Breaking Down The 2009-2010 Eagles Basketball Schedule

Brian: While I was out of the country, the Eagles released their 2009-2010 men’s basketball schedule. Let’s take a short break from all the football news and take a more detailed look at the Eagles’ schedule. For this undertaking we bring in good friend and BCI guest blogger Raj. Welcome.

Non-Conference


First, let's take a closer look at our non-conference slate of games for 2009-2010.

11-13-09 Dartmouth
11-17-09 St. Francis (NY)
11-20-09 Saint Joseph’s (Paradise Jam, USVI)
11-22-09 Purdue/South Dakota State (Paradise Jam, USVI)
11-23-09 DePaul/Northern Iowa/East Carolina/Tennessee (Paradise Jam, USVI)
11-28-09 at Providence
12-02-09 at Michigan (ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
12-09-09 Harvard
12-13-09 Rhode Island
12-20-09 Bryant University
12-23-09 Massachusetts
12-30-09 South Carolina
01-02-10 Maine
01-05-10 NJIT

In non-conference play, the Eagles will potentially face three NCAA tournament teams in Michigan, Purdue and Tennessee (the last two hopefully in the Paradise Jam in the US Virgin Islands). Skinner & Co. will also take their unbeaten ACC-Big Ten Challenge record to Crisler Arena to face a tough, young Michigan squad. Both Providence (our only true road non-conference game) and Massachusetts always play the Eagles close. Last year, the Eagles went 13-3 in non-conference action with losses at Saint Louis, vs. Purdue, and at home vs. Harvard. The bad news for the Eagles is that Crimson senior guard Jeremy Lin returns for his senior season.

Raj, early gut reaction. Over/under on number of wins in non-conference play?

Raj: Expectations are high coming into this year for the Eagles despite the loss of our best pure scorer. Who fills that void? Who steps up as the leader of the team? Honestly, the only sure thing from BC basketball the past two seasons is an inexplicable loss to an inferior team, a signature from Skinner.

I expect at least three losses: One loss coming in the final round of the Paradise Jam, a loss to either to Michigan or Providence and another wild card loss to possibly upstart Rhode Island. Unlike years past, we should dominate UMass as two of the top 3 Minutemen scorers were lost to graduation. Those losses leave UMass very undersized at the forward position. I'll set the number of wins at 11, and hope for a young, energetic Boston College team to make me eat my words.

Brian: I'll go slightly higher and predict a 12-2 non-conference record for the Eagles this year. Both losses will come to Big Ten teams. The Eagles will lose again to Purdue in the second round of the Paradise Jam, and BC will also lose their unblemished mark in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at Michigan. Unlike previous seasons, I don't expect any early letdown games this year, especially with only two true road games in non-conference play.

What do you see as the defining non-conference game on this year's schedule?

Raj: The ACC-Big Ten Challenge matchup with Michigan is definitely the key non-conference matchup on the schedule. Michigan is a well coached team that returns a solid core of returning players. Don't forget that this squad knocked off Duke last year. With a solid performance on national television and a win in Ann Arbor, the Eagles can really catapult onto the national stage early and provide our team with the exposure necessary even if we are close to a .500 team in ACC play.


ACC Schedule


Next up, here is the ACC schedule for 2009-2010:

12-06-09 Miami (Fla.)
01-09-10 at Clemson
01-13-10 at Duke
01-16-10 Maryland
01-19-10 at Miami (Fla.)
01-23-10 at Virginia Tech
01-26-10 Clemson
01-30-10 Florida State
02-06-10 Duke
02-09-10 at Wake Forest
02-14-10 at Florida State
02-20-10 North Carolina
02-24-10 Virginia Tech
02-27-10 at Georgia Tech
03-03-10 Virginia
03-07-10 at NC State

Brian: The first thing that jumps out to me – other than getting both North Carolina and Duke at home – is nothing the teams we play twice this season. Last season the Eagles faced the following five teams twice (with final 2009 Pomeroy rankings in parenthesis): Georgia Tech (93), NC State (79), Virginia Tech (66), Miami FL (40), and Wake Forest (25). That’s an average ranking of 60.6. Now I know the Eagles made the NCAAs last season, but some could argue that the Eagles benefitted from a favorable ACC unbalanced schedule last season to get to 9-7 in league play.

This season is a bit of a different beast entirely. The Eagles don’t have nearly as favorable a schedule as they did last season. BC plays the following teams twice this season: Virginia Tech (66), Miami FL (40), Florida State (36), Clemson (22) and Duke (11), for an average ranking of 35. Sure, not much is expected of Virginia Tech, Florida State or a Jack McClinton-less Miami team this season, but I certainly consider Clemson and Duke to be in the upper echelon of ACC teams this season. Clemson loses a lot of talent going into this season but quickly reloaded with a top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class of Milton Jennings (PF), Noel Johnson (SG), Devin Booker (PF), and Donte Hill (SF).

On the travel front, BC also lucks out by not getting to travel to Maryland or Virginia, our two closest ACC geographic neighbors. Skinner’s young team does, however, have to travel to Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech and Clemson, the four schools furthest from Chestnut Hill. Not only will the Eagles have to travel great further this year, but the scheduling gods didn't do the Eagles any favorites with the placement of our eight ACC road games. The Eagles have back-to-back road games at Clemson and Duke in early January, Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech in late January and Wake Forest and Florida State in early February. Will the Eagles travel schedule and all these back-to-back road games prove to be a tough obstacle for this Eagles squad?

