Babson champs at bit
Brennan’s Beavers begin title defense
N.E. BASKETBALL
The euphoria of last season’s Division 3 national championship has worn off, the key players who made it happen have moved on, and Babson is focused on new challenges.
But in a way, some things haven’t changed.
It was three years ago when a senior class led by John Wickey and David Mack graduated and, according to coach Stephen Brennan, the foundation that led to last season’s title was formed. But now, with a graduating class led by Joey Flannery gone, it’s up to a group of four seniors who have seen firsthand how the program has evolved to carry on the championship culture.
So far, that culture has proven to still be deeply embedded within the program.
“We went out to Becker (last Tuesday), and a bunch of guys were in before the non-contact walkthrough, getting shots up on the gun,” Brennan said. “Five, six years ago, no one was coming in before a walkthrough to get shots up. We have six newcomers . . . and the seniors have done a great job integrating them, assimilating them and keeping the culture strong as far as just how things get done and what the work ethic has been for the last three or four years.”
It helps that the Beavers, who were ranked No.7 to start the season, have eight returning players. But this is by no means a finished product as the core players transition into bigger roles.
Brennan noted that he’s not trying to replace anybody, and that’s not easy to pull off when the likes of Flannery, the school’s all-time leading scorer, has moved on (he’s playing professionally in Spain). Senior Nick Comenale is the leading scorer so far this season, and Brennan is hopeful senior Bradley Jacks can pick up in the frontcourt where Isaiah Nelsen left off.
However, Brennan knows it will take some time for this team to discover its identity. An early-season home loss to Endicott and yesterday’s defeat to Bowdoin likely helped drive that home even more.
“We want to find out what’s wrong so we can get ready for league play and hopefully learn how to compete at a higher, more elite level,” Brennan said. “I think that’s something hopefully the Endicott game helped us grow into.”
Brennan is preaching patience early on, but he’s liked what he’s seen so far. The Beavers have a solid foundation to work with, including proven seniors.
“Their presence definitely is missed,” Brennan said of last year’s senior class. “But we have a lot of great guys again . . . . Nick Comenale and Bradley Jacks and Brian Kelley and Chris Lowry, they kept it going as far as just getting pumped for practice, bringing energy, hooting and hollering and getting after it, and I keep challenging them, like you have to pull the load. We’ll only have as good a practice as what you bring in terms of energy, focus and then can you hold each other accountable and your teammates accountable? I think they’ve done a really good job to date, and they’re still going through it themselves, just trying to learn how to do it every day and do it well.”
Growing pains at NU
With his top two scorers from last season gone, and eight underclassmen, another newcomer and just one senior, Northeastern coach Bill Coen understood that this year’s team would be a work in progress, especially early on in nonconference play.
The Huskies (2-4) certainly are going through some early growing pains. Saturday’s loss to Furman was their fourth straight.
“We ran into a team that’s experienced, and they know how to win,” Coen said. “That’s what we’re figuring out as a young team. The amount of effort and the way we have to play in order to win, so it’s a feeling out process for us in the nonconference (games), and we’re just looking to get better. I told the guys inside that we just need a really good week of practice and improve.”
The good news for NU: The next four games are at home, starting with Thursday’s contest against Harvard. The Huskies will face three teams during this stretch that were picked in the preseason to win their respective conferences, including the Crimson (Ivy League), Bucknell (Patriot League) and Vermont (America East Conference)
Gray area at Emerson
Emerson (3-1) is off to a strong start, and point guard Geoffrey Gray is a big reason.
The junior from Newton recorded the first tripledouble in Lions history — 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a full 40 minutes — in a 99-83 victory over Newbury. The impressive performance earned him NEWMAC Player of the Week honors.