By: Mike Brown, News Correspondent
Last season, sophomore forward Kauri Black sat out the first 14 games of the men’s basketball season because of a knee injury. This season, he made his presence felt in the very first game.
Black scored 11 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the Huskies’ 66-64 win against Boston University last Friday. His performance has earned him Huntington News Player of the Week honors.
“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Black said about recording his first career double-double against BU.
Black also praised the students who attended the game against BU.
“As the game started to get closer, we fed off their energy,” he said.
Huskies’ head coach Bill Coen lauded Black for things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.
“He can create off the dribble, and he’s a tremendous defensive player,” Coen said.
Black fouled out of the Huskies’ 63-62 overtime win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday, after scoring nine points.
“[Fouling out] was kinda frustrating, but it was good to get a road win in a hostile environment,” Black said.
Black wasn’t the only Husky in foul trouble at SIU. Alwayne Bigby also fouled out, and Chaisson Allen finished with four personal fouls.
“That’s gonna happen throughout the course of the year,” Coen said. “It’s important that you don’t pick up giveaway fouls.”
Last season, Black’s knee injury forced him to miss the start of his freshman year, and he considered redshirting, which would have given him an extra year of eligibility.
“I thought about redshirting, but the coaches really wanted me to play,” Black said. “[The injury] was frustrating, but I became a better free throw shooter and learned a lot from watching.”
In retrospect, Coach Coen said he feels Black made the right decision to not redshirt and get experience. After the Huskies’ graduated big men Nkem Ojougboh and Manny Adako, Black moved into a starting role this season.
“I think [Black] is one of our more experienced returning front-court players, and he had a chance to play in some of our big moments [last season],” Coen said.
In Northeastern’s double-overtime 74-71 win over Hofstra in the CAA quarterfinals last year, Black played 25 minutes off the bench, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds.
Black’s transition to Division I basketball wasn’t seamless, and he has tried to mentor teammate, freshman forward Ryan Pierson.
“I try to keep his confidence up, and help him when I can,” Black said.
Black played his high school basketball at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, Calif., and at Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine. He turned down scholarship offers from St. Mary’s College, Fresno State University, Toledo University, Pepperdine University, and Central Florida University.
The sophomore is a Criminal Justice major with a minor in Sociology, and, like many Division I student-athletes, finds it hard to balance sports and school.
“It’s extremely tough, but you gotta figure out a way to balance [school and basketball],” he said.