Raj: Great point. These back-to-back away games will be a test that these young Eagles have yet to encounter. Last season the Eagles had one losing streak of four games and after that put together an impressive streak where they didn't lose more than two in a row the rest of the season. But don't count your wins too quickly Eagles' fans. We split the only back-to-back road games we had last season, squeaking by a depleted Georgia Tech team in overtime.

The Eagles were extremely strong at home and I look for Conte Forum to become an even tougher place to play this season. Hopefully we capitalize on our home court advantage and don't drop games that we should win.

I like our schedule come February, and will be in a position to really impress the Committee come dance time. I do think this young team with a more experienced Reggie Jackson will play with a chip on their shoulder, showing people they don't need Tyrese Rice to be successful.

Brian: What games stand out to you most? In other words, which games on the ACC schedule will go the furthest to define just how far the Eagles can go this season?

Raj: The obvious choices would be North Carolina and Duke but those games are great for Sportscenter highlights. Let's take a look at the games against Wake Forest and Clemson.

Splitting the home-and-home series Clemson in January will be key and will set the tone for four road games against pretty stiff competition that month. Remember last January when we got beat by a bunch of nerds and went on to lose the next three ACC games. This simply can't happen this year.

We start off February with Wake Forest. February will be a very important month to securing our place in the NCAA tourney. Last year we got served by the Deacons both home and away. If we can pull out the game at Wake Forest, it would be a great resume builder for the Eagles close to tournament time. Not to mention a win here would give the team some confidence against a team that made us look like a Newton Y-League team last season.

Brian: Now having analyzed the schedule, do you think the Eagles can improve on their 9-7 ACC mark from a year ago? Or will the Eagles end up with more (less?) conference wins in 2009-2010?

Raj: I really like our schedule but I'm afraid I'll have to say less wins in 2009-2010. We can't expect to beat North Carolina and Duke again, and too many other teams have improved while we are still looking for that player who can score at will. (When you have 0 incoming recruits, is that ever a good thing?) Don't get me wrong. This team has potential and has an opportunity to be a better basketball "team" since we don't have to watch Tyrese Rice launch 30-foot threes when the shot clock is running down. However, Rice's hot streaks won some games for us last year and there isn't one player on our roster that teams will game plan for.

Key to the season: we go as Biko goes.

Brian: I will actually go slightly over here and say the Eagles go 10-6 in conference. They'll beat the team that they are supposed to beat - NC State, Virginia, Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech - but will fall short against the league's elite teams. While a 22 win regular season will be enough to get BC into the NCAA Tournament, the selection committee won't be able to point to an Eagles' marquee win like they were last season.


Burning The Midnight Oil

Brian: The one thing that still bothers me is the ACC’s insistence on having 9pm ET tipoffs. This season the Eagles play two ACC games that start at 9pm – at Miami on January 19 and at home vs. Virginia on March 3. The Virginia game, in particular, worries me as the Eagles will likely be playing for ACC Tournament seeding or an NCAA Tournament berth and tip is at 9pm. Will the students show up? If last year is any indication, don’t count on it. When will the league office stop this nonsense of scheduling 9pm weeknight conference games? Raj, you come down as hard as I do on these 9pm league games, right?

Raj: Nine o'clock weeknight conference games are not as bad as you make them out to be. My ideal time though is a 7pm tip off. Now I'm a Superfan. I'd show up if there were games starting at 6am. But I don't think 9:00pm starts are all that bad. Games rarely last longer than 2 1/2 hours and getting home at 11:30 for a college student isn't too bad. That leaves at least 3 hours of Facebook stalking or video games.

So if students don't show up, I'm not so sure they would show up at all. The March 3rd game against Virginia falls during BC's spring break so that game is a wash anyhow. The one thing it does solve is the time conflict with Perspectives. I know too many people who missed games because of that class.

Brian: I have to disagree here. For the basketball games over spring break, the school relies on the season ticket holders and community members to give Conte some semblance of an atmosphere. This game starting at 9pm is going to turn away a lot of families and season ticket holders. I'm fairly concerned about losing what little home court advantage the Eagles may typically enjoy against a team we should otherwise handle easily. The flipside of this is any advantage we lose as a result of poor attendance vs. Virginia is gained when the Eagles travel to Miami in mid-January. Miami home games are typically poorly attended at the BankUnited Center to begin with, so hopefully Canes fans stay home for this 9pm tipoff.


Leave your thoughts, comments and predictions on the upcoming season in the comments section below.

Toss Up: Tournament Seeding and the Stretch Run

We welcome back Raj to the blog to discuss a little BC hoops in a game of Toss Up. I promise to go easy on our guest and not give him the requisite beatdown I typically dole out to Jeff.


First one, Toss Up - Who Will End Up With a Higher Seed in the NCAAs? Boston College or Florida State?

