Boston College Athletics
BC-West Virginia Game Notes
March 02, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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MILESTONE: Boston College sophomore guard Troy Bell recorded his 1000th collegiate point in the Eagles' victory over Morris Brown on Feb. 26. Bell, one of 15 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award, accomplished the feat when he sank his second three-point field goal of the night (with 4:45 remaining in the first half). Bell became the 26th player in BC history to score 1,000 points ... Bell became the first player in school history to reach this mark as a sophomore. Since then, Bell added 20 points against St. John's to raise his collegiate total to 1,024 points in 53 games ... John Austin '66 is the only other player to reach the 1,000-point mark in his second collegiate season. Since freshmen weren't eligible to compete when Austin played, Austin started his career with 614 points in his sophomore season, then added 673 points in his second (junior) season.
TOP 10: Troy Bell is the only player in the BIG EAST Conference who ranks among the league's top 10 in seven statistical categories -- league games only. Bell ranks in the top 10 in the following categories: scoring (third, 20.3), field-goal percentage (ninth, .453), free-throw percentage (third, .871), assists (ninth, 4.33), steals (second, 2.80), three-point field goal percentage (sixth, .376) and assist-turnover ratio (ninth, 1.55).
POUNDING THE BOARDS: Known more as a scorer, senior Xavier Singletary has made his presence felt as a rebounder in recent games. He has grabbed seven or more rebounds in four of the last six games -- averaging 7.2 rebounds per game in these six contests.
CONGRATULATIONS: Boston College clinched the BIG EAST's East Division regular-season title with its 67-62 win over St. John's on Feb. 28. The victory gave the Eagles their fourth league regular-season title. BC also captured the titles in 1980-81, 1982-83 (shared with Villanova and St. John's) and 1996-97 (shared BE 6 title with Villanova).
BIG EAST VICTORIES: Boston College enters tonight's game with 12 BIG EAST wins, tied for the school record for league wins in one season. Two other Eagle teams -- 1996-97 (12-6) and 1982-83 (12-4) -- won 12 games.
TOP SEED: Boston College has already secured the #1 seed in the BIG EAST Conference's East Division. The only other BC team to secure the top seed in the conference tournament was the 1980-81 team. That team finished in first place with a 10-4 league record.
FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: Boston College enters tonight's game with a 12-3 league record, assuring itself of no worse than a tie for the best record among the conference's 14 schools. Thus, Boston College has become the first team in league history to finish with the worst record in the league in one season (3-13 in 1999-2000) and rebound to finish with the best record the following year.
20-WIN SEASONS: With its 59-58 win at Providence on Feb. 24, BC earned its 20th win of the 2000-01 campaign. The Eagles' win marked the 15th time in school history that a team had won 20 games in one season. Prior to this season, the last team to reach this mark was the 1996-97 team, which finished with a 22-9 record.
SERIES SWEEPS: Boston College earned its fourth series sweep of the season when it defeated Providence, 59-58, on Feb. 24. Previously, BC had swept Villanova, Miami and Virginia Tech. The last BC team to sweep four season series was the 1996-97 team (which won two games against Syracuse, Seton Hall, Miami and Notre Dame).
TURNAROUND: After winning three conference games last winter, Boston College has made a tremendous turnaround in posting 12 wins in its 15 conference games to date. The nine-game turnaround equals the best turnaround in conference history. Miami (1993-94 to 1994-95) also holds the record with a nine-game rebound.
FAST START: Boston College's 22-4 record marks the second-best start in program history. The 1966-67 team, led by head coach Bob Cousy and captain Willie Wolters, is the only team in school history to get off to a better start. That team began with a 23-2 record, before dropping its last game (to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament).
BIG EAST BLAST: Boston College earned seven consecutive conference wins before its streak was snapped at Connecticut on Feb. 13, 2001. That seven-game streak was the Eagles' longest since the conference formed in 1979-80.
IF IT'S NOT BROKE: Boston College has had the same starting lineup in each of its 26 games this season. Seniors Kenny Harley and Xavier Singletary, junior Kenny Walls, and sophomores Troy Bell and Uka Agbai have started every game.
LOTS OF POINTS: Boston College has registered 80 or more points in 13 games this season, including seven BIG EAST contests. The last BC team to score 80 or more points in as many BIG EAST games was the 1993-94 team, which tallied at least 80 points seven times ... The 1982-83 Eagles scored 80 or more points in nine (of 16) conference contests.
DEFENSIVELY: Boston College has limited its opponents to 44.0 percent shooting from the field, while making 10.0 steals per game. BC has forced its opponents into an average of 19.3 turnovers per game.
