Men's Basketball Prepares for Fairfield
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
November 28, 1998 -- 1 p.m.
Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606) -- Chestnut Hill, MA
BOSTON COLLEGE'S PROBABLE STARTERS
CLASS 1998-99 PPG, RPG LAST GAME
F 3 Michael Cotton Jr. 6.3, 6.0 8 pts., 6 reb.
F 4 Jonathan Beerbohm So. 6.5, 4.0 4 pts., 1 reb.
F 13 Kenny Harley So. 12.8, 5.0 17 pts., 4 reb.
G 5 Dwayne Pina Jr. 4.3, 4.0 apg 2 pts., 3 asts.
G 12 Clinton Sims Fr. 14.5, 4.0 21 pts., 1 reb.
THE SERIES VS. FAIRFIELD: Boston College holds a 22-9 advantage in its series against the Stags ... BC has won the last eight games against Fairfield ... Fairfield's last win in the series came on Feb. 24, 1979 (93-81 at Fairfield) ... BC is 2-0 against Fairfield in Conte Forum (Dec. 10, 1988).
Last Year: Mickey Curley and Antonio Granger each scored 15 points to lead Boston College to a 77-65 win over the Stags in Conte Forum ... BC led 36-31 at halftime and extended its lead to 14 points with 12:28 remaining in the contest. The visiting Stags rallied and twice closed to within six points. After Fairfield's Sunday Eniojukan's jumper made the score 64-58 with 4:35 on the clock, the Eagles secured the win by hitting 8-of-10 free-throw attempts in the closing minutes ... BC hit 31-of-39 free-throw attempts ... BC gained the victory despite being outrebounded (37-35) and committing more turnovers (17-13).
WE'RE YOUNG: The 1998-99 Boston College roster features four juniors (including one transfer who is sitting out the 1998-99 season), four sophomores and six freshmen ... Through the first four games, five freshmen have combined to play 45.6 percent of the team's minutes. Four sophomores have played 28.6 percent of the minutes, while two juniors have played 25.8 percent of the minutes.
WHO'S HOT: Freshman Clinton Sims, a guard from Paris, Ky., has led the Eagles in scoring in three of the first four games. Most recently, he scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Eagles to a 69-56 win over Fordham at Pepsi Arena in Albany (Nov. 24). Sims shot 8-of-11 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line ... He scored a team-high 15 points against Harvard on Nov. 18, and notched a team-high 16 points against Monmouth on Nov. 21. In the last three games, Sims has shot 64.5 percent from the field (20-for-31) ... He has started all four games, and is averaging a team-high 29.0 minutes per game ... Sims is the younger brother of former Louisville star Alvin Sims.
Team Leader: Sims leads the Eagles in scoring (14.5 ppg), field goal percentage (.561) and minutes played (29.0/game).
STARTING QUICKLY: Clinton Sims' 21-point effort in the fourth game of his collegiate career (against Fordham on Nov. 24) marked the earliest in one's career that a Boston College player has reached the 20-point mark since Lior Arditti netted 21 points against Dartmouth in the second game of his BC career (vs. Dartmouth on Nov. 27, 1989).
STREAKING: Boston College enters today's game with a two-game winning streak. With a victory today, Boston College would extend its winning streak to three games. The last time the Eagles won three consecutive games was early last season -- with wins over Chaminade (Nov. 26), Providence (Nov. 30) and Fordham (Dec. 4).
COMING TOGETHER: The 14 members of the 1998-99 Boston College team represent seven different states, the District of Columbia and one foreign country. The states are California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York and Ohio. Greece is the one foreign nation.
THE PLAYERS
#4 JONATHAN BEERBOHM: The sophomore forward scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in 23 minutes against Harvard on Nov. 18 ... The Fairbury, Neb. native netted six points and equaled his career high with 11 rebounds against Monmouth on Nov. 21 ... Last year, he played in all 31 games, making five starts. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
#13 KENNY HARLEY: The sophomore netted 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field (3-for-6 from three-point range) in the Eagles' win over Fordham on Nov. 24. The game marked Harley's second double-figure scoring effort this season and the fourth of his career. Through four games, he is averaging 12.8 points per game, second on the team ... He registered a game-high and career-high 19 points in the season opener against Marquette on Nov. 14 ... In the Eagles' loss to Harvard, Harley grabbed a team-high seven rebounds ... The first player to sign with Boston College after Al Skinner assumed the head coaching duties, Harley played in all 31 games last winter, making 21 starts. He finished the season averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
#3 MICHAEL COTTON: A junior guard from Detroit, Mich., Michael Cotton has been a solid contributor for the Eagles in the first four games. He is averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He has recorded six or more rebounds in three of the first four contests ... Most recently, he registered eight points and six rebounds in the team's win over Fordham (Nov. 24). Prior to that, he had 12 points and seven rebounds against Monmouth ... Cotton made his first (non-exhibition) collegiate appearance since the 1997 Big 12 Tournament in the Eagles' season opener against Marquette. Cotton played the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons at the University of Oklahoma, before transferring to Boston College and sitting out the 1997-98 season. In his two seasons as a Sooner, Cotton played in 38 games.
