Recruit now, win in four. Since the dawn of college basketball — college athletics in general, really — that was the mantra. Coaches recruited players out of high school under the assumption that they’d have four years to mold them into better players, better individuals, better winners, all while the athlete donned the same colors…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Charlotte wasn’t supposed to die in “Charlotte’s Web”. I don’t make the rules; it just wasn’t supposed to happen. A character so integral to the story, who deserved so much better, simply should not have been scripted to die when she did. The same feeling applies to Northeastern men’s basketball, who crashed…
The 2024-25 regular season came and went in the blink of an eye. Now it’s March, and in college basketball, March is synonymous with one thing: tournament season. Of course there’s the big one — March Madness – but there are dozens of conference tournaments to be played first, where each will populate an NCAA…
WILLIAMSBURG, VA — With the score tied, time winding down, and every corner of a raucous Kaplan Arena exploding in noise, Rashad King stood stoically at halfcourt with the ball on his hip. Eventually, King launched into a series of crossovers; with nine seconds on the game clock, he jolted left, evading an oncoming double…
BOSTON, MA — The future of Matthews Arena is admittedly up in the air. For 44 long years, the old barn has played a very gracious host to Northeastern men’s basketball. While the red and black will grace the historic building for at least part of one more season, you don’t want to take things…
BOSTON — This four-game homestand was supposed to revitalize the Northeastern Huskies (13-12, 5-7). Instead, a team that’d mostly disappointed throughout the first half of conference play did so once again, dropping the first game of said homestand in an 84-75 defeat to a lowly Hampton Pirates (12-13, 4-9) squad that they dominated just nine…
Rashad King missed his first shot. Then, he missed his second shot. And his third. And his fourth. But, as he’s done so often this season, the junior simply put his head down, dug deep, and led Northeastern to a win, by any means necessary. And, when the dust settled on the Huskies’ visit to…
Some nights, everything just goes your way. For Northeastern, Thursday’s trip to Hampton certainly fell in that category. The Huskies jumped in front on the first possession, bashed the rearview mirror to bits, and cruised to a wire-to-wire, 78-69 victory over the Pirates. JB Frankel jump-started the festivities with two threes in the opening minutes,…
BOSTON, MA — With the toughest part of the CAA schedule behind them, Thursday marked a foot-in-the-ground opportunity for Northeastern to get back on track. Consecutive, brutal road losses at UNCW and Charleston a week ago dropped the Huskies to just 2-4 in-conference, an ugly record which eroded most of the good feeling they generated…
Story by Justin Diament and Milton Posner Photos by Jordan Baron HARRISONBURG, VA — “Whenever it ends, it ends.” “It’s like you’re on a treadmill, you’re running about ten miles an hour, and somebody hits the stop button. And everything stops. Your mind, the players’ rhythm, ‘what time is practice tomorrow’, ‘what are we doing’, ‘what…
Story by Justin Diament and Milton Posner Photos by Jordan Baron HARRISONBURG, VA — If you were paying attention, you could see the answers coming an hour in advance. After each of his team’s last three wins, plus a CAA press conference a month ago, Northeastern head coach Bill Coen fielded a question about his…
By Milton Posner CHAPEL HILL, NC — Pandemic seasons, as it turns out, don’t unfold with any semblance of narrative cohesion. Most of the time, it feels like an eight-year-old on a sugar high is trying — and failing — to tell you a story. Your UNCW games got cancelled due to a positive COVID-19…
By Peyton Doyle and Milton Posner TOWSON, MD — The coronation of Bill Coen as the winningest coach in Northeastern basketball history seemed almost inevitable entering Sunday. His team was 8–1 in conference play, with their only loss coming to second-place James Madison. Their opponent, the eighth-place Towson Tigers, had only two conference wins, both…
By Peyton Doyle and Milton Posner TOWSON, MD — It’s hard to overstate how fun Tyson Walker is to watch. When he’s given command of an offense, and when he’s dialed in, he moves about the court with a palpable ease and confidence. The game’s pace and his own internal clock become inexorably linked, and…
