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Boston College
No program flies more under the radar in their own media market than Boston College and that is just fine with Coach Al Skinner. Boston is a pro town and they expect success and Skinner has certainly provided that since his arrival at Chestnut Hill. He has led this program to the post season eight of the last nine years, including seven trips to the NCAAs. He has a great sideline demeanor and his teams reflect his temperament- unflappable and tough. He and his staff have a knack for finding players that fly under the recruiting radar and turning them into stars- witness Craig Smith, Jared Dudley and Tyrese Rice. Since coming into the league, BC has been a formidable foe and should continue to be exactly that.
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The biggest task for Skinner will be replacing the departed Rice. He was an all-league performer who did so much for this team over his career. He led them in scoring and assists and was the dominant personality in the locker room. He also made huge plays in the most crucial parts of games. His void will be tough to fill.
There is a lot of returning talent that Skinner can rely on. Transfer Joe Trapani had a solid year last year. He averaged 13 points and six rebounds and provided some solid three point shooting. Rakim Sanders also returns as a double figure scorer. He has the size at big guard that Skinner loves and uses that size well to play effectively in the lane. These two will be counted on to elevate their offensive game with the departure of Rice. Biko Paris should take over the primary ball handling responsibilities and should step up to be a vocal leader as well. The staff is very excited about Reggie Jackson. He showed signs of greatness last year and could have a breakout year. Inside, Josh Southern gave his team solid minutes and looks to improve in the Flex offense. Skinner also thinks that Evan Ravenel can blossom this year after limited minutes last season.
The interesting thing about this year's Eagles team is that there are no freshmen. This was done by design as the team has six juniors returning so the staff decided to save scholarships for next year's class. That should make it easier for this group to gel early in the season.
The key will be how this group comes together without Rice. He dominated the ball and there was a tendency to stand and watch him. They must find other people to make plays and free throws down the stretch. BC invariably plays close games so step up guys must show up. No team is harder to prepare for than BC because of their unorthodox offense. Some years it takes Skinner's teams a while to gel completely. The schedule dictates this group must come together quickly as they are challenged by an early three-game run versus Providence and Michigan on the road followed by their ACC opener against Miami at home. If the bigs step up their game and they identify go to players, this could be a very dangerous team.
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