BC’s Dick Kelley an unsung hero in our line of work

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – In our work, we deal with many people. Anyone who reads our stories knows we deal with players and coaches, and at times game officials. There are also athletic directors, commissioners, other school and conference administrators, players’ parents and other family members at times as well. But they are far from alone.

Tying it all together are those who work in media relations, the people that you very rarely hear about. But they are hugely important to our line of work. Known to many as “SIDs” (Sports Information Directors, as titles tend to vary but the work is the same), they rarely get any pub – and Boston College’s Dick Kelley was fine with that. On Sunday, however, he got just that in a ceremony that had so many dimensions to it before Eagles’ game against Virginia. And it was clear he was overwhelmed by it all.

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Boston College is growing up before our eyes

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – It was just the right situation.  Maryland, the clear favorite in the game, had just scored their signature win of the season over Duke.  Many teams have a letdown following such a big win unless they have had a number of them, and that’s not the case for this Maryland team as they have a dearth of such wins.  The Terrapins are also young.  Sure enough, it was also visible in Boston College’s 69-58 victory over Maryland on Tuesday night, but there was much more.

Boston College is growing up before our eyes.

“I don’t know if I’ve been more proud of my team than tonight,” said head coach Steve Donahue.  “I thought we just played really inspired basketball for 40 minutes.”

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For Boston College, getting a win to break the losing streak is all that matters

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College could have used a win like the one they appeared headed for much of Saturday afternoon. The Eagles looked to be well on their way to a convincing win over Clemson before the Tigers mounted a big comeback and got within one. The Eagles made the stops they needed to and held on for a 75-68 win, one that might have been a little too close for comfort under normal circumstances.

A win is a win, even if it wasn’t as comfortable as it once looked like it might be.

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Boston College in a much better place entering ACC play

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Non-conference play is in the books for Boston College, and this time things are a little different than a year ago. That was to be expected given the youth of last season’s team, but at times in the first couple of months one might have had to wonder since the Eagles went 0-3 in the Charleston Classic, lost to Bryant and played poorly in losing to Harvard for the fifth year in a row. But the Eagles rebounded from that and will enter ACC play on a good note after Monday’s 79-58 blowout of Dartmouth.

A year ago as ACC play beckoned, Boston College was 5-9 and lost their last two games. This time around, the Eagles will enter ACC play with an 8-5 mark and a five-game winning streak. Granted, all of the wins came at home, and none were against teams that are a lock to be in the NCAA Tournament. In one they trailed by double digits for a significant period before rallying to win in overtime. Still, they are winning this time around and that has to make a big difference for them.

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Anderson, guards lead BC past Friars

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – In a battle between the two dominant Jesuit institutions in New England only one earned its Christmas eggnog.

Boston College, paced by a monster game by sophomore Ryan Anderson, held off Providence to take an entertaining 71-68 affair in front of 6,102 Saturday afternoon at Conte Forum.

Anderson finished with 24 points and seven rebounds.

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Boston College comes home and battles for a much-needed win

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Steve Donahue understandably doesn’t want to get caught up in just wins and losses. Given the youth of his team and the growth still to come, wins are great but are not the be-all, end-all. Still, after going 0-3 in the Charleston Classic last weekend, a win like Wednesday’s 50-49 outcome against Auburn is quite welcome, especially with some of how it came about.

Wednesday’s game won’t go down as a thing of beauty. Auburn played a physical game and the Eagles did all they could to match it, making it a big test for them. The Tigers want to make games a grind, and on Wednesday they did that. The Eagles were up to the task, among other things out-rebounding the Tigers 35-28

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2012 Charleston Classic – Friday Notes

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The second day of the 2012 Charleston Classic is in the books. It started and ended with two very competitive games, and the two in between were good as well albeit for different reasons. Only one game was decided by double digits. Now the final matchups are set for Sunday, featuring the championship game between Murray State and Colorado.

Here are some quick hitters from the four games on the day.

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A whole new Boston College team pulls away from Florida International

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – If you could bottle the season opener for Boston College, last season would be a distant memory.  This team looked nothing like last season’s team in several ways in an 84-70 win over Florida International.  This team will certainly be better, as expected, but now there’s something to go on for that idea.

Last year, a half like the first half was unthinkable for Boston College.  The Eagles scored 49 points, a plateau they didn’t reach in three entire games last season and just did reach in another.  They had a 29-13 rebounding edge to dominate the paint and got a number of run-outs.

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Boston College is still young but should be significantly improved

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Year two of Steve Donahue’s new-look Boston College is upon us, and it’s clear there is progress.  Last year, Donahue’s second season at The Heights, represented a quick turnover of the roster from the Al Skinner days with a very young roster, but this time around the team is still very young but much more experienced.  There’s also a lot to like about this group, especially if the spirited and competitive early practice they had is any indication.

The picture of this team is clearer now than a year ago, and that’s not surprising.  This group has a track record in college and a wealth of college experience they didn’t have a year ago, so they have more to build on.  They also went on a trip to Spain near the end of the summer, which also helped this team.

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2011-12 ACC Post-Mortem

Kendall Marshall, Leslie McDonald, Dexter Strickland.

Those three Tar Heels were supposed to anchor the North Carolina backcourt entering the 2011-12 season. With Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston, the Tar Heels figured to have one of the deepest set of guards in the country to pair with a great front line led by Tyler Zeller and John Henson. And that’s before accounting for Harrison Barnes, projected to be one of the best wing players in the country.

But injuries decimated North Carolina’s backcourt, forcing coach Roy Williams to run with little-used freshman Stilman White and jack-of-all-trades Justin Watts in the team’s most important game of the season, an Elite Eight clash with Williams’ old squad, the Kansas Jawhawks, in St. Louis. … Continue Reading