Boston College Athletics
Boston College-Duke Men's Basketball Game Notes
January 14, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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DOING IT AT BOTH ENDS: Boston College's 12-1 record is a product of its effectiveness at both ends of the court. Offensively, the Eagles are averaging 82.0 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field. BC has scored more than 70 points in each of its 13 games, the longest such streak since the 1995-96 Eagles did so (13 games from Dec. 12, 1995 through Feb. 7, 1996). Defensively, BC has allowed only two foes -- Connecticut and St. John's -- to shoot 45.0 percent or better from the floor this season. St. John's shot 46.4 percent against the Eagles, the best by an opponent this year.
FG% vs. Miami: In its most recent game -- a home win over Miami -- BC shot 53.1 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent or better in each half. The team's field-goal percentage against Miami was the highest by a BC team in a BIG EAST contest since Jan. 12, 2000 (60.5 percent at Notre Dame).
BIG EAST RANK: Boston College ranks at least fourth among the league's 14 schools in each of seven statistical categories (as of Jan. 14): scoring margin (second), scoring defense (fourth), steals (fourth), turnover margin (third), scoring (third), three-point field-goal percentage (third) and free-throw percentage (fourth).
RPI RATINGS: In the latest RPI College Basketball Ratings (through games of Jan. 13, provided by The Collegiate Basketball News), Boston College is ranked 21st. Duke is listed fifth.
THE SERIES AGAINST DUKE: Boston College has a 1-2 all-time record against Duke. Duke won the first meeting, 70-64 in overtime, in the first round of the Industrial National Classic in Providence, R.I. on Dec. 21, 1979. Boston College won the second meeting, 74-73, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Regional in Houston, Texas on March 17, 1985. Duke regained the series lead with a 100-76 home win over the Eagles in the second round of the Preseason NIT on Nov. 16, 1990.
In Cameron Indoor Stadium: Boston College has a 0-1 record against the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won the only meeting, 100-76, on Nov. 16, 1990.
BC VS. ACC OPPONENTS: Boston College has a 9-13 all-time record against Atlantic Coast Conference foes. BC's last meeting with an ACC school resulted in a 103-89 loss to Georgia Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's Southeast Regional in Orlando, Fla. on March 17, 1996. BC's last victory over the ACC opponent was a 75-72 win over then top-ranked North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's Eastern Regional in Landover, Md. on March 20, 1994.
NATIONALLY RANKED: When Boston College achieved its ranking (24th) in the Associated Press poll released Jan. 8, it marked the program's first national ranking since March 10, 1997 (23rd in Associated Press poll) .
THE HEAD COACH: Al Skinner is in his fourth season as the head coach at Boston College and his 13th season as a collegiate head coach. He has a career record of 182-183. Skinner is a 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, where he enjoyed a stellar collegiate basketball career (1971-74).
Eleven Straight: The Eagles' 11-game winning streak to begin the season marked the longest winning streak of Al Skinner's coaching career. His longest winning streak during his nine-year tenure at Rhode Island was eight games (Dec. 21,1991-Jan. 15, 1992).
Hall of Fame: Al Skinner has been inducted into both the University of Massachusetts Athletic Hall of Fame (1982) and the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame (2000). Skinner was a three-time All-Yankee Conference first team selection and a two-time NABC All-District first team choice at UMass. He still ranks among the school's career leaders in points, assists, rebounding average and field-goal percentage ... Skinner spent nine years as the Rams' head coach, winning 138 games and guiding URI to four post-season tournaments.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE ...
** Sophomore Troy Bell ranks among BIG EAST leaders in eight categories (as of Jan. 14): scoring (third, 21.8 ppg), field-goal percentage (12th, .479), free-throw percentage (third, .862), three-point field-goal percentage (fifth, .403), assists (ninth, 4.85), steals (fifth, 2.23), assist-turnover ratio (seventh, 2.10) and three-point field goals made (13th, 2.08 per game).
** Senior Xavier Singletary has scored in double figures in each of the last 11 games, his longest double-digit scoring streak since coming to Boston College (from Howard University) prior to the 1999-2000 season.
