2015-16 Boston College Basketball: Two old guys and a bunch of kids

Dave Stapleton

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So BC opened up its season on Saturday with a convincing 75-49 win over St. Francis (NY). Leading the way were transfer Eli Carter (23 points in 27 minutes) and freshman Jerome Robinson (19 Pts, 5 Ast, 6 Reb, 3 Stls).

This will definitely be a rebuilding year for sure but it looks like Christian has been able to recruit some talent (albeit raw).

The Kids

Jerome Robinson -- 6' 5" Point Guard from NC. All the buzz about him has been how BC may have a steal here and has the potential to be an All ACC player. Already the best passer on the team.

AJ Turner -- Top 150 recruit from Michigan. Other offers included MSU, ASU, Dayton, FSU and Stanford. Showed some flashes on Saturday.

Idy Diallo -- 6' 10" physical speciman -- Redshirted last year with a knee injury. Still figuring things out but had 4 REB (2 offensive) and 2 blocks on Saturday to go along with 5 fouls in 9 minutes.

Matt Milano -- Pure shooter with some size. Was on the court for 19 minutes on Saturday. Looked to belong but this will be a growth year.

Barnes-Thompkins -- Will get his chances this year. Scorer who provides depth for now.

John Carlos Reyes -- Another big guy (6' 10"). Could probably use a RS years but will be needed for depth.

Ervins Meznieks -- Latvian with some skills and size (6' 7"). Had 7 points and 2 reb in 21 minutes. Could begin to take some Owens minutes at the 4 if he doesn't work out as an undersized PF. Seems to have some skills.

Old guys

Eli Carter (24 yrs old) -- Transfer from Florida. Looked very good on Saturday but question will be how he fares against ACC competition. A scorer who seems to be a definite upgrade over Brown from last year. Question about how he will work with the young kids and how much freelancing will he do.

Dennis Clifford (24 yrs old) -- Finally healthy for the first time in his career. Had some struggles on Saturday but has bulked up and really has the chance to be 14/8 type player.

Garland Owens -- Didn't look great on Saturday except for a few offensive boards. Fouled out in 18 minutes. Will need see if he can play as an undersized 4.
 
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edoug

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Thanks for the write up. The way the football season has gone, a little optimism is nice change of pace.
 

BigSoxFan

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We actually look like a basketball team again. Jerome Robinson is the next in line of unheralded players at BC who turn into all-ACC talent. I've been leery of grad transfer since Humphrey/Aaron Brown stunk up the joint but Carter may be different. This likely isn't a tournament team but I think they have tournament talent.
 

Dave Stapleton

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We actually look like a basketball team again. Jerome Robinson is the next in line of unheralded players at BC who turn into all-ACC talent. I've been leery of grad transfer since Humphrey/Aaron Brown stunk up the joint but Carter may be different. This likely isn't a tournament team but I think they have tournament talent.
I was at the game with my son and it was a fun atmosphere. There were about 3,500 in attendance (not bad for an early non-conference tilt) and for a change BC actually looked like the more talented team.

Carter is not Brown or Humphrey. He has been historically a mediocre shooter but he looked in control and was able to dominate at times and score at will against lesser competition. Neither Humphrey nor Brown did that.
 

BigMike

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BC has also wrapped up their recruiting for the fall at least

http://www.bceagles.com/news/2015/11/17/MBB_1117150658.aspx

Graves looks like the PG BC definitely needs.

Sagay looks like Owens, he is a legitimate great athlete. A former football player who looks a lot more built than the normal BC guy, but raw on the court and has played at a very low level of competition before this year. This year he is in a much better league and we will see what he can do

Popovic definitely shows some athleticism
 

BigMike

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Solid win tonight over an overmatched CCSU 82-57

Robinson continues to be the best player on the court I think it was 15 pts, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Milon and Magic Mez had good games.

Nice to see Christian able to unload the bench and play the walkons the final 5 minutes of the game.