By Jordan Baron and Milton Posner The Northeastern Huskies have had some pretty crazy CAA win streaks. In 2012–13 they began conference play with eight wins and finished 14–4. In 2018, they marched to the CAA Championship game on the back of a nine-game streak. The next year, a string of seven victories lifted them…
Story by Justin Diament Photos by Sarah Olender BOSTON — It just wasn’t the Huskies’ day. As they watched James Madison dribble out the clock to complete a surprising 79–72 win, they also watched their seven-game winning streak, their longest in two years, end. The Dukes were led by junior guard Vado Morse, who contributed…
Story by Peyton Doyle and Milton Posner Photos by Jordan Baron BOSTON — Northeastern men’s basketball’s 72–63 win over James Madison on Saturday afternoon wasn’t exactly surprising. The Huskies were on an absolute roll coming in, and while the Dukes boasted a seemingly solid record, they hadn’t played much in the way of sturdy competition. But…
By Milton Posner If it wasn’t obvious by now, there’s some kind of magic in the air for Northeastern men’s basketball. In a season thrown into chaos by the unpredictability of a pandemic, with the youngest roster in the CAA, amid injuries that sidelined three big men simultaneously, and after being pummeled by high-major teams…
By Jordan Baron and Milton Posner Since their introduction to the Colonial Athletic Association in May of 2005, the Northeastern Huskies had started conference play 5–0 in only three seasons. Make that four. Behind quality performances from Jason Strong, Tyson Walker, Shaq Walters, and Chris Doherty, the Huskies did just that, securing their fifth straight…
By Jordan Baron and Milton Posner BOSTON — It’s not the greatest idea to wake a sleeping dragon. But during the second half Saturday afternoon, the Hofstra Pride did just that. Northeastern’s Tyson Walker had been a consistent if unremarkable presence all game, dropping eight points in a first half where the Huskies dominated on both…
By Milton Posner and Mike Puzzanghera HEMPSTEAD, NY — When Bill Coen led his team into the locker room at halftime Thursday evening, he was less than pleased with the state of affairs. The Huskies trailed the preseason favorite Hofstra Pride by 17. The four most prolific scorers in the game were all wearing blue,…
By Peyton Doyle and Milton Posner BOSTON — Northeastern men’s basketball entered Sunday afternoon’s rematch with Elon after demolishing the Phoenix the day before. A game that stayed close through halftime was decided by a furious 11–0 run to begin the second half. Sunday’s game was precisely the opposite. After opening a double-digit lead four minutes…
By Jordan Baron and Milton Posner BOSTON — It was hard to know what to expect heading into Saturday afternoon’s contest. The Elon Phoenix, courtesy of multiple cancellations, had missed scheduled games against perennial powerhouses Duke and North Carolina, and had parlayed the CAA’s weakest non-conference schedule into the best non-conference record. They were also…
By Milton Posner and Jack Sinclair MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — After the pandemic necessitated an abbreviated, last-minute non-conference slate, Bill Coen and his staff cobbled together the toughest schedule the team has had since Coen’s first year. Never was that more apparent than Sunday afternoon, when Northeastern fell to No. 9 West Virginia, 73–51. The…
By Andrew Lee and Milton Posner When Shaq Walters splashed home a long, difficult three-pointer with 17:53 left in the game, Northeastern men’s basketball fans had every reason to be jubilant. The team had tried 15 triples to that point, converting 10. And they led the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs by 14 points on the road.…
By Catherine Morrison and Milton Posner NORFOLK, VA — Northeastern came into Sunday’s game looking to even their record after a nail-biting loss to Syracuse on Wednesday. Instead, the Huskies suffered another close loss to a strong team, falling 66–62 to Old Dominion. The Monarchs (3–2) started strong, bolstering a moderate scoring pace with elite…
By Jordan Baron and Milton Posner On Wednesday afternoon, the Northeastern Huskies were a young, undersized team entering the jaws of a basketball shark. They drove west to Syracuse to battle a team coached by a man who’s won more games than many of us have watched, the same team that most recently polished off…
