Men’s Basketball: Terriers take season-opener against Northeastern behind dominant Whyte

By Brendan Galvin

In a rocking Case Gymnasium on opening night, Walter Whyte delivered for Boston University Men’s Basketball (1-0) in their first game of the 2022-2023 season, leading the Terriers to a 72-63 victory over the cross-town rival Northeastern Huskies (0-1). 

Whyte (27 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks) opened his season red-hot, connecting on five of his first six 3-point attempts and totaling 18 points in the first half. 

“I don’t worry about the one I made, I don’t worry about the one I missed; I just think the next shot’s going in,” Whyte said about his shooting performance.

The Terriers were forced to adjust to the departure of key players from last year’s team, including Javonte McCoy and reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Sukhmail Mathon.

 “I played with those guys for four or five years, and we’re just trying to play hard and fill those gaps,” White said. “I think we’re doing a really good job of that right now.”

In addition to Whyte’s performance, graduate guard Jonas Harper contributed 15 points, four assists and two steals. Junior guard Miles Brewster consistently displayed his hustle on defense, diving for loose balls and forcing two turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, Brewster was able to find open teammates, assisting on six baskets.

“We have the utmost confidence in our guys to hit shots, make plays,” Whyte said. 

Yet, the Huskies crawled their way back into the game, going on a 17-3 run midway through the first half. While BU led for 34 of the 40 minutes, the game always seemed within reach for Northeastern. 

BU Head Coach Joe Jones admitted that there would be some growing pains early in the season, and the run by Northeastern was just the beginning.

 “I think we have to continue to learn and grow, and I kind of expected it to kind of look haphazard at times, to be honest,” Jones said.

For Northeastern, junior guard Jahmyl Telfort led the way, putting up 26 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Jones admitted that Telfort brought a tough matchup for his team.

“He’s pretty tough. He’s just big and strong, and he can get to spots on the floor,” Jones said. “He can post up. He can hurt you in a lot of different ways. He’s a really good player.”

Freshman forward Otto Landrum was the only newcomer to see significant minutes, totaling three points and a rebound. He was able to contribute in his minutes in relief of Nevin Zink and Malcolm Chimezie, two big men who were forced into foul trouble early. 

While Landrum was the only rookie to see the floor, Jones emphasized the importance of staying ready for the rest of the young guys. 

“They just need to be ready… They’re talented enough to get into the rotation if they perform.” Jones said.

But Jones knows there’s a long road ahead for the team.

 “I hope that they enjoy it, but I do hope that they understand it’s a long year. It’s one game, and although we should feel good about what we did, we have to get better,” Jones said.

“This is one game. This is going to be a long season,” Whyte said. “Each and every game is going to be a battle, so I just felt like this was a good test for us. This was a good team we beat.”

Whyte said he hopes the team continues to stress their “hard-hat” nature, getting it done on both sides of the court.

The Terriers look to continue their hot start to their season this Friday against the University of Connecticut. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m .