Boston College Athletics
Men's Basketball Season Outlook
October 09, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 9, 2008
All Boston College basketball eyes are squarely set on the 2008-09 season. This news should come as no surprise to those who have followed the program during head coach Al Skinner's 11-year tenure. This mentor's mantra never seems to change. Full speed ahead.
He led the Eagles to seven consecutive postseason berths from 2001-07, yet each subsequent year he didn't want to hear about past triumphs. Similarly, after the trying season encountered by his young BC team last year, Skinner has refused to dwell on what might have been.
Sure, he knows last year's 14-17 mark could have been a bit better. Yet the coach leads the charge in looking forward, ready to the face the challenges ahead with a healthy balance of optimism and realism.
Boston College's 2008-09 fortunes are bolstered by the return of All-ACC first-team guard Tyrese Rice. The shifty senior has proven himself one of the ACC's - and thus one of the nation's - true backcourt gems. He's proven himself in an astounding 3,101 minutes in 99 career games. He enters his senior season with 1,542 career points.
Further, the Eagles return six other lettermen, including four sophomores who gained significant experience last year. Add in three freshmen who promise to make immediate contributions and one can see why things are looking up at the Heights.
In fact, it's easy to see why Skinner is eager to get started.
"I'd like to think that we're going to be improved in that we just have more talent," the coach said. "We're still a fairly young team, except for Tyrese. You'd like to think we're going to grow and mature and really compete in this league.
"The most important thing is that we have more depth and more flexibility than we had last season, and our ballhandling and scoring should improve."
The depth and flexibility of which he speaks can be seen in the BC backcourt. Rice, sophomore Biko Paris and freshman Reggie Jackson can each play either guard position. Sophomore Rakim Sanders and freshman Dallas Elmore can both play the shooting guard position or move up to the small-forward spot.
"We now have the flexibility to play different ways, which we did not have last year," Skinner said. "We can chase the ball if we want. We can play a big team and play some zone, or we can play small and pressure. Because of the depth we have in the backcourt, it gives us an opportunity to attack teams in different ways and it makes it more difficult for opposing teams to attack us because of our improved ballhandling."
Skinner also sees some promise in the team's frontcourt prospects. To start, the Eagles add two players - sophomore Joe Trapani and freshman Evan Ravenel - who figure to quickly work their way into the rotation.
Further, take the center spot as an example. While likely to be manned by younger, less experienced players, this position could well provide the team with a needed boost. Sophomore center Josh Southern enters his second season as a more polished and better conditioned player. Much-improved sophomore Cortney Dunn and Ravenel will provide support.
"It may not be our deepest position," the coach said of the center spot, "but it's an effective one in that all of the players will be able to fit in and be consistent. If they can hold their own and then some, then I think we'll be fine."
In order to sort through the versatile Eagle lineup, let's take a position-by-position, number-by-number look at the team.
1 (Point Guard) The Eagles have three players - Rice, Paris and Jackson - who can take charge from the point-guard position. Rice, of course, is the backbone of the club.
Last winter, Rice assumed the on-court reins - reins that had previously been held by former running mates Craig Smith, Louis Hinnant, Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall. Rice made his mark in the conference and throughout the country. Everyone remembers his stunning 46-point effort against North Carolina on March 1. Yet, Rice impressed most everyone most every night last winter. He finished the season averaging 21.0 points in 38.1 minutes per game. In ACC action, he raised his averages to 22.9 points in 39.0 minutes per game. This season Rice promises more of the same. Yet Skinner cautions - even hopes - that Rice's role may be a bit different this year.
"As I told him, if his scoring goes down, his assists go up and his shooting percentage goes up, then we're a better basketball team," Skinner said of his star. "Because what that means is that the people around him are doing the jobs that they're supposed to be doing."
Biko Paris can also direct the offense. The proud New Orleans native played in all 31 games in 2007-08, making three scattered starts. His first start was a memorable one. Paris played all 40 minutes and scored a season-best 19 points in the season opener against New Hampshire. By season's end, he was averaging 5.7 points and 2.9 assists per game. Skinner believes Paris has benefitted greatly from one year in the system.
"Biko needed a better understanding of what we wanted to do. He was a very good scorer in high school, but his scoring was needed less. His brainpower was needed more," Skinner said.
Reggie Jackson appears poised to step right in and contribute. The Colorado Springs, Colo., resident captured Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year honors at Palmer High School last winter. He averaged 29.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game for the Terrors.
"Reggie can do a little of everything. He can score. He can shoot it. He can defend," Skinner said. "Our ballhandling will improve and Reggie will definitely help in that area. He's a combo guard. He really has all the tools to play either position."
2 (Shooting Guard) The Eagles have options at the off-guard position as well. Rice and Paris both saw action at this position last winter, often playing alongside one another. Jackson, the newcomer, showed a deft outside touch during his schoolboy days and offers the team versatility here as well.
 Sophomore guard/forward Rakim Sanders  |
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Skinner stresses that Sanders may not yet have even begun to show his true potential.
