Boston College Athletics
Men's Hoops Ready To Take On Michigan
November 29, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2001
BOSTON COLLEGE (4-0) at MICHIGAN (2-2)
Saturday, December 1, 2001
Crisler Arena
Ann Arbor, Mich.
2:30 p.m. (Televised on CBS)
Boston College-Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format
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WELCOME HOME: Sophomore Ryan Sidney hails from Ann Arbor, Mich. Sidney is a 2000 graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, where he earned All-State Class A first team honors in 1999-2000. Sidney averaged 22.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in his senior season for head coach Brian Townsend.
WHO'S HOT: Sophomore Ryan Sidney recorded his third consecutive 20-point game in the Eagles' win at St. Bonaventure. Sidney notched 21 points in the contest, while also adding a career-high 12 rebounds and equaling his career high with eight assists. Previously, he'd scored 26 points against Penn State and 21 points against New Hampshire. Sidney currently leads the Eagles in four major statistical categories -- scoring (20.0 points per game), rebounding (9.5 per game), assists (6.0 per game) and steals (3.0 per game) ... Junior Troy Bell scored a team-high 30 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the field in the win at St. Bonaventure. For Bell, the game marked his fourth collegiate contest with 30 or more points (once as a freshman, twice as a sophomore). His 12 field goals made also marked his single-game high. Bell currently ranks third on the team with an 18.0 ppg average ... Senior Kenny Walls has topped the 20-point mark in two of the team's first four games. He registered his first collegiate double-double with a 26-point, 10-rebound effort against Penn State (Nov. 24). The 26 points marked a career best for Walls. He opened the season with a 21-point performance against Boston University ... Prior to this season, he'd netted more than 20 points in just two of his previous 89 collegiate contests.
SATURDAY'S OFFICIALS:: Ted Hillary, Jim Burr, Ted Valentine
THE SERIES: Boston College has a 1-1 all-time record against Michigan. The two teams last met on Dec. 19, 1999, when BC defeated the Wolverines, 89-71, in Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Troy Bell led BC with 28 points. LaVell Blanchard paced Michigan with 25 points ... Michigan won the series' first meeting, 88-70, in the ECAC Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26, 1972.
ON THE ROAD: Today's game marks the Eagles' second road contest of the 2001-02 campaign. This past Wednesday, the Eagles won their first road game of the season, gaining a 96-82 victory over St. Bonaventure at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. ... Last winter, Boston College registered a 10-5 mark away from the friendly confines of Conte Forum, its home arena. BC was 6-4 in "away" games and 4-1 in "neutral" games.
EAGLES BY CLASS: The 2001-02 Boston College roster features two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.
THREE-POINTERS: Boston College has made 33 three-point field goals in its first four games, an average of 8.1 per game. Last winter, BC made an average of 7.2 three-pointers per game ... BC has made seven or more three-pointers in each of its games this season ... BC is shooting 46.5 percent from three-point range (33-for-71) ... Senior Kenny Walls has made 16 three-point field goals this season, shooting a blistering 57.1 percent from long range. He has netted five three-point field goals in the first half of two of the team's first four games -- against Boston University (5-for-7) and Penn State (5-for-6). His first-half three-point efforts are the best single-half efforts by a BC player since Troy Bell shot 6-for-7 from long range in the first half at Miami on Jan. 7, 2001.
20-POINT EFFORTS: Two Boston College players have scored 20 or more points in each of the Eagles' last three games. Troy Bell (22 points) and Ryan Sidney (21 points) did so against New Hampshire (Nov. 21). Kenny Walls (26 points) and Ryan Sidney (26 points) did so against Penn State (Nov. 24). Troy Bell (30 points) and Ryan Sidney (21 points) did so at St. Bonaventure (Nov. 28).
DOUBLE DOUBLES: Ryan Sidney has registered point-rebound double-doubles in two of BC's first four games. He recorded his first collegiate double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds against New Hampshire. He matched that total -- plus one more rebound -- at St. Bonaventure (21 points, 12 rebounds) ... Kenny Walls notched his first collegiate double-double against Penn State, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
BALANCE: Five Boston College players notched 10 or more points in the Eagles' most recent win -- at St. Bonaventure. Troy Bell finished with 30 points, Ryan Sidney scored 21 points, Uka Agbai and Kenny Walls each netted 13 points, and Jermaine Watson added 11 points ... The game marked the second time this season that five BC players have reached double-digits in the scoring column in the same game. The same five players who reached double digits against St. Bonaventure also "made their mark" in the season opener against Boston University.