QUICK HITS: Boston College is 12-0 when leading at halftime ... BC has shot a higher percentage from the field than its opponent in 11 of 13 games ... BC has committed fewer turnovers than its foe in nine of 13 contests.
REALLY, REALLY FREE: In its most recent game -- a home victory over Miami -- Boston College shot 24-for-26 from the foul line, 92.3 percent. That effort marked the program's best single-game percentage from the foul line since shooting 18-for-19 (.947) at Villanova on Jan. 15, 2000 ... BC is shooting 69.7 percent from the line this season.
FREE THROW, PART 2: Sophomore guard Troy Bell is the Eagles' top free-throw shooter. Bell is shooting 86.2 percent from the line this season. He's made 100-of-116 attempts this winter ... Most recently, Bell was a perfect 17-for-17 from the foul line, tying the school record for free throws made in one game. John Austin '66 and Danya Abrams '97 also made 17 free throws in one game. Austin was 17-for-18 against Georgetown on Feb. 21, 1964, while Abrams shot 17-for-20 at Syracuse on Jan. 7, 1997.
SCORING: Boston College's 82.0 ppg average through 13 games is significantly higher than its scoring averages at the same point in past seasons. In fact, the 1995-96 Eagles were the last team to score at a higher clip through 13 contests.
BIG EAST HONORS: Sophomore guard Troy Bell earned BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week honors (along with Syracuse's Damone Brown) for the week ending Jan. 7. Bell averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in wins over 10th-ranked Connecticut and Miami. Bell was also honored by the conference the previous week. The sophomore gained Player of the Week honors for the week ending Dec. 31 after netting 29 points in a win over Vanderbilt.
MORE LEAGUE LEADERS: Troy Bell isn't the only Eagle who ranks among league leaders. Xavier Singletary ranks among BIG EAST leaders in four categories: three-point field-goal percentage (fourth, .419), field-goal percentage (sixth, .521), three-point field goals made (14th, 2.00 per game) and scoring (19th, 14.8). In addition, Kenny Harley ranks 13th in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and Uka Agbai ranks 13th in blocked shots (1.54 per game).
FAST START: Boston College's 11-0 start was the longest winning streak to begin a season in school history. The previous record was held by the 1984-85 team. That team -- coached by Gary Williams and captained by Michael Adams -- opened the season with 10 wins and finished with a 20-11 record, advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Regional semifinal round. The 1984-85 team saw its streak end with an 82-80 overtime loss at Georgetown on Jan. 5, 1985.
WINNING STREAK: The Eagles' 11-game winning streak was the third-longest winning streak in Boston College basketball history, and the longest since the 1968-69 season. The 1968-69 team holds the longest winning streak, having won its last 16 regular-season contests and then winning three games in the NIT before bowing to Temple in the title game. The only other team with a longer streak was the 1964-65 team that won its last 14 games, before losing to St. John's in the NIT.
STEALS: Boston College is averaging 9.38 steals per game -- an average that ranks fourth among the BIG EAST's 14 schools ... The Eagles have made 10 or more steals in six games. BC made a season-high 16 steals against Youngstown State, the most steals in one game by BC since recording 17 steals last year against Villanova (3/4/00) ... Troy Bell is the team leader in steals, averaging 2.23 per game.
LONG RANGE: Boston College is shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range this season. The Eagles currently rank third among 14 BIG EAST schools in this category. Last year, BC finished 11th among 13 league schools in three-point field goal percentage (.302) ... BC hit 13 (of 26) three-point field goals in its 73-72 win at Miami. The team's 13 treys marked the highest single-game total since the 1991-92 team hit 13 (of 23) three-pointers against Providence on Jan. 14, 1992 ... BC has hit 10 three-point field goals in each of two games -- its 93-65 win over Youngstown State and in its 97-74 win over Vanderbilt ... BC shot 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from long range against Vanderbilt, its best single-game percentage since shooting .529 (9-for-17) in a win at West Virginia on Feb. 19, 2000 ... BC shot a season-low .158 (3-for-19) from three-point range in its only loss -- at St. John's.
