Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Breaking Records And Building Cultures
January 23, 2017 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
Kelly Hughes set the record this week for three-point field goals, regardless of gender.
When he accepted the head coaching position of Boston College's women's basketball program, Erik Johnson arrived in Chestnut Hill with a mission. A former assistant coach of the Eagles, he remembered what the culture had been when the team enjoyed some of its greatest success, and he wanted to bring that back to Conte Forum. To do so, he needed to get players to buy into what he was selling - both on the court and on the recruiting trail.
In Kelly Hughes, he found that athlete. Now a senior in Johnson's system, Hughes has become one of Boston College's most prolific basketball players, regardless of gender. In this past weekend's game against Duke, Hughes scored 14 points, but it was her two three-point shots that made the most impact. They were three-point field goals 300 and 301 of her career, establishing a new record for most shots made from beyond the arc for both men's and women's basketball.
"Kelly is exactly the type of player we wanted to have at Boston College," Johnson said. "Her attitude has always been that it's not about who is shooting or who is getting their reps; she cares about taking shots as long as her teammates are passing the ball to her. We led the nation in percentage of baskets scored off of assists, and that is a great juxtaposition of her prolific shooting. That's part of how she plays the game, and those prolific numbers are something that is a product of her wanting to build and create a team culture."
It's a thought echoed by Hughes. "A ton of credit (for the record) needs to go to my teammates," she said. "I've always been a shooter, but I can't shoot unless they get me the ball. I know that if I can get open on the wing, my teammates can dish to me as a shooter. We win and lose as a team, and even though this is a great record and an honor for me, my teammates deserve attention and recognition as part of it. 300 is a lot of three-pointers, and it takes a lot of shots to get there; I've played with some great players who have helped make all of this possible."
For Johnson, it's what he envisioned when he recruited Hughes as part of his first class.
Arriving at Boston College, "we wanted to have the program buy in from the beginning," he explained. "And some players who were here did and some didn't, and that's totally fine because a coaching change is a big change for players who were recruited by someone else. But Kelly signed up knowing that
"We were selling a vision, and she shared that vision for BC basketball," he said. "She's stuck with us through a transition, through our ups and downs, and she's been a constant factor."
It's a process that began literally as he began his job in Chestnut Hill. After accepting the position, Johnson began the process of putting together his first recruiting class. With an interest in Hughes, he found himself recruiting her against stiff competition. For her basketball skills, she was being courted by power basketball conference schools such as Michigan and Villanova. Academically, she was being recruited by the Ivy League.
"Her brother was a freshman (at BC) while we were recruiting her," Johnson said. "So the family knew about the campus, the school, and everything it had to offer. But she was still heavily recruited by Ivy League schools and power conference basketball schools. She's from New Jersey, and it boiled down to an academic decision between us and Princeton. We were very fortunate that she chose to come to us."
Arriving at BC, Hughes found herself working as the transitional centerpiece. Appearing in 31 games as a freshman, she only started nine games. She became a starter in her sophomore year then transitioned to her current role as a junior. It's a process that incorporated her skills as a shooter, but it was an ever-evolving role that required the coaches to ask different things based on need.
In addition to her shooting prowess, Hughes has 598 career rebounds, virtually assuring her of becoming a member of the 300-600 Club.
"She's an ACC leader in defensive rebounds, and she's a sneaky good offensive rebounder," Johnson said. "We took her off of that role more this year to make sure she could do different things like get back in transition, but we know she can do more with her skills. In her career, as she's put on more muscle, she's proven she can play the game at this level."
Averaging just under-13 points per game, she's recorded three 20-point games and has double figures in all except for five appearances this year. But more importantly, she's established herself as a presence in a dynamic duo, working first with Nicole Boudreau for three seasons and now combining with Mariella Fasoula, who is averaging 16 points per game herself.
Still, the goal for Hughes has always been about something more than just playing on the court. As she heads down the home stretch of her final season, the job is about laying the foundation for future Eagles.
"We want to be able to play together every time we're on the court," she said. "The ACC is the most competitive conference in the nation, and it's full of some of the best athletes in basketball. Boston College has never had the most athletic basketball players, so we need more of an attitude and desire to play with one another in order to compete.
"Coach Johnson is establishing that culture," she continued, "and we want to play with that toughness that he wants out of our team. Everything that we do takes camaraderie and teamwork."
"When I came to BC as an assistant coach under Cathy Inglese," Johnson said, "Boston College had been to three Sweet 16s in four years. It was done with athletes who are smart and tough and who play unselfish basketball. We can get those kids, and we can get the size and speed as we go. Kelly fit that mold, the type of player who can score but create with her teammates. She does a good job of finding teammates, and she's willing to put the ball on the floor to get them open - but she obviously can shoot, which this record is indicative of. That's the mold of success that we're trying to bring into BC, and that's what she's helped establish for us."
