Eagles Take Flight

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

The 2009 season for the Eagles came to a screeching halt with an all too familiar sour taste in the Eagles’ mouths. Yet again, Boston College was ousted early, and perhaps too early, in the NCAA tournament versus an opponent that some thought should have been passable. 

 Nonetheless, the summer months have passed, and Al Skinner’s squad reports back to the court as young as ever, and with the same starting five as 2009 – minus second team All-ACC guard Tyrese Rice. The loss of Rice leaves an unavoidable hole in the Eagles’ offense, coming off a season during which he lead the entire team in scoring, posting a powerful 16.9 points per game.

Still, even with the loss of Rice’s scoring, Skinner remains confident that the Eagles, who finished 22-12 last season, will be able to rely on their cohesiveness and youth to shine through. The Eagles made an important step last season with key victories over rival UNC and Duke, games that will prove to be building blocks for this season. With a returning core that includes four of their starting five from 2009, the Eagles are in a great position to compete once again for the ACC Title, as well as make an eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament in the past nine years.

The Starting Five

Rakim Sanders, G-F, jr:

Strengths: Very physical and can score/rebound with the best of them. Looks to be a strong breakout candidate this year within the Eagle offense. If BC wants to make up for the loss of Rice – look no further than Rakim Sanders.

Weaknesses: Sanders’ passing leaves something to be desired, as does his outside shot. Those things will need to be improved on if he hopes to lead the Eagles offense to an NCAA berth this year.

This is going to be the guy they’re counting on all year. Without Rice, the Eagles are going to have to make up for scoring somehow – and Sanders is it. He has it all; the ability to do whatever he pleases down low with his physicality, the skills to run around defenders, and the ability to create for not only himself but everyone else around him. If he can brush up on his perimeter shooting as well as his passing in the lanes, Sanders could morph into the elite player the Eagles hope he will.

Joe Trapani, F, jr: 

Strengths: 6-8, 218 -  this kid’s a tough out down low. Trapani averaged 6.6 rebounds per game last year with a solid 13.4 points to go with it. The junior may even see as much time at his forward position as he does as a rotating guard, allowing Boston College to spread the floor against particular opponents since Trapani features a nice perimeter shot as well.

Weaknesses: At 6-8, some may consider Trapani a little small for his position. He’s going to be matching up against the best the ACC has to offer, and on some nights, it might not work out to well for him. Even so, Skinner doesn’t think there’s a player in the league who can consistently take advantage of Trapani at the 4 – it remains to be seen if the coach is right.

This is the versatile member of the group. His size down low as well as solid perimeter shooting makes him a viable option to be switched around between the guard and forward position. This could come in very handy against some of the stronger opponents on the ACC, especially ones who like to stack down low. The Eagles are going to need big contributions from Trapani as center Josh Southern continues to grow into his own. 

Josh Southern, C, jr: 

Strengths: He’s a big boy. At 6-9, weighing in at 250, Southern has tremendous size for his position, something that will undoubtedly come in handy against the league’s heavyweights. He’s a great finisher and a dominant rebounding force. As long as he continues to mature, Southern will become a force in the Eagle’s front-court.

Weaknesses: He may have top-100 prospect value, but Southern still has a lot to learn about the position. Something he needs to focus on in 2009 is his low-block scoring, and a post shot. If he can master those two things, Southern will have the looks of a very dominant ACC center.

It seems like Skinner’s main concerns about Southern aren’t his skills, it’s his consistency and his confidence. Southern has to be effective if the Eagles want any hope at a deep NCAA tournament run. Without a solid big man, it will be tough for BC to compete against the UNC’s and Duke’s of the world, teams they will need to be able to beat if they want to have serious title runs. Southern has a lot of work ahead of him, but his big 250 frame is a tool that few players have. Skinner will work something out of him no doubt.

Corey Raji, F, jr: 

Strengths: He has the grit and the toughness that you need at his position. Raji also has a passion and intensity that is tough to match on the court. Despite his 6-6 frame, Raji has shown he is able to rebound against some of the tougher defenders in the league.

Weaknesses: Even so, his somewhat small size for his position could prove troublesome for the Eagles. Much like Sanders, Raji lacks a very good perimeter shot, posting a putrid .071% from beyond the arc in 2009.

Raji could prove to be somewhat of a wildcard for the Eagles this year. Skinner even said so himself, Boston College is yet to even draft plays around the 6-6 forward – meaning most teams just aren’t sure how to defend him. He’s got a lot of skills, and a passion to match it, the question is just how much his size will prevent him from competing against some of the more powerful forwards in the ACC.

