University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Basketball To Face Boston University
December 13, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2000
Probable UMass (1-6) Starters Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. F 20 Winston Smith 6-5 228 Sr. F 40 Micah Brand 6-11 243 So. C 33 Kitwana Rhymer 6-10 256 Sr. G 5 Monty Mack 6-3 200 Sr. G 30 Shannon Crooks 6-2 222 Jr.
Probable Boston U. (5-2) Starters Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. F 31 Stijn Dhondt 6-6 215 Jr. F 5 Paul Seymour 6-6 195 So. C 43 Ryan Butt 6-8 240 Fr. G 3 Kevin Fitzgerald 6-2 180 Fr. G 34 Matt Turner 5-9 160 So.
About the Minutemen: It's the second of three consecutive games against a longtime New England rival, as coach Bruiser Flint's UMass basketball team tackles the Terriers of Boston University. The Minutemen, who opened their season with a 67-65 homecourt victory over 2000 NCAA Tournament entrant Iona, stand 1-6 on the season after Tuesday's 82-67 loss to 11th-ranked UConn in the fifth annual MassMutual U Game at Hartford. Tonight's game is the third in a stretch that has UMass playing four times in eight days, as it hosts Boston College next Sunday in the Commonwealth Classic before breaking for final exams and the holidays. The Minutemen, off to their slowest start since an 0-16 beginning to the 1979-80 season, are in the midst of a six-game losing streak for the first time since 1986-87, and are hoping to avoid their first seven-game slide since a 13-game losing streak that spanned the final nine games of the 1981-82 season and the first four of the 1982-83 campaign. The six teams that have beaten UMass this season own a combined record of 34-10 (.773) through games of Dec. 12, and the lone team it has defeated, Iona, is 5-2. According to Jeff Sagrin's computer, UMass' schedule is the nation's 18th toughest. The road won't get any easier for the Minutemen, either, as their next three opponents, Boston U., Boston College and North Carolina, are a combined 16-4 (.800) on the year. UMass' All-America and A-10 player-of-the-year candidate Monty Mack returns to his hometown looking to move into third-place on the school's all-time scoring list. Mack, the leading three-point shooter in school history with 252 career bonus baskets, ranks fourth on UMass' all-time scoring list with 1,716 points, and needs 16 to overtake No. 3 Lorenzo Sutton's 1,731.
About the Terriers: Boston U., is 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in the America East Conference after Tuesday's 79-67 come-from-behind victory at Maine. The Terriers, who were 4-7 at home a year ago en route to a 7-22 record, are playing their first home game of the 2000-01 season. Off to its best start since the 1996-97 season, Boston U., opened the year with wins at St. Peter's (77-64), Liberty (55-54) and Quinnipiac (66-60), then dropped games at George Washington (92-76) in the title game of the Auerbach Classic and at Harvard (76-60). But, the Terriers have rebounded to win league games at crosstown rival Northeastern (79-72) and Maine in their last two outings.
Last Time Out: UMass dropped its 10th straight game to bitter rival UConn, 82-67, Tuesday in Hartford. The Minutemen, who led three times in the first half, the last at 10-8 with 14:08 left, were within six at 31-25 with 2:52 to play in the first half, before the Huskies closed the half on an 11-1 run that essentially put the game away. UConn would lead by as many as 25 in the second half, before UMass closed with a late flurry. Micah Brand led the Minutemen with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Kitwana Rhymer had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Albert Mouring led the Huskies' attack with a game-high 20 points, as UConn became the second team in seven games this season to shoot 50.0 percent or better from the floor against UMass. In the setback, though, the Minutemen had a season-low 12 turnovers and outrebounded an opponent for the first time on the season.
