Dickens Scratching Tip of Talent Iceberg

Boston College had just lost to Georgia Tech when head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee had a routine coach-player meeting with Makayla Dickens. The freshman point guard was coming off of a 15-point performance, but the Yellow Jackets out-rebounded the Eagles to a margin of just under 2-1. A five-point loss hurt, but the 18 second chance points scored against BC told a pointed story. So the coach delivered a simple message to her rookie guard.

"We talked after Georgia Tech and (we) had gotten really out-rebounded," she said. "We watched some film, and I showed (Dickens) how she wasn't blocking out and how she wasn't crashing boards. I told her that we could go over film all day, but she had to look in the mirror to get better. After that, she made a huge adjustment, and now she's growing and getting better every day."

That adjustment paid immediate dividends for the Eagles. After Dickens registered a double-double against No. 9 NC State, she exploded against Wake Forest. She poured in 11 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. When she cleaned the game-winning glass with four seconds remaining, BC won its first ACC game by one, 65-64.

Three days later, Dickens had seven more rebounds and 11 more points as the Eagles won again on the road, this time against Pitt. For the team, it was the first time with two consecutive road wins in four seasons. For the freshman, it was enough to earn ACC co-Rookie of the Week honors.

"We lost to Georgia Tech because of our rebounding," Dickens said. "So we started emphasizing it so much (more) so we can learn how it creates more opportunities for us to score."

It's the latest step in a career pushing the freshman into the ACC's next generation of stars. Her 16 boards against Wake Forest was the first time a BC guard ever recorded as many, and it was the first time overall in four seasons. It pushed her per-game average up over five while maintaining an 11.5 points per game standard that ranks her second on the roster.

At the same time, it's a developing game for a point guard thrust into a role as a team leader in her first season. BC is a well-recognized "young team," but the seven freshmen on the roster enable players to compete on a daily basis against one another. It forces everyone to improve daily while answering the proverbial bell.

"We're asking her to come in and be a leader and be vocal on the court," McNamee said. "It's a big task to ask a freshman, especially in the ACC. But that's something that she will continue to grow as these ACC games keep rolling through."

"There's been competition," Dickens said. "Everyone goes at everyone in practice. Your job is never secure, so everyone competes every day. In terms of my development, I wasn't much of a talker when I (got to BC). I wasn't talkative at all, but I've done a better job talking to (my teammates) on the court. I still have a lot of work to do there, but I look forward to getting better every day."

It's plenty to ask of a rookie, but it's something the coaching staff saw in the Virginia Beach native when she arrived in Chestnut Hill. Coach McNamee recruited Dickens to Albany. When McNamee took the Boston College job, Dickens followed.

"She has great court vision," McNamee said. "Court vision is the 'it factor' that players have. You can't teach it, and you can't make someone better at it. That's what makes people say you're a 'baller.' She's had it, and now she's embracing it to play within the point guard position.

"She has to take that court vision and play the point to know her personnel and set her teammates up for success," she said. "It's throwing great passes and taking pride in delivering the ball. As a (shooting guard), you're more worried about getting into position, and if someone cuts to the basket, you can make that pass. But as a point guard, you need to be able to distribute the ball."

It consequently allowed McNamee to push Dickens harder to flourish. The coach remembered what she saw in Dickens' ability in high school, and it enabled her to nudge that forward a little bit more within the framework of the offense. The rookie has at least three assists in her past five games, having registered at least one helper in all but two games this year. She opened the season with 11 assists in her first two games, hitting a season-high seven against Bryant.

"In my system, I want my point guard to score as well as distribute," McNamee said. "I want to play in my system, so I think she's enjoying it. She probably feels that I'm harder (on her) in practice, and I am. Both her and Marnelle (Giraud) wind up taking the brunt of that coaching because (the point guards) are me on the court. They're the coach on the court (in the system)."

The Eagles return to ACC play on Thursday when they play No. 21/RV Florida State at Conte Forum. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3 and via the WatchESPN app on mobile devices.

Players Mentioned

Makayla Dickens

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