Team definitely looks like they are having fun out there, which is a nice change
 

Dave Stapleton

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BC beats a weak central Connecticut team 82-57. Robinson continues to impress with a 15-4-4-3 line. Millon shows what he can bring going 3-5 from 3 and 11 points.

Harvard should be a good barometer.
 

RedOctober3829

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BC beats a weak central Connecticut team 82-57. Robinson continues to impress with a 15-4-4-3 line. Millon shows what he can bring going 3-5 from 3 and 11 points.

Harvard should be a good barometer.
Harvard isn't the same Harvard of the past couple of seasons. They are without Chambers for the year with a torn ACL and just lost Fraschilla to a torn ACL.
 

BigMike

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Solid win for the Eagles today. Carter had a really rough day. JRob and Cliff were in foul trouble all game. Magic Mez and Million stepped up to be the best players on the floor for the Eagles and carried them especially in the second half when they finally got the time they needed.
 
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Dave Stapleton

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Milon has shot the ball well in the last two games. Was 4-6 from 3 today. Mez was 3-5.

BC scored 53 points in the second half.
 

BigSoxFan

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There will be bumps along the way but this team should be competitive in most games. The next one will almost certainly not be one of them though.
 

BigMike

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Today was a big bump. Honestly there were some decent signs especially in the first half.

Real problem with the team right now is Carter. It's not even that his numbers were all that bad, but it seems like there are 4 guys playing for the team and Carter playing for Carter. I have no problem with him taking whatever shots he ends up with when the ball cycles to him with 7 seconds to play on the playclock. But so many possessions where it becomes clear he plans to shoot regardless of the opportunity, and has no interest in looking for something better. Honestly today I think he got it in his head that the only chance BC had was if he could step up and carry the team, and decided to do it.

I didn't see all of the game, but one possession I saw midway through the half sums up my feelings on Carter. BC missed a shot, Dennis fought for the rebound. He kicked it out to Carter at the top of the key 25 feet out. Carter was covered, Faked the jumper. Held the ball for a 3 count, and launched the 25 footer, no dribble, never looked to pass. Just an ill advised early in the shot clock bomb.

On the plus side in the bits I saw, Diallo looked more like a basketball player than I had seen previously. Maybe he is shaking a bit of the rust of not playing in a year off. One play in particular he took the ball from above the freethrow line and tried to do a dribble drive. He missed the shot, but I liked the thought, the idea that he feels more confident in his ability to do something out there
 

4 6 3 DP

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Mike you make a great point about Carter.

My belief is that in hoops, BC only has one chance at a deep tourney run, and that is a young recruiting class that plays together 3-4 years and uses its maturity and experience to make a run. Obviously this is best exemplified by the Curley-Huckaby-Eisley-Abram class and the Craig-Jared-Marshall-Hinnant class 10 or so years later.

Both of those classes were forced to figure out the leadership stuff young. If I remember correctly, Agbai was part of the beginning of the Craig/Hinnant run but he never dominated the ball, and the 90-94 crew had just about no one else to turn to.

Carter is a hindrance to what this program should be trying to do, even if I understand precisely why JC brought him in. These kids need to figure it out themselves. We aren't going to recruit kids who can play well in years 1-2, the goal should be that this class joins next years to be very good as juniors and seniors.
 

BigSoxFan

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Forget deep tourney run, I just want to make the damn tournament, which is something I can confidently say won't happen for at least 2-3 years.

BC sports is an absolute joke.
 

Dave Stapleton

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That Curley group grossly underachieved until their Senior year. No way they should have made only one tournament.

I think what they need is multiple years of recruiting. These two classes include kids ranked at levels BC hasn't seen in a long time. I expect this group to show flashes this year and show tremendous improvement next year.

Carter is a necessary evil this year. Let's just hope JC can get through to him.
 

4 6 3 DP

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That Curley group grossly underachieved until their Senior year. No way they should have made only one tournament.

I think what they need is multiple years of recruiting. These two classes include kids ranked at levels BC hasn't seen in a long time. I expect this group to show flashes this year and show tremendous improvement next year.