UMass head coach Bruiser Flint: Minuteman bench boss James "Bruiser" Flint (St. Joseph's, 1987) is 72-63 (.533) in his fifth season as a collegiate head coach, all along the UMass sideline. In his 12th season overall in Amherst, Flint is one of only two coaches in school history to take three teams to postseason play in their first four seasons at the UMass helm (John Calipari was the other), and ranks as the fifth-winningest coach in school history, 10 victories behind No. 4 Robert Curran (81 victories in seven seasons from 1952 through 1959) and 14 behind No. 3 Harold M. Gore (85 victories in 11 years from 1916-17, 1918-19 and 1920-29). Flint, whose first two Minuteman squads earned NCAA Tournament bids and whose fourth team went to the NIT, owns a 41-23 (.641) record in regular-season Atlantic 10 Conference play. Each of Flint's first four UMass squads finished third or higher in the A-10 standings, and his 2000 unit became the first to reach the conference tournament semifinals since the 1996 squad captured the last of the school's five consecutive league tournament crowns. In addition, his program has produced at least one all-conference performer each season, and nine of his 11 seniors (81.8 percent) have left Amherst with degree in hand. Before being tabbed to replace Calipari, Flint spent seven seasons as an assistant to Cal on the UMass bench. One of only 31 active Division I head coaches to have both played and coached a team in the NCAA Tournament, Flint is 1-0 vs. Boston U.
Boston University head coach Dennis Wolff: Boston U.'s Dennis Wolff (UConn, 1978) owns a 98-85 (.533) record in his seventh season on the Terrier bench, and a 128-103 (.554) mark in his ninth season overall. The winningest active coach by percentage in the America East Conference, Wolff moved into second place on BU's all-time win chart and past former UMass head coach Matt Zunic with Tuesday's victory at Maine, and he needs just four victories to become the winningest coach in school history, surpassing Mike Jarvis (101 wins from 1985 through 1990). Wolff is 0-1 vs. UMass.
The Series: This is the 66th meeting in a series UMass leads, 36-29, and that has seen the Minutmen win five straight, including a 70-51 victory a year ago in Amherst. UMass is 12-16 vs. the Terriers in games played here, but has won on its two most recent trips to the BU campus, 84-82 on Jan. 13, 1992 and 76-60 on Dec. 2, 1989. BU's last series win was a 78-76 decision at Curry Hicks Cage, Nov. 30, 1988, while its last win here was a 69-66 decision, Dec. 1, 1987. This series dates to a 36-16 UMass victory in Amherst, Jan. 25, 1904, and ranks as the fourth-most played series in UMass history behind Rhode Island (114), UConn (103) and New Hampshire (92).
Last Year's Meeting: Chris Kirkland scored 23 points and Monty Mack added 12 as the Minutemen scored a 70-51 homecourt victory over BU. UMass held a 36-22 halftime lead, kept the advantage at 14 or more throughout the second half and led by as many as 23 in posting the win. The Minutemen were coached by associate coach Geoff Arnold, as head coach Bruiser Flint served a one-game self-imposed suspension after he used profanity in a postgame radio interview following his team's loss to Marshall.
Road Warriors: One of the toughest things to do in college basketball is win on the road, but under Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen have enjoyed good success away from the Mullins Center. Including games played at neutral sites, UMass is 39-45 (.464) outside of Amherst under Flint, including an 0-5 record this season. Tonight's game marks the 85th of Flint's 136 career games (62.5 percent) on the Minuteman bench that has been played away from Amherst. UMass and Temple were the only A-10 teams to record winning road records in conference play last season, as the Minutemen were 5-3 vs. A-10 foes on the road a year ago, their third winning league road mark in Flint's tenure. The Minutemen, 11-10 outside of the Mullins Center last year, were also the only Atlantic 10 team to post a victory at Virginia Tech last season, and have posted a .500 or better road record 10 times in the last 11 seasons.
Four and Counting: In its 92nd season of intercollegiate basketball competition, UMass needs just four wins to reach the 1,000-victory plateau in its history. The Minutemen, who own an all-time record of 996-885 (.530) on the hardwood, have enjoyed their greatest success over the last 11-plus seasons, posting a 255-116 (.687) mark and advancing to postseason play 10 times in that stretch while winning an average of 23.1 games per season.
Jack's Back: The winningest basketball coach in UMass history, Jack Leaman, returns to his alma mater this evening as the seventh-year color commentator on the UMass Sports Network. Leaman, who earned three letters for coach Matt Zunic from 1957 through 1959, will be honored by BU in a halftime ceremony. Leaman was the leading scorer (14.0 ppg) on the Terriers' 1958-59 squad which went 20-7 and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in school history. Leaman won 217 games and eight Yankee Conference titles in 13 seasons as UMass' head coach from 1966 through 1979.