Proof Positive: Boston College's defensive intensity -- as well as its rebounding effort -- was largely responsible for the team's recent victory at Providence. While scoring just 59 points on the offensive end, BC limited Providence to just 42.3 percent shooting from the field -- and 58 points. The Eagles forced 17 Friar turnovers, and made 13 steals ... The last time BC won a game with as few as 59 points was at Holy Cross on Dec. 7, 1999 (50-43). BC last won a BIG EAST game with as few as 59 points at Miami on Feb. 19, 1997 (59-57).
*** 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 192-186. Skinner is a 1974 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, where he enjoyed a stellar collegiate basketball career (1971-74).
It's Not the First Time: While everyone's excited with the Eagles' win total thus far, don't be too surprised if BC head coach Al Skinner doesn't express that same surprise. While he never offered a preseason prediction, he did have some frame of reference -- his past coaching experience. During his tenure at the University of Rhode Island, Skinner rebuilt the Rams for three seasons -- just like he has the Eagles -- before emerging with a 22-win campaign in 1991-92. That season marked the first of his three 20-win seasons during his years at URI.
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. He earned Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors in 1991-92.
THE COACHING STAFF: Al Skinner is assisted by associate head coach Tim O'Shea, assistant coach Bill Coen, assistant coach Ed Cooley and administrative assistant Pat Duquette. O'Shea, Coen and Cooley all served under Al Skinner at Rhode Island before joining him in Chestnut Hill. O'Shea was with Skinner for each of his nine years at URI, Coen was with Skinner for eight of the head coach's nine seasons, and Cooley spent one year with Skinner at URI before the move to Boston College.
NATIONALLY RANKED: Boston College is currently ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll and 10th in the ESPN/USA Today poll (released Feb. 26) ... Boston College earned its first national ranking of the season -- and first since March 10, 1997 (when it was 23rd in the AP poll) -- on Jan. 8.
High Marks: Boston College's ninth-place ranking in the Feb. 12, 2001 Associated Press poll was the program's highest (AP) ranking since being ranked sixth on Dec. 20, 1983.
RPI, RPI: Boston College is ninth in the latest RPI College Basketball Ratings (released by The Collegiate Basketball News, through games of Feb. 24), the highest ranking of any BIG EAST school.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Boston College has a 3-2 record against ranked foes this year. BC defeated 10th-ranked Connecticut on Jan. 3 (85-68), ninth-ranked Syracuse on Feb. 7 (65-63), and 25th-ranked Providence on Feb. 24 (59-58). The Eagles' losses came at second-ranked Duke on Jan. 16 (97-75), and at 18th-ranked Notre Dame on Feb. 21 (76-75) ... The win over Providence in the Providence Civic Center marked BC's first road victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since the Eagles defeated 21st-ranked Marquette, 64-54, in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisc. on Jan. 17, 1998.
THE SERIES AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA: Boston College has a 4-6 all-time record against the Mountaineers, including a 4-3 record in the BIG EAST regular-season series ... Boston College has won each of the last three meetings.
In WVU Coliseum: Since West Virginia joined the BIG EAST, Boston College has a 1-2 record against the Mountaineers in WVU Coliseum. BC's lone win was an 84-63 victory in Feb. 3, 1996.
Close Calls: Boston College has won the last three games against West Virginia by a combined total of 13 points. None of the three contests has been decided by more than six points.
DOUBLE DUTY: Boston College has had at least four players record double-figure point totals in each of 14 games this season. BC has a 13-1 record in those games (10-0 when four players score in double figures, 3-1 when five players score in double figures).
REBOUNDING: Boston College has won the rebounding battle in six of its last eight games. BC was a +5 in the rebounding column against Syracuse, a +5 at Virginia Tech, a +3 at Connecticut, and a +11 against Providence. After being outrebounded by Notre Dame, 45-40, the Eagles responded with a +15 rebounding advantage (46-31) at Providence, and a +11 edge against Morris Brown ... On the season, BC has outrebounded its opponent in 14 of 26 games. BC has a 12-2 record in those games. In addition, BC and its foe have been even in the rebounding category in two games.
Wide Margin: Boston College registered a +15 rebounding margin at Providence on Feb. 24, its second-largest rebounding margin of the season and its largest rebounding margin in a BIG EAST contest. BC did outrebound Quinnipiac by 18 on Dec. 23, 2000.
FEW TURNOVERS: Boston College is averaging 12.7 turnovers per game in BIG EAST contests, the second-lowest average among the league's 14 schools. The Eagles committed fewer than 10 turnovers in four BIG EAST games. The Eagles made eight turnovers against Rutgers, seven at Villanova, nine against Virginia Tech, and eight against Syracuse ... The Eagles' four single-digit turnover efforts are the most in one season by a BC team since the 1993-94 team registered six sub-10 turnover games ... The last BC team to record more than one single-digit turnover game was the 1996-97 squad (two games).