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In Kelly Hughes, he found that athlete. Now a senior in Johnson's system, Hughes has become one of Boston College's most prolific basketball players, regardless of gender. In this past weekend's game against Duke, Hughes scored 14 points, but it was her two three-point shots that made the most impact. They were three-point field goals 300 and 301 of her career, establishing a new record for most shots made from beyond the arc for both men's and women's basketball.
"Kelly is exactly the type of player we wanted to have at Boston College," Johnson said. "Her attitude has always been that it's not about who is shooting or who is getting their reps; she cares about taking shots as long as her teammates are passing the ball to her. We led the nation in percentage of baskets scored off of assists, and that is a great juxtaposition of her prolific shooting. That's part of how she plays the game, and those prolific numbers are something that is a product of her wanting to build and create a team culture."
It's a thought echoed by Hughes. "A ton of credit (for the record) needs to go to my teammates," she said. "I've always been a shooter, but I can't shoot unless they get me the ball. I know that if I can get open on the wing, my teammates can dish to me as a shooter. We win and lose as a team, and even though this is a great record and an honor for me, my teammates deserve attention and recognition as part of it. 300 is a lot of three-pointers, and it takes a lot of shots to get there; I've played with some great players who have helped make all of this possible."
For Johnson, it's what he envisioned when he recruited Hughes as part of his first class.
Arriving at Boston College, "we wanted to have the program buy in from the beginning," he explained. "And some players who were here did and some didn't, and that's totally fine because a coaching change is a big change for players who were recruited by someone else. But Kelly signed up knowing that
"We were selling a vision, and she shared that vision for BC basketball," he said. "She's stuck with us through a transition, through our ups and downs, and she's been a constant factor."
It's a process that began literally as he began his job in Chestnut Hill. After accepting the position, Johnson began the process of putting together his first recruiting class. With an interest in Hughes, he found himself recruiting her against stiff competition. For her basketball skills, she was being courted by power basketball conference schools such as Michigan and Villanova. Academically, she was being recruited by the Ivy League.
"Her brother was a freshman (at BC) while we were recruiting her," Johnson said. "So the family knew about the campus, the school, and everything it had to offer. But she was still heavily recruited by Ivy League schools and power conference basketball schools. She's from New Jersey, and it boiled down to an academic decision between us and Princeton. We were very fortunate that she chose to come to us."
Arriving at BC, Hughes found herself working as the transitional centerpiece. Appearing in 31 games as a freshman, she only started nine games. She became a starter in her sophomore year then transitioned to her current role as a junior. It's a process that incorporated her skills as a shooter, but it was an ever-evolving role that required the coaches to ask different things based on need.
In addition to her shooting prowess, Hughes has 598 career rebounds, virtually assuring her of becoming a member of the 300-600 Club.
"She's an ACC leader in defensive rebounds, and she's a sneaky good offensive rebounder," Johnson said. "We took her off of that role more this year to make sure she could do different things like get back in transition, but we know she can do more with her skills. In her career, as she's put on more muscle, she's proven she can play the game at this level."
Averaging just under-13 points per game, she's recorded three 20-point games and has double figures in all except for five appearances this year. But more importantly, she's established herself as a presence in a dynamic duo, working first with Nicole Boudreau for three seasons and now combining with Mariella Fasoula, who is averaging 16 points per game herself.
Still, the goal for Hughes has always been about something more than just playing on the court. As she heads down the home stretch of her final season, the job is about laying the foundation for future Eagles.
"We want to be able to play together every time we're on the court," she said. "The ACC is the most competitive conference in the nation, and it's full of some of the best athletes in basketball. Boston College has never had the most athletic basketball players, so we need more of an attitude and desire to play with one another in order to compete.
"Coach Johnson is establishing that culture," she continued, "and we want to play with that toughness that he wants out of our team. Everything that we do takes camaraderie and teamwork."
"When I came to BC as an assistant coach under Cathy Inglese," Johnson said, "Boston College had been to three Sweet 16s in four years. It was done with athletes who are smart and tough and who play unselfish basketball. We can get those kids, and we can get the size and speed as we go. Kelly fit that mold, the type of player who can score but create with her teammates. She does a good job of finding teammates, and she's willing to put the ball on the floor to get them open - but she obviously can shoot, which this record is indicative of. That's the mold of success that we're trying to bring into BC, and that's what she's helped establish for us."
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