The UMass Block Party: Through seven games, UMass leads the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots with an average of 5.1 rejections per game (36 on the season). The Minutemen, who have had six or more rejections in five of seven outings this season, have had 20 blocks in their last three games, and have blocked a season-high seven shots three times. UMass has had at least one blocked shot in 73-straight games since being held rejectionless in a 74-66 loss at Temple, March 1, 1998. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer leads the team with 17 rejections, while sophomore Micah Brand's 11 blocks rank second.
70 or More Equals Victory: Although UMass has hit the 70-point mark just twice this season and lost both times, that number has been a good indicator to use in predicting the team's success over the last few seasons. In 13 of its 17 victories a year ago, UMass tallied 70 or more points, and for the season it was 13-2 when putting 70-plus points on the scoreboard. Under coach Bruiser Flint, the Minutemen are 39-12 (.765) all-time when reaching the 70-point mark, but just 33-51 (.393) when scoring 69 or fewer points. UMass is also 11-37 (.229) under Flint when it allows 70 or more points, including an 0-4 record this season.
Watch the Clock: Under coach Bruiser Flint, UMass has been nearly unbeatable when leading with 5:00 remaining, as the Minutemen are 65-9 (.878) all-time under his leadership when leading after 35 minutes of play, including a 1-0 mark this season. UMass is 2-1 (.667) in Flint's tenure when tied with 5:00 to go. UMass has struggled nearly as much when trailing with 5:00 left, posting a 5-53 mark (.086), which includes an 0-6 record this year. The Minutemen's come-from-behind victories in Flint's tenure came against North Carolina-Wilmington (down 41-37, but won 47-46) and Duquesne (trailed 63-60, but won 73-71) in 1996-97, Charlotte (behind 48-45, but won 68-62 in OT) and St. Joseph's (behind 63-58, but won 82-79 in OT) in 1997-98 and Villanova (down 40-38, but won 52-51) last year. On 15 occasions over the last six-plus seasons, including nine times under Flint, the Minutemen have overcome a double-digit deficit to claim victory. The last time UMass rallied from a double-digit lead to win came on Dec. 6, 1999, when it overcame a 33-22 deficit with 16:00 to go to beat Villanova, 52-51, in the Mullins Center. The largest come-from-behind win by a Flint-coached Minuteman squad came on Dec. 12, 1996, when it trailed Drexel 14-2 with 12:00 to play in the first half, only to post a 69-48 victory.
Looking to Find the Touch: After hitting a season-high 54.0 percent from the field in its season-opening victory over Iona, the Minutemen have shot just 37.2 percent over the last six games, and have not been back over the 50.0 percent clip. In the UConn loss, UMass shot just 35.3 percent from the floor, and for the season is hitting 39.3 percent of its fielders. Through six games this season, UMass has been a better shooting team from the floor in the first half than the second, although that stat has taken a beating the last two games (23.4 percent first half shooting in losses at Ohio State and UConn). For the year, the Minutemen are hitting 40.5 (75-of-185) percent from the field in the first half, compared to 38.3 (82-of-214) marksmanship in the second stanza. The Minutemen, who were 7-0 a year ago when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor, own a 26-4 mark under Flint when hitting better than half of their fielders and have won 12-straight when reaching the 50.0 percent mark since an 88-83 loss to George Washington in the quarterfinals of the 1998 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
Foul Shooting: After hitting just 58.6 percent from the free throw line in their first four games of the season, the Minutemen have shot 69.2 percent (45-of-65) from the stripe over the last three games. UMass hit a then-season-best 72.2 percent in the Providence loss, and bettered that against Ohio State, shooting 83.3 percent. The Minutemen have been outscored at the foul line 163-113 on the year. The Minutemen's top free throw shooter is senior guard Monty Mack at 79.5 percent (31-for-39), while his backcourt runningmate, junior Shannon Crooks ranks second at 71.1 percent.
