Boston College Athletics
Boston College-St. John's Men's Hoop Game Notes
January 08, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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NATIONALLY RANKED: Boston College is ranked 24th in the latest Associated Press poll (released Jan. 8), marking the program's first national ranking since March 10, 1997 (23rd in Associated Press poll) ... In the latest USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll, the Eagles received 21 votes, placing 28th.
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.
FAST START: Boston College's 11-0 start is 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.
BIG EAST RANK: Boston College ranks at least fourth among the league's 14 schools in each of seven statistical categories (as of Jan. 8): scoring margin (second), scoring defense (third), steals (third), turnover margin (third), scoring (fourth), field-goal percentage (fourth) and three-point field-goal percentage (third).
RANKED OPPONENT: Boston College's victory over Connecticut marked the program's first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since defeating 21st-ranked Marquette, 64-54, in Milwaukee on Jan. 17, 1998.
THE SERIES AGAINST ST. JOHN'S: Boston College has a 19-42 all-time record against the Red Storm, including a 14-25 record in the BIG EAST regular-season series ... St. John's has won each of the last six meetings ... Boston College's last win was an 81-80 victory in Madison Square Garden on Feb. 9, 1997.
Close Calls: St. John's defeated Boston College twice last season -- by a combined total of five points. The Red Storm earned a 59-58 win in Alumni Hall on Feb. 5, 2000, and then traveled to Chestnut Hill and gained a 73-69 victory on Feb. 15, 2000.
In Madison Square Garden: Since the formation of the BIG EAST Conference, Boston College has a 3-5 record against the Red Storm in Madison Square Garden.
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 181-182. 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 marks 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. 8): scoring (third, 21.2 ppg), field-goal percentage (11th, .493), free-throw percentage (third, .833), three-point field-goal percentage (fifth, .421), assists (ninth, 4.82), steals (fourth, 2.45), assist-turnover ratio (10th, 1.96) and three-point field goals made (11th, 2.18 per game).
** Senior Xavier Singletary has scored in double figures in each of the last nine games, his longest double-digit scoring streak since coming to Boston College (from Howard University) prior to the 1999-2000 season.
** Tonight's game will mark the 100th game of senior Kenny Harley's collegiate career. He has started in 75 of his first 99 games at Boston College.
** Freshman Ryan Sidney has become an "impact" freshman for the Eagles. Through 12 games, Sidney is averaging 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the field ... He has played 25 or more minutes in each of the last three games. He's scored 12 points in each of the last two games (equaling his career high) ... In the critical final minute of BC's 73-72 win at Miami, the freshman recorded one rebound and one steal.
QUICK HITS: Boston College has led at halftime in each of its 11 games ... BC has shot a higher percentage from the field than its opponent in 10 of 11 games ... BC has committed fewer turnovers than its foe in eight of 11 contests.
REBOUNDING: Through 11 games, Boston College enjoys a +4.0 rebounding margin (per game) over its opponents. The Eagles are averaging 37.7 rebounds per game, while their foes are averaging 33.7 rebounds per game ... Boston College has outrebounded its opponent in seven of 11 games.
STEALS: Boston College is averaging 9.9 steals per game -- an average that ranks third among the BIG EAST's 14 schools ... The Eagles have made 10 or more steals in six games, including five of the last seven contests. 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 2.5 per game.
LONG RANGE: Boston College is shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range this season. The Eagles currently rank third among 14 league 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 most recent game -- a 72-72 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.
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 (second, .481), field-goal percentage (eighth, .534), three-point field goals made (10th, 2.27 per game) and scoring (18th, 14.9). In addition, Kenny Harley ranks 12th in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and Uka Agbai ranks 13th in blocked shots (1.45 per game).
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 882-720 (.551) all-time record.
BY CLASS: The 2000-01 Eagle roster features five seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen.
*** THE LAST TWO GAMES ***
Boston College 73, Miami 72 (Jan. 7, 2001): Senior forward Jonathan Beerbohm's tip-in of an offensive rebound with 27 seconds remaining lifted Boston College to a one-point victory over host Miami at Miami Arena. Sophomore guard Troy Bell scored a team-high 19 points for the Eagles. Senior Xavier Singletary and junior Kenny Walls each added 15 points, while freshman Ryan Sidney netted 12 points. BC trailed 9-8 with 13:37 remaining in the opening half, before using a 24-10 run to take a 32-19 advantage. BC led 42-31 at halftime, and extended its lead to 19 points -- 53-34 -- with 15:30 to play. Miami then rallied, putting together a 23-3 run over the next nine minutes to take a 57-56 lead. The host Hurricanes continued with a 10-4 run and led 67-60 with 3:37 left, before BC responded with an 8-0 rally to regain the advantage. From there, the lead changed hands four times in the final two minutes ... BC was 13-for-26 from three-point range, including 10-for-14 in the first half. Bell hit a career-high six three-pointers. BC outrebounded UM, 36-34.