OVERTIME: Boston College has yet to play an overtime game this season. In fact, the Eagles have not played an overtime game since defeating Seton Hall, 97-87, in the opening round of the 1998 BIG EAST Championship Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 5, 1998 ... BC has a 1-1 overtime record since Al Skinner become the team's head coach prior to the 1997-98 season. The other overtime game was a 68-65 loss to Villanova in The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa. on Jan. 6, 1998 ... The last overtime game in Conte Forum saw Miami defeat BC, 77-71, on Feb. 25, 1995.
68th SEASON: The 2000-01 season marks the 68th season of varsity play for Boston College. The Eagles have an 883-721 (.550) all-time record.
FOCUS ON ... TROY BELL
STILL AMAZING: Sophomore Troy Bell, the 1999-2000 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, is the Eagles' leading scorer. Bell is averaging 21.8 points per game on 78-of-163 shooting from the field (.479). He has hit 27-of-67 three-point attempts (.403). The sophomore equaled his career high with 31 points in the season opener against St. Peter's. He scored 29 points in the Eagles' win over Vanderbilt, and 27 points in two of the team's wins -- over Connecticut and Miami (home).
REALLY THREE: Troy Bell hit a career-high six three-point field goals in the Eagles' 73-72 win at Miami. His previous single-game best was five (set twice). Bell, who has made 25 treys so far this season, has made three in each of two games (St. Peter's and Youngstown State) and four once (Vanderbilt).
REALLY FREE: Troy Bell has made 100-of-116 free-throw attempts (.862) this season ...He has attempted 10 or more free throws in each of six games this season. He has attempted at least 10 free throws in 12 of his 40 collegiate contests ... Bell shot 14-for-16 from the line in BC's win over Connecticut ... He was 17-for-17 from the line against Miami. The Miami game marked the 11th time in his collegiate career that he'd been perfect from the line when attempting six or more shots ... Bell finished the 1999-2000 season ranked second among NCAA Division I leaders in free-throw percentage (.894).
PUTTING UP POINTS: Troy Bell has scored in double figures in 38 of his 40 collegiate games, including all 25 games played in Conte Forum. The sophomore has registered 20 or more points 20 times (13 in Conte), including two games with more than 30 points (one in Conte).
DRAWING ATTENTION: It didn't take too many collegiate games before Troy Bell's talents -- especially his three-point shooting abilities -- were recognized. Long before he captured BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors last March, Bell had his opponents keeping a special eye -- and sometimes more than that -- on him. Witness this: Last season, Bell was fouled on a three-point attempt 18 times in 16 games, including 12 of 14 BIG EAST games (including twice in each of two games -- at Connecticut and at West Virginia). He made all three free throws 13 times. He made 2-of-3 free throws four times. And what about the other time when he was fouled on a three-point attempt? Well, Bell still hit the trey -- and then made the one free throw that followed (against Hartford).
DOING IT AGAIN: Already this season, Bell has been fouled on five of his three-point field goal attempts. In the Eagles' season-opening win over St. Peter's, Bell was twice fouled on three-point attempts. He made all three free throws the first time, and made 2-of-3 free throws the second time. Against Holy Cross, he made all three free throws when fouled on a three-point attempt. Against St. John's, he made 2-of-3 free throws. Against Miami, he was fouled on a three-point attempt -- he made the trey and the subsequent free throw. Entering this game, Bell's collegiate totals in this area look like this: He's been fouled 23 times on three-point attempts. He's made 61 of the ensuing 67 free throws (3-of-3 -- 15 times, 2-of-3 -- six times, 1-of-1 -- twice). When he has missed, he's missed the first shot three times, the second shot once and the third shot twice.
*** THE LAST TWO GAMES ***
Boston College 82, Miami 73 (Jan. 13, 2001): Sophomore guard Troy Bell scored a game-high 27 points, including a 17-for-17 effort from the foul line, to lead Boston College past Miami for the second time in one week. Bell's 17 free throws equaled a school record. Senior Kenny Harley equaled his season high with 19 points, while senior Xavier Singletary netted 15 points. BC used a 10-0 run late in the first half to erase a five-point deficit and take a 38-33 lead. BC led 40-36 at the break. Miami regained the lead in the second half. The Hurricanes led 61-57 with 6:54 to play, before the host Eagles used a 14-2 rally to take an eight-point margin with 2:18 remaining. Miami never got closer than five points the rest of the way ... Harley grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the Eagles ... Freshman Ryan Sidney contributed 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots in 23 minutes ... BC was outrebounded, 36-32 ... The Eagles committed 16 turnovers, while Miami committed 14 turnovers ... BC shot 53.1 percent from the floor, its best shooting effort in a BIG EAST contest since Jan. 12, 2000 (60.5 percent at Notre Dame).
