Boston College Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels To Penn State
November 26, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 1999
Boston College (2-0) at Penn State (2-0)
November 27, 1999 -- 2 p.m.Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) -- University Park, Pa.
SATURDAY'S GAME: Boston College faces Penn State in a non-league contest in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions are the first of two Big Ten schools the Eagles will play this season. BC hosts Michigan on Dec. 19.
BIG TEN FOE: Today's game will mark the third time in Al Skinner's BC tenure that the Eagles have played a Big Ten team. Boston College has played Northwestern once in each of Skinner's first two years at the Heights. The Eagles defeated the Wildcats, 64-63, on Dec. 23, 1997 in Conte Forum. Last winter, Northwestern downed BC, 69-59, in Evanston, Ill.
WHO'S HOT: Freshman guard Troy Bell is averaging 19.5 points per game through two games, while junior guard Xavier Singletary is averaging 18.0 points per game ... Bell scored 27 points (11-for-15 FG, 5-for-6 treys) against Vermont (Nov. 23). His 27 points were the most by a Boston College freshman since Gerrod Abram netted 30 points in the BIG EAST-ACC Challenge in Richmond Coliseum on Dec. 3, 1990.
HIGH SCORING: Boston College is averaging 90.0 points per game through its first two games ... A large part of the Eagles' increased scoring (after averaging 62.6 points per game last year) is the production of the newcomers. While Bell and Singletary have led the scoring change, forward Uka Agbai and forward/center Andrew Dudley have also contributed ... Bell has also been effective in pushing the ball up the court. As a result, BC has attempted 65.0 field goals per game -- up almost nine attempts per game from 1998-99.
OFFICIALS: Tim Higgins, Jody Silvester, Jim Burr
BOSTON COLLEGE'S PROBABLE STARTERS
Pos. No. Name Yr. PPG, RPG Last Game F 3 Michael Cotton Sr. 2.0, 4.5 4 pts., 5 reb. F 13 Kenny Harley Jr. 4.0, 2.5 4 pts., 6 ast. F 45 Brian Ross So. 9.5, 7.0 14 pts., 8 reb. G 2 Troy Bell Fr. 19.5, 2.0 27 pts., 3 ast. G 23 Xavier Singletary Jr. 18.0, 2.5 20 pts., 2 reb.
THE SERIES AGAINST PENN STATE: Boston College has a 5-4 all-time record against the Nittany Lions. The two teams last met on Dec. 29, 1980, with Boston College defeating PSU, 74-67, in the first round of the Music City Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. John Bagley and Michael Adams both scored 15 points to lead BC in the victory ... Boston College has a 3-2 edge in games played in University Park, Pa. In the last meeting at PSU (Rec Hall, Jan. 4, 1975), BC junior Will Morrison scored 29 points to lead the Eagles to an 82-71 win.
THE FIRST TWO GAMES
BC 89, New Hampshire 65 (Nov. 20, 1999, Conte Forum): Sophomore swingman Kenny Walls came off the bench to score 18 points to lead Boston College to an 89-65 season-opening win over New Hampshire. The game marked BC's 25th season-opening win in the last 26 years. Joining Walls in double figures for the Eagles were junior Xavier Singletary (16 points), freshman Troy Bell (12), junior Jonathan Beerbohm (11) and freshman Uka Agbai (10) ... BC led 47-34 at halftime, and shot 53.6 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes to secure the victory ... BC made 19 steals, including 14 in the first half, and forced 26 turnovers ... The Eagles outrebounded UNH, 46-35.
Steals: BC registered 19 steals in the season-opening victory over New Hampshire, the most steals by a BC team since making 20 steals against Holy Cross on Nov. 27, 1995. Xavier Singletary led the Eagles with six steals (the most since Dwayne Pina recorded six steals against Holy Cross on Dec. 19, 1998).
BC 91, Vermont 63 (Nov. 23, 1999, Conte Forum): Freshman guard Troy Bell scored 27 points and junior guard Xavier Singletary netted 20 points to lead Boston College to a 91-63 home win over Vermont ... BC sophomore forward Brian Ross contributed 14 points and eight rebounds ... BC led by as many as 18 points in the first half, before settling for a 44-33 halftime advantage ... Vermont used a 12-6 run in the first three minutes of the second half to close to within five points (50-45). BC then answered with an 18-4 rally over the next seven minutes to secure the victory ... BC outrebounded Vermont, 42-31 ... The Eagles committed just 12 turnovers, while forcing 20 ... BC shot 52.3 percent from the field, including 56.7 percent in the second half.
