Men's basketball tackles NESCAC best

If you ever had the inclination to follow the men's basketball team on the road, then this weekend is a great opportunity to see one of the most loaded games of the season.

The men's basketball team faces a back-to-back NESCAC punch this weekend with a game at Amherst on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Trinity on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Victories in these games could catapult the 5-11 Jumbos into playoff contention, while losses could drop them into last place in the conference.

But wins and losses aside, there is another factor that makes this weekend's road trip intriguing. On Saturday, the Jumbos will come face-to-face with former teammate Craig Coupe, now a junior at Trinity. And with a fresh wound turning into a fierce rivalry, this game promises to deliver an intense and physical grudge match that would make the Detroit Pistons' Bad Boy teams proud.

"We want to kill him," sophomore Dan Martin said.

Coupe, Tufts' former 6'7" all-NESCAC center, transferred to league-rival Trinity last summer in order to pursue a business degree, a program that Tufts doesn't offer. In his two years at Tufts, Coupe was named NESCAC Freshman of the Year in 2001 and to the All-NESCAC second team the season after. He closed out his sophomore year averaging 13.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Playing along side him was forward Reggie Stovell.

"Coupe is a good friend of mine and a great player in my opinion," Stovell said. "Off the court he is my friend, but on the court he is somebody else. He is my rival."

Currently at center for Trinity, Coupe has still proven to be a force from the paint -- second in the league in field goal percentage (57.9 percent), fourth in rebounding (9.5 per game), and fifth in blocked shots (1.27 per game).

"Guys are gunning for him," Stovell said. "His leaving the team hurt us, and now that he plays for Trinity. Well, that pisses us off."

Coupe's departure from the Jumbo squad resulted in the loss of his numbers and left a gaping hole on the court, which inevitably forced this year's squad to shift around its entire offensive game plan. While he was at it, he left some of his friendships on the rocks as well.

"He has been up to Tufts once or twice and tried to get in contact with us, but he pretty much sold us out," Martin said.

Martin at 6'9" and fellow sophomore 6'7" Blaine Lay have both had to step up to fill the Coupe gap. They will also be responsible for guarding Coupe on Saturday, as well as 6'6" forward Tyler Rhoten, who has been average 18 points per game.

"I'm going to be physical with him," Martin said. "If you hit him a couple of times you can get him out of his game."

Coupe or no Coupe, the Jumbos have got themselves two tough opponents to face. Amherst sits currently at number three in the nation, while Trinity finds itself at number eleven. Tufts looks to control both games from the get go, not giving the opponents a chance to make a run.

"We want to play like we did against Bates," Stovell said. "Our game plan is to play hard, intelligent, and together."

Tufts must be at the top of its game to make it through this weekend 2-0. And make it through they must because, at third and fourth place in the NESCAC, Amherst and Trinity are at the heart of the obstacles the Jumbos will have to overcome if they want make a run for the playoffs.