The feeling at Bentley is unbeatable
By Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
Yes, they're very good, but no one remains undefeated without a
little love from the Hoop God.
"The guy from Franklin Pierce had a wide-open layup to win the
game," shudders guard Lew Finnegan. "I don't know how he missed
it."
But he did, and thus did Bentley College win by a 63-62 score on
Jan. 8 to improve to 13-0. The Falcons could have lost that day,
and they could have lost to Le Moyne four days later (a 74-70
overtime squeaker). They could also have lost to Merrimack (85-82
in OT), and to Bryant (69-68). They could have, but they
didn't.
With last Tuesday night's 95-64 dispatch of Southern Connecticut,
the Falcons concluded a second consecutive undefeated regular
season. Bentley is now 27-0. We need travel no farther than Waltham
to find a certified athletic powerhouse, a team that is now 59-1
the past two seasons (counting playoffs) and 76-4 if you go back to
the middle of the 2005-06 campaign. Bentley College is, in fact,
the No. 1-ranked Division 2 men's basketball team in all of
America.
The obvious question is whether the Falcons are good enough to win
the national championship that eluded them last year, and the
not-so-obvious answer is "who knows?" While there are certainly
more athletic Division 2 teams, it is difficult to believe any of
them are better coached or have as many perimeter weapons. If any
of this matters, then, sure, Bentley has a chance to win the
national title.
One thing is certain: No matter whom they might wind up playing,
they will play with more confidence than last year's team did in
losing to a similarly unbeaten squad, Winona (Minn.) State, in the
Division 2 tournament's Round of 8 in Springfield.
"We weren't as sure of ourselves as we should have been," explains
senior point guard Yusuf Abdul-Ali. "We were too conservative. If
we do it again, we will play our game."
"You have to go into every game thinking you will win," adds
Finnegan, a 6-foot-4-inch junior from Lexington. "Against Winona, I
think we were a little tentative, a little nervous."
"It's hard for me to say what it was, specifically," says senior
forward Nate Fritsch. "But I know we could have played better, at
least offensively."
The dynamics of Division 2 are intriguing. Every once in a while, a
player shows up who actually is happy to be there. But most every
player who reports to his D-2 coach is upset and bewildered that
all those Division 1 schools failed to see that he was the next
Kobe, LeBron, or AI. Let's face it: No kid grows up dreaming about
playing for, well, Bentley. In the average recruit's eyes, D-2 is a
consolation prize.
"Then they get to D-2 and they get into a pickup game," says
Bentley coach Jay Lawson. "And now it's, 'Oh, boy, am I good enough
to play here?' "
So what is Division 2 basketball, therefore?
"The guards are as good as the Ivies, the Patriot League, and
America East," Lawson explains. "The difference is in the
frontcourt. Our players simply aren't as big."
Or, perhaps they're a half-step or step slow. But that doesn't mean
they can't play.
Let me assure you: These kids at Bentley can play.
Abdul-Ali, for example, is a complete-package offensive point guard
who can drill threes, pull up nicely at midrange, orchestrate a
spiffy fast break, and run a team with aplomb. He looks like a nice
point guard in, yup, the Ivy league, Patriot League, or America
East.
The rest of Lawson's core group consists mainly of slightly
undersized forwards and post people, all of whom share one trait:
aggression. Bentley is loaded with feisty finishers.
Finnegan is a finisher. The 6-6 Fritsch is a finisher. Jason
Westrol, a 6-3 sophomore, is a finisher. Mike Sikonski, a rugged
6-7 forward, is a finisher. Tom Dowling, a 6-3 guard, is a
finisher. Mike Quinn, a 6-foot guard, is a finisher. Freshman Brian
Tracey, a 6-5 forward from Bow Mar, Colo., is a finisher.
Bentley is a renowned business school, but you'd almost think there
was an elective course called "Taking It Strong To The Hoop."
And, of course, they can shoot. Finnegan, Quinn, Abdul-Ali, and
Fritsch have all made in excess of 30 three-pointers.
Lawson has been churning out quality teams, often in the shadow of
Barbara Stevens's renowned women's squads, for nigh onto two
decades. But something really began to percolate in Game 10 of the
2005-06 season. A victory over Tim Wakefield's alma mater, Florida
Tech, broke a five-game losing streak, and that began this 76-4
joyride that has culminated in a No. 1 national ranking.
The big issue coming into this season was the loss of five seniors,
one of whom, Jeff Holmes, was a starter, while the other four -
Danny Lawson, Andy Smith, Josh Correia, and Matt Bates - were all
legitimate glue guys.
"They're the ones who taught us how to behave, how to play hard,
and how to practice properly every day," says Fritsch. But it's
clear by now the leadership torch has been passed.
"It's been great to watch this group mature," Lawson notes. "But we
were lucky to have so many talented players return."
Be advised that Bentley has a lot of work to do before it can start
worrying about beating national powers in Springfield. The Falcons
will first have to negotiate the Northeast-10 tournament, where no
one is in awe. You think St. Rose, Assumption, Pace, and a
half-dozen others in this highly competitive league aren't
salivating over the prospect of spoiling Bentley's national title
aspirations? And that Franklin Pierce team that coulda/shoulda
knocked off the Falcons? They're only 10-17. What does that tell
you about the quality of the Northeast-10?
Whatever happens, Lawson will always cherish this experience. No
coach can rightfully ask for more than a team that can fulfill his
vision of what the game should look like. Lawson has had that for
more than 2 1/2 seasons.
"Both in the way they play the game and the way they act," he
confirms. "We've had a lot of notoriety the past two years, but to
see these guys take their turn is the whole package."
Bentley begins its quest for the national title tomorrow night at
its own Dana Center against Le Moyne. The Falcons may or may not
win it all, but these kids have already won the respect and
admiration of their coach. That's even more important.