Men’s Basketball: BU Set for Home Opener Clash with Northeastern

Featured image by Sierra Jansen

By Aniya Sumner

Boston University Men’s Basketball will kick off the season against the Northeastern Huskies on Nov. 4, making it the third straight season the Terriers will face their crosstown rivals for the home opener. 

Led by head coach Jon Jones, the returning five starters–sophomore Kyrone Alexander, grad student Miles Brewster, junior Nico Nobili, senior Ethan Okwuosa, and junior Otto Landrum–have a chance to start off the season on a high note, potentially building off last year’s monumental second place finish in the Patriot League.  

Looking at the last face-off between the two teams at Case Gym, where BU gave the crosstown rivals their first loss of the 2022 season in a 72-63 win, BU’s home court advantage may potentially sway the outcome of Monday’s game in favor of the Terriers. 

Historically, when it comes to the all-time series, the two teams are neck-and-neck. However, fortune favors Northeastern as they lead 75-76, breaking the tie with last year’s season opener which ended in a 58-67 win for the Huskies. 

Hopes are still relatively high for BU as 16 of the last 17 meetings have been decided with just a single digit deficit. 

Miles Brewster–BU’s not-so-secret weapon–led the team in points last season (357) and will play a key role in helping the Terriers fortify a win. The 6-foot-3 guard was also named to the All-Conference, Defensive All-Conference, and Academic All-Conference teams in 2024, making him the first Terrier to do so. 

Sophomore guard Kyrone Alexander will be another key player in BU’s arsenal that could potentially give the Huskies a hard time on Monday. The 6-foot-5 defensive powerhouse had a breakout freshman season averaging 9.3 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and 25.5 minutes per game, along with totaling 27 steals and 14 blocks. 

Northeastern’s junior guards Masai Troutman, who was named to the All-CAA Preseason Second Team last season, and Harold Woods, who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, currently stand in the way of BU tying the all-time series. 

With both teams sporting young talent and a desire to take home bragging rights, Monday’s home opener will surely pose as an exciting start to the 2024-25 season. 

The game will take place at BU’s Case Gymnasium, with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. and streaming available on ESPN+.