Chambers Stars at Terrier Tip-Off

by Angus Dunk

Boston University kicked off its basketball season with the Terrier Tip-Off Friday night at The Roof (a.k.a Case Gymnasium). While the event primarily introduced the players of the 2009-2010 men’s and women’s basketball teams, the event evolved into a basketball extravaganza.

Men’s Head Coach Patrick Chambers made his debut to the Terriers fans and immediately jumped in the limelight. Chambers’ passionately addressed the crowd in roaring rally cry. “When I say BU, you say Pennant!” said Chambers. The interchange between the stadium filled audience and Chambers went on for several minutes as the head coach managed to lose his blazer jacket in the midst of the excitement.

“He has a lot of energy and pushes us to be the best team we can possibly be,” said freshman guard B.J. Bailey ('13).

The other major highlights of the night included the three-point shooting and dunk contests. The three-point shooting contest featured inner-team matchups by players on both the men’s and women’s squads in which two players competed to see who could make the most baskets within one minute. One notable match-up featured a battle between senior guards Corey Lowe (’10) and Tyler Morris (’10), which Morris (’10) won narrowly by a score of 5-4.

The dunk contest, always a fan favorite, was also one of the many attractions of the night. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, one of the most popular figures on campus, hosted the event. Elmore encouraged players to show off their moves to the crowd. Despite some tireless efforts, many players seemed to struggle with making contact on the rim. However, there were some noteworthy performances including those of senior guard Carlos Strong (’10) and junior forward John Holland (’11). Strong (’10) edged out the BU-human-highlight-reel Holland (who earned the #1 spot on ESPN’s Top 10 on 2/11/09) to take home bragging rights.

The basketball team also performed a number with the Boston University dance team. As a throwback to Michael Jackson, who passed away this summer, the team put on a rendition of “Thriller.” Also, each of the men wore one white glove; a look Jackson was famous for sporting. The teams had been coordinating to prepare the routine since early September.

“We met twice a week [for about the past month or so],” Lowe explained.

Michael Jackson seemed to be a theme for most of the night. The opening performance of the night, Boston’s Best Dance Crew “Status Quo” back-flipped and head-rolled to many of Jackson’s legendary hits. One of the performers was dressed in a signature red leather jacket and led the crew in their performance of some of Jackson’s music. Status Quo set the stage for the night with their quick, up-tempo performance. The crew finished their act on a high note as one performer jumped and flipped over five of his fellow dancers that produced uproar of approval from the audience.

The men’s basketball team will play its first regular season game on the road against Iona on November 13 before making their season debut at Agganis Arena on November 17 against George Washington. The team returns this season with eight seniors: Lowe, Morris, Strong, Scott Brittan, Valdas Sirutis, Sherrod Smith, Tunde Agboola, and Michael Schulze.

“[I’m looking forward to] the first game and [taking everything] one game at a time,” commented Agboola.