Boston College Athletics
1998-99 Men's Basketball Outlook
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
October 26, 1998
When one talks with second-year head coach Al Skinner about his 1998-99 basketball team, one can clearly detect a sense of optimism -- cautious optimism. Yet, in his voice and in his eyes, one can just as clearly detect something more. Skinner, whose team has seven newcomers and no seniors, seems to know something others donit yet know. He realizes it will take some time for his team to mesh, for the players to learn one anotheris tendencies. He also knows heill have to fight through the coming season without a true center on his team.
Yet, Skinner, who rebuilt the Rhode Island program in his nine years there, has no doubts about the direction of his team or his program.
We have to realize that weire in it for the long haul. We canit give up on ourselves. We must be resilient and be willing to continue to work hard,i Skinner said. iThereill be some good nights and some long nights. Weill take our lumps, but know that someday soon weill return the favor.i
Skinner returns one starter n sophomore Kenny Harley n from last yearis 15-16 team. In addition, he has junior Dwayne Pina, who started the last eight games last winter, and sophomore Jonathan Beerbohm back. After that, heill lean heavily on junior Michael Cotton, a swingman who sat out the 1997-98 season after transferring from the University of Oklahoma, and six talented freshmen.
I think weire going to be a decent defensive team, but thereis no area where weill be outstanding because of our lack of experience,i the head coach said. iExperience is so important. Recognition is so important to our defense and weire going to be learning as we go.i
With the high-quality recruits Skinner and his staff landed at the Heights, thereis good reason to believe the learning process will be quicker than might otherwise be expected. Guard Willie Deane will see action at both guard positions; Clinton Sims and Kenny Walls will play on the wing; and Osei Millar and Brian Ross will fill forward slots.
This freshman class is a very good class, a talented group, Skinner said. iThey have the physical ability, but right now weire looking to give them a chance to learn. They all have an area they need to improve upon, but as they get a hold on what weire trying to teach, theyill improve and become very effective players.i
BACKCOURT
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 4/3
Newcomers: 3
Harley and Pina are the Eaglesi top two returning lettermen. The teamis lone returning starter, Harley played in all 31 games last winter, making 21 starts. The Bronx, N.Y. product provided the team with an aggressive defender who also worked his way into the flow at the offensive end. By seasonis end, he was playing like a seasoned veteran. In the Eaglesi BIG EAST Tournament overtime victory over Seton Hall, he netted nine points in 18 minutes.
Pina was undoubtedly the surprise of the 1997-98 team. He earned a spot on the team as a walk-on during pre-season tryouts. By mid-season, his skills, intensity and attitude had earned him a scholarship. He finished the season as the teamis starting point guard. Playing alongside senior Duane Woodward, he played 30 or more minutes in five games. In fact, he recorded four points, four rebounds and a season-high eight assists at Pittsburgh n his first 30-minute effort.
While Harley and Pina will anchor the teamis backcourt attack, Skinner will lean heavily on contributions from his newcomers as well.
Everyone is going to be involved in the ballhandling, Skinner said. iDwayne (Pina) will be our primary ballhandler, but weill do a lot of things by committee. Weire not going to be able to rely on just one person to carry us.
With this in mind, Skinner will look for immediate contributions from Deane, Sims and Walls. Deane enjoyed a stellar schoolboy career at Schenectady High School. As a senior, he led his team to the New York State Public High School Class A title, averaging 23.0 points per game.
Willie is blessed with tremendous physical talents and with time heis going to develop even more skills,i Skinner said.
Sims came to Boston College after playing the 1997-98 season at Maine Central Institute (MCI). Together with five others who earned Division scholarships, he led MCI to a 35-0 record and the New England Prep School title. The year before, he earned All-State honors as a senior at Paris (Ky.) High School. Skinner believes the extra year Sims played at the prep school level may have helped him prepare mentally to go out and meet the challenges of major college basketball.
Walls, who signed with the Eagles in June, captured San Francisco Player of the Year honors as a senior at Galileo High School. He averaged 23.0 points per game, leading the Lions to the Northern California Division Tournamentis semifinal round.
Also returning in the backcourt are junior Jim Boland and sophomore Nicolas Dunn. Both players joined the team as walk-ons last fall.
FRONTCOURT
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 2/3Newcomers: 4
With Kostas Maglosi decision to sign a professional contract in Greece and bypass his senior season, Skinner and the Eagles lost what they thought would be one of the BIG EASTis premier big men n and their lone returning frontcourt starter.
With the departure of Maglos, weire left without a true center, Skinner noted. iSo weire not going to pretend we have one; weire going to go without one.i
With the lack of size, Skinner and his staff plan to leave the center spot open for the most part. Rather, theyill look for movement around the perimeter. Players will rotate into different positions, and, as a result, theyill sometimes be forced to move from their natural positions.