BENCH SCORING: Boston College's reserves have outscored the opposition's reserves in 16 of 26 games, including 11 of the last 13 ... The reserves have contributed 22.9 points per game in the last 12 games (275 points).
HIGH SCORING: Boston College's 90-point effort at Villanova was the Eagles' highest point total in a BIG EAST game since defeating Syracuse, 94-83, in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 7, 1997 ... BC followed that effort with an 83-point outburst against Virginia Tech and an 89-point outing against Villanova. These games marked the first time BC had netted more than 80 points against three consecutive BIG EAST opponents since the 1983-84 season (Jan. 23, Jan. 28 and Jan. 31, 1984).
HALFTIME NOTE: Boston College is 20-2 when leading at halftime. BC is 2-2 when trailing at halftime. Both of the Eagles' wins when trailing at halftime came in recent games -- at Providence (2/24) and against St. John's (2/28). BC trailed by eight points at halftime at Providence -- its largest halftime deficit of the season -- but rallied for the victory.
QUICK HITS: Boston College has shot a higher percentage from the field than its opponent in 15 of 26 games ... BC has committed fewer turnovers than its foe in 20 of 26 contests ... BC has made 10 or more steals in each of 14 games.
BIG EAST HONORS: Sophomore guard Troy Bell has earned BIG EAST Player of the Week honors three times this season. He shared the honor in two of those three weeks. The sophomore gained Player of the Week honors for the week ending Dec. 31 after netting 29 points in a win over Vanderbilt. He shared the honor 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. More recently, Bell shared the honor with Notre Dame's Troy Murphy for the week ending Jan. 28. The sophomore earned the award after tallying 28 points and seven assists (no turnovers) at Villanova ... Freshman Ryan Sidney earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors for the week ending Jan. 28 after recording 17 points and seven assists in the Eagles' win at Villanova.
REALLY, REALLY FREE: Boston College is shooting 70.1 percent from the foul line this season ... BC has twice shot 90.0 percent or better from the foul line. In its home victory over Miami (Jan. 13), 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 made 9-of-10 free-throw attempts, 90.0 percent, against Rutgers (Jan. 20).
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE: Boston College has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 10 games, including five BIG EAST games ... In its home win over Providence, BC shot 54.0 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent or better in each half. The team's field-goal percentage against Providence was its third-highest percentage this season and the highest by a BC team in a BIG EAST contest since Jan. 12, 2000 (60.5 percent at Notre Dame) ... In its home win over Miami, BC shot 53.1 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent or better in each half ... The Eagles shot 50.8 percent in each of their two meetings with Villanova.
Top Notch: Boston College shot 61.3 percent from the field in the first half of its home win over Villanova. That shooting effort marked the Eagles' third-best shooting half of the season. BC shot 68.2 percent from the floor in the second half against Connecticut, and 65.5 percent from the field in the second half of the season opener against St. Peter's.
Lots of Hoops: Boston College's 32 field goals made at Villanova marked the Eagles' highest single-game field goal total in a BIG EAST game since making 32 against Connecticut on Jan. 6, 1999.
On the Other Side: Boston College's 19 field goals made at Providence marked the Eagles' lowest single-game field goal total since making just 16 at Providence on Feb. 26, 2000. BC lost that game, 45-40 ... BC last won a game with as few as 19 field goals at Holy Cross on Dec. 7, 1999. BC defeated the Crusaders, 50-43, despite hitting just 18 field goals.
FREE THROW, PART 2: Sophomore guard Troy Bell is the Eagles' top free-throw shooter. Bell is shooting 85.8 percent from the line this season. He's made 169-of-197 attempts this winter ... Bell was a perfect 17-for-17 from the foul line against Miami, 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.
Consecutive Free Throws Made: Bell made a season-best 22 consecutive free throws, extending from the second half of the season opener against St. Peter's through the second half of the home victory over Holy Cross ... Bell also had a streak of 19 consecutive made free throws in mid-January. He made all 17 attempts against Miami, and his first two attempts at Duke.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: Boston College ranks first among the league's 14 schools in scoring margin in conference games. BC has won three BIG EAST games this season by more than 20 points. Each of those three victories ranks among the school's 10 largest margins of victory in conference play (since the formation of the conference in 1979-80). BC's 26-point victory over Rutgers on Jan. 20, 2001 marked the fifth-largest margin of victory by a BC team in league play. The Eagles' win at Virginia Tech marked the sixth-largest margin of victory for the Eagles.
THERE HAVE BEEN CLOSE ONES, TOO: On top of its big BIG EAST victories, Boston College has also been involved in five "very close" league contests. BC has a 2-1 record in conference games decided by one point, and a 1-1 record in games decided by two points.