Brian: A great question. These two teams seem to be on a collision course to finish within a game of one another in the final regular season standings. kenpom.com predicts that the Seminoles will finish with a 22-9 (9-7 ACC) record, while the Eagles finish at 21-10 (9-7 ACC). If the two teams' records are almost identical, then you have to look at other indicators like RPI and SOS. Florida State edges us in both these categories. RPI gives a slight edge to the Seminoles (54 to 59) while SOS favors FSU even more (28 to 58). Next up would be the head to head matchup. If kenpom's prediction holds up and the Eagles win at home, this would be advantage BC. The last factor you can look at is how you play late. If the Noles don't come up with any upsets down the stretch and kenpom's predictions are true to form, they will finish the regular season having lost 4 of their last 5 games, including a four game losing streak. The Eagles, on the other hand, will go 3-2. Advantage Eagles. Overall, if the Eagles can beat Florida State at home and go 2-2 in their remaining games, I believe BC will get a higher seed than FSU.

Raj: With a tougher remaining schedule and only in conference quality win over Clemson, it seems like Boston College would be the logical pick. As Lee Corso says "Not so fast, my friend!" BC has been known to be overlooked in the seedings almost every year. So even though 21 or more wins looks feasible, look for Florida State to sneak in there, with a 54 RPI and few to none "bad losses."

Brian: Currently, it's a non-question for ESPN's bracketologist Joe Lunardi. He has the Eagles as an 11 seed and the Seminoles as an 8 seed. This seems a little off though, don't you think?


Toss Up - More Dangerous Away Matchup Down the Stretch? Miami (FL) or NC State?

Raj: I have to go with Miami. I have watched McClinton quite a bit this season and this kid is lights out. They get up and down the floor and play tough defensively. Six of the Hurricane's nine losses are by 5 points or less. They are dangerous and have taken the top teams of the ACC to the limit, and also taken us down at home. I think a win at Miami would seal our place in the Big Dance.

Brian: Sorry, Raj, but the answer here is NC State. Just like the Wolfpack football team (and your boy Russell Wilson), the school's men's hoops team is coming on strong down the stretch. Since getting blown out by Tobacco Road rival North Carolina, the 'Pack has gone 3-1 including blowout wins over I-A doormat North Carolina Central and Georgia Tech, an upset win over Wake Forest, and a close, overtime loss to Virginia Tech. The Wolfpack are currently 12-2 at home, having lost to only UNC and Marquette. The Hurricanes just haven't done as good of a job protecting their home court (10-4). Finally, home court advantage certainly favors NC State. The RBC Center is a much tougher place to play than the BankUnited Center. NC State can get more fans to show up for a December home game against Towson than Miami can get to go see a home game against the third ranked team in the country!


Toss Up - Which win was more important to BC Basketball? The win at North Carolina or the win vs. Duke?

Brian:  The answer here is certainly the home win over Duke.  This was the confidence builder the team needed down the stretch.  As we have stated here on the blog, taking 1 of 3 from our brutal stretch of 3 ranked teams was key to realizing our tournament hopes.  The win also snapped 24 years of Eagles futility vs. the Blue Devils and now even the casual BC student/fan is talking BC hoops.  The two home games left should be well attended and this will provide the team with a good home-court advantage.  More importantly, this win made college hoops experts finally stand up and take notice of BC basketball.  While the North Carolina win was impressive, soon thereafter experts were calling the win a fluke after losing to Harvard, Miami, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.  And finally, while it sucks to say, the Gene-Jags incident that surfaced the day of the UNC win really detracted from the Eagles' upset win.  

Raj: I'd have to say North Carolina, although we all know the rankings are what have you done for me lately. The win over the Tar Heels was a huge confidence booster and a shocker to the world, as UNC was talking about going through the whole season undefeated. Not once was this game on anyone's radar, not even BC fans. This was a great example of what our team could d, and really rejuvenated the subsequent crowds at Conte and BC basketball.  I say this even knowing full well that the Duke win probably pushed us into the tournament and off the bubble. With the North Carolina game, Al Skinner lost the TOB label and got the signature win, and this was also the beginning of my lovefest with Brother Jimmy's.


Toss Up - Who has been more valuable to the Eagles success against ranked opponents - Rakim Sanders or Joe Trapani?

Raj: I'd have to side with my boy Rakim Sanders who has lived up to the nickname Mr. National TV. Against all opponents but Wake he has played great defense and shot well from the field. He fills up the stat sheet with points and rebounds and his pressure defense on the perimeter leads to turnovers. Although I have to admit, Joe Trapani has shown me he is more than just another Brian Ross. But seriously, an Allen Iverson-like haircut for Trapani might not be a bad idea.

Brian: Raj, Raj, Raj. The key to this question is "against ranked opponents." This year, we have played 6 ranked opponents, having only won 2 of those games. I have to look no further than the stat sheet to prove that Trapani has been more valuable to the Eagles. Let me break out the stat sheet for ya.  Check it.

		Trapani		Sanders
Opponent	Decision	Pts	Reb	Pts	Reb
No. 9 Purdue	Loss	14	8	6	5
No. 1 UNC	Win	8	7	22	6
No. 3 Wake Forest	Loss	20	11	4	5
No. 6 Wake Forest	Loss	19	13	1	1
No. 11 Clemson	Loss	5	3	23	8
No. 5 Duke	Win	20	7	14	5
TOTAL		86	49	70	30

Success is a relative term I guess.  If you are asking which player contributed to our wins over Duke and UNC, then the stats show that you are correct in saying Sanders has been more valuable.  But look at our losses against ranked opponents!  Overall, over the 6 games, Trapani has been more valuable to the team.  And in three of our four losses to ranked opponents, Sanders didn't show up.  OK, so maybe Sanders has been more valuable to the team in their wins over ranked opponents, but Sanders has certainly been LESS valuable to BC in our losses.  

