Boston College Athletics
Boston College-Texas Preview
March 13, 2002 | Men's Basketball
March 13, 2002
From the Associated Press
GAME: No. 11 Boston College (20-11) vs. No. 6 Texas (20-11).
REGIONAL: Midwest, First Round.
TIME: Friday, 10:20 p.m. EST.
SITE: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
Despite a disappointing regular season, Boston College's Troy Bell hopes his team can turn it around in the NCAA tournament as they play Texas in the first round on Friday in Dallas.
"It hasn't been a bad year," Bell said Monday, a day after the 11th seeded Eagles became the sixth and final Big East team selected and given a first-round matchup with the sixth-seeded Longhorns. "But when people compare us to last year, it just looks worse."
Boston College won the Big East conference in 2000-01 to become the first team in conference history to go from worst to first. The Eagles, 27-5 overall, also won the Big East tournament in 2001 before losing in the second round to Southern California.
"I just assumed we would pick up where we left off," Bell said. "Expectations were huge at the beginning of the season. But it would be almost impossible for us to have the same kind of a year as we did last year."
BC won its first nine games and was ranked as high as 10th during the regular season. But after coming back from the New Year's break, the Eagles lost six of nine to fall out of the rankings.
The Eagles won their first game in the conference tournament over Rutgers before losing to No. 9 Pittsburgh in the second round.
"Last year was an exceptional year. I don't think you can ignore that," said coach Al Skinner who will be making his second tournament appearance. "This is more like a normal year."
Bell has averaged 21.4 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals this season. Fellow guard Ryan Sydney has also played well, averaging 14.2 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds a game.
Bell will be matched up against the Longhorns rookie sensation T.J. Ford.
Ford stepped up to take control of the team after senior Chris Owens tore his ACL in his right knee back in December. Owens averaged 15.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds for Texas before the injury.
Ford has led the Longhorns to a 13-7 record since. The 5-foot-10 point guard leads the nation in assists (8.5 apg) and is fourth on the team in points (10.6 ppg).
Ford is on pace to be the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the country in assists and has already set the school record for most single-season assists.
Texas defeated Missouri in the Big 12 tournament before losing to No. 3 Oklahoma, 67-51, in the semifinal game. The Longhorns shot a season-low 44 percent (11-for-25) from the free-throw line.
Ford led Texas with 18 points but had only two assists after handing out 10 against Missouri.
The Longhorns will be making their 12th appearance in the tournament in 14 years.
Texas was knocked out in the first round last year by Temple.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Boston College - F Nate Doornekamp (2.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), F Kenny Walls (13 ppg, 4.4 rpg), C Uka Agbai (11.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), G Bell (21.4 ppg, 3.9 apg), G Sidney (14.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Texas - F Brandon Mouton (14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg), F Deginald Erskin (7.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg), C James Thomas (10.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg), G Ford (10.6 ppg, 8.5 apg), G Royal Ivey (11.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Boston College - At-large bid, Big East Conference. Texas - At-large bid, Big 12 Conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Boston College - 17-13, 13 years. Texas - 17-22, 20 years.
