Eagles Ready to Fly High in ACC Debut
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The new era began in style at Boston College, unofficially anyway. The ACC’s newest members made it look easy in blowing out St. Michael’s on Sunday night in their lone exhibition game.
The Eagles enter the ACC in good shape, at least relatively speaking. Although Sean Williams is suspended for the first semester and Akida McLain was suspended indefinitely before Sunday’s game, the Eagles have fewer personnel question marks entering the season than most ACC teams. That’s likely a major reason the coaches picked them second in the preseason poll, and most national preseason polls have them just outside the top ten nationally.
But that’s far from the only reason the expectations are high. They return arguably the nation’s best forward duo in senior Craig Smith, a preseason Associated Press All-American, and junior Jared Dudley, who’s bulked up to 230 pounds and was very much in midseason form on Sunday night. Both players had double-doubles, with Dudley (26 points, 19 rebounds) falling one rebound shy of a 20-20 game. Smith’s roommate, steady senior Louis Hinnant, will run the show most of the time, with junior Sean Marshall back at shooting guard. Hinnant quietly had 10 assists against St. Michael’s.
Sophomore Akida McLain showed some promise last season and figures to get more minutes upon returning from a suspension. Classmate John Oates will be counted on to produce as well inside, and Skinner is happy with his improvement thus far after he didn’t play much last season.
“I think he’s made a lot of progress from where he was a year ago,” said Skinner. “He’s not where he needs to be, but there’s no question that he’s clearly improved, and we’re happy about that.”
The Eagles will need to get some production from their freshmen to help their depth. Tyrese Rice looks like he will get good minutes at the point, though Skinner said he will also play him alongside Hinnant with the senior running the show. Rice is quick, can score the ball and shot it well from long range in the exhibition. Marquez Haynes can play both guard spots and will get minutes, while Evan Neisler is also in the frontcourt picture.
Along with the expectations, there is new energy around the program with its entrance into the ACC. Tickets have sold out for all games except the December 22 game against Harvard – a game that takes place while the students are on break. The football team has also drawn well, and the ACC home slate includes Duke, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. Players can sense the expanded interest in the program, and it should be reflected in the seats during the season.
Williams Likely to Return
The talk has been that Sean Williams will likely return to the team after the first semester. That’s a noticeable change from the feeling after he had to leave campus following an arrest for possession of marijuana in late May.
Williams is finishing a semester at the University of Houston, and reports are that he is doing well academically. He’s also worked out with John Lucas, bulking up to 235 pounds. Skinner is optimistic for a return, noting that there will be a meeting between Williams, Skinner and athletic director Gene DeFilippo once it looks like Williams will be set to return.
Smith, who along with other players has stayed in touch with Williams, said the 6’10” sophomore seems to have gone down the right road since the incident.
“People make mistakes,” he said. “He’s learned from it, and now he’s going to show people that he’s a changed person.”
A return by Williams would give the Eagles a nice boost in the frontcourt, which may be small oftentimes unless they go with Oates in the middle. Without Williams, Smith might play center at 6’7″ with Dudley playing power forward at 6’6″. Williams blocked a school-record 63 shots last season, so adding him would be like adding an impact transfer after the first semester.
