Uplifting for Athletes 2 -- Saturday at 1

Last year after Mark Herzlich's Ewing's Sarcoma diagnosis, his teammates rallied around him and started a BC chapter of Uplifting for Athletes. Saturday is their 2nd Annual Fund Raiser -- "Lift For Life."

The event is 1 pm at Alumni. If you can't make it to Boston, you can always give online and support the great efforts from the guys.

Yet another Big Ten mention and other links

Although I've weighed in on the message boards, I haven't spent much blog space talking about the implications of the Big Ten expansion on BC. Today ESPN Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg slipped in another BC mention when discussing expansion. I don't think BC will ever join the Big Ten, but I feel the coming game of conference musical chairs will hit us in a big way. Hopefully we will come out ahead again, but I have a feeling that some of the former Big East laughing stocks might end up with the last laugh. Rittenberg rightly points out that Big Ten expansion is all about cable households. Not ratings. Not tradition. Certainly not sports. Therefore Rutgers and Syracuse might luck into huge pay days purely because the Big Ten wants households in those states. They are not as concerned with ratings or those programs' successes. Just the right to charge cable subscribers in New York and New Jersey and additional $1.10. If the Big Ten were to reach out to BC on those same grounds, we should listen. I don't think they will though. Aside from envying their pay day, BC might also suffer if the SEC expands and cherry picks a few ACC programs leaving our current home weaker. With all of this going on, I hope the ACC is moving forward with some sort of cable network plan (like the previously rumored ACC-PAC 10 cable network). A cable network like the Big Ten is the only way to secure long term stability. If the ACC doesn't put up some walls around the conference and assure members of future revenue streams, the leftover ACC teams will end up in some ugly conference with the leftover Big East schools. Stay tuned.

New commit Kieran Borcich sounds like the right mix of athlete and scholar.

HD likes how our ACC schedule plays out next season.

Todd McShay is another guy who thinks Castonzo will be a high draft pick next season.

Meter officially the new voice of BC

Here is the BC press release. Still no word on who Meter will partner with our how they will cover hoops games that conflict with football.

Jon Meterparel Assumes BC Basketball Play-by-Play Duties



CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Jon Meterparel, the radio voice of Boston College Football since the 2005 season, will add men’s basketball to his play-by-play duties beginning this year, officials of ISP Sports have announced. ISP Sports manages and produces the Boston College ISP Radio Network.



“We have been extremely pleased with Jon’s work as our football play-by-play man on the BC ISP Sports Network,” said Chris Ferris, Senior Vice President of the ISP Radio Network. “We know he will bring the same professionalism, energy and enthusiasm to our basketball broadcasts and we are excited to have him in this new role.”



Meterparel’s new agreement with ISP extends for the next three years, Ferris added.



“I am thrilled to be the new voice of BC Basketball,” Meterparel said. “It has been an honor to work alongside outstanding people within the athletics program and at ISP the past five years on the football network, and I truly look forward to adding basketball to my responsibilities as well.”



Boston College Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo expressed his strong support for Meterparel’s new expanded role involving Eagle broadcasts.



“We are very pleased that Jon Meterparel will continue as the voice of Boston College Football and now will serve as our play-by-play announcer for men’s basketball as well,” DeFilippo said. “Jon has established himself as one of the most recognizable figures in the Boston sports media and we are fortunate to have him leading our broadcast team.”



ISP, through an agreement with Fenway Sports Group, has marketed and managed the Boston College ISP Sports Network since 2005. FSG and ISP recently announced a new agreement extending their relationship through June 2019. That agreement coincided with the announcement that WEEI will remain the flagship station for the Eagles’ football and basketball broadcasts through 2015.



Jason Wolfe, Vice President for AM Programming and Operations at WEEI and WRKO was pleased with the announcement of Meterparel’s new duties.



“I’m thrilled for Jon,” Wolfe said. “He’s worked exceptionally hard in his role with BC Football and has truly earned this opportunity. He’ll do a terrific job with basketball, too, and I look forward to working with him and the folks at ISP who produce such quality broadcasts.”

Football recruiting picking up steam and other links

It was a slow spring on the recruiting front, but things are finally starting to build for Spaz and Co. Ohio DE Brian Mihalik is the latest prospect to verbal to BC. He's pretty tall so he'll need to fill out a bit, but the football runs in his family. Mihalik also plays in a strong conference so he's been tested. Seems like a very good fit for BC.

Charlie Davies is keeping his hopes up but the World Cup seems like a long shot at best.