WHO'S BACK?: Boston College returns eight lettermen, including all five starters, from the 1998-99 season ... The 1999-2000 roster features two seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen. One of the seniors, guard Dwayne Pina, has two years of eligibility remaining. One of the juniors, guard Xavier Singletary, is actually a newcomer. Singletary played two seasons at Howard University, before transferring to BC and sitting out last season.
1998-1999 RECAP: The 1998-99 Eagles finished with a 6-21 record, including a 3-15 BIG EAST mark.
GOOD NUMBERS: The Eagles return 81.4 percent of their scoring production from last season, including each of their top four scorers ... BC's returning players also accounted for 85.7 percent of last season's individual rebounding total.
ON THE PERIMETER: Boston College was an effective team on the perimeter last winter. The Eagles shot 33.5 percent from three-point range, ranking fifth among the BIG EAST's 13 teams ... BC was also effective in defending opposing teams' three-point attacks. The Eagles ranked third in the league in three-point field goal defense ... In 18 conference games, Kenny Harley ranked third among league leaders in three-point field goal percentage (.437), while Kenny Walls ranked 14th in the same category (.370).
67th SEASON: The 1999-2000 season marks the 67th season of varsity play for Boston College. The Eagles have an 862-701 (.552) overall record.
THE COACHES
THE HEAD COACH: Al Skinner is in his third season as the Eagles' head coach. Skinner assumed the head coaching duties at Boston College on April 17, 1997. A 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, he starred on the Minutemen's basketball team. He finished his collegiate career with 1,252 points. A team captain as a senior, he has subsequently been elected to the University's Athletic Hall of Fame. Following his collegiate career, Skinner played professional basketball for six years -- with the New York Nets (ABA and NBA), Detroit Pistons (NBA), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and Joventut (Barcelona, Spain) ... He has a 23-37 record in two-plus seasons at the Heights. Prior to coming to BC, he enjoyed nine successful years at the University of Rhode Island. In his tenure at URI, Skinner had a 138-126 record, leading the Rams to two NCAA Tournament (1992-93 and 1996-97) and two NIT (1991-92 and 1995-96) bids ... Skinner has a career record of 161-163.
vs. Penn State: Now in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, Al Skinner has a 2-5 record against Penn State -- with each of the meetings coming during Skinner's nine-year tenure at Rhode Island. The Rams and Nittany Lions met as Atlantic 10 foes during each of Skinner's first three seasons at URI (1988-89 through 1990-91).
vs. the Big Ten: Al Skinner has a 3-8 career record against Big Ten opponents. In addition to his record against Penn State, Skinner has a 1-1 record against Purdue (both NCAA Tournament games) and an 0-2 mark against Minnesota.
THE ASSISTANT COACHES: Skinner is joined on the BC bench by associate head coach Tim O'Shea, assistant coaches Bill Coen and Ed Cooley, and administrative assistant Pat Duquette. Three of the four -- Coen, Cooley and former BC star guard O'Shea ('84) -- came with Skinner from Rhode Island, while Duquette came to BC from St. Michael's College.
PLAYER NOTES
#00 UKA AGBAI: The freshman forward is averaging 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game through two games ... He recorded 10 points and four rebounds in his Boston College debut -- against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... Agbai came to Boston College from New York City's Archbishop Molloy High School, where he played for legendary head coach Jack Curran.
#2 TROY BELL: The freshman guard is the Eagles' top scorer through two games, averaging 19.5 points per game. He registered 12 points (a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line) in the season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20), before pouring in 27 points in 27 minutes against Vermont (Nov. 23) ... He scored 22 points in the exhibition win over the BABC All-Stars, and 20 points in the overtime win over the Upstate New York All-Stars.
#3 MICHAEL COTTON: The senior swingman is averaging 2.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game this season ... He averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last winter ... He scored in double figures in 13 games, including four games with 20 or more points.
#4 JONATHAN BEERBOHM: The junior forward is averaging 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game this season ... He played a productive 15 minutes in the season opener against New Hampshire, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals ... He averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 27 games last winter. He led the Eagles in blocked shots with 28.
#5 DWAYNE PINA: The senior guard is averaging 4.0 points in 16.0 minutes per game through two games this season ... He tallied five points (all free throws), two rebounds, two assists and three steals in 19 minutes against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... He averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 assists in a team-high 30.0 minutes per game last winter. He played in and started all 27 games ... Pina, who began the 1999-2000 season with two seasons of eligibility remaining, joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 1997-98 season, but quickly earned a scholarship.