By Jordan Baron, Justin Diament, and Milton Posner BOSTON — In a fiery game that came down the wire, the Northeastern Huskies held off a frantic last-minute run from UMass to notch a 78–75 win, their first of the season. In Friday’s game, the crushing UMass press forced the Huskies into 15 first-half turnovers and…
By Justin Diament and Milton Posner After several cancellations, reschedulings, and a storm of “will they, won’t they” questions, the Huskies returned to action on Friday afternoon. Despite a scintillating display from sophomore guard Tyson Walker, they buckled under the Minutemen’s robust offense and stifling full court press. The 94–79 final score reflected a game…
Last season: 17–16 (9–9, sixth place CAA); lost to Hofstra in CAA Final Head coach: Bill Coen (15th season) Preseason Poll Projected Finish: Seventh Departures — ppg/rpg/apg (fg% / 3fg% / ft%) G Jordan Roland — 22/3/2 (48/39/88) G/F Bolden Brace — 11/7/2 (45/39/82) G/F Max Boursiquot — 9/5/1 (57/36/67) F Tomas Murphy — 9/3…
By Milton Posner The Colonial Athletic Association announced its 2020–21 schedules for men’s and women’s basketball on Wednesday morning. Teams will play 18 conference games across January and February, same as usual. But to limit travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, teams will play back-to-back games on Saturdays and Sundays against the same opponent in the…
By Milton Posner WASHINGTON — Before the swarming zone defense, before the frantic scrambles for offensive rebounds, before the drives and the kickouts and the one-on-one brilliance, Tuesday night’s game was about vengeance. The Northeastern Huskies knew it better than anybody. Two years ago, after locking up a share of the CAA regular-season title, battling their…
Reminder: Northeastern faces Hofstra in the CAA Championship tonight at 7 PM. Michael Petillo, Matt Neiser, and Milton Posner will have the call from Washington D.C., with covering beginning around 15 minutes before tipoff. By Matt Neiser WASHINGTON — No. 6 seed vs. No. 7 seed in a ten-team tournament. It sounds like an early-round…
By Milton Posner The CAA Tournament is a funny thing. Save for the top six teams receiving a first-round bye — which Northeastern has — there isn’t much advantage in being a one seed instead of a six seed. This is especially true this season, in which the league’s almost ludicrous parity limits the matchup…
By Milton Posner On December 17, Northeastern flew to Michigan for their last games before conference play. Though 6’9” sophomore forward Greg Eboigbodin was advertised before the trip — he played high school ball in Detroit — he sat out both games due to injury. With 6’8” junior forward Tomas Murphy also hurt, head coach…
By Milton Posner BOSTON — Playing the Towson Tigers is like fighting an actual tiger. They’re fierce, they’re territorial, and the longer you’re locked in with them the more fatigued you get. So if you’re the Northeastern Huskies, and you have an extra day to prep for a Sunday showdown with Pat Skerry’s squad, you…
By Michael Petillo BOSTON — The Northeastern Huskies defended home court on Thursday night, defeating James Madison 77–57 to secure a first-round bye in next week’s CAA tournament. Graduate transfer Guilien Smith led the Huskies with 20 points and Shaquille Walters dropped in 15 points to go along with six assists. Northeastern (15–14, 9–8 CAA)…
By Milton Posner PHILADELPHIA — The last time Northeastern faced Drexel, the Huskies tore the Dragons up in every way imaginable. The Huskies nailed nine of their 17 tries from beyond the arc as their balanced attack carried them to a 85–52 victory. Northeastern played seven games between then and Saturday afternoon’s rematch with Drexel.…
By Milton Posner BOSTON — You’d be forgiven for thinking that disaster was in store. As they entered Matthews Arena on Saturday morning, the Northeastern Huskies had lost five of their last seven contests, each one featuring a blown second-half lead, faltering defense, and lackluster rebounding. Their Saturday afternoon opponent seemed perfectly primed to exploit…
By Michael Petillo BOSTON — Coming off a tough two-week stretch in which they lost four straight games, Northeastern returned to Matthews Arena on Thursday and picked up a much needed win, defeating UNCW 71–63. The Huskies held the Seahawks to just 24 first half points and Jordan Roland poured in 27 on the night…
By Milton Posner and Adam Doucette ELON, North Carolina — The last name the Northeastern Huskies visited the Elon Phoenix, dominant overtime play gave the Huskies an 11-point win and moved them to 2–2 in CAA play. That was January 10, 2019. It was also the last time the Huskies would possess a losing conference…