#5 DWAYNE PINA: The junior point guard is averaging 4.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals in 28.0 minutes per game through four games this season ... He scored five points in each of the team's first three games ... Against Harvard, he also recorded three steals and equaled his career high with eight assists ... In the season opener against Marquette, he added two assists and four steals in 30 minutes ... Pina is in his second season on the Eagles' roster after earning a spot on the roster as a walk-on prior to the 1997-98 season. With his impressive play early last season, he earned a scholarship for the second semester (and this year as well). He started the last eight games of the 1997-98 season.
#21 KENNY WALLS: The freshman swingman from San Francisco, Calif. had his best collegiate outing to date in the Eagles' win over Monmouth on Nov. 21. Coming off the bench, the athletic Walls contributed nine points and six rebounds in 26 minutes ... In his collegiate debut, Walls recorded four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes against Marquette ... The 1997-98 San Francisco Player of the Year, Walls is a graduate of Galileo High School.
#35 WILLIE DEANE: The freshman guard scored a career-high nine points (2-for-4 FG, 5-for-6 FT) in the Eagles' win over Fordham (Nov. 24). The game, played in Albany, N.Y., marked a homecoming for Deane, who is from nearby Schenectady ... He tallied five points and three rebounds in 14 minutes in his collegiate debut against Marquette. The 6-foot-1-inch freshman provided one of the highlights of the season-opening game with a spectacular slam dunk (off a steal) with just more than five minutes remaining in the game.
#45 BRIAN ROSS: The freshman forward from North Quincy, Mass. has made contributions in "various areas" in each of the team's first four games. He currently ranks third on the team in rebounds, averaging 4.8 per game ... He ranks second on the team in steals, averaging 2.5 per game ... In his collegiate debut -- against Marquette -- he recorded two points, four rebounds and five steals. Against Harvard on Nov. 18, Ross registered four points, six rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in 25 minutes. In the win over Monmouth, Ross had six points, four rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes ... As a senior at North Quincy (Mass.) High School last year, Ross led all Massachusetts scorers with a 36.7 ppg average.
#31 OSEI MILLAR: The freshman forward from Brooklyn, N.Y. has been hampered by injuries. He missed the Eagles' second exhibition game (Nov. 9) because of a sprained left thumb. He also missed the Monmouth game (Nov. 21) because of a sprained left ankle. He returned to action against Fordham (Nov. 24), contributing two rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench ... Against Harvard on Nov. 18, Millar had a positive impact in 17 minutes of action. He finished with nine points (4-of-8 FG) and four rebounds.
#11 TIMOS PAPADIMITRIOU: The freshman forward from Glyfada, Greece has not seen any action in the season's first four games. He signed with the Eagles late in the summer of 1998.
THE WALK-ONS: Junior Jim Boland and sophomores Julian Bah and Nicolas Dunn all earned roster spots as walk-ons prior to the 1997-98 season and are now in their second seasons with the team ... A native of Guinea, West Africa, Bah played 11 minutes in the season opener against Marquette, finishing with two points, three rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal.
#23 XAVIER SINGLETARY: The junior swingman from Washington, D.C. is sitting out the 1998-99 season after transferring to the Heights from Howard University. Last winter, Singletary finished as the nation's ninth-leading scorer with a 22.3 ppg average (in 23 games). He earned 1996-97 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors, and 1997-98 All-MEAC first team honors.
THE COACHES
THE HEAD COACH: Al Skinner assumed the head coaching duties at Boston College on April 17, 1997. Skinner, a 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, had a 15-16 record in his first season at the Heights. Prior to that, 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 ... Including his tenure at Boston College, Skinner has a career record of 155-144.
Skinner vs. Fairfield: Al Skinner has a 1-0 career record against the Stags. His only meeting with Fairfield was last year's 77-65 victory in Conte Forum.
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. Michaels College.
JESUITS: Today's game marks the Eagles' third game this season against a Jesuit institution. BC opened its 1998-99 season against Marquette on Nov. 14, then played Fordham in Albany, N.Y. on Nov. 24. Later this season, the Eagles will face Holy Cross and Georgetown.
