Heartbreak. That’s the only way to describe it. Heartbreak over the ending of the biggest opener Northeastern men’s basketball has ever played. One year after being treated to a Demetrius Pollard buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent Husky fans into a court-rushing frenzy, we could only watch from the TD Garden seats as Maurice Watson led a Boston University comeback in the last six minutes. Watson led BU in scoring with 16, including several drives to the basket for quick points late in the game. Although it was a tough ending to a game that seemed decided with five minutes to go, the events of the day made one thing clear: the Northeastern men’s basketball team has undergone a changing of the guard.
Quite literally, too. With the graduation of Joel Smith and Jon Lee, the Huskies lost last year’s two leading scorers and floor generals. Northeastern’s offensive game was largely based on their backcourt prowess. Smith led the team, averaging 16.1 points per game, with Lee chipping in 13.8. With those two presences gone, Quincy Ford is expected to step up and take the reins of the offense.
Ford, who earned pre-season All-CAA honors, should not have any problem shouldering the scoring load. However, Sunday’s game at TD Garden showed to the college basketball world that Northeastern is a different team, with a much larger focus on their frontcourt game. Between the return of Reggie Spencer and the transfer of Scott Eatherton, the offense that last year came through the guards will now run through the big men in the low post.
Eatherton, a transfer who averaged 14 points and seven rebounds last year with Saint Francis University, made his debut memorable, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, including six of the Huskies’ first eight points. His presence in the post brought extra defenders and enabled Northeastern to get good looks from the perimeter. He even showed some shooting range, stepping out and hitting a three in the second half. The most significant contribution he made seemed to be when he was on the bench. The lack of his big body in the paint threw off the rhythm that the Huskies had offensively when he was in.
It isn’t just Scott Eatherton’s team. I was incredibly impressed with Zach Stahl’s performance off of the bench, recording 16 points and eight rebounds. Yes, they were both career highs for him, but I absolutely believe that he can continue this production. While only measuring in at 6-foot-5-inches, Stahl has the low post presence to thrive in head coach Bill Coen’s system, and a basketball IQ to match. He will provide a great change of pace off the bench. And we can’t forget to mention Reggie Spencer. His big body will clog up lanes for opposing teams, and he is great off of the pick and roll.
The new focus on the frontcourt gives Northeastern a height advantage that they don’t usually have. In Sunday’s game, the Huskies out rebounded BU by 11, limiting the Terriers’ second chance opportunities. They also collected quite a few offensive rebounds of their own and made the most of their second chances.
It is a new era for the Huskies. Losing Lee and Smith meant two premier guards would be moving on, but that by no means is a cause for concern for Northeastern. With David Walker running the show now, the only thing that will change is the offensive focal point. Quincy Ford will have to lead the Huskies through some tough conference games. But the most important part of the season may not be Ford. As important as Ford will be in the Husky success, their sustained consistency may come from the play of their frontcourt.
– Dan McLoone can be reached at [email protected]