Here is one of many 2011 NFL Draft previews that has Castonzo going in the first round.

ESPNBoston is doing a nice job covering the Mass high school prospects.

Jon Loyte and Brian Toal are getting new tryouts with the Giants.

The baseball team's hot streak continued as they beat Quinnipiac 6-1.

Women's Lax team member Jessie Coffield was also part of the hockey player-T accident.

EDSBS thinks the ACC might be opportunistic during this latest round of conference shuffling.

Tampa released Chris Hovan. I assume he wants to keep playing and will sign on with another team.

Now that spring practices are over, the pundits are making their predictions on next season.

Sean Flaherty is another walk-on to scholarship success story at BC. Spaz should uses these guys as examples when recruiting "preferred walk-ons."

This flew under the radar, but possible BC recruit Stevie Weatherford was arrested last month for burglary and grand theft. He was not charged but it does raise red flags.

More shots from Saturday

Thanks to Sean and Jonathan for sending along these pictures from Saturday.

Pics from the Spring Game

Another wonderful spring day for the Spring Game. Unfortunately local fans still don't turn out. If you have kids, you are missing out since this is a great way to introduce them to BC football at no cost and autographs are easy to get. Thanks to Tom F. for sending along these two pictures. If others took shots, feel free to email them to me.

Hockey news dampers weekend and other links

Philip Sameulsson, Parker Milner, and Patrick Wey were among seven students in a Jeep that collided with a Green Line T train on Saturday night. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. Fortunately the driver was not drinking. The bad news was that alcohol was found in the car and the group was underage. My guess is that York will hand out some sort of suspension and the guys will miss the first few games of the season.

Some are calling Matt Tennant a steal for the 5th round.

The Broncos depth chart shows that Bowman's got his work cut out for him.

The baseball team swept NC State this weekend and have now won 8-straight games.

Thoughts on a busy Saturday

I know I advised not to read too much into the Spring Game but I can't help myself. I was most impressed with Mike Marscovetra's progress. He looked much more comfortable in the offense than he did last season. Most of his passes were crisp and he moved the ball with some second teamers. I could see him starting next year. Shinskie didn't look as good. His passes were off and he seemed a little flustered at times. The two freshmen both had their moments. Bordner was more accurate and more conservative. Despite the stats, I liked what I saw from Rettig. He has good form and speed on his throws. His teammates didn't help his stats by dropping some catchable passes. I am very optimistic about next season and if the spring game is any indicator, we are ahead of where were were going into 2008 and 2009.

Herzy did not play, but was happy to be back on the field.

In the day's other big news, the Saints drafted Matt Tennant in the fifth round. That was lower than most projections, but the Saints felt strongly enough about Tennant to trade up to get him. It is a pretty good destination for him as many of the Saints blocking schemes will be familiar. Also they have a QB that makes everyone around him that much better. As predicted, Tennant was the only Eagle drafted this weekend. It looks like most of the borderline guys found good landing spots as free agents. According to the latest reports, McLaughlin signed with Baltimore, Gunnell with Kansas City and Bowman with Denver. It is hard to evaluate or predict how the free agents will pan out, but of those three, I think Gunnell has the best chance to make an early impact. Kansas City has a new offense and Weis liked smart tough, possession types when with the Patriots.

Our Championship hockey team has been about town, including throwing the first pitch out at Fenway on Friday night.

Here is a link to video highlights of Spaz's latest verbal recruit.

If you didn't see my tweet on it earlier, here is the link to the Gunnar Esiason story. We need to get Boomer on TV a bit more next season talking up BC.

The baseball team is having a nice weekend against NC State.

Sarandis and Ebben are out

BC will have a whole new broadcast team on next year's basketball games. Long-time voices of BC basketball Ted Sarandis and Bill Ebben will not return. Some of you are probably rejoicing, but I found the news sad. Ted was the ultimate homer, but he was our homer and loved BC basketball. Ebben is a great guy and was underrated in his analysis. The move caught me by surprise so I have no idea why it happened now (I will fish for answers). Meter is expected to take over play by play duties. I like Meter and like the idea of one voice for BC Sports, but still hate to see Ted leave. It is an end of an era.

Don't read too much into the Spring Game and other links

The Spring Game is Saturday. For those who have not attended in the past, please come out and support the team. It is always a fun day and a chance to get close to the players. That said, don't read too much into any of the results. Some guys will look good. Some will look raw. None of it will really matter come September. I'll have post game thoughts Saturday night. The Heights had a good preview of the game.