St. John's 73, Boston College 71 (Jan. 10, 2001): Sophomore guard Troy Bell scored 23 points to lead Boston College in a loss against St. John's in Madison Square Garden. Trailing by two points with 17.8 seconds to play, BC had a final possession to tie/win the game, but didn't get off a shot as a St. John's defender knocked the ball out of Kenny Harley's hands. BC trailed 35-33 at halftime and trailed by as many as five points three times in the second half, before rallying to lead by four points -- 64-60 and 65-61 with just more than five minutes remaining. SJU used a 6-0 run to regain the advantage, before two Bell free throws evened the score. St. John's freshman Omar Cook sank a three-point field goal and one free throw in the final minute to secure the win for the Red Storm ... BC committed a season-low 11 turnovers, while forcing 17 SJU turnovers ... BC was outrebounded, 43-32, its biggest deficit of the season ... BC shot 3-for-19 from three-point range, its lowest percentage of the year.
*** THE PLAYERS ***
#00 UKA AGBAI: Sophomore forward Uka Agbai is averaging 9.3 points per game through 13 games. He has scored in double figures in six contests. He tallied 10 points and seven rebounds at St. John's ... He scored a team-high 17 points against Brown. His 17 points fell two shy of his career high (19), set at Vanderbilt on Feb. 6, 2000 ... The 6-foot-8-inch, 245-pounder contributed 15 points in the win over Youngstown State ... He grabbed a team-high seven rebounds against Wofford ... He contributed 16 points in the win over Vanderbilt ... He recorded a season-high four blocked shots at Massachusetts.
Blocked Shots: Uka Agbai has registered a team-high 19 blocked shots this season. He blocked seven shots in the two recent road games -- four at Miami and three at St. John's.
#2 TROY BELL: Sophomore guard Troy Bell proved he hasn't lost a step after undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee last March. He tallied 31 points, five assists and eight steals in the season opener against St. Peter's. He has netted 20 or more points in seven of 12 games since the season opener, including a 29-point effort against Vanderbilt. He has scored 19 points in each of two games -- at Massachusetts and at Miami ... Bell earned All-BIG EAST first team honors in a preseason poll of the league's 14 head coaches. Last winter, Bell captured BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors after establishing the league record for freshman scoring (averaging 20.1 ppg in league contests). He also garnered Basketball Times Freshman All-America second team honors.
#3 LUDMIL HADJISOTIROV: Freshman guard Ludmil Hadjisotirov, who missed the season opener against St. Peter's because of a sprained PIP joint on the middle finger on his right hand, has played in 12 games this season. He made his presence felt in the Eagles' win over Wofford. In 16 minutes of action, Hadjisotirov tallied 12 points while directing the Eagles' offense ... He tallied six points and a career-high six assists in the Eagles' win over Quinnipiac ... He tallied nine points (3-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 treys, 2-for-2 FT) against Vanderbilt ... The freshman, who hails from Sofia, Bulgaria, played the last two years at the Winchendon (Mass.) School. This past summer, Hadjisotirov returned to Bulgaria and played with his country's junior national team.
#4 JONATHAN BEERBOHM: Senior forward Jonathan Beerbohm is averaging 4.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season ... He registered four points and two rebounds in the Eagles' 73-72 win at Miami. Two of those four points, however, came on what very well may have been the most important basket of his collegiate career. With BC trailing 72-71 in the final minute of play, the senior forward tipped in the rebound of a Xavier Singletary missed shot with 27 seconds to play to give the visiting Eagles the victory ... He tallied 11 points and seven rebounds in the season opener against St. Peter's. The double-figure effort was the 16th of his collegiate career. He contributed seven points, four rebounds and a season-high three blocked shots in 14 minutes against Youngstown State.
