Boston College Athletics
October 10, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Optimistic. That might be the best way to describe the mood surrounding the Boston College basketball program as the 2000-01 season nears. With nine lettermen returning, including four starters, the Eagles have players who have been through the BIG EAST battles -- and learned in the process.
In addition, head coach Al Skinner and his staff welcome three newcomers -- guards Ludmil Hadjisotirov and Ryan Sidney, and forward Andrew Bryant. Skinner believes each freshman can -- and will -- contribute this season.
Put together, Skinner believes the veterans and the newcomers can make the Eagles a highly-competitive unit this winter. More specifically, Skinner points to certain areas where he believes the team will be improved.
Ballhandling, as always, will be key. Sophomore guard and team leader Troy Bell, the 1999-2000 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and a 2000-01 BIG EAST Preseason All-Conference first team selection, will again handle the majority of the ballhandling duties -- at least to start. Freshmen Ludmil Hadjisotirov and Ryan Sidney also promise to contibute in this area as they gains experience at the collegiate level.
"I believe our overall ballhandling will improve in comparison to last year," Skinner said. "Troy will be responsible again, but as the season goes on I think our ballhandling will improve as the younger players get more experience.
"If we handle the basketball well and move the basketball well, I think that will make it easier to score points," the coach concluded.
Last winter, the Eagles averaged 68.3 points per game, but struggled in stretches to put points on the board. This year, Skinner believes his team has more options.
"I thought at times last year we had a lot of difficulty scoring points because we relied so heavily on Xavier (Singletary) making shots and Troy (Bell) making shots," Skinner said. "This year I think our offense is going to be much more diverse. We can go inside with Uka (Agbai). We have some other people on the perimeter who can score and other people are going to handle the basketball, so I think we have a chance to be more effective than we were last year."
Last winter, Bell set a BIG EAST freshman scoring record, averaging 20.1 points per game in league contests. Skinner believes he now has some more weapons to take some of the pressure off Bell.
"I'd like to believe that if we're going to be a better basketball team that Troy doesn't have to score more this year," Skinner said. "Of course there's going to be games where he's just going to take off because he has that potential, but, generally speaking, we'd like to think we have a few more people around him who have the ability to score points and take some of that pressure off him."
Specifically, Skinner will look for increased production from his returning cast as well as from the three newcomers. Singletary, junior Kenny Walls, seniors Jonathan Beerbohm and Kenny Harley, and sophomore Uka Agbai were behind Bell on the scoring list last year. Sidney and Hadjisotirov can both hit the outside shot, while Bryant has shown the ability to score in the paint and on the perimeter.
Further, Skinner will look to his senior class -- Beerbohm, Singletary and Kenny Harley -- to provide leadership and guidance to the underclassmen. Beerbohm and Harley both enter their final seasons with more than 85 collegiate games played. Singletary, who played the 1999-2000 season for the Eagles after spending two years at Howard University, saw action in 29 games last year.
"Jon (Beerbohm) and Kenny (Harley) have played in a lot of games since their freshman year," Skinner said. "It's time for them to shoulder this team and make sure we're heading in the right direction. Probably their most important impact on this team can be their attitude and how they respond to different situations. If they can bring the leadership and the proper attitude and take the experience they've acquired and inject it into this team, it's going to give us a boost."
GUARD
Sophomore Troy Bell will anchor the Eagles' backcourt in 2000-01. Last year he earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors and set the league freshman scoring mark. This winter, Skinner and his staff will look to Bell to maintain that level of excellence.
"I think Troy will be even better this year because of his experience and the fact that he knows the league," Skinner said. "I also think his playmaking will improve because he's going to have better players around him so he'll feel comfortable sharing the basketball."
Harley returns for his final season after averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last year. More important than his statistics, though, is his defensive intensity. For each of his first three years, Harley has consistently been matched up against the foes' top offensive guards -- and proven himself an outstanding defender.
Singletary is expected to fully settle into the Eagles' line-up this year, one year after joining the team from Howard University. The 6-foot, 6-inch guard showed flashes of brilliance in 1999-2000, but Skinner hopes Singletary will raise his game further this winter.
"Last year he put too much pressure on himself," Skinner said of Singletary. "Now, I think he's much more comfortable with what he's capable of and everyone around him is much more comfortable with what he's capable of doing and the shot in the arm he can give us."
Sidney and Hadjisotirov also figure to make the Eagles' backcourt better. Sidney came to Boston College after earning All-State Class A honors as a senior at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich. Hadjisotirov, who hails from Sofia, Bulgaria, played the last two years at the Winchendon (Mass.) School. This past summer he competed for his home country -- and earned MVP honors -- in the Sofia International Tournament.