This is a much more important weekend on the basketball front. Steve Donahue is hosting recruits for the first time. The prime target is former Iowa commit Ben Brust. Noreen is also reconsidering BC and may come back on board.

I loved this t-shirt from the BC artfest.

The other BC guys in the NFL Draft

I only highlighted Matt Tennant in my draft previews, because in all likely hood, he will be the only Eagle drafted this year. McLaughlin was invited to the combine, but most expect him to be a very late pick or a free agent. Some team may take a flyer on Gunnell or Bowman, but they are also expected to go the free agent route. A few other names are also in the mix (Rollins, Aponavicious, etc) but all are well under the radar. Here is my quick take on each...

Mike McLauglin: Great Junior Year. Good size and instincts, and football IQ. It is a big plus that he is willing to play special teams. The big downside was his injury. He was not the same player as a Senior. He was a step slower and didn't show the sort of athleticism that saw him leaping over blockers in 2008. He came back quickly so we don't know if he was ever fully healed. What is his upside? I don't think anyone knows. If the 2008 McLaughlin is his upside, than he will be a very good NFL player. If he cannot regain that form, then it might be the UFL.
Prediction: Free Agent

Rich Gunnell: Very productive receiver. Underrated speed and hands. Decent Size. Played well in big games and contributed on special teams. Played well despite mediocre QB talent his final two years. Rich's downside is that he does everything well but is not great at one thing. Despite his performance against USC, he does have a history of running away from people. He'll go over the middle, but isn't big. He was a return man who was quick to fair catch. I think Rich will be a good NFL player. If he gets in the right program, he could have a surprising career. But I don't think anyone will draft him. To most scouts and GMs he is pretty ordinary.
Prediction: Free Agent

Marcellus Bowman: Ideal size and speed for an NFL safety. Head hunting hitter. Not great in coverage. Late bloomer with only one season as a starter. Would sometime rather go for the kill shot instead of the smart play or solid tackle. Decent workout but didn't blow anyone away to move up draft boards. I like Bowman and know that he will get invited to NFL camps. I just wonder if he will ever have the coverage skills or instincts to make an NFL roster.
Prediction: Undrafted, mini camp invitee, late roster cut.

Roderick Rollins: Probably had the least talked about great season on last year's team. Good coverage. Good tackler. Good playing history. The problem are all measurables. To most NFL folks he is too small and too slow. I hope he is given a chance as I think his productivity and success could translate to the next level.
Prediction: Undrafted, mini camp invitee, late roster cut.

The SEC expansion scenario no one is talking about

With the Big Ten potentially expanding to 16 teams, SEC commissioner Mike Slive quickly announced that the SEC would not sit by and lose their position of supremacy. Interpret his stance however you want, but most took it to mean that if the Big Ten expands, the SEC will expand too. If the SEC were to expand by four teams most predicted it would be Texas, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State. You also saw Oklahoma and Clemson mentioned. Texas is a no brainer. The school's profile makes sense. The geography makes sense and it would expand the SEC's TV footprint. To compliment the Texas addition, you would probably want to add A&M or Oklahoma. However, I don't know if any of the ACC schools floated would bring as much to the table. They all have great football traditions, but neither Florida State, Miami nor Clemson would bring in new TV markets. And while I think all three are fine programs, none bring any unique prestige to the SEC. But I still think the SEC could/would look to the ACC to fill out its expansion, only with two unlikely targets -- Duke and North Carolina.

Why Duke and North Carolina makes the most sense
1. Brings in new TV markets. The North Carolina TV markets are not huge, but where else can the SEC go? As I mentioned earlier, they already have a strong TV footprint in South Carolina and Florida.
2. It adds prestige to the conference. North Carolina is the flagship school of the state and one of the better public universities in the country. Duke's reputation is well known and would finally give Vanderbilt a fellow private school to commiserate with
3. They wouldn't threaten any football powers. The SEC doesn't need help on the football front. Adding Texas will already shift some of the power. Duke and North Carolina would not. They might pop up and have nice seasons on occasion, but neither is going to become a perennial power.
4. It would make the SEC the premier basketball conference. Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky would be a hard triumvirate to top. Throw in the Texas and a few hot middle of the road SEC teams and you would easily have the most talked about hoops season every year.
5. It would kill the ACC. The remaining ACC schools would probably form some sort of super conference with the Big East leftovers, but there wouldn't be a hoops matchup to carry what has traditionally been a basketball conference.