Going to the Glass: While its free throw shooting has improved in its last three games, another area in which UMass must get better in quickly is rebounding, as it has been outrebounded in six of seven games (UMass outrebounded UConn, 42-41) this season and its opponents own a +6.6 (39.7-31.8) advantage on the glass over the Minutemen. Two of seven opponents on the season have outrebounded the Minutemen by double-digits, but three have done so by two or fewer rebounds. Entering the 2000-01 season, Flint-led UMass teams had either been even or won the battle on the glass in 60.2 percent of his games on the Minuteman bench. Senior center Kitwana Rhymer is UMass' top rebounder at 6.1 per game.
The Streak: While UMass' six-game tailspin is its longest since the 1986-87 season, it should be noted that the six teams that have beaten the Minutemen have fashioned a combined record of 34-10 (.773) through games of Dec. 12, five played in the postseason a year ago and their schedule is ranked as the nation's 18th toughest. In its funk, the Minutemen have watched their opponent record the highest two-game total ever in the Flint-era (176 points, 91 by Oregon and 85 by Providence) and reach the 75-point mark in three-straight games (Holy Cross, Oregon, Providence) for the first time since the final game of the 1993-94 campaign and the first two of the 1994-95 season. Here's a look at the UMass numbers in its lone victory, compared to the numbers in its six-game skid.
FG% 3FG% FT% Reb. PPG A TO BK ST
1 Win .540 .333 .455 29.0 67.0 16 20 2 11
Oppt. .467 .444 .704 30.0 65.0 8 21 2 8
6 Losses .372 .309 .648 34.0 65.5 69 98 34 34 Oppt. .436 .308 .731 41.5 76.3 69 99 39 42
We Can Play the "D": A trademark of the UMass basketball program over the last 12 years has been stingy defensive play, and that appears to again be the case again this season. For the year, Minutemen opponents are shooting 44.0 percent from the field, including 32.4 percent from three-point range, and have topped the 50.0 percent mark twice in seven games. The Minutemen have held 41 of their last 50 opponents, including five of seven this season, to under 50 percent shooting from the field (UMass is 21-20 in those games), and 24 foes to under 40 percent shooting (16-8). Under coach Flint, UMass has held an opponent to under 40 percent shooting 69 times (in 135 total games) and owns a 52-17 (.754) record in those contests. Last year, UMass ranked fourth in the A-10 in both scoring (64.8 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (.412). Each of Flint's first four teams rank among the school's top 10 in fewest points allowed per game (since the 1951-52 season), with the average points scored against UMass in his tenure being 66.8 points per game.
Playing the "D," Part II: A year ago, the Minutemen averaged a school-record 9.0 steals per game and recorded 296 thefts, the second-highest one-season total in school history. This season, UMass has been credited with 45 steals (6.4 spg) in seven games. Nine of 11 UMass players have at least one steal to their credit this season, and guards Shannon Crooks (15), Jonathan DePina (eight) and Monty Mack (four) have accounted for 27 of the Minutemen's 45 steals on the year. In the Minutemen's victory at Rhode Island a year ago, they tallied 18 steals, their highest one-game total since a 21-steal effort against St. Joseph's, on Feb. 28, 1990. Mack (62), Chris Kirkland (60) and Crooks (58) accounted for 180 of the team's 296 thefts a year ago, and the trio ranked fifth, eighth and 10th on the A-10 leader board in steals, the only league school to have three players among the league's top 10 in thefts.
Mighty Mack: After earning first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors a year ago, senior guard and tri-captain Monty Mack will challenge for All-America and A-10 Player of the Year honors in his final season as a Minuteman. Mack, who averaged 19.8 points per game a year ago, has averaged a team-high 16.5 points in six appearances this season. He is on track to become just the second player in school history to top the 2,000-point mark, joining Jim McCoy, who tallied 2,374 points in four seasons from 1988-92. Mack starts tonight's game with 1,716 points, good for fourth on the UMass career scoring list, 15 behind No. 3 Lorenzo Sutton, 190 away from second place Lou Roe and 284 from the 2,000-point plateau. The fifth player in UMass history and first since Marcus Camby in 1996 to earn both first team all-league and all-tournament honors in the same season, Mack's 1,716 points rank second among all active Division I players, behind Centenary's Ronnie McCollum's 1,927. He has scored in double figures 89 times in 100 games.