"Rakim needs to learn to take full advantage of his physical ability. I don't think there's another guard in this league who has the tools that he has physically," the coach said. "Now, he's got to learn to utilize those tools. The nice thing for him is that it's not physical for him to succeed. It's mental."
Freshman Dallas Elmore is another alternative at the big-guard position. The Fort Collins, Colo., product averaged 23.0 points at Poudre High School in 2007-08. A Class 5A All-State selection, the 6-foot-5-inch guard is known as a stingy defender as much as a scorer.
"Dallas is a complete basketball player. He defends. He rebounds. He handles. He drives," Skinner said. "He's a player who you can utilize at different positions in different situations."
3 (Wing/Small Forward) The Eagles will look at three returning players and one newcomer at the small-forward position. Junior Tyler Roche is the veteran among the group, while Sanders and classmate Corey Raji also return after one year of service. Elmore rounds out the lineup on the wing.
"Among our wings, each guy is a little bit different than the other and, because of that, it gives us the flexibility that we need to compete," Skinner said.
Roche has played in 52 games in his first two seasons with the Eagles. Last winter, he saw action in 29 games, making 23 starts. The Hooksett, N.H., product averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game. He sank 24 three-pointers and finished the season with an impressive 1.80 assist-turnover ratio.
"Tyler's one of the more experienced players on the team, and that's the whole key," Skinner said. "He understands the system and what needs to be done in terms of execution. We're hoping that he will bring a little more leadership because of his understanding and the experiences that he's had. It's all in front of him."
 Junior forward Tyler Roche |
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"It's a credit to him, the flexibility he offers, and we will try to take advantage of what he can bring," the coach said. "He had some success and he learned a lot last year. He had the chance to experience a lot of different things, and this year I'm looking for some improvement from him.
"He's one of our better defenders and he's a potential lockdown guy. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder. He's quick off the floor. He's got long arms. He's probably a little stronger than people realize, and he works at it."
4 (Power Forward) The power-forward position figures to be one of the more intriguing ones for the Eagles, yet Skinner believes the quartet who will compete for time here is up for the challenge. BC enters the season with little experience at this position. The versatile Raji, who played more than 600 minutes last winter, saw some of that action in the four spot and figures to do so again this year.
Sophomores Cortney Dunn and Joe Trapani enter the season as virtual newcomers, yet were able to gain some valuable practice experience last year. Dunn saw limited game action - playing in three contests - in 2007-08. During the offseason, he worked diligently to improve his game and his body. Dunn enters the season at a lean 234 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than one year ago. This work has the coach convinced that Dunn may now well be ready to make his mark on the program.
"I think Cortney's an individual who can make a big jump. He wasn't quite strong enough nor probably confident enough to play last year, but I think he acquired that in the offseason," Skinner said. "I think he's ready to play some effective minutes. Cortney understands how to play. He rebounds well and he defends the interior well."
Trapani will make his BC debut this winter after sitting out the 2007-08 season as a transfer from the University of Vermont. The Madison, Conn., resident did practice with the Eagles last year. He also has the benefit of having played one year of college ball. Trapani gained America East All-Rookie Team honors after averaging 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2006-07. Skinner hopes the combination of game and practice experiences will ease Trapani's initiation this season.
"Joe had a year to play (at Vermont) and had some success. He has some playing experience, just not at this level," the coach continued. "Offensively, he's a pretty strong player. He has a lot of flexibility within his offensive game. He really allows you to spread the floor because of his ability to shoot the ball. Also, his interior game is probably a little stronger than people are giving him credit for."
Freshman Evan Ravenel will also have the opportunity to work his way into the Eagles' rotation. He was an All-City selection and an All-Hillsborough County second-team honoree at Brandon (Fla.) High School last winter. The 6-foot-8-inch power forward averaged 16.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocked shots per game in his senior season. In the off season, Ravenel has worked to refine his skills and trim some weight.
"Evan is a big body up front. He has good skills and the most important thing is he's going to help our interior defense and our rebounding and provide some strength up front," Skinner said. "I think he has a chance to be very effective once he gets an understanding of how we want to play."
5 (Center) Sophomore Josh Southern will serve as the anchor at the center position for the 2008-09 Eagles. He will also gain relief and support from Dunn and Ravenel.
Southern showed steady progress throughout his freshman season and capped the year by scoring in double figures in each of the last four games. The 6-foot-10-inch center averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. His final numbers are deceptive in that he saw his minutes - and his production - increase dramatically in the second half of the season.
Skinner saluted Southern's dedication and persistence - and expressed his belief that the Saginaw, Mich., product is only in the infancy of his basketball development.
"Josh never quit on himself. It's a credit to him that he continued to work. He came a long way in a short period of time," the coach said. "He's probably one of our more intelligent basketball players. When you have that out of the center position you're always going to be effective. You know you're going to get good, solid, intelligent basketball - and then some."