Would Duke and Carolina leave their comfort zone? They are both so attached to the ACC. Neither school liked giving up power when the ACC expanded. If they were to leave for the SEC, they would see their voices diminished that much more. But money talks. If the SEC came to them with the Godfather offer, they would certainly listen.

ESPN up close and other links

As you may have noticed ESPN's Ivan Maisel was on campus this week and produced a bunch of content. The most candid piece was on David Shinskie and it was loaded with quotes that didn't exactly inspire confidence. I find it frustrating that a guy working on his second chance and who is older than Matt Ryan is still struggling with the demands of DIA football. This just confirms what many of us have been hearing. I expect Shinskie to be the starter this fall, but I don't think the staff will have any problem giving him the hook if he falters or shows less than 100% commitment.

The much more uplifting article focused on Herzy's return. It seems like lingering scar tissue will be an issue with his agility, but like Bill McGovern said: "Never bet against that kid." Maisel is also excited to see Herzy and Kuechly on the field together (aren't we all?).

I strongly disagree with Spaz's support for five years of playing time. In fact, I think the current system of four years of play within five years helps BC. We redshirt so many guys that we often benefit from late bloomers going up against younger opponents.

Another strong blog post from WEEI's BC blog, this time with a draft focused feature on Tennant and McLaughlin.

It was a bit under the radar, but the baseball team won the baseball Beanpot.

Our marketing arm, Fenway Sports Group, has new leadership.

Jamie Silva chatted with fans via the projo online.

Charlie Davies is still hoping to make the US's World Cup team.

My scouting report on Matt Tennant

Overview: There is no real consensus on Matt Tennant. I've seen projections saying he will be drafted in the second round. I've read that he could fall into the fifth or sixth round. Which means he'll probably land in the third or fourth. The NFL.com rating only gave him a 2.4 (top prospects are rated 8+).

The knock on Tennat seems to be his size. He's a little tall to play center and a little lean to play other spots on the line. I've also heard some think that he didn't have a great senior year and that his stock is down. To counter that, there is the favorable reputation BC linemen have around the league. His predecessors have been so successful, that he is considered a safe pick for the middle rounds.

My take: I actually think Tennant's best year was his sophomore season. Snapping the ball to Matt Ryan can make anyone look good, but when watching the tapes, it was very impressive to see a new starter like Tennant play so well. He was really perfect for the zone blocking scheme and rarely made errors. His junior year was good with the exception of his snaps, which often went sailing. Last year under the new system, Tennant played well, but didn't dominate like I had hoped. While I think others were more at fault, I also wish Matt had directed traffic a little better in the disaster at Clemson.

While people are focused on Tennant's frame and size, I don't think it will be an issue. At the end of the day, he is big enough and has very good athleticism for his size (remember that TOB considered moving him to Tight End).

Prediction: With Pete Carroll in Seattle and Shanahan in DC, there are now six teams running the Gibbs' zone scheme and most of the other teams are using components. This increases Tennant's value. Even if his senior year wasn't what we had hoped, I think he will transition very well to the NFL and become a Pro Bowler like fellow BC Centers Damian Woody and Dan Koppen. As for who will draft him...the Atlanta Falcons went over every snap of Matt Ryan's senior year, which means they saw a lot of Matt Tennant. In the two years since he's done nothing to discourage their initial interest. My (hope) and guess is that the Matts get reunited when Atlanta drafts Tennant this weekend.

Why can't BC produce NFL-caliber Wide Recievers?

In my preseason work last summer, I predicted that Rich Gunnell would be drafted after a strong senior season. Rich had a strong year and played some of his best football against BC's most talented opponents. He also managed to produce while breaking in two new QBs. He's a good guy and a good football player, so you would think teams would be lining up to draft him. They are not. Gunnell was not invited to the combine and is barely getting mentioned on the major scouting services. If Rich is going to make it in the NFL, it will be through determination and free agency.

But if the program's all-time yardage leader cannot get drafted, then what is the problem? BC has not had a wide receiver drafted since 1987. Gunnell is not a tall burner, but he has enough size and speed to play in the NFL. He has the production. It doesn't make sense. Is there a bias against BC WRs? I have a few theories. Leave your in the comments section.