More Mack: The Boston, Mass., native had averaged 22.3 points over the three games prior to the UConn contest, however, the Huskies held him without a field goal for the first time ever and a season-low three points (and his lowest scoring game since a two-point outing against Virginia Tech as a rookie). In nine of 10 instances when Mack has been held under 10 points in his career, he has responded with a double-figure scoring game in his next outing, and has averaged 19.2 points in "bounce back" games (as a freshman, though, he did have consecutive games without a double-figure scoring game). Mack has 38, 20-point or better career scoring games and needs nine more to break the UMass career record held by Julius Erving, who tallied 20 or more points in 46 of 52 career games under the watchful eye of former coach Jack Leaman. Despite averaging 16.5 points this year, Mack has hit just 28.3 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three-point range, compared to career marks of .412 and .364, entering the season. Mack leads the team in free throw shooting (.795) and has accounted for nearly half (16) of the team's 33 treys on the year.
Captain Smith is Unselfish: Fifth-year senior and tri-captain Winston Smith, one of the team's most unselfish players, had another strong all-around game against UConn, with nine points, four rebounds, a pair of assists and one steal in 26 minutes. Over the last three games, he has averaged 7.3 points, including a career-high-tying 10 against Providence. Smith is tied for second on the team in assists with 19, and is one of just two UMass players (Jonathan DePina is the other) to have more assists (19) than turnovers (14) this season. A career 39.5 percent field goal shooter, Smith has hit 50.0 percent from the field this season, a mark which ranks third on the squad, and has nailed all three of his three-point attempts. He is also second on the squad in steals (nine). Smith, who had a career-high six assists and no turnovers against Marquette, had 12 points in his first four games this season, before nearly equalling that in the first half of the Providence game (10 points). It marked his first double-figure scoring game since his rookie season when he had 10 points at Wake Forest, Dec. 10, 1996. Smith has started seven consecutive games for the first time in his career.
Kit's Block Party: Another senior, center Kitwana Rhymer, continues to be a factor for the Minutemen when not riding the bench due to foul trouble. He had 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 19 minutes against UConn, and over the last three games has averaged 11.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He had seven points, a game-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots at Ohio State, a peformance which followed a 16-point, 10-rebound, five-block effort against Providence. The reason for Rhymer's improvement can be traced to minutes played. In UMass' first four games, he averaged 14.3 miuntes per game and fouled out of two contests, but in his last three outings, he's averaged 27.3 minutes of work and hasn't fouled out, although, he picked up two quick fouls against UConn and played just three minutes in the first half. For his career, Rhymer has six double-doubles and 13 double-figure rebounding games. He has 91 career snuffs, good for an eighth-place tie on the UMass all-time list, and has 22 multiple-block games to his credit. He needs nine blocks to become just the seventh player in school history to record 100 career blocks, three to pass No. 7 Donta Bright on the school's all-time chart. Rhymer leads the team in field goal percentage (.553), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and blocked shots (17), while ranking fourth in scoring (8.0 ppg). After averaging 26.0 minutes as a junior, he has logged 19.9 minutes this season due to foul trouble. Rhymer, who has committed a team-leading 27 fouls, has fouled out of two games and never been whistled for fewer than three fouls, played a season-high 33 minutes at Ohio State.
Brand Micah: Sophomore forward Micah Brand has started the last two games for the Minutemen. He had a team-high 13 points, nine rebounds and a block in 33 minutes against UConn, and in his first career start responded with six points, two rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in 28 minutes at Ohio State. After recording a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds at Oregon in 25 minutes, he had 12 points and three rebounds off the bench in a like number of minutes against Providence, the first back-to-back double-figure scoring games of his career. Brand, who scored nine points in UMass' first three games and shot 30.0 percent from the field, has averaged 12.5 points over his last four outings. He ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.9) and blocked shots (11), third in scoring (8.4 ppg). Brand has recorded at least one block in six of seven games this season, including a career-high four rejections at Marquette.