Carter is a necessary evil this year. Let's just hope JC can get through to him.
No doubt - people forget they lost by 30+ to Georgetown in the BE tourney and were down something like 4-6 to Wash St in the first round. No doubt they underachieved but I still think it helped Craig and Jared and Louis to have to carry the load immediately.
 

BigSoxFan

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BC bench

67 minutes...1 point

We are awful. This is exactly why the Eli Carter criticisms are unfounded. Nobody on this team can score consistently.
 

Ale Xander

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Huck is calling the bc psu b1g challenge game, had no idea he got into broadcasting. Memories

Jv never gets old too
 

Dave Stapleton

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Yeah ... I got nothing.

My only silver lining is fball and bball was about this bad when I was a freshman/sophomore at BC (89-91).
 

berniecarbo1

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Is Christian the right guy?? I don't really follow hoops. Is Bates being exposed as a....well, let's just say it....a bad AD?? Who would you go to as an AD if Bates is canned? The hoops program looks pretty bad....football...we know. Do we hit the reset butrton? But if so, where do you go? I think BC needs an AD who knows BC, not just knows programs like BC. Thye need a BC grad who has a passon for the job and the school. That goes for coaches as well. I think Jerry York has been so successful because not only is he a good hockey coach he bleeds maron and gold. He went to BC High and played at BC. There is a lot to that relaton back to the school, especially in the AD chair. If people know folks in the AD world who are BC grads, let's discuss them. Or let's find a high end business executive who has run a large public company who could come in and run a multimillon dollar atheltic program. Something needs to change as this athletic department is tanking faster than the Edmund Fitzgerald.
 

Dave Stapleton

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BC should never lose to UMass Lowell but their only two upperclassmen were out and the best freshman was puking with food poisoning during the game. Just giving some perspective.
 

BigSoxFan

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BC should never lose to UMass Lowell but their only two upperclassmen were out and the best freshman was puking with food poisoning during the game. Just giving some perspective.
This team lost to NJIT by 13 and had a high school roster. I didn't expect a Final Four this year but Christian and his staff have shown me absolutely nothing.
 

BigMike

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Supposedly 7 scholaship basketball players have test positive for ecoli.

Poor Robinson was vomiting at halftime and still played most of the game
 

mandro ramtinez

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If the players were going to get sick anywhere in Cleveland Circle, you'd think it would be at MA's with their practice of dipping dirty pint glasses in soapy water and then sending them right out again.
 

Dave Stapleton

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BC beats 9-1 Fordham after beating Delaware. Not getting carried away but it's nice to see some improvement after the Chipotle games.

Also, after the game Christian awarded a scholarship for the spring semester to senior walk on Steve Perpiglia. Class move.
 

BigMike

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Here is today's wager

Which is bigger

Amount BC loses by
or
Shots attempted by Carter.

I think Carter wins this one
 

BigSoxFan

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Carter is garbage...but so is everyone else other than Robinson. This team has no talent.
 

DukeSox

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Amazing -

Carter had 16 shots
BC lost by 17
 

BigMike

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Late foul by Mez gives DUke the 17 point win (beating Carter 16 shots). Actually it was one of Carter's best performances of the year.

Really strong performance from Robinson today. A bad 3 possession stretch in the first half when he played the PG. But he got even stronger in the second half. Duke couldn't keep him out of the lane on the dribblle penetrate.He ended up with 15 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 4 steals. The assists could have been a lot higher if Cliff could have hit some of the wide open jumpers Robinson gave him
 

BigSoxFan

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Solid effort tonight against a mediocre ND squad. There is literally 1 player on this roster worth a shit. The Skinner Curse continues!
 

BigMike

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Got to love Christian. What a huge difference between him and coach not my fault on the football side.

Coach Christian said after the game of his team of his team's effort, "I apologize to the people of BC because that shouldn't happen," he stated. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
 

Bleedred

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Got to love Christian. What a huge difference between him and coach not my fault on the football side.

