Eagles Will Ride Improvement to New York

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The improvement is coming along for Boston College. There are still plenty more to come if they want to take steps forward in the ACC standings at the end of the season, but the first three games show some progress. And while head coach Al Skinner says it’s “clearly about the process” right now, the results that are coming in have to be satisfying as well.

With Tuesday’s 82-70 win over St. John’s, the Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off and will play two games at Madison Square Garden next week. They are 3-0, and although all three wins have come at home, a win is a win and they got the first one without star guard Tyrese Rice.

Rice is perhaps the brightest spot, not surprisingly, but it hasn’t been because he’s put up big numbers to carry the team. Although there is often talk about star players sacrificing their game for the benefit of the team, that often looks at just numbers, and scoring in particular. Sure, Rice put up 44 points in the two games, but he also had 15 assists with four turnovers.

It goes beyond that, though. He doesn’t appear to be trying to score quite like he has in the past, and also looks to be playing at a different pace. As the only senior and one of just two upperclassmen on a young team, he’s the unquestioned leader and looks to be trying to get everyone else settled and helping to get them to understand what’s going on – trying to be a true coach on the floor. And at times, that’s certainly been needed as some teammates have looked lost or unsure at times. He’s tried to give them direction, even at the cost of slowing the game down – including his game.

This was clearly visible in their exhibition game, in which Rice didn’t look like himself, but it’s also been visible during the two games he’s played in.

“He’s definitely the leader of the team,” said forward Joe Trapani. “He definitely knows the ins and outs of the offense and defense. He’s the most vocal on the team.”

For his part, Trapani clearly seems to have found a good niche as an aggressive forward often facing the basket in this offense. The Vermont transfer had 39 points in the two games and grabbed four rebounds in each, and added five blocked shots as well. Against St. John’s, he had 19 on 7-10 shooting. All the while, he has blended in, and though he’s made plays that can make one take notice, he hasn’t necessarily stood out unless you look at the box score and see that he filled a stat sheet.

Perhaps the most important development for the Eagles is the production inside, primarily on the glass. The Eagles had a 42-28 edge on the glass against St. John’s after being even at halftime, and they had a 21-8 edge in second-chance points. A lot of that came from simply wanting the ball more; rebounding is an effort stat, but on Tuesday the Eagles took that idea to heart, especially sophomores Rakim Sanders (10 rebounds) and Corey Raji (7). With Raji, it wasn’t so much the number of rebounds as it was the way he got them.

Although he’s versatile and has several ways he can score, Raji is emerging as a garbage man inside. He has nine offensive rebounds in the three games, tying him with Sanders for tops on the team, and he often gets them by finding the ball. The Eagles had 17 offensive rebounds against St. John’s, and it kept the Red Storm from running and gave them chances for stickbacks, which they certainly got a few of.

“Those are the things that you need if you’re going to have a chance to be a good ballclub,” said head coach Al Skinner. “Guys on the bench were pumped up about it. Corey does it on a regular basis; that’s who he is. But when you start getting other guys to do it, then that becomes contagious and that makes you a better club.”

How this will ultimately translate in the ACC isn’t known, and won’t be for a while. The front line is still a question and won’t bowl anyone over with size, and this is still a young team. But the improvement the Eagles have shown from the first to the third game is a good sign for them, and the results have to be encouraging as well. A win in New York will only help the confidence, but the two tests they will get are what they need. The games will give them a chance to find out more about themselves, and it will give their leader a chance at redemption.

“I’ve only played there once,” said Rice, recalling the Eagles’ loss to Michigan State in the Jimmy V Classic in 2005. “That was my freshman year, and I had a bad experience there, so I want to definitely get back there and take care of some business.”