WHO'S MISSING?: Boston College lost four players from its 2000-01 team to graduation. Jonathan Beerbohm, Nicolas Dunn, Kenny Harley and Xavier Singletary were members of the Class of 2001. All four earned their undergraduate degrees. Jon Ekweozor, a walk-on on the 2000-01 team, also did not return to the team.
WHO'S BACK?: Boston College returns seven lettermen, including three starters, from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Statistically, BC returns 63.4 percent of its scoring, 49.8 percent of its rebounding, and 64.7 percent of its steal production from last season ... Last winter, Boston College led the BIG EAST in four statistical categories -- scoring (77.9 ppg), scoring margin (+9.8 ppg), steals (10.50) and turnover margin (+6.38).
PRESEASON HONORS: After enjoying a sensational sophomore campaign in which he earned BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year honors and All-America honors (consensus second team), Troy Bell gained a spot on many preseason All-America lists. He also gained the nod as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS: Today's Boston College starting line-up includes three players -- Uka Agbai, Troy Bell and Kenny Walls -- who have combined to make 177 collegiate starts. All three players have started each of the Eagles' last 36 games (all 32 in 2000-01, plus four this season) ... Senior Kenny Walls has appeared in the starting line-up 52 times since coming to BC in the fall of 1998 ... Junior Uka Agbai joined the BC starting line-up four games into his freshman season, and has never left. Agbai has started each of the team's last 62 games ... Junior Troy Bell has started every game -- 63 total games -- in which he's played. Bell started each of his first 27 collegiate contests, missed the next three (the last three of the 1999-2000 season) because of a knee injury, started all 32 games last winter, and started four this season.
THE HEAD COACH: Al Skinner is in his fifth season as the head coach at Boston College and his 14th season as a collegiate head coach. He has a career record of 201-187, including a 63-61 record at BC. Skinner is a 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, where he enjoyed a stellar basketball career (1971-74).
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 spent nine years as the Rams' head coach, winning 138 games and guiding URI to four postseason tournaments. He earned Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors in 1991-92.
Skinner vs. Michigan: Al Skinner has a 1-0 career coaching record against the Wolverines, with the lone victory coming on Dec. 19, 1999 (an 89-71 win in Conte Forum).
SKINNER REWARDED: After leading Boston College to one of the most successful seasons in school history, head coach Al Skinner received a four-year contract extension that will take him through the 2007-08 season. The announcement by BC director of athletics Gene DeFilippo was made on Sept. 4, 2001. Skinner assumed the head coaching duties at Boston College on April 17, 1997.
STABILITY: Three members of Al Skinner's staff -- Bill Coen, Ed Cooley and Pat Duquette -- are in their fifth seasons at Boston College. Each of the three came to BC with Skinner. Coen is the team's associate head coach. Cooley and Duquette are assistant coaches. Duquette had served as the team's administrative assistant for four years, before being elevated when Tim O'Shea left the staff to become the head coach at Ohio University. Bonzie Colson assumed the role as administrative assistant after serving the previous three years as assistant coach at George Washington University. Colson played two seasons for Skinner at Rhode Island.
MEET THE FRESHMEN: Boston College has four freshmen on its 2001-02 roster. Nate Doornekamp, a 7-foot center from Odessa, Ontario, averaged 27.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game at Ernestown High School last winter. This past summer, he was a member of Team Canada that placed sixth in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China ... Jermaine Watson, a 6-foot-3-inch guard from Dorchester, Mass., averaged 28.5 points and 5.0 assists per game as a senior at Tabor Academy. A two-time All-New England selection, Watson earned Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year honors in 2000-01 ... Kirsten Zoellner, a 7-foot-1-inch center from Hannover, Germany, averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game for the TK Hannover club team last winter ... Mike Viglione, a 6-foot-2-inch guard from Northfield, Ill., joined the Eagles as a walk-on this fall.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: Several Eagles engaged in international competition this past summer. Troy Bell led Team USA to the gold medal in the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men in Saitama, Japan. Bell averaged 11.9 points and 3.1 assists per game in the eight-game tournament. He scored a team-high 24 points, including six three-pointers, in the team's title-game victory over Croatia ... Both Ludmil Hadjisotirov (Bulgaria) and Nate Doornekamp (Canada) competed for their respective countries in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China. Joining the duo at the World University Games was BC head coach Al Skinner, who served as assistant coach for Team USA. Team USA captured the bronze medal.
BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL: Boston College was picked to win the BIG EAST Conference's East Division. The Eagles received six of a possible 14 first-place votes in the coaches' preseason poll. BC totaled 81 points in the poll, followed by (in order) Connecticut (78), Miami (67), Providence (61), St. John's (41), Villanova (38) and Virginia Tech (19). Georgetown was picked to win the West Division, followed by Syracuse.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE: Today's game against the Wolverines will be a CBS telecast. Craig Bolerjack and Clark Kellogg will call the action from Crisler Arena. The game will mark the Eagles' first television appearance of the 2001-02 campaign. At this time, 20 Boston College games are slated to be shown on television this winter, including three on CBS. BC's other CBS games are Georgetown (Jan. 12) and Syracuse (March 3).
TIME CHANGE: Boston College's Dec. 8 game against Massachusetts has been changed from a 2 p.m. start to an 8 p.m. tipoff to accomodate television.
UP NEXT: Boston College hosts Morris Brown on Tuesday, Dec. 4 in Conte Forum. Game time is 7:30 p.m. The Eagles and Wolverines (yes, Morris Brown shares the same nickname as Michigan) have met once before, with BC taking an 84-63 victory in Conte Forum on Feb. 26, 2001.
PLAYER NOTES
#00 UKA ABAI (Jr., F, 6-8, 262, Archbishop Molloy/Queens Village, NY): The junior forward is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He matched his season high with a 13-point effort at St. Bonaventure (Nov. 28). He also added three rebounds and three assists ... Agbai recorded 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the Eagles' win over New Hampshire (Nov. 21) ... He averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last winter. He started all 32 games ... Agbai was labeled as the BIG EAST's 2001-02 "Most Underrated Player" by both Athlon Sports and The Sporting News ... Agbai shot a team-best 53.0 percent from the floor in 2000-01.
#2 TROY BELL (Jr., G, 6-1, 183, Academy of Holy Angels/Minneapolis, MN): The junior guard is averaging 18.3 points and 3.5 assists per game this season. He is shooting 51.9 percent (27-for-52) from the field ... Bell scored a game-high 30 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the field (6-for-9 treys) at St. Bonaventure. He scored 22 of his points in the second half, shooting 9-for-10 from the floor in the final 20 minutes. He also added six rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes of action ... He netted a team-high 22 points (7-for-14 FG, 3-for-7 treys, 5-for-5 FT) against New Hampshire. Bell sank two free throws with 8.0 seconds remaining to secure the Eagles' win ... He missed the Eagles' two exhibition games while recovering from an injury (torn meniscus) to his right knee. Bell underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 31, and returned to practice on Nov. 14 ... Bell, who earned BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year honors as well as All-America accolades, has scored in double figures in 59 of his 63 collegiate games.
#3 LUDMIL HADJISOTIROV (So., G, 6-2, 193, Winchendon (Mass.)/Sofia, Bulgaria): The sophomore guard is averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 assists per game this season ... He came off the bench to tally three points and one assist in BC's win over Penn State (Nov. 24) ... He has played 11.0 minutes per game through three games ... He played in 19 games last winter, averaging 2.3 points per game ... This past summer, Hadjisotirov was a member of the Bulgarian team that competed in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China. He scored 29 or more points in each of three games.
#4 JERMAINE WATSON (Fr., G, 6-3, 198, Tabor Academy/Dorchester, MA): The freshman guard is averaging 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season ... He recorded 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in BC's win at St. Bonaventure (Nov. 28). Watson scored all of his points in the second half (playing 16 minutes after the intermission) ... He contributed 11 points and four rebounds in the Eagles' season-opening win over Boston University (Nov. 18) ... He added seven points and two rebounds in 14 minutes in the win over Penn State ... Watson earned Gatorade and USA Today Massachusetts Player of the Year accolades as a senior at Tabor Academy. He played in two all-star games in April 2001 -- the 28th annual Capital Classic at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. and the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic at Duquesne.