ON RADIO: Boston College basketball games can be heard on SportsRadio 850 WEEI (AM). A passionate supporter of amateur athletics and college basketball in particular, Ted Sarandis returns for his fourth season as the voice of the basketball Eagles. The 1998-99 campaign marks his 22nd 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. He has also broadcast hockey and football at both the college and professional levels. Joining Sarandis is Bill Newell. Newell is in his second 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.
UP NEXT: Boston College will open its BIG EAST season against St. John's on Saturday, December 5. Game time is noon in Conte Forum ... That same night, the nationally-ranked BC hockey team will host New Hampshire (also in Conte Forum/Kelley Rink).
BIG EAST COACHES TELECONFERENCE: The first of six BIG EAST Coaches' Teleconferences will be held on Thursday, December 3. Each coach will be available for approximately eight minutes. Boston College head coach Al Skinner will be on the call at 11:15 a.m. Media representatives wishing to participate in the teleconference should call (913) 981-5520.
FAX ON DEMAND: The BIG EAST Conference offers a FAX-ON-DEMAND service that sends the latest in sports information from the BIG EAST and its member institutions to your fax machine instantly -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Media members are required to contact the BIG EAST or the Boston College Sports Information Office to obtain the access (telephone) number. Boston College basketball document codes are: Breaking News 1120; Short Notes 1121; Full Notes 1122; Stats Only 1123; Most Recent Box Score 1124.
EARLY SIGNEES: Boston College landed two highly-touted recruits - guard Troy Bell (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) and forward Andrew Dudley (Bristol, Pa./Life Center Academy) - during the early signing period that concluded in mid-November. Both signed national letters of intent. Bell averaged 27.8 points per game as a junior at the Academy of Holy Angels. A 6-foot-1-inch point guard, he enters his senior season as his schools career scoring leader with 1,652 points. This past summer, he traveled to several national tournaments with the Howard Pulley Panthers. Dudley, a 6-foot-10-inch forward, played the 1997-98 season at Philadelphia Christian Academy, where he averaged 12.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots per game. He played the 1996-97 season at Cornwell-Egan Catholic.
SO FAR...
THE SEASON OPENER: Sophomore Kenny Harley scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead Boston College in a 70-49 season-opening loss to Marquette on November 14. Marquette shot 63.0 percent from the field in the first half to take a 41-24 lead at the break. BC, which shot 28.2 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, hit just 26.5 percent from the field in the second half and could never cut into the Golden Eagles' advantage ... Marquette outrebounded BC, 46-33 ... On a positive note, the Eagles forced the visitors into 24 turnovers, while committing just 10 of their own.
GAME TWO: Harvard's Mike Beam hit a three-point field goal as time expired to lead Harvard to a 62-61 win over the Eagles in Conte Forum (Nov. 18, 1998). The final score marked the first time Harvard had held the lead since the Crimson scored the game's first basket 1:04 into the contest ... BC's Dwayne Pina sank two free throws with 2:13 remaining to give the Eagles a 59-51 advantage. Harvard made three three-point field goals and two (of two) free throws in the final two minutes to gain the victory. BC was 2-for-4 from the foul line in the final two minutes ... BC outrebounded Harvard, 38-31 ... Each of the two teams shot 43 percent from the field ... BC committed 21 turnovers, while Harvard turned the ball over 16 times ... Freshman Clinton Sims led BC with 15 points, while sophomore Jonathan Beerbohm tallied a career-high 12 points.
GAME THREE: Freshman Clinton Sims scored 16 points and junior Michael Cotton netted 12 points to lead BC to a 62-44 home win over Monmouth on Nov. 21 ... Sophomore Jonathan Beerbohm equaled his career high with 11 rebounds ... BC outscored Monmouth, 31-22, in each of the two halves ... The Eagles outrebounded their visitors, 45-22 ... Monmouth narrowed the BC margin to one point with 14:29 to play, before the Eagles used a 21-6 run over the next 10 minutes to secure the victory.
GAME FOUR: Freshman Clinton Sims scored a career-high 21 points and sophomore Kenny Harley added 17 points to lead the Eagles to a 69-56 win over Fordham at Pepsi Arena (Albany, N.Y.) on Nov. 24) ... BC shot a season-best 52.1 percent from the floor, including a remarkable 57.1 percent in the second half. The BC defense, meanwhile, limited Fordham to 38.0 percent shooting from the field ... The two teams each grabbed the same number of rebounds (29-29) and committed the same number of turnovers (16-16).
