According to my editor, as a reporter I’m not supposed to cheer for Binghamton or argue calls if I’m sitting at the press table. Apparently, it’s “unprofessional.” So you’ll find me in the BU Zoo instead. Rather than restating the facts that you can find on Binghamton’s athletics Web site, each week I’ll be giving a fan’s opinion on men’s basketball — the stuff you can only find in the minds of the green and white face-painted faithful.
Who expected Jaan Montgomery to register 11 points, six boards and three blocks on Tuesday? I think head coach Al Walker might have; he’s touted Jaan’s work ethic all preseason, especially when it comes to setting screens for his teammates. But Jaan’s intensity and statistical production were still shocking, considering he hasn’t shown any sort of potential in the past. The 6-foot-11, 290-pound center just might steal some playing time from Giovanni Olomo, but there’s a compelling reason to be a little skeptical: Mansfield’s biggest player was a comparatively minuscule 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds.
Despite the BU Zoo’s complaining, the biggest injustice on the floor wasn’t the refereeing, it was the Halloween costume contest. Snow White got gypped, plain and simple. She — only a couple of years old — was adorable, and Mr. T and the Mario Bros. were not. Though it’s hard to imagine what an infant would do with a $100 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift certificate, I do hear that they’re making the new Air Jordans in fractional sizes.
Troy Hailey did something he never seemed to do last season — took it to the basket. With his two-point shooting (yes, you read that correctly), Hailey single-handedly kept Binghamton in the game early on. Great players find a way to get easy layups and get to the line, and Hailey can reinvent himself as a player if he adds that extra dimension.
Remember how intimidating Jordan Fithian was last year? Well, new center Milidan Kovacevic is bigger, stronger and scarier. If he figures out how to translate his muscles to basketball, he’ll be even more frightening. As for now, I think Walker should use “Minja” in the opening tip-off just to terrify opponents.
On the other hand, Lazar Trifunovic looked like he was worthy of some hype. The skilled 6-foot-8 wing started on Tuesday and he showed us why he got the nod over more experienced players. Lazar made some serious moves to the basket that may not be reflected in the stats because his shots just didn’t fall. I expect him to be one of the more exciting players to watch this year.
Coaching style is apparently not the only thing Al Walker has been teaching his staff. Top assistant coach Lawrence Brenneman is now sporting the same jacket and T-shirt combination as Walker. Am I the only one who finds that a little strange?
With this year’s team, outside of the few exceptions, it seems as though everyone on the bench can sub in for starters without any loss in talent or production. I’m considering two schools of thought on this one — the Bearcats are either very deep, or there are just no good starters that are indispensable. We’ll find out quickly which it is once Binghamton plays some D-I teams.
One final note: men’s soccer head coach Paul Marco deserved to win the America East Coach of the Year award, hands down. You’ve heard it before — Marco graduated talent, dealt with injuries, etc. But he proved it on Wednesday, getting his team to rally from a one-goal deficit to beat Boston University in penalty kicks. Goalie Jason Stenta made the most spectacular save of the season in penalty kicks, and this is a guy who didn’t even expect to play this year. Name another coach who could keep his freshman goalie that confident in his first penalty kick situation.