#5 RYAN SIDNEY: Freshman guard Ryan Sidney is averaging 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Sidney posted an impressive line of 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots in the Eagles' most recent game -- a home win over Miami ... He notched eight points and three rebounds at St. John's ... Prior to that, he scored 12 points in two consecutive games -- at Miami and against Connecticut. At Miami, he shot 6-for-8 from the field, while also contributing four rebounds, four steals and two assists. The 12 points equaled his career high ... Sidney recorded 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in a career-high 30 minutes against Connecticut ... Sidney tallied eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Vanderbilt ... Sidney began his collegiate career with a 12-point, three-assist effort against St. Peter's ... He earned All-State Class A first team honors as a senior at Ann Arbor (Mich.) Pioneer High School last winter.
Making An Impression: Ryan Sidney's contributions off the bench have certainly made an impression on Eagle fans -- and the media. After BC's victory over Connecticut, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan had this to say about Sidney: "It can be argued that, absent Sidney's dynamic presence, all the good things BC did to walk away with this triumph might not have added up to victory. Ryan Sidney is one of those players whose immediate entrance into a game is the equivalent of turning on a massive switch. He energizes both the team and the crowd."
#10 NICOLAS DUNN: Senior guard Nicolas Dunn joined the team as a walk-on three years ago, and was recently awarded an athletic scholarship by the basketball staff. The Braintree, Mass. native has seen limited action in 17 games. He's played in six games this season ... He netted his first points of the season against Youngstown State, sinking a three-pointer late in the game to give BC its largest lead of the day.
#11 ERIK WITT: Sophomore forward/center Erik Witt will not be in uniform for tonight's game. The Bonn, Germany product is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing back surgery this past summer.
#13 KENNY HARLEY: Senior guard Kenny Harley is averaging 10.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures six times this season ... He has led the team in rebounding in three of the last four games ... Most recently, the senior recorded 19 points -- equaling his season high -- and a team-high seven rebounds against Miami. He shot 7-for-8 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, while also handing out four second-half assists ... Harley registered seven rebounds (and six points) at Miami. Prior to that, he contributed seven rebounds (and eight points and a team-high five assists) in the victory over Connecticut ... He scored 11 points against both Quinnipiac and Vanderbilt ... Harley had played in 88 games in his first three seasons, but it wasn't until Nov. 19, 2000 -- the first game of his senior season -- that the Bronx, N.Y. product registered a point-rebound double double. He recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds against St. Peter's. He followed that effort with an 11-point, 10-rebound performance against Brown, and a 14-point, 11-rebound effort against Marist ... Against Holy Cross, Harley fell just one point shy of recording his fourth double-double of the season. He notched nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds against the Crusaders ... Harley has missed only one game -- at Rutgers (Feb. 13, 1999) -- since arriving in Chestnut Hill in the fall of 1997 ... He has scored in double figures 24 times in 101 collegiate games.
#21 KENNY WALLS: Junior Kenny Walls is averaging 7.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in five games ... He scored a season-high 13 points in 23 minutes of action in the victory at Miami. He made three three-point field goals, equaling his season high. He shot 4-for-4 from the foul line ... Walls tallied 14 points and eight rebounds in the season opener against St. Peter's. He registered 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals against Holy Cross. Walls contributed 12 points and five rebounds against Youngstown State ... Walls is the only member of the 2000-01 team who played in all 57 games during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons ... He has scored in double figures 33 times in 70 collegiate games.
Just Perfect: Kenny Walls is 13-for-13 from the free-throw line this season.
Seeing Double: When junior Kenny Walls is racing up and down the court for the Eagles, don't be surprised to see a spectator with a great resemblance to #21 on the sidelines. Indeed, Kenny's twin brother, Lenny, is also a student-athlete at Boston College. Lenny is a starting cornerback for Tom O'Brien's football Eagles.