Coach Christian said after the game of his team of his team's effort, "I apologize to the people of BC because that shouldn't happen," he stated. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
Good for him taking responsiblility....but good lord, the BC basketball and football programs have never been more dispiriting.
 

gingerbreadmann

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Good for him taking responsiblility....but good lord, the BC basketball and football programs have never been more dispiriting.
Highly unlikely, but we're in January and there is still a nonzero chance BC will finish out this school year without a single ACC victory in either sport. Just think about that for a second.

16 more chances! (and I don't see us being favored in any of them)
 

BigSoxFan

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Highly unlikely, but we're in January and there is still a nonzero chance BC will finish out this school year without a single ACC victory in either sport. Just think about that for a second.

16 more chances! (and I don't see us being favored in any of them)
You just ruined my day :(
 

gingerbreadmann

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Anyone still here? No? Can't say I blame you. Tonight was probably the best we've played in the ACC all year, against what I think is the second-worst team in the league, at home, and we lost by 10. Team shot 22% from the free throw line. On the bright side, there's a big football game against Wagner that we all have to look forward to in the fall. Should be a nailbiter.
 

berniecarbo1

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Looks lie we are stuck with Bates as AD as the Warde Manual of UConn got the Michigan job. Very disheartened with the state of BC athletics with the sole exception of hockey (both men's and women's in fact). The program, it total, has become a mid major masquerading as a P5. The advantage is on the financial end. I have said it before and will say it again, BC needs BC people running the shop....at the coaching level, AD level and in the Office of the President. Right now what you have are a bunch of folks who collect a paycheck from BC and consider it a job. There is no one in any of those positions who is an alum or large booster of the school who understands what BC is all about. It is a very unique place and honestly people have to have a knowledge of how it works, where it sits in the sports scene in Boston traditionally, and how to market it properly. Right now, that is really lacking over there.

You have revenue producing coaches who quite frankly are not producing at the level they should. In football Addazio is 8-16 in the ACC in 3 years, 9-20 against P5 programs and against Tier 2 FBS (MWC/AAC/Service Academies) he is 1-1. Christian went 13-19 last year, winning 5 ACC games and beating Providence as its biggest non conference win. This year its been a disaster as the 0-ACC to date with its biggest win against a very pedestrian Harvard and its biggest loss coming at the hands of Santa Clara (who is 7-14 at this moment) and losing to them by 17 in the Wooden Classic. The U Mass Lowell game I blame on Chipotle.

Are these coaches the right fit? That's a big question mark. I am beginning to think maybe not. Very hard ot say that as I was a huge Daz supporter when they made that hire. But I think the prblem really stems from a president who doesn't give a shit about sports, an AD who is trying to move up the ladder and uses BC as means to an end and coaches who maybe aren't everything we thought they were. Year 3 tells you a lol about a football program. Daz cleaned house and blamed everyone but himself for what went wrong over there. On the football thread, the folks there are talking 6-6 next year... and that's with a horrible OOC schedule. In hoops, we are hoping for 1...1 ACC win.

The AD is a MAC caliber guy with a mid major attitude (look at the football scheduling). The basketball guy's most recent job was at a mid major and the football coach's only other HC job was in the MAC as well. The program has slipped badly and there is nothing on the radar screen relative to physical plant upgrades. Its as if they don't care. And if they don't care, why should anyone else. Apathy breeds apathy. Unfortunately, a group on non-BC people have taken over the athletic department and made it the most boring, stale place on earth. It would be one of the last places I would consider going as a P5 caliber "student-athlete" at this point. And it pains me to say that, as you have seen my posts over the years. Any thoughts??
 

BigSoxFan

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I agree with everything you said. BC is completely irrelevant. Bad losses in hoops and football used to piss me off. Now? I see we lost by 25 and just laugh. I literally don't care anymore about this program. Basically, I just check scores out of habit. I don't require much - just make the tournament every few years and compete for a conference title once in a blue moon. We are going to go at least a decade in between tournament appearances. It's disgusting but I don't care because I know it won't improve.
 

