Boykin happy with move from Fordham to Bridgeport
By Jane McManus
The Journal News • January 24, 2009

Did Dave Boykin make the right decision in leaving a reserve role at Fordham for a starting spot at Division II Bridgeport? From what his new teammates at the smaller program call him, it would seem the answer is yes.

"His nickname is 'Smiles,' " Bridgeport coach Mike Ruane said. "He' s a fun-loving, great kid. He's a terrific player, but as a person he' s even better."

Boykin, a former White Plains High star, wasn't smiling as much at Fordham, spending most of his time sitting on the bench. He wasn't getting as much playing time on the basketball team as he'd hoped when he signed with the Atlantic 10 university out of high school.

Teammate Demetrious Phillips felt the same way and decided to transfer to the University of Bridgeport. Later, when Boykin admitted he was considering doing the same, Phillips encouraged him to talk with Bridgeport's coach. Ruane said there was really just one thing to consider when transferring to a Division II school: How much do you want to play?

Division I, the holy grail for the high school athlete, is not always what it's cracked up to be. If an athlete excels, the rewards can be pretty heady. But riding the bench drains eligibility out of a player, as well as the sense of fun that got him to play in the first place.

Things are different for Boykin in his first season at Bridgeport, where he is a junior academically and a sophomore on the court.

"The crowds are a bit smaller," the 6-foot-3 guard said. "And there's a size difference - there aren't as many 7-footers. But it's more competitive, a different kind of challenge."

Boykin appeared in 18 games as a freshman for Fordham, averaging 0.9 of a point and 0.2 of a rebound per game.

On Wednesday, Boykin led the Purple Knights with 17 points in a 75-63 win over visiting St. Thomas Aquinas. So far, the point guard is averaging 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He has started all 15 games this season, and is getting an average of 30 minutes of that precious playing time.

Bridgeport is 10-5, 4-3 in the East Coast Conference, heading into today's home game against Mercy.

Phillips, a power forward from Baltimore averaging 20 minutes, said he and Boykin have been friends from the moment they moved in as roommates at Fordham. Boykin already was in the room, and when Phillips stepped in, the greeting he received was not at all territorial.

"Anything I needed, he said I could have it," Phillips said.

Since Boykin arrived at Bridgeport a year ago, he's been taking classes such as psychology and counseling in his human-services major. Ruane said that in his first full semester at the school, Boykin earned a 4.0 grade-point average.

"Sometimes you're unlucky and sometimes you're lucky," Ruane said. "I think it was a great fit because he can be himself here."

Boykin hasn't given up his dreams of playing overseas after college, and he figured it wouldn't happen for him if he were on the bench at Fordham. At Bridgeport, Boykin has gotten a second chance to show that he can be a leader on the court.

Which is exactly why Phillips told Ruane about his roommate in the first place. Boykin, he said, is as competitive a player as he's ever met and picks up the level of everyone on his team.

"I don't think I would have done it for just anyone," Phillips said. "You want to play with someone who has the same goals as you."

For Boykin, the decision to transfer to Bridgeport has meant playing with one of his best friends, keeping his basketball hopes alive and making a bigger impact in a smaller pond.

"I'm definitely glad I made the decision now," Boykin said.

Reach Jane McManus at jmcmanus@lohud.com.