Senior Marcus Barnes was the salt, adding bite to the strong shot of tequila that was junior Jose Juan Barea’s game. Freshman sensation Shawn James was the unexpected slice of lime that rounded out the Huskies championship-caliber concoction.
The drunken party that ensued was the Northeastern men’s basketball teams’ 2004-05 season; a wild ride that included 21 wins, a trip to the America East Championship game and Northeastern’s first-ever trip to the National Invitation Tournament in Memphis, Tenn.
Unfortunately for the Huskies and their fans, after Wednesday’s 90-65 loss in the opening round of the NIT to Memphis University, the hangover is all that’s left.
Barnes led the Huskies with 19 points in his final collegiate game, while sophomore Adrian Martinez scored 15 points, playing in place of the suspended Barea. (The guard was suspended after a controversial loose ball play in the AE championship game against the University of Vermont.)
“I’m proud of our guys. They really showed heart and character,” said NU coach Ron Everhart. “We responded very well to every challange we faced as a team this year.”
Despite finishing the season on a sour note with an 80-57 loss to Vermont in the America East Championship game and the suspension of Barea, the 2004-05 season was one of the best seasons in recent Northeastern history.
“Obviously we feel really good about what we were able to accomplish this year on the basketball court,” Everhart said. “We had a really good year overall.”
The teams’ overall record of 21-10 is the best mark since the 1990-91 season.
In theory, the Huskies will have a solid squad returning next year when they play their first season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. While Barnes is the only senior on the current squad, Barea may have played his last game in the red and black. Before the season it was reported in a Puerto Rican periodical that the team’s offensive spark plug would test the waters and enter his name in the NBA draft. A recent report in the Boston Globe quoted Barea’s father saying the junior point guard would only leave the university if he were given a first-round guarantee from an NBA team; however, after the suspension, it is unclear whether Northeastern’s fourth leading scorer will return to Huntington Avenue for his final season.
With or without Barea, the team will still have the America East Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in James, whose 136 blocked shots, a single-season school record, are second on Northeastern’s career list.
With the front line set for at least the next two years, finding a replacement for Barnes in the backcourt will be an important task for Everheart and his staff.
“I think in the big picture [Barnes’] ability to shoot the ball and lock down the opposing team’s best player was really a big plus for us these past two years,” Everhart said. “His leadership was a big reason we came together this season and were able to string some wins together during the stretch run.”
The front line was the question mark heading into last off-season, and Everhart somehow made that the team’s deepest position. With Martinez and fellow sophomore Bobby Kelly notching solid minutes this year – Kelly started 25 games for NU and they both played in all 31 games – the backcourt should be solid even if Barea doesn’t return. Aaron Davis would likely be the third guard in Everhart’s three-guard set if he chooses to run that formation again next year.
Davis struggled shooting the ball this year, hitting a career-low 38 percent from the floor, but remained healthy for the most part after redshirting last season after shoulder surgery. He should continue to improve as he climbs towards a clean bill of health.
The coach said the team will also look to add an athletic wing-forward that can dribble and defend, as well as pull in some rebounds.
Bennet Davis and Mark Washington will bang inside while James continues to swat shots away at a record-setting pace.
Although they were beaten pretty badly in Vermont, the Huskies can take solace in the fact that the Catamounts seemed to be a team of destiny. Their aging coach Tom Brennen rode his senior-loaded roster for one more run at an NCAA tournament win; an astonishing feat they would eventually accomplish.
