AFTER A nagging shoulder injury hindered Matt Barr's sophomore season with the Bentley University men's basketball team, he has become the team's everyman this year. The guard from Stratham started this season as the Falcons' first guard off the bench and has become the team's starting point guard.

Bentley coach Jay Lawson, a University of New Hampshire alum, said it took doctors almost a year to figure out what was wrong with Barr's shooting shoulder. Following successful surgery and rehab, Barr has helped the Falcons to their first-place spot in the Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division entering Saturday. Bentley had a 15-3 overall record and was 12-1 in conference play entering Saturday's home bout against Southern Connecticut State University.

"The thing about Matt is he's really highly competitive and very focussed," said Lawson. "Players can count on him being consistent on a daily basis...I'm very pleased with his season and very pleased that when we've needed him to step up, he's done so."