to finish third on the team in scoring (as well as leading BU in rebounding) as he is developing a low post game much quicker than anticipated.  He may be too small for the post in bigger conferences but in the American East he is dominant.  He is a nightmare for opponents and maybe the best defensive big man in the AMEC.  He should get more publicity but for some reason he does not.  He will have a bright future the next two years in Boston and if he keeps improving as much as he did in the second season in Beantown.  

Another player who came out of nowhere and made a huge impact is junior wing Ken Boyd.  Boyd is the most complete player on the roster.  He can shoot and drive, can board and pass and plays solid defense.  His motivated play allowed BU to play the up-tempo game they were looking to play.  Boyd may not have got the publicity of Hayes but his second year was just as impressive.  You need to have an inside-outside game in the modern basketball world and the Wulff has got that in his two juniors to be.  And the best thing is these kids are coming back for more. 

Sophomore Gary Plummer was the inside muscle other teams feared and the perfect complement to Garvin.  BU went into the season with a much different look up front then the way it ended.  Seniors Bob Cumings and Kevin Thomas were the carryover post players and Wulff gave his Seniors the first opportunity up front.  It soon became apparent that BU needed more size and athleticism up front and Wulff had to make some difficult choices.  It took some time for BU to get Plummer into the lineup (Plummer was a project like Garvin who had spent most of his first ten games on the JV) next to Garvin but once he did he became a force.  Plummer is a brute underneath who loves to bang with other big boys and at six nine has the size to get the job done.  He also has a deft touch and can be counted on to score in double figures on a regular basis.  He had five double doubles (double digit rebounds as well as points) in the last ten games which showed his skill at hitting the boards as well as scoring.  Plummer was the Terrier other teams tried to stop to keep this team under control because if he got going alongside Garvin BU were tough to handle. 

Getting the ball to Garvin and Hayes and Plummer and Boyd was the responsibility of an underappreciated group of point guards.  Earning the starting nod midway through his first year was Sophomore Jeff (don’t call me Justin) Timberlake.  This kid seemed to be always in sync with his compatriots as he was one of the best passers on the East Coast.  He may not have the most moves on the planet but he is consistent and his self-deprecating humor has made him a favorite of his teammates. Still, Wulff wanted someone to push him who had a little more of a scoring mentality and he found the right combination in another sophomore who barely played the first half of the year in Stephen Key.  Coach Wolff decided to let the two sophomores battle it out down the stretch for minutes and they responded well.  Jeff Timberlake and Steven Key are both amazingly quick penetrators who like to set up their teammates for easy baskets.  They combined to effectively run the Boston offense and put great pressure on the other teams guards.  Key is a little more effective scorer as he has some solid range from the perimeter and had established himself as the starter by the end of the year.  Timberlake is Mr. Consistent and a natural leader and a terrific passer.  Senior Ken Leary and junior Phil Elderkin also got some minutes especially early on but these two pint-sized guards are just too small (5’7 and 5’6 respectively) for this level of play.  Both are also passer first quarterbacks much like Timberlake in the Terrier family of point guards. 

  Sophomore Drederick “No Nickname though there should be one” Irving and senior Randy ‘I am a center not a guard’ Cross were solid contributors off the bench.  Irving is a shooter who loved to fill it up from the perimeter and Cross is a banger underneath who helped take some pressure off Plummer and Garvin.  Cross is vastlu undersized at 6’3 but is a beast in the paint.  Junior Steve ‘I have a Pony’ Wright combined with Cross and Irving to give BU the kind of solid support players who knew their role and were effective in them.  And let us not forget Cumings and Thomas who not too long ago were leading this team into the Big Dance and though they were demoted, still had solid years for BU.  This group gave the frontline great depth and solid production whenever they entered the game.  Thomas really lit it up at times but like Plummer had some issues staying on the court due to nagging injuries.  This 6’8 225 pounder from up the road in Newton may be the most talented offensive player on the team but needs to stay healthy and might be better suited coming off the bench.  Wright, who is a comedic genius in Boston, is consistent on both ends and started about ten games early before Plummer took over.  Wright, who is also 6’8 but nowhere near as physical as Thomas, was a team captain and is a great leader who stepped aside into a supporting role when the Plummer took over. He can score and is consistent but is not real athletic.  Sophomores Tom Ivey and Larry Jones started on the JV and showed some upside and will battle this year for minutes.  Jones only goes 6’6 but was effective on both ends last year while Ivey has some size at 6’8 but is a bit greener and needs more seasoning.  As for the wings, Wulff has a developing group who got their feet wet on varsity last year but mainly played on JV.  Junior Neil Burns was leading the JV in scoring when he got called up last year.  He did a solid job off the bench primarily behind Boyd and has a similar mid-range game.  Sophomores Paul Hendricks and Mike Alexander will forever be connected at the hip.  They played next to each other as bookend forwards on the JV but both are more wing then inside players.  There is much depth on the wings though with Cumings, Hayes, Boyd, Burns, Irving and maybe even Cross battling for minutes so this duo might have another year on the JV. 

BU from the city of Boston had a good season to finish tied for first in the improving American East conference and played some of the most memorable games of the season in this underrated conference.  They are an experienced team for the most part who will be looking to make even more noise this coming year. BU will always be a competitor in the American East and they have the nucleus to compete for the title every year.  Coach Dennis Wolff has done a fine job of finding some talent from all over and figuring out a way of getting all of these kids to play together.  When you play hoops in Boston you are under a huge microscope and if you do not succeed then things can get ugly from the rabid and sometimes obnoxious fans.  This program has always been popular in Beantown and more importantly have been a team that will challenge every season for the top spot of the American East.  This year was no different and that will not change in the foreseeable future as long as BU keep fighting.