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Posted: Tuesday October 22, 2002 10:21 PM Updated: Tuesday October 29, 2002 10:35 PM Boston College Eagles
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis TEAM PREVIEW
It takes a lot of different ingredients for a team to win consistently in college basketball. But the most important might be getting good guard play, steady efforts from players who have experienced the pressure of big-game situations and want the ball in their hands when everything is on the line. In Troy Bell and Ryan Sidney , Boston College has two of the best in the country, and that dynamic backcourt duo is the reason the Eagles expect to make it to a third straight NCAA tournament just a few years removed from horrific seasons of 6-21 (1998-99) and 11-19 (1999-00). But there is more to the Eagles than just those two. Two other starters, senior forward Uka Agbai and 7-foot sophomore center Nate Doornekamp , are back. In fact, returning players combined for 77.7 percent of last year’s offense and 80.1 percent of the rebounds. Depth, though, just as it was last year, probably will be Boston College’s biggest concern. “We hope that it’s not," said coach Al Skinner, whose team was one of six from the Big East to receive an NCAA invite last year—the sixth time that has happened. “We like to think that it won’t be the problem this year that is was last year. We have some people who are going to have to acquire some experience and we hope some of our freshmen from last year have improved.” Kenny Walls, a swingman who averaged 12.9 points, is the only starter who is gone. Replacing his prowess on the perimeter (.351 3PT) will be key. Forward Brian Ross (3.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg) also graduated. The Eagles won nine straight to start last season, reaching a No. 11 national ranking, before being upset 73-67 on Dec. 20 at Miami of Ohio. They responded to that loss with wins over Arkansas State, Holy Cross and Seton Hall, but here is something to take note of: After Jan. 1, Boston College won back-to-back games only twice. The Eagles reached the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, where they were ousted 76-62 by Pittsburgh and squeaked into the NCAAs as a No. 11-seeded team. But they lost in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional in Dallas 70-57 to No. 6 Texas. BC lost in the second round the year before, ending a breakout season with a 27-5 record.
It all starts with Bell, the heady 6-1 senior from Minneapolis. He remains one of nation’s best point guards, capable of taking over a game at any time. The Big East Rookie of the Year as a freshman, league co-player of the year as a sophomore and first-team all-conference pick last year averaged 21.6 points -- tops in the conference and 17th in the country. Bell also averaged 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals while making .301 of his shots from 3-point land -- a number he needs to improve -- and .883 from the free-throw line. How great is it to have a point guard who is automatic from the line? Bell made 32-of-33 in back-to-back wins in December over Massachusetts, 80-78, and Iowa State, 86-81. He eclipsed his career high in both games, too, scoring 34 against the Minutemen and then erupting for 42 against Iowa State. Bell torched the Cyclones on 10-for-17 shooting from the floor, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range, and made all 17 of his free throws. “The challenge for Troy is still the same that it was last year,” Skinner said. “It’s for him not only to get his own but also to make sure the team is being run and is moving in the direction we would like him to take it. As a point guard, he already has that leadership.” The Eagles are lucky to have Bell back for one more season. So many others opt for NBA riches as soon as they can, but Bell returned. John Wallace did the same thing in 1996 at Syracuse and wound up carrying a team to the Final Four. Boston College hopes for a similar success story in Bell’s swan song. “He clearly has the potential to play at the next level,” Skinner said. “You can see where jump shooting is a premium in that league and he certainly can do that. He thought about [leaving early], but he has given himself another year to mature, get a little stronger and improve his game.” Sidney stepped up from being a solid sixth man as a freshman (averaged 9.4 ppg, 4.7 rebounds in 22 minutes) to becoming one of the most dangerous shooting guards in the country. But don’t let the title fool you. Sidney can hurt you in so many ways other than from the perimeter. At 6-2, and 205 pounds, he is 10 pounds heavier than last year and a great rebounding guard. He averaged a team-high 7.8 boards last year while pumping in 13.7 points per game and made a team-best .363 from beyond the arc. “It’s just his attitude about rebounding and his strength is a big part of it,” Skinner said. “He’s a lot stronger than most guards he plays against. But