What's Wrong with Boston College?
by Chris Spatola
December 8, 2013

What seemed like everyone's in vogue "ACC sleeper" coming into the 2013-14 season, Boston College, up to this point, has fallen flat on its face.  With the ACC's worst record of 3-5, Boston College currently boasts one of the ACC's worst defenses (opponents are scoring 80 points per game and shooting 47.5% from the field), are being out-rebounded on the season, and have shown an inability to give any type of resistance in the paint.

So, what's wrong with Boston College?

SCHEDULE.  It starts with the way Steve Donahue scheduled.  Donahue created a non-conference slate for his team that is more reflective of a good mid-major looking to build a resume in its non-conference as compensation for a weak conference.  Clearly Donahue felt he had a team, comprised mostly of juniors and sophomores, that could face a stiff test of both home and road non-conference games.  Setting aside the 2K Sports Classic and the ACC-Big Ten Challenge as scheduled "obligations," events in which BC lost to UConn and Purdue, respectively, BC has played at Providence, played UMass on a neutral court, and still has left a trip to USC, VCU on a neutral court, and a trip to Harvard.  BC could lose all of these games, which would leave them with eight losses before they even jump headfirst into their conference schedule.  Scheduling is such a huge part of a coach's job.  Setting a team up to challenge itself, yet not come unmoored in the process, is a balance coaches have to create.  Steve Donahue did not do his team any favors and, as a result, has put BC well behind the curve.

INTERIOR PRESENCE.  The loss of 7-foot, junior center Dennis Clifford to injury certainly plays into the Eagles' lack of a paint presence.  With Clifford out, BC has received minimal production from 6'11 junior KC Caudill and 6'11freshman Will Magarity, which has left junior Ryan Anderson to do the heavy-lifiting not only on offense (18.6 ppg), but defensively as well.  While the Eagles have shooting in guys like Olivier Hanlan, Alex Dragicevich, and Patrick Heckmann, they have had zero presence in the interior.  It's tough to win with the schedule BC has had without someone anchoring the paint.

NO PRODUCTIVE DEPTH.  Combined, Olivier Hanlan (20.9 ppg) and Ryan Anderson are averaging nearly forty points a game.  You have to add up the combined averages of the next nine guys on BC's roster to equal that total.  As good as Hanlan and Anderson have been, BC is an easy team for which to prepare.  Make it hard for Hanlan and Anderson to catch the ball, make those two guys defend on the other end, take away threes, attack the paint and mash BC on the glass.  What confused folks who predicted that BC would be a sleeper team in a top-heavy ACC, is that with Hanlan, Anderson, and Joe Rahon you would think BC is in good shape.  With the exception of Hanlan and Eddie Odio, however, BC is not very athletic and has insignificant production from the bulk of their roster.

ACC NOTES:

Virginia.  While losses to VCU, Wisconsin, and Green Bay are not losses that should generate "world is ending" concern, what should be concerning for Tony Bennett is the start to the season Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell have had.  Harris especially, a pre-season all-ACC candidate, has put up underwhelming numbers.  After averaging 16 ppg last season, Harris is only putting up 11 ppg this season and is shooting a shocking 53% from the free throw line.  Mitchell, who averaged 13 ppg for the Cavaliers last season, is only putting up 6.3 ppg so far this season.  While guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Anthony Gill, and Mike Tobey have played well for Virginia, this team needs its two best players to play like.....well...its two best players.

T.J. Warren.  This guy may be the most talented, under-discussed scorer in the country.  Warren wakes up getting buckets...in bulk.  While he shoots in volume (has more than twice the number of field goal attempts as the next guy on the roster), and NC State needs him to shoot in volume, the number of ways Warren gets his points is impressive.  In the post, in transition, from the outside, off penetration, Warren has size and versatility, not to mention a green light, that makes him incredibly hard to stop.  In NC State's wins this year Warren is averaging 27 ppg, in losses he is averaging 13 ppg.  With a player like Warren, the decision to insert Anthony Barber as a starter in the place of Tyler Lewis, and the surprising production from Jordan Vandenberg, the Wolfpack may surprise some teams in the ACC.

North Carolina.  The Tarheels' win up in East Lansing last week is as impressive a win as you can have, on a number of fronts.  First, no one wins up in East Lansing.  It's as tough a place to play as any in the country (underrated, in some respects).  Secondly, Michigan State seems like a favorite to win the whole thing in March.  With their balance and experience, the Spartans seemed like the one sure thing....until the Tarheels came to town.  Thirdly, UNC essentially beat Michigan State at their own game.  The Tarheels, from the opening tip, out-worked, out-hustled, out-physicaled a program that prides itself on doing all of those things better than its opponents.  With six of its top seven producers being freshmen and sophomores, North Carolina is young and talented.  On some nights youth shows up (Belmont, UAB), and on some nights talent shows up (Louisville, Michigan State).

Rasheed Sulaimon.  There is perhaps no better motivator in all of sports than the bench.  This seems to be the tactic the Duke coaching staff is taking with a struggling Rasheed Sulaimon.  The problem for Sulaimon is that the guys playing in his place, Matt Jones and Andre Dawkins, can play.  Jones especially did a great job (along with Tyler Thornton) on Michigan's leading scorer Nik Stauskas, holding him to 4 points on 2 field goal attempts.  Jones plays hard, pressures the ball, and is an easy guy to play with.  When asked after Duke's game against Michigan how Sulaimon can earn more playing time, Coach K responded succinctly, "He has to play better than those guys who played tonight."  For Sulaimon, that process begins in practice.