Boston College Athletics
Bell, Skinner Gain National Recognition
March 13, 2001 | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2001
Boston College sophomore guard Troy Bell earned The Sporting News' All-America second team honors and head coach Al Skinner captured the publication's National Coach of the Year honors, according to an announcement made by the magazine.
Bell added The Sportings News' honor to a list that already includes BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year honors and BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player accolades. He also captured BIG EAST All-Conference first team honors.
Skinner gained the national coaching honor after leading the Eagles to 23-4 regular-season record, including a BIG EAST-best 13-3 conference record. BC clinched the BIG EAST's East Division title with its win over St. John's on Feb. 28. The Eagles also won the AT&T BIG EAST Championship Tournament crown in Madison Square Garden with a title-game victory over Pittsburgh on March 10.
Led by Skinner and Bell, the 2000-01 Eagles established a BIG EAST record with a 10-game turnaround in conference play. BC finished with a 3-13 league record in 1999-2000, before rebounding this season.
Bell, who was the only sophomore to earn all-league first team accolades, enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 20.1 points per game through 30 games. On Feb. 26, Bell netted his 1,000th collegiate point, making him the first sophomore in BC history to reach this milestone.
The Eagles return to action against Southern Utah on Thursday, March 12 at 7:40 p.m. in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament's East Regional in Nassua Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.