It would be nice to get both Trapani and Sanders going in the same game now, wouldn't it?

Toss Up - Who does the media favor more? The Big East or the ACC?

Brian:  This is an easy question.  The answer is the Atlantic Coast Conference if only because our conference is home to two of the most storied and overhyped college basketball programs - UNC and Duke.  All you have to do is compare the ESPN hype between each conference's two best teams.  #3 North Carolina just faced #5 Duke on the road last week and the hype leading up to the game bordered on ridiculous levels.  Contrast that with this past Monday's showdown between #4 Pittsburgh and #1 Connecticut.  While the game received some pub from ESPN, it wasn't nearly on the level of a Duke-UNC game.  Not to mention most of ESPN's college basketball experts have ACC ties.  ESPN talking heads Len Elmore (Maryland), Jay Bilas (Duke) and Hubert Davis (North Carolina) all have ACC ties, so of course they will throw love the ACC's way.  Finally, even a broadcaster with Big East ties - Dick Vitale (Rutgers) - currently openly professes his love for an ACC team - Duke.  The answer is the ACC.

Raj: Hands down the answer to this question is the Big East. If Georgetown and Notre Dame are still being discussed as bubble teams on ESPN, the Big East has to be considered to be favored by the media. The Hoyas and the Irish BOTH had 5 game losing streaks in conference. Both teams are not even .500 in conference but are getting into the discussion on what basis? Let's just hope the selection committee does the ACC right and gives us 7 teams, and doesn't give the HUGE EAST teams just because there are 16 teams in their conference.

Last one, Toss Up - If You Could Put Only One Basketball Star on the BC Mt. Rushmore, who would it be? Troy Bell or Al Skinner?

Raj: You are killing me here. I'm a huge Troy Belll fan, but Skinner's success cannot be argued with. Al Skinner has his own sponsor in Eastern Clothing of Watertown and his winning percentage at BC over 12 seasons is over 61%. That is good for 5th all time and makes him the longest tenured coach in BC basketball history. As much as we don't like his boring offense, I can't go against a guy who gets W's. If only Troy Bell had signed a deal with Taco Bell, he'd be like a crunchwrap supreme: Good to Go.

Brian:  For once Raj, I will agree with you.  The answer is Al Skinner.  Troy Bell was an amazing athlete for the Eagles, but Skinner followed up recruiting Troy Bell with Craig Smith, Jared Dudley and Tyrese Rice ... four of the top 10 all-time scorers in BC basketball history.  Skinner's success rejuvenating BC basketball after the messy Jim O'Brien breakup is unprecedented.  A Big East tournament title (albeit with Bell), coming within a bucket of an ACC Championship in his first year in the league, 20-0 to start the 2004-2005 season, a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2005-2006, and now wins on the road vs. a #1 and at home vs. a #5.  Again, IF a basketball sports figure makes Mt. Rushmore, I would have to say I think Skinner gets the nod over Troy Bell simply because Skinner has backed up his recruiting Troy Bell with subsequent conference Players of the Year and All-Americans.

That's it.  I win again.  Thanks for filling in for us Raj and taking your beating like a man.  

Headlines: Sean Williams Arrested?

Brian: Playing J.A. Adande to Jeff's T.K. today is our good friend and past guest blogger Andy.

Andy, it seems that behind every great story is an equally strange and/or bizarre one. After Boston College upset No. 5 Duke on Sunday night, it was reported that Sean Williams was arrested on campus for violating a restraining order. New York's examiner.com reports that Williams was invited on campus by the BC assistant coaches for the big Duke game. Later today, New York Daily News blogger Julian Garcia wrote that Skinner "invited" Williams to attend the game after he asked to attend. The NBA was off for the All-Star break and Williams wanted to attend the game for his alma mater. It is still unclear why Williams has a restraining order out on him in the first place, and Skinner confirmed it does not have anything to do with his dismissal from the basketball team. While Skinner didn't formally invite Williams to the game, he did give a "Sure, why not?" answer when he asked the coach to attend.

So what do you make of all this? Surely Sean Williams has had his run-ins with the law and Boston College in the past, but did he really deserve this?

Andy: This whole situation is a mess. We are all aware that Sean Williams had his problems on campus in the past, but in this instance it is unclear if he is to blame. If Skinner and the coaching staff were aware of the restraining order then they should not have invited or consented to Williams visit. If the restraining order comes from an incident that didn't involve the basketball program then Williams should have known better than to only check with the coaching staff when returning to campus. Either way, it has been a difficult year for Williams. He is a talented player whose attitude and off-court problems continue to plague him. Before the beginning of this season, when he should have been competing for the starting job, Williams volunteered to give up playing time to Brook Lopez. His lack of determination led to his demotion to the NBDL.

So, Brian, who do you think is ultimately to blame for all this?