#13 KENNY HARLEY: The junior guard is averaging 4.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game through two games ... In the Eagles' win over Vermont (Nov. 23), he tallied four points and handed out a career-high six assists in 22 minutes ... Harley recorded four points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes in the season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... Last winter, he averaged a team-high 11.2 points per game. He also led the 1998-99 Eagles in both three-point field-goal percentage (41.6 percent) and free throw percentage (75.6 percent).
#21 KENNY WALLS: The sophomore swingman is the Eagles' third-leading scorer through two games, averaging an impressive 13.5 points per game. He scored a team-high 18 points in the Eagles' season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20). The game marked the fourth time in 28 collegiate games that Walls registered at least 18 points ... Last winter, he played in all 27 games, averaging 10.5 points per game ... Walls, the Eagles' "sixth man", came off the bench for 17 games last year, before starting the season's final 10 contests.
#23 XAVIER SINGLETARY: The junior guard is averaging 18.0 points in 28.5 minutes per game through two games this season. He is shooting an impressive 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from the field ... He scored 20 points (7-for-12 FG, 3-for-7 three-pointers) in the Eagles' win over Vermont (Nov. 23) ... Singletary made his Boston College (regular-season) debut against New Hampshire (Nov. 20). He finished with 16 points and three rebounds in 30 minutes ... Singletary played his first two collegiate seasons at Howard, before transferring to Boston College and sitting out the 1998-99 season ... At Howard, he scored 933 points in two seasons (50 games). As a sophomore, he ranked ninth among the nation's Division I scoring leaders with a 22.3 ppg average.
#31 OSEI MILLAR: The sophomore forward is averaging 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through two games ... Millar recorded eight points, four rebounds and three steals in 15 minutes against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... In the win over Vermont (Nov. 23), he grabbed a career-high seven rebounds.
#32 ANDREW DUDLEY: The freshman forward/center recorded four points (2-for-3 FG) and four rebounds in six minutes against Vermont (Nov. 23) ... Dudley averaged 17.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game at Life Center (N.J.) Academy last winter.
#45 BRIAN ROSS: The sophomore forward is averaging 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game through two games ... He registered 14 points (6-for-10 FG) and eight rebounds against Vermont (Nov. 23) ... He contributed five points and six rebounds in the season opener against New Hampshire (Nov. 20) ... Ross, who shot a team-high 46.5 percent from the field last winter, is shooting 50.0 percent (8-for-16) from the field through two games.
THE EXHIBITION GAMES
EXHIBITION #1: Two newcomers -- junior guard Xavier Singletary and freshman guard Troy Bell -- combined for 46 points to lead BC to a 109-93 victory over the BABC All-Stars on Nov. 8. Singletary scored a team-high 24 points, while Bell netted 22 points. Junior guard Kenny Harley added 20 points for the Eagles ... BC led 45-41 at halftime, but began the second half with a 16-4 run to take a commanding 61-45 lead with 17:08 remaining.
EXHIBITION #2: Freshman guard Troy Bell scored 20 points and sophomore forward Brian Ross netted 15 points to lead BC to an 87-86 overtime win over the Upstate New York All-Stars on Nov. 15. Joining Bell and Ross in double figures for the Eagles were junior guard Xavier Singletary (13 points), sophomore swingman Kenny Walls (12) and junior forward Jonathan Beerbohm (10) ... BC committed just 12 turnovers, while forcing 18 from the visitors.
MEDIA NOTES
ON RADIO: Boston College basketball games can be heard on SportsRadio 850 WEEI (AM), Boston's 50-thousand watt all-sports radio station. Ted Sarandis is in his fifth season as the voice of the basketball Eagles. The 1999-2000 campaign marks his 23rd season describing the bouncing ball. He holds the unique distinction of having called play-by-play for all four Division I institutions in Boston -- Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern -- as well as Holy Cross. In addition, the Boston native is host of the popular "Ted Nation" talk show, heard weeknights from 7 p.m.-midnight on SportsRadio 850 WEEI. Joining Sarandis is Bill Newell. Newell is in his third season with the basketball Eagles. He previously spent four seasons calling the action for the Boston College hockey team. Newell has also served as the play-by-play voice of Harvard football ... Boston College basketball can also be heard on WZBC-FM (90.3).
ON THE WEB: All Boston College basketball games can also be heard on the Internet at www.bceagles.com.
UP NEXT: The Eagles return to action against Hartford on Monday, November 29. Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Conte Forum.