Here's Jonathan: UMass guard and tri-captain Jonathan DePina started his senior season in impressive style, but has struggled the last four games. After tallying 31 points in his first three games of the season, the highest three-game scoring total of his college career, he has tallied just three points over his last four outings. DePina had nine points, seven assists and one steal in a career-high-tying 40-minute effort against Iona, then had 13 points and three assists in 25 minutes of work off the bench at Marquette and nine points, three assists and a career-high-tying three steals in 34 minutes at Holy Cross. His output against the Golden Eagles was just two off his career high. After connecting on 44.4 percent of his three-point attempts a year ago, DePina has hit a team-high 46.7 percent (seven-of-15) from beyond the arc this season, while ranking second in assists (19) and third in steals (eight). He is one of just two Minutemen, fellow tri-captain Winston Smith is the other, to be credited with more assists (19) than turnovers (13) this season.
To Catch A Crook (s): After tallying 39 points in UMass' first two games of the season, junior guard Shannon Crooks has averaged 9.0 points over the last five games, and is coming off an eight-point, four-steal game against UConn. He had 20 points and a Mullins Center-record-tying six steals against Iona in the season opener, a team-high 19 points in 29 minutes at Marquette, nine points and three assists at Holy Cross, eight points and three assists at Oregon, 11 points and four assists against Providence and nine points and five assists at Ohio State. Crooks, whose 12.0 scoring average ranks second on the team, has recorded 19 multiple-steal games in 40 career appearances and has a team-best 15 thefts on the season. He has had at least one steal in six of seven games this season, and is the only player on the UMass roster to have been credited with at least two assists in every game this season. UMass is 4-0 over the last two seasons when Crooks scores 20-or-more points in a game, and 12-8 when he has more assists than turnovers in a game. Crooks, who had 10 assists over UMass' first four games, has had 11 assists in his last two outings, and has a team-high 21 on the year.
New Kids on the Block: Three first-year UMass players, junior forwards Jackie Rogers and Eric Williams, and freshman swingman Willie Jenkins, have worked their way into coach Flint's rotation. The trio is accounting for 17.8 percent of the UMass offense (11.7 ppg) this season.
Consistent Success: The Atlantic 10 Conference's winningest program over the last 11 seasons, UMass is one of 21 Division I schools to have earned 10 postseason tournament bids in the last 11 years (from 1989-90 through 1999-2000). The guest list:
Quick Tips: True freshman Jameel Pugh saw his first action of the season in the loss to UConn, and responded with seven points and four rebounds in eight minutes...UMass had a season-high five double-figure scorers against Providence, marking the first time it had five double-digit scorers in the same game since its 1999-2000 season-opener at Iona...the Minuteman bench has provided 127 points (18.1 ppg) on the season compared to its opponents' 152 (21.7 ppg)...the Minutemen have hit at least one three-point goal in 70-straight games since a first-round 1998 NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Louis...the 2000-01 Minuteman roster features five former Bay State prep products with the addition of walk-on freshman guard Dwayne Killings to the roster...Killings, who prepped at Amherst Regional High School, will wear No. 11...under coach Flint, UMass is 20-30 (.400) in games played in November and December, 52-33 (.612) in games played in January, February or March...the 2000-01 season marks the 25th year of A-10 basketball, and the Minutemen have been there for every season...the A-10, of course, was founded as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League and started play with the 1976-77 campaign...the league became the Eastern Eight a year later, and the A-10 in 1983...UMass has produced at least one all-conference performer for 17-straight seasons...the Minutemen have recorded a winning A-10 record in each of the last 11 seasons, and own a 127-51 (.713) mark in regular-season league play and have captured 10 league titles (five regular season, five tournament) in that time frame...14 of UMass' 27 games before the A-10 Tournament, including six in the non-conference season, are against teams that went to postseason play a year ago...the Minutemen, who will play 11 games against 2000 NCAA Tournament teams, have already faced 2000 NCAA Tournament entrants Iona, Oregon, Ohio State and UConn, and still must play Final Four participant North Carolina in the opening round of the Hardee's Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, N.C., later this month, and Temple (twice), Dayton (twice) and St. Bonaventure (twice) when the A-10 season heats up next month.
From Here: UMass returns home to host Boston College in the Commonwealth Classic at 4 p.m . on Sunday, Dec. 17, in the Mullins Center, then breaks for final exams and the holidays. BU hosts James Madison a week from tonight.