Brian: All the dots don't seem to be connected at this point with this story. It is all still very unclear. There appears to be much more behind the story than has originally been reported. My gut reaction is that Sean Williams is to blame for this incident. If he knew that there was an existing restraining order out on him that prohibited him from setting foot on campus, then he should have known better. But then, from the examiner article, I read that Williams had "guarantees [from the coaching staff that] he wouldn't be bothered." If that is true, then that seems to imply to me that the coaching staff was aware to some degree that there was a restraining order out on Williams. Of course, Al Skinner reportedly pleaded ignorance on knowing about the restraining order, so we are stuck in an awkward he said-he said situation. I ultimately don't know what to believe at this point, but as you said Andy, Sean Williams has taken his lumps in both his college and pro career and probably didn't deserve this treatment. You have to remember that he is only 22 years old and we should all be able to learn from our mistakes.

But if you are the school and the Athletic Department, I guess there is no such thing as bad press, right? This story as reported in the New York Daily News, however, seems to put a similar damper on the Eagles upset of Duke as the Jags-Gene incident placed a damper on the upset of No. 1 North Carolina. Sounds like in both of these cases, things could have been handled better by the school.

Andy: Sean Williams was one of the most exciting defenders to come through BC. I hope that puts his talent to use, acts smarter when he's off the court, and becomes the solid NBA player that he is capable of being.

Here Come the Dukies and the Big Finish

Bill: Brian and Jeff are off today to prepare for Jeff's pending nuptials, so they've asked us to fill in. I'm Bill, aka ATLeagle from Eagle in Atlanta. Playing the Dan LeBatard to my Bob Ryan is Mike, aka BCMike, from the various BC boards and postings on various BC blogs.

Mike, the biggest BC sports news of the weekend is Sunday's game with Duke. BC is coming off two tough losses against Wake Forest and Clemson. Although they are coming off a loss to North Carolina, the Blue Devils are once again one of the top teams in the ACC and look like a terrible match up for BC. Can BC snap their ACC losing streak and their losing streak to the Dukies?

Mike: Duke is the basketball equivalent to Miami football in a way, acting as BC kryptonite. Both have been good throughout the years, but BC just can't seem to beat them (until recently with Mr. Ryan) no matter if it's an up year for us and down year for them. Since 2001, BC is 0-6 vs. Duke, losing by 10, 2, 2, 8, 14, and 10 most recently. While ALL BC sports teams have the ability to play up or down to the level of their competition--and often do so--the Blue Devils are just too well coached and the talent delta is too great.

BC uses a packed house to energize the young team to get out to an early lead, finishing up by seven at the break. Then they follow the blueprint of the Clemson and Wake Forest games and fall apart in the 2nd half. Duke by 10 in the end. Keys to the game and final score prediction from you, Bill?

Bill: In my opinion the key will be how BC stops or slows Henderson from penetrating. If BC can keep him from cutting to the basket for easy points and rebounds, they may be able to pull off the upset. But like you, I am getting a vibe that BC will go up at half and lose by 10ish as Duke reasserts itself in the second half.


Big Finish

Bill: Mike, now take off your analyst hat and put your fan hat back on: which Dukie -- past or present -- makes your skin crawl and your blood boil?

Mike: You mean other than this guy?



But seriously, is this a dream SAT question? There is no wrong answer! While many say JJ Reddick, he was more good than annoying. Laettner was off-the-charts annoying, but he was pretty darn good in the clutch, plus he cut out the hearts of Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans which earns him kudos in my book. I'm going to have to go with Bobby Hurley, who in his entire career at Duke felt he was fouled 1,340,551 times...and himself only once or twice.

On an important side note, Duke is also home to my favorite basketball nickname of recent memory..."Five-Head", aka Sheldon Williams, aka "Admiral Ackbar".

Bill, moving back to football for a second...what are your thoughts on the most recent coaching departure, Yano to LSU? I know BC was giving him the "here's your hat what's your hurry" routine trying to replace Yano due to the poor special teams he was charged with coaching, but does it surprise you that he went to a traditional powerhouse that seems pretty darn happy to have him?

Bill: It doesn't surprise me a bit actually. Yano had a decent rep before BC and only improved his status to outsiders while at BC. First there was Purvis' breakout last year. Yano can brush off Purvis' rough '08 to others by pointing the finger at Crane/Davis. He can also claim good special teams (punt blocks, Ayers last year, etc.) and point the woes on not having a kicker. But in my opinion, where he really benefited from his time at BC is the perception that BC coaches have great eyes for talent and can uncover diamonds in the rough. I am sure LSU fans are thinking that Yano at LSU -- where he would be unencumbered by BC's admission standards and recruit a different style of athlete is a match made in heaven. Regardless of how Yano does, I am glad he's got a job. The coaching biz is a game of musical chairs and there will be plenty of guys without jobs this season.

Mike, some members of the BC community are up in arms about crucifixes in the classroom. I don't get the fuss because the last time I checked BC was still a Catholic university. Just because it is hanging on the wall doesn't mean the faculty member is endorsing any religion or a student is obligated to believe. It is just a holy symbol at a private religious institution.

