By Jake Fischer, News Staff
The saying, “you can’t teach height,” is nearly as old as the game of basketball itself. During the Northeastern men’s basketball team’s run to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular season title last March, the Huskies dominated their conference opponents to the tune of a 14-4 record despite ranking last in the league in rebounding margin.
In 2012-13, head coach Bill Coen’s two starting senior guards, Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith, wreaked havoc with their perimeter defense and were able to combat their lack of size by consistently forcing turnovers. Having graduated both of their senior captains, many expected the Huskies to take a step back this season.
But standing at 6-feet-8-inches tall, redshirt junior forward Scott Eatherton stands poised to give Northeastern some immediate help with height in the paint. Eatherton, who sat out all of last season after transferring from St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, joins a surging Northeastern program while also looking to further his own academic goals.
“I just saw the academic opportunity and I really liked the coaches, the school and the city,” Eatherton said of his move. “I was just looking for a bigger school that I could feel comfortable at.”
Eatherton dominated Boston University in the team’s opener at the TD Garden on Sunday. Despite the loss, he tallied a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He also added three blocks, three assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
“I knew something big we needed to change from last year to this year was our rebounding and I knew I could have an impact right away with that,” Eatherton said. “That’s what I was looking to do most, just try to grab as many rebounds as possible.”
With Eatherton in the mix, Coen sought to use his new big man early and often. Junior forward Quincy Ford found Eatherton in the paint on the Huskies’ first possession for a layup, as he notched Northeastern’s first points of the season.
“I thought we were able to establish our frontcourt, which I think ultimately is going to be the core strength of our team this year going forward,” Coen said. “I thought they came out and really did a nice job.”
BU head coach Joe Jones wasn’t surprised by Eatherton’s impactful play, though hr may have impressed the Northeastern faithful.
“We watched his [tape] and I saw a really, really good player,” Jones said. “I thought about what a year [sitting] out with [Coen] coaching him, he could give us some problems because he’s very skilled. He can play inside and out, he’s a good passer, he’s a strong kid.”
