by Ian TassoThe 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 2nd 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 6th they travel to Chestnut Hill. The two teams collided on February 15th of last year, and the Eagles took down the mighty 5th 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?
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