Mike: I have two words for this issue: Private School. If it's a state-run school supported by tax dollars, it's a different story. You're likely not to hear complaints about Morehouse College giving too much attention to African-Americans or Brigham Young University spending too much time promoting Mormon beliefs, so I think this is comical. It's a private school and they can do whatever they darn well please. Don't like it? Don't go there. Problem solved.

Lastly Bill, many BC'ers of late have wondered about the Samsonesque power of Coach Frank Spaziani's mustache (hereafter "Spazche™"). While I'm biased, I think it's pretty cool and certainly very powerful. If the Jeff "Creepy Guy" Kent Molestache was a "1" and Rollie Finger's 'stache a "10", where does the Spazche score in your book?


Bill: I am not one to judge when it comes to facial hair. My ginger complexion makes any facial growth look like Teen Wolf. But Spaz is doing pretty well for himself. Using your scale I would give him a 7. He's in the '80s Tom Selleck neighborhood. Not bad company.

That is all for now. The regulars are back next week. Congrats to Jeff and his soon to be Mrs. She's a Clemson fan so it will be a mixed marriage. Great move getting hitched on Valentine's Day. That shows that BC guys are always thinking ahead.

BC Interrupted

Brian: I'm hitting the road for South Carolina today. (Don't worry. I'll find my way down there. Yes, they have maps in South Carolina). The cause for celebration is Jeff's wedding this weekend! And no, his wedding was not scheduled over football season.


Since Jeff has other things to take care of over the next week, we will be going on a short vacation starting today and lasting until the 16th. I'll be back on Monday to finish up our 4-5 more Mt. Rushmore profiles and unveil our BC mountain.

In our stead there will be a very capable set of fill-in hosts that will take care of the Big Finish tomorrow. Hope you enjoy.

Congratulations Jeff!

Guest Blogger: Men's Basketball Preview

Brian: I love Eagles basketball but I don't purport to be an expert of college basketball. So to preview this year's men's basketball team, we've asked our good friend and BC Interruption reader Raj to give us a preview of the team.


Raj: While we lost a fair amount of bodies in the off-season due to transfers, the departure of John Oates and Tyrelle Blair to graduation leaves a big hole in the middle. After a disappointing finish in 2008, can the Eagles sink any lower?

2007-2008 Season:
Overall: 14-17
ACC Record: 4-12

Well, after a last place finish in the ACC, the simple answer is no. The Eagles were considered a young team last year and we haven’t grown up much, if at all, coming into this season. Our roster now consists of: 3 freshmen, 6 sophomores, 1 junior and an all ACC-performing senior in Tyrese Rice.


Roster Breakdown

Guards

Tyrese Rice (SR) 21.0ppg 3.3 rebs 5.0 assists 1.6 stls in 38.1 mins
As an All-ACC Performer, Tyrese Rice will shoulder the load scoring and can expect his assist numbers to approach 8 as he finds more and more scoring options with the development of our younger players throughout the season.

Biko Paris (SO) 5. 7 pts 1.7 rebs 2.9 assists
A solid point guard with the ability to score, he will see some more time on the court both as Rice’s backup and also in a 2 guard backcourt as Reggie Jackson continues to develop.

Reggie Jackson (FR)
Jackson was BC’s top recruit for the incoming season and, while he is obviously a Division I athlete, it will be interesting to see him compete against ACC competition night in and night out. Interesting fact: RJ was born in Italy and will wear the number 0, so let’s hope that the similarities between Reggie, Kobe and Gilbert Arenas translate to the court.

Dallas Elmore (FR)
Another Colorado recruit, provides some height at the guard spot at 6'5". Don’t expect to see much of him, however, as Skinner is infamous for bringing players who are not top recruits along slowly.

Forwards

Corey Raji (SO) 8.3 pts 4.3 rebs 0.9 assists (60.8 percent from the floor)
My favorite for obvious reasons but, in addition, his spark and intensity are much needed for what, at times, seems like a lethargic BC team. He is aggressive on defense and the boards, is smart with the ball, and reminds me of a 2000 freshman (Dare I say it? Ryan Sidney). Here’s hoping Raji can keep the intensity up and that he continues to enjoy his role off the bench, because I believe that’s where he is best suited.

Rakim Sanders (SO) 11.3 points, 4.6 rebs and 1.7 assists per game
I am expecting big things from Sanders in his sophomore year. Throughout his freshman campaign I saw flashes of potential: NBA type potential. We also witnessed the SWAGGER against Kansas. I like that attitude, and expect to see more of it on a consistent basis this season.

Joe Trapani (SO)
JT is now joining the likes of Brian Ross, Nate Doornekamp, and John Oates as tall white guys at BC who have fallen in love with the 3 pt line. As a transfer he has had a season to get acclimated with the flex offense, and Skinner will be forced to line him up at the PF position due to our lack of depth.

Tyler Roche (JR) 3.8 pts 1.9 rebs 1.6 assists
No offense to him but I can’t understand why he is on a Division I team, or how he sees any playing time whatsoever. He does play with heart, I’ll give him that, but then again, so would I if that’s all I had. Note to Skinner, stay away from New Hampshire’s High School Player of the Year.

Courtney Dunn (SO) 1.7 pts and 0.7 rebs
The other players on the team are high on Dunn, but I’ve yet to see anything out of him (which I admit is due mostly to his lack of playing time). On what I expect to be a foul plagued team, expect to see more Dunn, and hopefully less of Roche.