#5 RYAN SIDNEY (So., G, 6-2, 205, Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI): The sophomore guard is averaging 20.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game this season. He leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals ... Most recently, Sidney registered his second double-double of the season in the team's win at St. Bonaventure. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. The 12 rebounds marked a career high, while the eight assists tied his single-game best ... Sidney netted a career-high 26 points against Penn State (Nov. 24). He also contributed eight rebounds, six assists and four steals ... Sidney made the first start of his collegiate career in the Eagles' season-opening win over Boston University (Nov. 18). Sidney tallied 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals against the Terriers ... He netted 21 points and 11 rebounds against New Hampshire (Nov. 21) ... Sidney averaged 11.0 points per game in league contests last winter, making him the only BIG EAST reserve to register a double-digit scoring average in conference games.
#12 KIRSTEN ZOELLNER (Fr., C, 7-1, 270, IGS Hannover-Linden/Hannover, Germany): The freshman center is averaging 2.3 points and 0.3 rebounds per game this season ... Zoellner registered four points and one rebound in seven minutes of action in the Eagles' season-opening victory over Boston University (Nov. 18) ... Zoellner played the 2000-01 season with the TK Hannover club team, averaging 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game ... Note: If you're curious about the correct spelling of the German freshman's name, here's the scoop. In Germany, Kirsten's last name is spelled "Z?llner". In America, however, since the "?" is rarely used and often unavailable, Kirsten uses the "Zoellner" spelling -- with the "oe" substituting for the "?".
#13 NATE DOORNEKAMP (Fr., C, 7-0, 250, Ernestown/Odessa, Ontario): The freshman center is averaging 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game this season. He has started each of the team's four games ... Most recently, Doornekamp scored a season-best eight points and grabbed five rebounds in the win at St. Bonaventure. He played a season-high 28 minutes against the Bonnies ... He contributed two points, seven rebounds and four assists against Penn State (Nov. 24) ... This past summer, he was a member of Team Canada that placed sixth in the 2001 World University Games in Beijing, China.
#21 KENNY WALLS (Sr., G/F, 6-5, 194, Galileo/San Francisco, CA): The senior swingman is averaging 18.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. He is shooting 54.2 percent from the field, including 57.1 percent from long range. He has made a team-high 16 three-pointers this season (on 28 attempts) ... Walls recorded 13 points, three rebounds and a career-high six assists in the team's win at St. Bonaventure (Nov. 28) ... He notched his first collegiate double-double in the victory over Penn State (Nov. 24). The senior tallied a career-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He hit 6-of-8 three-point attempts in the contest ... He opened the season with a 21-point, five rebound effort against Boston University (Nov. 18). Walls shot 5-for-8 from three-point range, hitting all of his treys in the first half ... He has scored 75 points this season -- 58 in the first half of the games, 17 in the second half of the games ... He is the Eagles' most experienced player. Today will mark his 94th collegiate contest and his 53rd collegiate start ... His twin brother, Lenny, is a starting cornerback on the Eagles' bowl-bound football team.
#34 ANDREW BRYANT (So., F, 6-7, 232, Denison/Denison, TX): The sophomore forward registered four points, two rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal in his collegiate debut -- against Penn State (Nov. 24) ... Bryant tallied 16 points in BC's first exhibition game, an 81-70 win over Carleton University of Ottawa, Ontario ... Bryant sat out the 2000-01 season.
#40 ADAM DeMONG (Jr., G, 6-2, 180, Glenbard West/Glen Ellyn, IL): The junior guard is in his second season with the Eagles. He joined the team as a walk-on prior to the 2000-01 season ... DeMong played in 11 games last winter, and has seen action in one game this season.
#41 MIKE VIGLIONE (Fr., G, 6-2, 205, Loyola Academy/Northfield, IL): The freshman guard is the newest member of the team. Viglione earned a walk-on spot on the team during preseason workouts ...He saw his first game action of the season in the Eagles' win over Penn State.
#45 BRIAN ROSS (Sr., F, 6-8, 235, North Quincy/North Quincy, MA): The senior forward is averaging 3.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season ... In the season-opening win over Boston University, Ross contributed eight points in 17 minutes of action ... He notched one point and eight rebounds in the home win over Penn State ... He is one of two seniors on the Eagles' roster. He's played in 86 collegiate games and made 38 starts.
