For Boston College, A Lot Changes in a Short Time
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Looking for a team that has changed drastically in a week, at least on the surface? Look no further than Boston College.
It was only eight days earlier that the inconsistent Eagles lost to Robert Morris at home in a game where they scored just 51 points. But just three days apart, they have scored impressive wins over Wake Forest and Miami, and suddenly sit atop the ACC at 3-0.
Who knew?
Just over a week ago, no one could imagine the Eagles in this state. Most probably figured they would be well on their way to a 4-12 or 6-10 ACC showing, and an NIT bid at best. The only player you could be sure of what you would get from was Tyrese Rice, as everyone else was basically a toss-up.
Saturday’s blowout win over Wake Forest saw them put up plenty of impressive numbers. As nice as the win was, though, it was still very much an aberration and even more so with this team. It would have been an aberration last year or two years ago, but with this team one would be forgiving if they figured it would be a one-game thing.
On Tuesday night, the Eagles looked like they were picking up right where they left off, at least in the early going. They ran out to a 14-2 lead and were in control throughout the game, although the Hurricanes did make some charges in the second half. After a while, the Hurricanes’ press managed to create some turnovers, but they never got within single digits until there was 1:25 left in the game.
All of a sudden, the Eagles are a team that can be included in the NCAA Tournament discussion. That the Eagles are 3-0 in ACC play doesn’t mean much at the moment. Two years ago, they were 0-3 and the thinking was that they were far better than that record indicated, and they did bounce back to earn a bye in the ACC Tournament. But if the last two games are any indication, this team is getting its act together and could well be in play come March.
All of a sudden, Rice has plenty of help. Six players scored in double figures on Saturday, and three players besides Rice did so on Tuesday night. Rakim Sanders led the Eagles on Tuesday night with 20 points on 8-12 shooting, marking the sixth time all season Rice hasn’t led or tied for the team lead in scoring. The Eagles are 4-2 in those games. Sanders scored in double figures in both games, as did Shamari Spears. The Eagles’ biggest offensive issue hasn’t been the ability to score points, but actually doing it aside from Rice.
All of a sudden, Tyrelle Blair looks like a little more than just an erratic shot-blocker. The senior big man leads the ACC in blocked shots and added five on Tuesday night. As big as that was, along with the shots he altered, he also notched his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. He hasn’t exactly become a dominant post scorer or the second coming of Craig Smith, but he’s come a long way from when he played limited minutes because he was a liability save for his shot-blocking.
“This year, you can see the confidence in him build,” Rice said of the big man. “He’s commanding respect on defense. If he just plays on the defensive end like that and gives us buckets like he got today, then we’re going to be tough for anyone to beat.”
All of a sudden, the young Eagles look like they’ve grown up and begun to acquire consistency. This is the biggest thing they have been lacking all season long. A sure sign of it could even be seen in their run-outs on Tuesday, as a team that had been erratic when playing at a faster pace looked almost flawless when they ran. They suddenly looked like a team that could run with just about anyone, although that’s probably not their plan. After all, a big part of their success of late has been better ball movement in the halfcourt offense, the kind of ball movement and execution that had not always been there.
And once again, it’s clear that you can never count out an Al Skinner-coached team. Skinner has won with less talent than this, although the young teams he won with in the last days of the Big East appeared to have more in the way of intangibles than this group has. There doesn’t appear to be a Craig Smith, Jared Dudley or Sean Marshall in this group at first glance, as all three players started early on and were leaders of a winning team. But Rice has become the leader they need him to be as their point guard, and his supporting cast appears to be getting it together.
“(Head coach Al Skinner) came to me and was like, you’re not playing how you normally play,” Rice said. “I’m used to watching you push the ball up the court and kind of force the action. In the Kansas and Robert Morris games, I wasn’t really doing it, I was kind of relaxing and playing half-court.
“I took that personally. I had talks with a few people that I know, and they felt the same way. I felt like I had to change something in my game, personally, to make us better.”
Rice added that he’s seen a similar thing happen with freshman backcourt mate Biko Paris, who has shown flashes of potential but has been invisible on the floor at times. Paris is another who’s come alive in the last two games, although not as much Tuesday night.
The ACC is wide open after North Carolina and Duke, and any team could slide into the third spot. While Clemson could be one of those teams, the Tigers don’t look like a sure shot at all. Virginia has been too inconsistent to pencil in there, although they’re capable. The same can be said for North Carolina State, which appears to be having chemistry issues and has a question mark at the point guard spot. Florida State has the guards to make a run. In short, the jury is still out on just about every team.
“You don’t want to settle for third, don’t get me wrong, but whoever wants to take the third spot can take it,” said Rice of how the ACC shapes up.
The Eagles came back down to earth in the second half of Tuesday night’s game, allowing the Hurricanes to get back into the game. But a week earlier, no one could have seen them come alive as they did against Wake Forest and in the first half against Miami, so there have been tangible improvements. They haven’t solved their issues yet, but they’re a lot closer to that now than they were after the Robert Morris game.