Biko Paris, PG, jr: 

Strengths: He’s been groomed to take over the play-making position by Head Coach Al Skinner, and now he gets his chance. With Tyrese Rice out, Paris steps in at the point position to run the Eagle offense. He’s statistically better at handling the ball than Rice was, and a much better three-point shooter. Also adds better defense than Rice did from his position.

Weaknesses: The scoring. Despite being a better percentage shooter from beyond the arc and arguable a better ball handle, the points BC will miss from the play-making position won’t be made up easily. Paris has a tendency to distribute rather than shoot, something that can be a blessing but also a curse depending on how he uses it.

With all the talk about how to replace Rice and his points, the spotlight falls on Biko Paris’s shoulders. Skinner was quoted as saying that some BC players may even prefer playing with Paris because of his tendency to spread the ball around rather than take control in the scoring department like Tyrese Rice did. Still, no matter how you slice it, Paris just isn’t going to put up the 17 points a game Rice did in any way shape or form. BC’s one hope is that he finds the open guys who will.

Five Calendar Dates to Circle 

December 2, @ Michigan – Boston College’s first test against a ranked opponent comes on December 2^nd against the University of Michigan on the Wolverine’s home court. With a few winnable games to start out the season, this will be the Eagles’ first real test in the 2009 season.

January 13, @ Duke/February 6, vs. Duke – Duke. Boston College. Need more be said? The team everybody loves to hate takes on the Eagles and on February 6^th they travel to Chestnut Hill. The two teams collided on February 15^th of last year, and the Eagles took down the mighty 5^th ranked Duke 80-74. With the followings that both teams command, this season’s clashes shouldn’t be any different.

January 26, vs. Clemson – If BC’s earlier matchup against Duke doesn’t go quite the Eagle’s way and it’s looking like the second won’t either, this is a game Boston College will have to win. If they want any hope at an NCAA berth, losing to Duke, NC and Clemson each time through won’t help at all. They take them on their home court, which helps, but make no mistake about it – if BC doesn’t have any luck against Duke and the way they’re playing doesn’t lead anyone to believe they will against North Carolina, this Clemson matchup could have huge implications.

February 20th, vs. North Carolina – Any game against the Tar Heels is worth circling, for obvious reasons. It won’t be BC’s first test against a mighty ACC foe, but it will certainly be their most trying. In recent years though Boston College has had a knack for pulling up nifty upsets – might they have one in store on 2/20?

article also on WEEI.com

We Meet Again...

by Ian Tasso 

Editorial. Photos by AP News

They’re the reason the Green reloaded.

After a Game 7 loss to the Orlando Magic ended the Celtics’ season last year, Boston went into the offseason with a clear objective: get deeper.

The series loss against the Magic exposed a clear weakness within the Celtics team, specifically their lack of depth at the big positions. Boston stormed into the offseason guns-a-blazing, signing guys like Rasheed Wallace and Shelden Williams to give them depth at the bigs, and even grabbing Marquis Daniels to add both scoring and defense off the bench.

The Magic exposed the Celtics’ weaknesses. The Magic played a major role in pushing the Celtics to reload and retool their bench, and now they have to face the beast they helped create.

In a much anticipated rematch, the two teams will return to the court where they met for their decisive Game 7 just four short months ago, and perhaps some will view this as a chance to start settling a score.

That being said, at this point in the season, a lot has changed between the two teams. For Boston, there are the aforementioned changes to the bench and the return to health of Kevin Garnett. Meanwhile in Orlando, Hedo Turkoglu is out, Vince Carter is in, and Jameer Nelson is back on the shelf.

Personnel moves aside, both these teams are proving again in 2010 that they are the class of the East, sitting atop the conference identical 9-3 records. On Thursday night, though, the Celtics will have revenge on their mind.

Here’s how things stack up heading into the game:

Recent Performance:

Clash of the Titans -- Neither team comes into tomorrow night’s game on any type of tear, but if you had to give an edge, you’d certainly give it to the Magic. Orlando rolls into Friday’s match up a winner of three in a row and four of their last five, the most recent victory a 108-94 beating of the Oklahoma City Thunder at home. The Celtics however were finally able to get back to their winning ways just last night, defeating the Warriors 109-95 after dropping two in a row following an 8-1 start. But either way you slice it, both the Celtics and Magic are 9-3 thus far in the season and overall have both come surging out of the gates. Regardless of how each has done in their last handful of games, it’s a collision of two of the East’s bests no matter how you look at it.

Head to Head

Opening Act -- This will be the first meeting between the two teams thus far, but last year they met a total of nine times, with the Magic winning five. The season series was tied at 2-2 before the teams collided head on in the postseason, a series that the Magic won 3-2, dominating Boston 101-82 in the final game seven at the Garden.