he still wasn’t as effective after he came back.” What Skinner is referring to is Sidney’s broken jaw. It happened Dec. 6 in practice after a collision with former BC big man Brian Ross. Before that, Sidney had averaged 21.6 points in the first six games. Five days before the injury, playing back home in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sidney lit up the Wolverines for a career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds in an 83-74 win. Sidney had his jaw wired shut for several weeks and lost a lot of strength, but the guy is a gamer. He never missed a game because. He played through the pain and did it fearlessly, crashing the boards like usual. Two days after the collision, Sidney had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over UMass. Still, he admitted it did affect him somewhat. “Before I was afraid of getting hit in the mouth,” he said after an 81-66 win over Seton Hall on Dec. 31. “Now I'm not worried about the jaw. Now that I've got my mouth right I think I'll be able to play the way I know I can.” Agbai, a 6-9, 262-pound forward, came into his own last year. He averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds, nearly doubling his board output from his sophomore season. He also developed a good mid-range jumper and a few good post moves. “He was probably one of our most consistent players all year along,” Skinner said. “He went from a virtual unknown to being one of the more respected post players in this league. That’s a tremendous accomplishment for him.” Doornekamp's biggest problem last year was foul trouble. He fouled out five times, and constant foul trouble in other games limited Doornekamp to only 16.8 minutes per game. The 262-pounder from Odessa, Ontario, averaged just 2.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. “His inexperience playing against quality people kind of caught up with him,’’ Skinner said. “He’s gotten a little stronger.” Andrew Bryant (4.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .375 3PT), a 6-7 forward, and 6-3 sophomore guard Jermaine Watson (3.6 ppg) are the only other returnees who saw meaningful minutes. “Bryant really played well at different times for us. He can shoot the ball and is a good rebounder and interior scorer and defender,” Skinner said He’ll need to do a lot of the little things Walls did. Kirsten Zoellner, a 7-1 sophomore center, is back after seeing action in just six games last year and doesn’t appear ready to add much help on the boards. That will have to come from Bryant and 6-7, 265-pound freshman Craig Smith, a Los Angeles native who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last season for Worcester (Mass.) Academy. “He really doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses,” Skinner said Another freshman, 6-6 forward Johnnie Jackson, will have to contribute, too. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals as a high school senior in Memphis, Tenn. “He’s a good athlete and a good basketball player,” Skinner said. “He can shoot it, pass it and catch. I know that sounds basic, but a lot of times you get freshman who can’t do that.” The other newcomers are 6-2 point guard Louis Hinnant (18.7 ppg, 10.1 apg) from Oxon Hill, Md., and 6-4 Adoyah Evans-Miller and 6-0 Tavio Hobson. On offense and defense, Bell and Sidney can control the perimeter and keep Boston College in any game by themselves. If Agbai improves the way he did last year, it will help make the frontcourt even better, and Skinner hopes Doornekamp has learned when to try for a rebound and when not to go over someone’s back. But Boston College has some issues. Yes, four starters are back, but after that there isn’t much experience. Depth will be a problem. Bryant (15.6 minutes per) and Watson (12.8) each saw a decent amount of time last year, but then things really drop off. Because of Doornekamp’s struggles last year, only three Eagles have proven themselves at this level. Bell averaged 37.5 minutes last year and Sidney 34 minutes. Those numbers will only go up. Skinner’s team will rely on freshman more than it would like to for depth. And we’re not talking blue-chippers here. “We made an attempt to go after some good basketball players, some people who can come in and round out the team,” Skinner said. With Bell and Sidney, the Eagles will be dynamite in the open floor. Of course, they’ll need some rebounds to ignite any fast breaks. Rebounding is another issue. Boston College ranked 10th in the Big East last year. Finally, free-throw shooting might be a problem. The player who needs to be the best at it, Bell, is amazing. But Agbai is the only returnee who shot better than 70 percent. In fact, Sidney, Watson, Bryant and Doornekamp are all under .556 from the stripe. The Eagles will soar as high as Bell and Sidney can take them, and that’s probably back to the NCAA Tournament. But given the question marks this team has, even that is not a lock.
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