"Ryan is just a good all-around player. He displays a lot of different qualities. He can rebound the basketball, he can defend it, he can handle it, pass it and shoot it," Skinner said. "Ludmil is a very fine shooter and he can distribute the ball well. He'll have the chance to demonstrate that."
FRONTCOURT
With five lettermen returning, Al Skinner has some simple -- yet demanding -- goals set for his frontcourt players.
"The most important thing we need is to be able to defend and rebound as a group," Skinner said. "We'll get some scoring from our people up front, which is going to be important, but the defense and rebounding is most important.
"If we can get that from this group, then we have a chance to win, a chance to have a solid year."
Junior Kenny Walls, a small forward and one of the team's most athletic players, returns after averaging 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 1999-2000. Walls, who played in all 30 games and made just six starts, has earned a reputation as one of the league's best sixth men.
Beerbohm, another fine athlete, finished fourth on the team in scoring last winter, averaging 7.2 points. After continuing to develop his game during the off-season, he figures to be ready to enjoy his best season this year.
"The biggest thing for Jon is he needs to be consistent. That's probably the biggest chore for each indivdual in the frontcourt," the head coach said. "Jon has already demonstrated that when he's played well, we've probably won a lot of those games."
Agbai, a sophomore, was one of the team's -- and the league's -- most pleasant surprises last winter. Rather unheralded at the beginning of the freshman campaign, he quickly gained respect throughout the BIG EAST.
"Uka had a big impact for us last year," Skinner said. "For him to have gone head to head with (Syracuse's) Etan Thomas and hold his own, you had to feel mighty proud of him.
"He's getting better. He works extremely hard and it's paid off. He's blessed with tremendous qualities. He's got great size and strength, good quickness and he's got the desire to continue to compete. He's improved greatly and has clearly had a big impact on this club. He's taken full advantage of the opportunity presented to him."
Junior Brian Ross has established himself as a solid contributor to the Eagles' attack in his first two years. The North Quincy, Mass. product can move to the perimeter and hit the outside shot as well as battle in the low post. This season, the Eagles will look to Ross to take another step forward.
"The biggest factor for Brian is staying healthy," the head coach said. "He's shown on our foreign trip (this past August) that when he's healthy there are some things that he can do for us -- and we're going to need that."
Rounding out the list of frontcourt returnees is sophomore forward/center Andrew Dudley. The 6-foot, 11-inch Dudley saw limited action in his inaugural campaign, but will be relied upon more this winter.
"We need some minutes from Andrew," Skinner said. "When we play against bigger teams, he's got to get on the floor and be able to defend and rebound for us."
Freshman Andrew Bryant is the lone new addition to the frontcourt. Last winter, he earned All-State and All-Region honors as a senior at Denison (Texas) High School. This winter, Skinner believes the versatile Bryant will be able to contribute in the paint and on the perimeter.
A CAPSULE LOOK AT THE 2000-01 EAGLES
STARTERS RETURNING (4)
Troy Bell, G, 6-1, So. (18.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg) Xavier Singletary, G, 6-6, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) Uka Agbai, F, 6-8, So. (6.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) Brian Ross, F, 6-8, Jr. (3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) STARTERS LOST (1) Michael Cotton, G/F, 6-4 (6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
LETTERMEN RETURNING (9)
Troy Bell, G, 6-1, So. (18.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg) Xavier Singletary, G, 6-6, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) Kenny Walls, G/F, 6-5, Jr. (8.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) Jonathan Beerbohm, F, 6-7, Sr. (7.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) Uka Agbai, F, 6-8, So. (6.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg) Kenny Harley, G, 6-5, Sr. (5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) Brian Ross, F, 6-8, Jr. (3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Andrew Dudley, C, 6-10, So. (0.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg) Nicolas Dunn, G, 6-3, Sr. (0.6 ppg, 0.2 rpg)
LETTERMEN LOST (2)
Michael Cotton, G/F, 6-4 (6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) Dwayne Pina, G, 5-10 (1.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
NEWCOMERS (3)
Andrew Bryant, F, 6-7, Fr. (Denison, TX/Denison) Ludmil Hadjisotirov, G, 6-2, Fr. (Sofia, Bulgaria/Winchendon (Mass.) Ryan Sidney, G, 6-2, Fr. (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer)
GLANCING BACK AT 1999-2000
Overall Record: 11-19
BIG EAST Record: 3-13
BIG EAST Tournament: Lost in opening round