Scouting Report

Defense wins Championships -- It’s no secret what makes either team tick. For the Magic, it’s the dominant inside presence of Dwight Howard, followed by the slick shooting of his outside men, though this year Vince Carter has slightly altered that perception. For the Green, it’s the same old big three, perhaps even the big four thanks to Rajon Rondo’s emergence. With either team, the multiple scoring threats they present are devastating to opponents, and the difference is sure to be held on the defensive side of the floor. Whichever team can play better defense inside the paint and outside will win the game.

Key Statistic

Rasheed Wallace – The new acquisition comes into Friday night averaging 10.5 points off the bench, solid scoring from a position that the Celtics lacked contribution from last season. Wallace is a new wrinkle in the Celtic team, something that the Magic will have to account for if they want to take down Big Green once again.

Vince Carter – Exit Hedo Turkoglu. Enter, Vince Carter, who right now is second on the Magic with 17.1 points a game, only one point behind heralded anchor Dwight Howard. Many were concerned with how Carter would fit in the Magic system that seemed to be a dump and launch from beyond the arc. So far though, Vinsanity has gelled to perfection and has become a key part of an Orlando offense that is going to have to be on their “A” game if they want to crack a stout Celtics defense that’s allowing a league second best 88.8 points a game.

Key Match up

Howard vs. Perkins -- It’s the match up we all focused on last year, for obvious reasons. It’s no secret that Dwight Howard is the motor on which the Magic offense runs. Number 12 dominated last postseason through and through, until he reached Boston. The Celtics possess quite possibly the only center in the NBA that has the ability to make Howard earn each and every shot he takes, and by using his sheer size and ability, Kendrick Perkins could be the wrench in the Magic’s gears. His only problem of course is his tendency to drift into foul trouble, which would disrupt the Celtic’s plan of having him bang bodies all night with Howard down low. If he can stay out of trouble however, and limit Howard to anything less than a 20/20 night, Boston will have a much easier time dispatching the Magic.

Health/Injuries

Familiar Territory -- To this point the Celtics have been relatively healthy, aside from losing Big Baby before the season even began. The Magic however are back at square one, losing guard Jameer Nelson yet again, this time to knee surgery. Last season Orlando was without Dwight Howard’s wingman for the better part of the regular season, though Nelson did reappear late in the playoffs. It’s no secret to anyone however that the loss of Nelson severely hurts the Magic, especially in a game like Friday night’s.

Kiss the Rings

Tale of Two Teams – In their history, the Boston Celtics have 17 World Championships to their name. The Orlando Magic have 0.

Quotable

The Truth Comes Out -- Last year’s playoff series was a great one to watch. But that doesn’t mean it sat well with Celtics captain Paul Pierce. After the Magic went on to lose to the Lakers in the 2009 Finals, Pierce had this to say about the Orlando-Los Angeles Final:

“Looked like a German shepherd vs. a poodle. That’s OK the Rottweiler Celtics will b back in 2010.”

The Captain didn’t stop there either. Pierce then went on to exclaim that the Celtics are the best team in the NBA when healthy – something that the defending Eastern Conference Champion Magic aren’t going to take lightly:

“Before the season even started last year, I was asked, ‘What is going to stop y’all from winning it all? The first thing I said was, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re going to win it all.’ And I’m going to say it again: ‘If we are healthy, we are going to win it all. I honestly believe that. I think we’re the best team in the NBA, healthy.”

All talking aside, Friday night’s game is bound to be a great one, simply because of the recent history between the two teams. And while it’s nice to see the confidence that Pierce displays regarding the Eastern Conference foes, it’s important to remember how last season ended up.

But then again, Boston did leave their Big Ticket at home last year.

They’ll be sure to bring it on Friday.

article also on WEEI.com

Last Call on Air - A Rivalry Renewed

November 12, 2009

Tasso, Barker, Tam, Liebman

Special Guest: ESPNBoston.com, Patriots Blog 

Mike Reiss

Bustin' Out

by Tom Nieradka

Editorial. Photos by AP News

Everything has its busts. Movies have the Matrix sequels, TV has every new show that has featured an actor from Seinfeld, and Halloween has candy corn. 

Football is no different, and every season more and more players and teams surprise us with their awful and underwhelming play. The thing that constitutes a bust, however, is not simply lackluster play. It would not be fair the say the Rams have been a bust because everyone knew that they (Stephen Jackson aside) were going to be terrible. 

However it would be fair to levy that criticism against the following list of deceivers and mystics (not really); those who have driven fans to the brink and make being a fan of the Lions look like a great time (can’t go anywhere but up).