Bleedred

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I didn't go to BC (although I attended BCLS), but I considered it "my" college team and loved rooting for them. I grew up in Newton and used to attend BC Hoop games as a kid (Stu Primas, Terrence Talley, Dwan Chandler, Martin Clark, Jay Murphy, John Garris, John Bagley were just awesome to watch in the Roberts Center). When the Curley team beat #1 ranked UNC in the tournament, it was a thrill. Losing that massive recruiting class that Jim O'Brien had brought in but then were not accepted was a gut punch. The teams had always been competitive, if not dominant or perennial top of the league teams. What has become of the program is flat out depressing
 

RedOctober3829

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The worst move they could have made as far as wins and losses for football and MBB was to go to the ACC. It made 100% sense financially which is what drives the bus but they are not going to compete in football with the Clemson's and Florida State's of the world and certainly not the Duke's and UNC's in hoops. The hope would have been that they could be middle of the pack and compete for NCAA tournament berths in hoops but even that has proved to be futile. Some of the Olympic sports are having good success(soccer, women's lacrosse) but that is barely a blip on the radar screen.

Hope the athletic department loves cashing those revenue checks.
 

gingerbreadmann

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The worst move they could have made as far as wins and losses for football and MBB was to go to the ACC. It made 100% sense financially which is what drives the bus but they are not going to compete in football with the Clemson's and Florida State's of the world and certainly not the Duke's and UNC's in hoops. The hope would have been that they could be middle of the pack and compete for NCAA tournament berths in hoops but even that has proved to be futile. Some of the Olympic sports are having good success(soccer, women's lacrosse) but that is barely a blip on the radar screen.

Hope the athletic department loves cashing those revenue checks.
Is that true, though? Men's Basketball and Football both had very good success for the first 5 or so years in the ACC, with both making it to the conference final at least once. Do you think that was a carryover from Big East success and the school just lost the ability to compete because their recruiting competition got a lot better? I don't think that's true. BC's strength used to be finding the "diamonds in the rough" who we overlooked by the big schools but had talent and competitiveness, and were just undersized or something like that. It does no good to throw your hands in the air and say "we can't compete" because for years the program carved out a pretty solid, sustainable niche for itself. Circumstances have changed, but I don't think there's anything besides ignorance and incompetence among those in charge standing between BC athletics and repeatable ACC success. However, the damage done since 2010 is pretty devastating and will take a long, long time to overcome. If they continue down this path I can see BC getting Temple'd by the ACC sometime down the road, and then the checks will stop coming.

I didn't go to BC (although I attended BCLS), but I considered it "my" college team and loved rooting for them. I grew up in Newton and used to attend BC Hoop games as a kid (Stu Primas, Terrence Talley, Dwan Chandler, Martin Clark, Jay Murphy, John Garris, John Bagley were just awesome to watch in the Roberts Center). When the Curley team beat #1 ranked UNC in the tournament, it was a thrill. Losing that massive recruiting class that Jim O'Brien had brought in but then were not accepted was a gut punch. The teams had always been competitive, if not dominant or perennial top of the league teams. What has become of the program is flat out depressing
This is almost exactly my experience down to the details of growing up in Newton and not going to BC but it still being "my team" due to attending dozens of hoop games, albeit a few years later starting in the Troy Bell/Ryan Sidney/Amber Jacobs (those women's teams were GOOD) era. I had a ton of fun rooting for those teams for years, and I definitely bought into the stagnation fatigue that spelled the end of Skinner/O'Brien/Inglese and ultimately the end of BC athletics relevance. I understand why people were frustrated, we could never seem to get over the hump in any of those sports, but in retrospect no one appreciated just how high that hump was. It's absolutely pathetic how the program has self-destructed and I still follow it out of habit, masochistically in that a small part of me wants us to go winless in the ACC just to be able to say I witnessed that happen, but when I find myself watching an actual game it's still impossible to not cheer for the Eagles. It's just beyond obvious that the teams are going nowhere with the power structure in place now.