Everyone will be playing out of position at some time, and in this league, thatis a very difficult thing to do,i the head coach said.
Without Maglos n and graduated center Mickey Curley n the Eagles will look for Beerbohm to step up his play and for four newcomers n Cotton, Millar, Timos Papadimitriou and Ross -- to make immediate contributions. Beerbohm, who hails from Fairbury, Neb., gained valuable experience in his freshman season, playing in all 31 games and making five starts. The athletic Beerbohm averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in just fewer than 16 minutes per game. This year, heill have to adjust his game slightly because of the teamis personnel changes.
On offense, weire going to move Jon around a little more rather than looking to have him post up,i Skinner explained. iHe shoots well facing the basket and he jumps well with a few steps, so weill have him on the perimeter more, slashing to the basket.
Cotton, a transfer from Oklahoma who has two years of eligibility remaining, brings experience and maturity to a young team. An All-State performer in high school, he played 38 games in two seasons with the Sooners.
Millar, a 6-foot-7-inch forward, captured All-City honors as a senior at New York Cityis Christ the King High School. A versatile perfomer, Millar led CK to the Brooklyn-Queens crown last winter. In time, the Eagles hope he and his teammates can bring similar success back to the Heights.
It is a dangerous term for coaches to use, Skinner began, but Oseiis got a lot of potential. Heis just developing. He has some athletic ability, and he has size and quickness, but it all has to be harnessed. He is not yet a molded piece.i
Ross is a local addition to the Eaglesi roster. A star at North Quincy (Mass.) High School, he led all of Massachusetts in scoring last winter with a 36.7 ppg average. He scored at least 40 points in six games, including a school-record 54-point effort. He also averaged 18.0 rebounds per game.
Sophomore Julian Bah will provide depth in the frontcourt. He earned a spot on the team during walk-on tryouts last fall, and saw action in four games last winter.
IN SUMMARY
Just more than 18 months after 13 BC players celebrated the schoolis first-ever BIG EAST Tournament title, there are all new faces wearing Maroon & Gold. Eight players from the title team finished their BC careers after the 1996-97 season, while five more called Conte Forum home for the final time last season.
Now, Skinner and his staff are preparing to lead the Eagles back to that same level. The veteran coach, who guided URI to four post-season tournament berths in his tenure with the Rams, is confident his young team will begin that process this season. He expects his team will improve steadily n game-by-game. In time, the crafty coach will mold the young talent into a cohesive unit. In time, Eagle fans will enjoy the rewards.
A CAPSULE LOOK AT THE 1998-99 EAGLES
STARTERS RETURNING (1) Kenny Harley, G, 6-4, So. (4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg)STARTERS LOST (4) Antonio Granger, G/F, 6-6 (17.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) Duane Woodward, G, 6-3 (15.6 ppg, 5.1 apg) Kostas Maglos, F, 6-10 (13.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg) Mickey Curley, C, 6-9 (11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
LETTERMEN RETURNING (6) Kenny Harley, G, 6-4, So. (4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Jonathan Beerbohm, F, 6-7, So. (3.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg) Dwayne Pina, G, 5-10, Jr. (1.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) Nicolas Dunn, G, 6-3, So. (0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg) Julian Bah, F, 6-6, So. (0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg) Jim Boland, G, 6-5, Jr. (0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
LETTERMEN LOST (6) Antonio Granger, F, 6-6 (17.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) Duane Woodward, G, 6-3 (15.6 ppg, 5.1 apg) Kostas Maglos, F, 6-10 (13.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg) Mickey Curley, C, 6-9 (11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) Javier Rodriguez, G, 6-2 (4.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg) Damien Foster, G, 6-5 (1.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
NEWCOMERS (8) Michael Cotton, G, 6-4, Jr. (Detroit, MI/Univ. of Oklahoma) Willie Deane, G, 6-1, Fr. (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) Osei Millar, F, 6-8, Fr. (Brooklyn, NY/Christ the King) Timos Papadimitriou, C, 6-9, Fr. (Glyfada, Greece/2nd School of Glyfada) Brian Ross, F, 6-8, Fr. (North Quincy, MA/North Quincy) Clinton Sims, G/F, 6-3, Fr. (Paris, KY/Maine Central Institute) Xavier Singletary, G, 6-6, Jr. (Washington, D.C./Dunbar)** Kenny Walls, G/F, 6-5, Fr. (San Francisco, CA/Galileo) **Singletary played the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons at Howard University; he will sit out the 1998-99 season as a transfer
GLANCING BACK AT 1997-98 Overall Record: 15-16 BIG EAST Record: 6-12 BIG EAST Tournament: Lost in quarterfinal round