Joey Galloway:

Bill Belichick seems to make his teams out of second round picks and aging vets. He took the testy Randy Moss and revived his career after a dismal year with the Raiders, he saw the talent is Wes Welker as he was rotting on Miami and made him into a top level receiver and returner…..and then there was Joey Galloway. 

At 37 Galloway was a much older project than Moss or Welker, however Pats fans continued to believe that Bill could do no wrong. Over a somewhat illustrious career Galloway had racked up six 1000 yard receiving seasons, including three from 2005-2007 with the Bucs. Apparently Belichick can make mistakes however, and through three games this season Galloway seven receptions for 67 yards. He was largely ineffective and couldn’t catch the ball. At least the Pats were able to rectify their error though; he was cut after three weeks.

Matt Cassel:

I feel bad putting Matt Cassel here. He went from one of the most high powered offenses in the NFL to one of the worst, one of the best lines in the NFL to one of the worst, and from Randy Moss and Wes Welker to Dwayne Bowe and Dwayne Bowe. 

And though its too late to call him a bust for the long haul, so far the he has to be in that category. KC hired him to open up the offense and to put points on the board, and as of yet he has not been able to do that. KC is averaging just under 16 points per game (among the worst in the league) and only has 1293 passing yards on the year (good for 28^th in the NFL). 

And unfortunately for Cassel, his fault or not the blame falls on him. Its tough out there for a young QB with a bad O-Line, and Cassel has actually done well throwing only five interceptions. However he is getting beaten up worse than even Aaron Rogers, getting sacked an astounding 27 times so far. Even so, he is the best that KC can put out there right now, and is most likely their best bet going forwards, so until further notice hopefully he can stay healthy and out of Elvis Dumervil’s way (he has 10 sacks in 7 games and KC faces Denver twice).

Tennessee Titans:

Coming off a 13-3 season and a trip to the playoffs, the Titans are sitting 2-6 and in last place in the AFC South. Their “defense” has allowed a league-worst 29.8 points per game, and their “offense” has managed only 18.5 points per game (good for 23^rd in the NFL). 

The hopes were so high for the Titans, but they just don’t seem able to stop anyone. Granted that starting cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper have been dealing with injuries, the fact remains that they gave up 59 points to the Pats and managed a grand total of 0 points in return. The one bright spot of the otherwise awful offense has been RB Chris Johnson who leads the league with 959 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Kerry Collins has been benched (probably for the best) and Vince “I’m kinda getting old now” Young is back in. 

And so far it has been working as the Titans under Young have won two straight against the Jags and the 49ers. Maybe brighter days are coming, but unless the Titans manage a 8-0 run to end the season  it will no doubt be regarded as a disappointing year.

Michael Vick:

One of the biggest and most controversial off-season acquisitions was the former jail-bird Michael Vick by the Eagles following his 18 month prison term. He was supposed to revolutionize the Eagles offense brining speed and mobility that McNabb lacked. 

However so far he has only succeeded in throwing off McNabb’s rhythm and in sitting on the bench. Thus far he is 2-6 passing for 6 yards, and has rushed for 27 yards on 12 carries. He seems to do more harm than good when he is playing for the Eagles, and the signing makes less and less sense when they already have a proven quarterback who knows the offense and has run it well in the past. Vick was the wildcard to be used in the wildcat, but thus far he is looking more and more like a wild-waste-of-money.

New York Giants:

Coming off a 12-4 season and a playoff trip in 2008 and a Superbowl win in 2007, the Giants were the early favorite to win the tough NFC East. Eli Manning was coming into his prime, the tandem of the bruising Brandon Jacobs and the explosive Ahmad Bradshaw we said the be the best running back combo in the NFL, and their elite pass rush and great secondary made a brick wall for opposing offenses. 

Through the first five games all of the predictions were coming true. The Giants were 5-0 and had the number one defense in the NFL, Eli Manning was on fire, and the Giants could run all over opposing defenses at will. And then reality struck. After victories against the woeful Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders, the Giants ran into the Saints. And 60 minutes and 48 points later the Giants began their four game skid to 5-4, losing to the Cardinals, Eagles, and Chargers. 

Eli’s foot injury seems to be nagging and he has been ineffective, throwing six picks over the last four games. Brandon Jacobs has yet to hit 100 yards this season and has only two total touchdowns. Bradshaw remains a change of pace back, and has averaged around 3 yards per carry over the skid, with his explosive runs fading into memory. And perhaps worst of all the once great defense has given up 40 points twice in the last four games, and handed rival QB Phillip Rivers one of the easiest two minute drills of his career and a lob to Vincent Jackson to put the Chargers over the Giants 21-20. 

It is sad to see how the mighty Giants have fallen to mediocrity, and the biggest bust of the season.