Boston College 85, Connecticut 68 (Jan. 3, 2001): Sophomore guard Troy Bell scored 27 points and senior forward Xavier Singletary netted 23 points to lead Boston College to the win over 10th-ranked Connecticut before a sellout crowd of 8,606 fans at Conte Forum. The game raised the Eagles' record to 10-0, matching the best start in school history. The victory snapped Connecticut's 23-game winning streak against Boston College. BC had last defeated Connecticut, 64-56, on Feb. 23, 1988 at the Boston Garden. Boston College led 34-33 at halftime and never trailed by more than one point in the second half. Connecticut took its last lead at 48-47 on junior Johnnie Selvie's free throw with 14:02 to play. BC's Bell evened the score with one free throw with 13:55 remaining, before the Eagles began a 22-5 run that resulted in a 70-53 advantage with 6:49 to play. Connecticut never closed the margin to fewer than 12 points in the final minutes. BC led by as many as 20 points - 80-60 and 82-62. BC freshman Ryan Sidney netted 12 points in a career-high 30 minutes. BC committed just 13 turnovers, while forcing 22 UConn turnovers.
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 21.2 points per game on 67-of-136 shooting from the field (.493). He has hit 24-of-57 three-point attempts (.421). 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 the team's win over Connecticut.
REALLY THREE: Troy Bell hit a career-high six three-point field goals in the Eagles' most recent game -- a 73-72 win at Miami. His previous single-game best was five (set twice). Bell, who has made 24 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 75-of-90 free-throw attempts (.833) this season ...He has attempted 10 or more free throws in each of five games this season. He has attempted at least 10 free throws in 11 of his 37 collegiate contests ... Bell shot 14-for-16 from the line in BC's win over Connecticut ... He was 7-for-7 from the line against Wofford. The Wofford game marked the 10th 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 36 of his 38 collegiate games, including all 24 games played in Conte Forum. The sophomore has registered 20 or more points 18 times (12 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 three 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. Entering this game, Bell's collegiate totals in this area look like this: He's been fouled 21 times on three-point attempts. He's made 56 of the ensuing 61 free throws (3-of-3 -- 15 times, 2-of-3 -- five times, 1-of-1 -- once). When he has missed, he's missed the first shot three times, the second shot once and the third shot once.
*** THE PLAYERS ***
#00 UKA AGBAI: Sophomore forward Uka Agbai is averaging 9.7 points per game through 11 games. He has scored in double figures in five contests, including three of the last six games. 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 14 points and six rebounds in the Eagles' win over Quinnipiac, and 16 points in the win over Vanderbilt ... He recorded a season-high four blocked shots at Massachusetts.
Blocked Shots: Uka Agbai has registered 16 blocked shots this season, including four blocks in each of two games (at Massachusetts and at Miami).
#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 five of 10 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 10 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 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season ... He registered four points and two rebounds in the Eagles' most recent game -- a 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 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. In the most recent game, Sidney scored 12 points for the second consecutive game as the Eagles defeated Miami, 73-72. He shot 6-for-8 from the field. Sidney also contributed four rebounds, four steals and two assists against the Hurricanes. The 12 points equaled his career high (he also scored 12 points against both St. Peter's and Connecticut) ... 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 ... At Massachusetts, he contributed nine points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes ... Sidney began his collegiate career with a 12-point, three-assist effort against St. Peter's ... Sidney recorded seven points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals against Holy Cross ... 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. 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 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures five times this season ... He has led the team in rebounding in each of the last two games. Most recently, 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 23 times in 99 collegiate games.
#21 KENNY WALLS: Junior Kenny Walls is averaging 7.7 points and 4.1 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 most recent game -- 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 68 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 14.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Eagles. He has scored in double figures in each of the last nine 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) ... Singletary registered 15 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-6 treys, 4-for-4 FT), five rebounds and three assists in the Eagles' most recent game -- a 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.
On The Mark: Xavier Singletary is shooting 56.0 percent from the field (51-for-91) in the last seven contests. He has made 54.8 percent of his three-point tries (23-for-42) in this stretch.
#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 3.6 points and 2.4 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.
#15 WILL POOLE: Sophomore guard Will Poole won't be in uniform tonight. Poole, a starting cornerback for the Eagles' football team, recently returned from Honolulu, Hawaii where the Eagles defeated Arizona State in the Jeep Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day.
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 181-182. 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. 13 when they host Miami in Conte Forum. Game time is noon.