Centers

Josh Southern (SO) 5.7 pts and 3.4 rebs
Great upside for this sophomore, who played under 20 minutes a game but came on strong late last season. Offensively he will be the best center we have had in the post since pre-2000. Whether he is quick and strong enough to bang on the boards is another question. We should expect Josh to average close to a double-double this season as long as he can stay out of foul trouble.

Evan Ravenel (FR)
A much needed big body in the middle. While very raw, he is an athlete at the center position, putting up 16 pts, 12 rebs and 5 blocks. I know everyone wants to make a name for themselves, but I see him becoming the next Uka Agbai. He is a big body that moves pretty well, and he will definitely see minutes this year because of the lack of depth at the center position.


X-Factor

Coaching

As much as I love Skinner and his stylish threads, his Eastern Clothing of Watertown suits won’t save Skinner with another year like last year. Hopefully Skinner adapts to his personnel a little better. (They are who we thought they were!!!!) Our turnovers and our inability to bring the ball up against pressure should be corrected in practice. And when the right personnel isn’t in there, call a timeout and get them in. We have more than enough ball handlers and if we need to play small ball, maybe that’s something we should try.

Skinner has compiled a great record while at Boston College, but his lack of in-game coaching is worrisome. Skinner is going to need to get this team ready to play, get them to get up for every game, and keep them focused. In the past he has been able to rely on his senior leadership to weather droughts in games, but he is going to need to take charge with such a young team. By getting involved early, he could have possibly prevented 7 losses last year.

We aren’t going to be a defensive-minded team, so I turn to our offense or lack thereof. I am beginning to question the effectiveness of our Flex offense, which has been quite successful in years past because of our ability to recruit high basketball IQ players who have great vision, passing ability, and a knack for finishing. Young players are prone to make less than intelligent decisions, and rely too heavily on athleticism, so our flex offense has struggled. Also, our lack of a tough inside player has led to us settling for outside jump shots. Skinner has adopted the Herman Boone approach, "I run 6 plays split veer, it’s like novocaine, just give it time, it always works."

Is it time for us to run a new offense or mix in some different looks?


What to Expect

While there will be many ups and downs to the season, with a challenging ACC schedule which involves both North Carolina and Duke, Tyrese Rice will keep us in most games, and expect Sanders, Paris, Raji and Southern to contribute more and more as the season progresses. Skinner seems set on starting Corey Raji. Let’s hope the emergence of Reggie Jackson forces his hand to move Raji into a more natural sixth man role. We will see BC be challenged more than in years past within the first 10 games, with a schedule that does not involve the usual pushovers. With our core of sophomores let’s look for our squad to be able to close out those games that we crumbled in down the stretch.

Offense

Despite the poor record, last year’s offense was surprisingly efficient once we were able to take a shot. Look for the Eagles to get more offensive sets in, and that begins and ends with limiting turnovers. In the past, we were not a fast-breaking team so our sets in the flex offense were deliberate and ate up a lot of clock. Look for us to get a quick outlet and run a little more, hopefully leading to some easy point to supplement the Flex offense. Looking at stats from the 2007-2008 season, two particular statistics catch my eye: points per shot (PPS) and field goal attempts (FGA). Looking at the teams below that qualified for post season play, we only ranked behind #1 UNC in PPS and were dead last in the ACC in FGA.

Stat Category	BC	Virginia Tech	Clemson	Maryland	UNC
PPG	71.1	70.2	79.2	73.0	88.6
RPG	35.6	37.3	38.4	38.0	43.5
APG	14.8	13.4	15.7	16.5	16.8
TO/G	15.5	14.5	14.9	16.9	14.4
FGM	776	869	1000	895	1250
FGA	1705	1979	2191	1939	2564
FTM	467	526	422	511	738
FTA	677	772	677	727	975
3PM	184	192	271	182	216
3PA	511	539	728	539	580
PPS	1.29	1.24	1.23	1.28	1.35

To ensure that we get enough FGA to keep up with the scoring in the ACC, the Eagles will have to crash the boards as they were among the bottom three of the conference in rebounding. Once they control the defensive boards, they will be able to get more opportunities on offense. Also look for us to take better care of the ball and not turnover the ball in the backcourt. Expect a faster tempo in attempt to capitalize on our team speed, and also make up for the lack of frontcourt scoring from the power forward and center positions which is a requirement for the Flex offense.

Defense

One thing to look for is how the Eagles react on the defensive end. With much more team speed, let’s look for BC to rely less on a big body in the middle (Tyrelle Blair/Sean Williams) and more on pressure defense that jumps passing lanes, and denies the entry pass to the post. Could Skinner use a deeper rotation and set up a full court press? Can't wait to see what he has up French-cuffed sleeves.


Raj's Prediction and Team Awards

Overall: 18-11
ACC: 8-8
Postseason: NIT Berth

MVP: Tyrese Rice
Most Improved Player: Josh Southern
Sixth (Seventh?) Man: Biko Paris/Corey Raji
Impact Freshman: Evan Ravenel


Go Eagles!

A Rivalry Born with the Terps? and the Big Finish

Brian: Jeff is on the road in Charlotte to watch your #11 seed Eagles try to make two in a row tonight against #3 seed Clemson. So we bring in BC Interruption's Northeastern "bureau chief" and our good friend Andy, for the big finish.