By Milton Posner WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia — The green-and-gold-clad players leapt joyfully on the sidelines. The similarly dressed fans erupted into deafening cheers. And the scoreboard, for the final time on a frantic Thursday evening, changed its mind. But Northeastern fans who were paying attention — and perhaps even a few who weren’t — would have…
By Michael Petillo BOSTON — Coming off a disappointing overtime loss to UNCW on Saturday, Northeastern returned to Matthews Arena Thursday night badly needing a bounce-back win. They got it against Drexel, soundly defeating the Dragons 85–52 in a game that was never in doubt. Jordan Roland led the scoring charge for the Huskies as…
By Michael Petillo CHARLESTON, South Carolina — Coming off a pair of heartbreaking, buzzer-beating home defeats to William & Mary and Hofstra, the Northeastern Huskies marched into TD Arena Thursday night badly in need of a win. Against Grant Riller and the second-place College of Charleston Cougars, snapping that two-game skid would be no small…
By Milton Posner Thursday night’s ending was a test of just how much déjà vu the college basketball gods can cram into one play. Just like Saturday, Northeastern faced a top-tier CAA opponent at Matthews Arena. Once again, the Huskies overcame first-half struggles, closed the deficit with hot second-half shooting, and tied the score in…
By Matt Neiser BOSTON — Entering Saturday’s games, three CAA men’s basketball teams boasted undefeated records. Two of those teams, Northeastern and Charleston, were of no surprise to most CAA followers. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who predicted the third team would be where they are. The William & Mary Tribe, with long-time…
By Milton Posner BOSTON — On December 31, 13 hours before the clock hit midnight and the year reset, Tyson Walker was named CAA Rookie of the Week for the third time this season; no other player has won it more than once. The main reason the league cited was his scoring; Walker notched a…
By Milton Posner Many of Northeastern’s wins this season have resulted from a wave of improbable Jordan Roland shots. The senior guard has shown out this season, his long-distance bombs guiding the Husky offense. On Saturday afternoon, a squad hailing from Roland’s old conference arrived at Matthews Arena to battle the Huskies. Roland stood a…
By Michael Petillo Jordan Roland tallied 28 points and the Northeastern Huskies defended home court against the Maine Black Bears, winning 78–63 on Wednesday night. Roland notched his 1,000th career point while leading the Huskies to their second consecutive win. Northeastern (5–4) started slowly, committing turnovers on each of their first three possessions before a…
By Milton Posner WORCESTER, MA — From 1096 to 1271, the Roman Catholic Church waged a series of wars against Muslim powers in the eastern Mediterranean. Though the Crusades arguably increased Christianity’s reach, the Church’s wealth, and the Pope’s power, the Crusaders repeatedly failed in their main goal of retaking the Holy Land. On Tuesday…
By Michael Petillo Old Dominion used strong rebounding and defense to knock off Northeastern Saturday afternoon by a score of 76–69. ODU outrebounded the Huskies 36–26 — including a 14–6 margin on the offensive glass and an 11–3 second-chance points advantage — and pulled away during the last few minutes of what was, for the…
By Michael Petillo On Tuesday night against BU, Northeastern senior guard Jordan Roland scored 39 points, just shy of the school record of 41 held by Husky legends J.J. Barea and Reggie Lewis. Northeastern needed every one of those points, as they edged BU out in the closing seconds. Tonight, the Harvard Crimson, a team…
By Milton Posner When the 2019–20 season ends and the CAA releases its all-conference teams, it’s entirely possible that Jordan Roland’s left hand will make the first team. Roland is right-handed, not that you could tell from watching Tuesday night’s game. The 6’1” senior guard, who usually feasts on a steady diet of long-distance bombs,…
Last season: 23–11 (14–4 CAA, second place), won CAA Tournament, lost in first round of NCAA Tournament Head Coach: Bill Coen (14th season) CAA Preseason Poll Finish: Third Losses G Vasa Pusica G Donnell Gresham Jr. G/F Shawn Occeus F/C Jeremy Miller C Anthony Green Additions G Vito Cubrilo G Tyson Walker G Guilien Smith…