#23 XAVIER SINGLETARY: Senior guard Xavier Singletary is averaging 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Eagles. He has scored in double figures in each of the last 11 games, his longest streak of consecutive double-figure scoring games since coming to Boston College (previous best: seven straight games of 10 or more points from Dec. 7-Dec. 30, 1999) ... Most recently, he recorded 15 points and six rebounds in a home win over Miami ... Singletary tallied 13 points and seven rebounds at St. John's. His seven rebounds tied him for the team lead ... He registered 15 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-6 treys, 4-for-4 FT), five rebounds and three assists in the win at Miami. He scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half ... He equaled his season high with 23 points (9-for-15 FG, 4-for-7 treys) in the Eagles' win over Connecticut. He also contributed five rebounds and three assists in a season-high 37 minutes of action ... Singletary also registered 23 points (8-for-13 FG, 3-for-5 treys) in 25 minutes of action against Quinnipiac ... At Massachusetts, he netted 22 points (8-for-14 FG, 4-for-7 treys). He scored 15 second-half points against the Minutemen, including two three-point field goals in a late BC run that sealed the victory ... He recorded 19 points (7-for-13 FG, 4-for-7 treys) in the win over Holy Cross. He scored 15 of his 19 points in the opening half ... Singletary recorded his first collegiate double-double against Marist, finishing with 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
#34 ANDREW BRYANT: Freshman forward Andrew Bryant came to BC from Denison (Texas) High School, where he earned All-State (Class 4A) first team honors in 1999-2000 ... The coaching staff has announced its intention to redshirt Bryant this season, giving him four years of eligibility beginning with the 2001-02 campaign.
#40 ADAM DeMONG: Sophomore guard Adam DeMong joined the Eagles as a walk-on just prior to the start of official team practices. DeMong, who hails from Glen Ellyn, Ill., has seen action in five games. He scored his first collegiate point in the Eagles' win over Youngstown State ... He earned All-Area honors as a senior at Glenbard West High School. He averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Hilltoppers in 1998-99.
#41 JON EKWEOZOR: Senior guard Jon Ekweozor, who joined the team as a walk-on just prior to the start of the 2000-01 season, has seen action in six games this season. He scored the Eagles' last basket against Brown to record his first collegiate points ... Ekweozor served as the women's basketball team manager during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons. He is a resident of Newton, Mass., and is a 1997 graduate of Newton North High School. He earned Bay State League all-star honors as a senior.
#45 BRIAN ROSS: Junior forward Brian Ross is averaging 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this season ... He registered his first double-figure scoring effort of the season in the Eagles' win over Quinnipiac. Ross finished with 10 points (4-for-6 FG, 2-for-2 treys) in 13 minutes of action ... In the team's victory over Connecticut -- Ross netted four points, including a key three-point field goal with 4:03 remaining in the game ... He recorded seven points and four rebounds in a season-high 18 minutes against Vanderbilt ... He recorded five points and four rebounds in 16 minutes against Brown, his 2000-01 debut. He missed the season opener against St. Peter's because of a left thigh contusion ... Ross played in 53 games in his first two seasons with the Eagles.
DWAYNE PINA: Senior guard Dwayne Pina, who had one season of eligibility remaining, will miss the Eagles' 2000-01 season because of a cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a structural or functional abnormality of the heart muscle that causes a weakening of the heart and results in its inability to pump blood efficiently. Pina played in 78 games in three seasons.
THE COACHING STAFF: Al Skinner and his staff are in their fourth season at the Heights. Now in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach, Skinner has a career record of 182-183. He was inducted into the University of Rhode Island Hall of Fame this past October... Skinner is assisted by Tim O'Shea, Bill Coen, Ed Cooley and Pat Duquette.
THE SIGNEES: Three highly-regarded student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play basketball at Boston College. Jermaine Watson, a 6-foot-3-inch guard from Dorchester, Mass., Kirsten Zoellmer, a 7-foot-1-inch center from Hanover, Germany, and Craig Smith, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Los Angeles, Calif. will join the Eagles beginning with the 2001-02 season. Watson currently plays at Tabor (Mass.) Academy. Zoellmer plays for the Hanover club team in the second division of the German Club League. Smith plays for Fairfax (Calif.) High School.
WHAT'S NEXT?: The Eagles return to action on Saturday, Jan. 20 when they host Rutgers in Silvio O. Conte Forum. Game time is 2 p.m.
ON TELEVISION: Tonight's game will be shown on ESPN2. Dan Shulman and Dan Bonner will call the action.