Andy: With BC's win over Maryland yesterday, the Eagles have beat Maryland twice this season and possibly sent UMD to the NIT. During the football season, Maryland handed the Eagles an unexpected 42-35 loss that may have ruined BC's BCS hopes. Brian, do you see a rivalry growing between these two schools?

Brian: An interesting question. I do see a growing rivalry forming here. And the ACC seems to recognize (or further) the rivalry with their curious scheduling - we always open the ACC basketball schedule with Maryland in December, and always play Maryland in football late in November, when the ACC Atlantic race heats up. Add to this the fact that Maryland is our closest geographic neighbor, lots of BC alumni are from or currently live in the Baltimore/DC area, and our bball teams have the Gary Williams tie-in, and this could become one of the better rivalries in our new conference.


Brian: Andy, during last night's game, you text messaged me "I have a man-crush on Josh Southern." Here's your chance to publicly state your reasons why.

Andy: Josh Southern is my favorite of the four freshmen who have played this year. That text was sent after Southern scored a huge bucket with just under four minutes remaining in the game. He had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block in last night's game. Southern plays well in big games and has taken advantage of the recent increase in playing time. Unlike BC's other big men, he has the ability to score in the low post with his back to the basket. I am optimistic about next year's Eagles team since Southern has emerged as a quality low post scorer.


Andy: Last night's win against Maryland probably spoiled any chance they had to get into the NCAA tournament. Florida State needs to beat UNC to have a chance. Miami won yesterday, but may still have work to do. Brian, any chance the ACC gets the same number of bids as the WCC (likely to get 3)?

Brian: I'd give that only a 1% chance! I am going to stick with my prediction on Wednesday that the ACC gets 4 teams in. The only scenario I see only 3 teams getting in is if VTech blows out Miami, FSU doesn't pull off the upset today, and Virginia Tech doesn't make it to the ACC championship game. Compound this scenario with 2-3 other conferences' auto bids falling in the wrong hands and its slightly possible, but certainly not probable. But thank you for also mentioning my side interest in this year's WCC. Saint Mary's deserves to get in. Do the right thing, committee. This is the year of the mid-major.


Brian: Last one, a huge BC sports night tonight - Boston College v. Providence in game 1 of the Hockey East quarterfinals at 7pm, and BC v. Clemson in the ACC quarterfinals. Make a prediction (or two)!

Andy: I think that Jerry York and the Eagles will get it done tonight. My only reservation is that the Friars have played well this season against BC and their fans seem to love making the trip to Conte Forum. The Eagles can beat Clemson tonight if they get a better effort from Tyrese Rice. Last night he had just 2 points in the first half. Clemson is a solid team with good big men and some talented outside scorers. Every game is a must-win for the Eagles, so I give them the edge.


Brian: Andy, many thanks for filling in for Jeff. We will have to have you on more often. Have a great weekend and enjoy all the BC games!

ACC ROY and the Big Finish

It's Friday so we go to the Big Finish

Jeff: Brian is off frolicking in the sun with Megan so we bring back "BC hockey expert" Christian in his place. Welcome, Christian, what do you have for us?

Christian: Thanks, Jeff. Well, I'm going to stray from my hockey knowledge for a bit to congratulate Stefanie Murphy of our women's hoops team for being named ACC Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Quite the accomplishment. She and Carolyn Swords were also both named to the All-ACC Freshman team. Congrats ladies.

Jeff: In the first round of the ACC tournament last night the Lady Eagles beat Virginia Tech in overtime. Is this enough to get the Lady Eagles in the NCAA tournament?

Christian: I'm not so sure yet, but it's a possibility. They were a 7 seed that beat a 10 seed, so that shouldn't have been a surprise victory, even though it advances them in the tourney. But the fact of the matter is that they're only 7-7 in conference and behind 5 other ACC teams with better records. Plus, they're going to have a tough time against Maryland tonight, who already blew them out in their first two meetings. Assuming they lose, that puts them at 20-11. 20 wins is good, so I'm going to be optimistic. Let's hope for a big upset tonight to really seal the deal. We need at least one of our teams to make it to the big dance....

Christian: Men's hockey has a weekend series against Northeastern starting tonight. Do you think we'll be able to finish the season strong?

Jeff: I always think and expect BC hockey to finish the season strong and they usually do not disappoint. I am going for 3 wins between men's hockey games against NU, basketball against GT and women's bball against Maryland. Optimistic I know, but BC is going to start turning things around this weekend.

Christian: I like your optimism as always, but I'm sensing more of a 2 win, 1 tie weekend. We all know the hockey team gets what seems like one a weekend. Another big ACC matchup this weekend is the always heavily hyped UNC vs Duke game. Are you going to be watching, secretly rooting for Duke like the closet Blue Devils fan I know you are? Or did I just open your closet door?

Jeff: I stopped being a Duke fan when I got rejected for admission Christian, but since our friend LK is currently a student there I will certainly be cheering for them over UNC.

Dan Lebetard is an unworthy replacement for TK and Mike Wilbon but Christian you have been a more than worthy replacement for Brian. See you again on Monday when we can preview the Men's ACC tournament.