MORE LEAGUE LEADERS: Troy Bell isn't the only Eagle who ranks among league leaders in conference games. Ryan Sidney ranks ninth in steals (1.93 per game), Kenny Harley is tied for 14th in steals (1.67), and Uka Agbai is 14th in blocked shots (1.27 per game).
LONG RANGE: Boston College is shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range this season. The Eagles currently rank fifth 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 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 loss at St. John's ... BC made a season-low two three-point field goals (2-for-11) against Providence.
STEALS: Boston College is averaging 10.0 steals per game -- an average that ranks second among the BIG EAST's 14 schools ... The Eagles have made 10 or more steals in 14 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).
Individually Speaking: Troy Bell is the team leader in steals (and third among BIG EAST leaders), averaging 2.65 per game ... He has made eight steals in each of two games, including the team's win over Syracuse.
Even Better In The League: Boston College leads all conference schools with a 10.33 steals per game average in conference competition.
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.
FOCUS ON ... TROY BELL
NAISMITH AWARD CANDIDATE: BC sophomore guard Troy Bell is among the 15 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.
STILL AMAZING: Sophomore Troy Bell, the 1999-2000 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, is the Eagles' leading scorer. Bell is averaging 19.8 points per game through 26 games. In 15 BIG EAST games, he's averaging 20.3 points per game ... Bell is shooting 147-for-322 from the field (.457). He has hit 53-of-137 three-point attempts (.387). The sophomore equaled his career high with 31 points in the season opener against St. Peter's. He scored 29 points against Vanderbilt, 28 points at Villanova, and 27 points against both Connecticut and Miami (home).
EVEN MORE: Troy Bell recorded a string of 100:27 without a turnover. The sophomore went five consecutive halves without a turnover. That streak was snapped against Villanova on Feb. 4 ... Bell has been a stalwart for the Eagles again this season. The team leader in minutes played (34.3 per game), Bell has logged the full 40 minutes twice, 39 minutes four times (one of which registers as a 40-), and 38 minutes three times.
HE'S A LEADER: Troy Bell has been a real leader for the Eagles in every sense of the word. Looking at a few statistical categories, his value to the team becomes even more apparent. Bell has led the team in scoring in 39 of his 53 collegiate games, in assists in 28 of 53 games, in steals in 23 of 53 games, and in rebounding in four of 53 games.
AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS: Troy Bell ranks among BIG EAST leaders (Top 10) in seven categories (league games only): scoring (third, 20.3), field-goal percentage (ninth, .453), free-throw percentage (third, .871), assists (ninth, 4.33), steals (second, 2.80), three-point field goal percentage (sixth, .376) and assist-turnover ratio (ninth, 1.55).
REALLY FREE: Troy Bell has made 169-of-197 free-throw attempts (.858) this season ...He has attempted 10 or more free throws in each of eight games this season. He has attempted at least 10 free throws in 14 of his 53 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 ... His 7-for-7 effort against Providence marked the 12th 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).
*** THE LAST TWO GAMES ***
Boston College 67, St. John's 62 (Feb. 28, 2001): Sophomore Troy Bell scored 20 points -- 17 in the second half -- and freshman Ryan Sidney netted 15 points to lead the Eagles to the victory over St. John's. The Eagles captured the BIG EAST Conference's East Division crown with the win. BC trailed 30-27 at halftime and didn't take its first lead of the second half until 49-47 with 9:27 remaining. The two teams traded the lead several times, before the host Eagles claimed the lead for good at 60-59 with 2:13 to play ... BC was outrebounded, 40-29, but forced 21 SJU turnovers (while committing just 10) ... Kenny Walls, Uka Agbai and Sidney tied for team-high rebounding honors with six.
Boston College 84, Morris Brown 63 (Feb. 26, 2001): Sophomore Uka Agbai scored a team-high 15 points and classmate Troy Bell registered his 1,000th collegiate point to lead 11th-ranked Boston College to the non-league victory over Morris Brown. Agbai shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line. Bell, who netted a season-low eight points, reached the coveted 1,000-point mark with his second three-point field goal of the night with 4:45 remaining in the first half. Bell became the 26th player in Boston College history to reach that milestone. He is the first sophomore in school history to score 1,000 points. BC scored the game's first seven points and extended its lead to double digits - 14-4 - with 11:56 to play in the opening half. BC stretched its margin to as many as 16 points - 34-18 - before settling for a 37-22 halftime lead. The host Eagles never allowed Morris Brown to challenge in the second half, opening with a 16-2 rally to take a commanding 53-24 lead. BC led by as many as 33 points - 80-47 - with 3:59 to play. Joining Agbai in double figures for the victors were Kenny Walls (13 points), Ryan Sidney (13) and Jonathan Beerbohm (10). Sidney led the Eagles with nine rebounds, while Walls grabbed seven rebounds.