1. College football is producing too many WR prospects. Think of how many places run the 4-wide offenses. Now consider all the programs that used to run conservative ground attacks. Even the most basic program has too many WRs. So when it comes time for the draft there are more than enough prospects and only the seemingly flawless merit an actual pick.
2. Perception about BC talent. When Matt Ryan was drafted, all you read in the scouting reports was how he was surrounded by mediocre skill players. Most of our skill guys have still come from cold weather territories. Fair or not, there is a perception that these guys aren't as fast as their counterparts in California or Florida.
3. The position was a recruiting afterthought for a long time. Coughlin brought in some good pass catchers but never hung around long enough to bring in an elite WR. Henning loaded up on tight ends. TOB put an emphasis on linemen and often converted DBs to WR. Gunnell was one of the few decent WR recruits of the TOB era.
4. Dumb luck. We've hit on so many positions with under the radar guys that you're bound to have one position that causes headaches. You would think that BC would have stumbled into an NFL WR on its roster. Instead, we've been left with tough kids, willing to play hard but who have questionable size and hands.

I think Gunnell will catch on somewhere. He is willing to play special teams and has enough things going for him that he'll get a chance. I just wish for his sake and BC's, that someone would give him an official shot via a draft pick.

Can Castonzo become a Rhodes Scholar?

As many of you have read already, Anthony Castonzo has been nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship. It will be interesting to see how this plays out since the Rhodes Scholarship is not purely merit based. Don't get me wrong, it is a great honor and only the best and brightest get nominated, but all sorts of variables factor into the final selection. (One of my classmates from high school actually was a Rhodes Scholar.) One of the challenges traditionally for any BC student has always been the region. BC kids compete against other talented students from the northeast, while some other areas of the country might be less competitive.

Castonzo's story and athletic success will also be huge factors in his favor. Everyone nominated has a special skill, but few skills are as high profile as playing DIA football. Castonzo has the added benefit of being great. Assuming he is healthy, he could be a first round draft pick/All America candidate. Let's face it, he is a better football player than Myron Rolle. The committee would love the brainy left tackle who is on ESPN between chem labs.

The other factor is how much Anthony even wants this. To win he will have to put in plenty of time, prep and effort. He is clearly capable. It is just a matter of where it falls in his priorities.

I hope he does succeed. While it won't get the same type of attention as a Heisman run, it would be as important to the football program and to the school. Castonzo already represents so many things we want BC to be, that it would be nice to have the world recognize that too.

Baseball sweeps Wake and other links

I'll have more on the scrimmages and draft this week. In the meantime, here is the news of the weekend...

The baseball team swept Wake with a 12-7 win Sunday. Next up is the baseball Beanpot.

Here is what Rivals' hoops writers thought of our decision to replace Skinner with Donahue.

BC is still getting floated as a possible expansion team for the Big Ten. I just can't see any circumstance where they would turn to us. But it all comes down to money, so don't rule anything out.

Noreen unlikely and other links

The centerpiece of the incoming recruiting class was Kevin Noreen. Now he is asking to be released from his letter of intent. If it has reached this point, I assume he will not set foot on campus. Sanders' issues I understood. Heslip was a bit of a head scratcher, but no hard feelings. This situation...I frankly don't get. Where is Noreen going to find a better fit for his skills? In fact, I would say under Donahue, BC is a better fit for him than we were under Skinner. I realize it might not be Noreen's fault either. Maybe Donahue is encouraging it and wants his own players. But that is short sighted too. Where is Donahue going to find a better player at this stage in the process? Long term I am not worried about the program, but now I worry that we will be very, very young and raw after the Jackson-Ravenel-Elmore class graduates.

The opening on the BC staff didn't last long. Donahue hired Niagara assistant coach Akbar Waheed to complete his staff. His experience is all with Niagara. Let's hope he is ready for life in the ACC.

The guy Waheed replaced, John Gallagher only took the Hartford job after getting Donahue's blessing.

A series against Wake might be just what the doctor ordered for BC baseball. With today's win, they now have a winning record and a bit of momentum.

Katz on Donahue and other links

Many wondered how Andy Katz's coverage of BC would change after Skinner was fired. At the time I predicted Andy would still give BC special coverage. Andy's relationship with BC predates his work at ESPN. He can't say it, but I bet a lie detector test would prove he is a BC fan. So here is his first feature on Donahue and I think it is solid. It also includes quotes from his top assistant Joe Jones. But mention the importance of recruiting but don't seem concerned about the transfers or about the incoming class potentially bailing. We'll see how it plays out.

The baseball team will hopefully build off of the momentum of this win over Wake.

Tennant's hometown paper views him as the second best center in the draft.

Jags selected Dejuan Tribble in the UFL expansion draft.

Rakim's high school coach tried to shed more light on Sanders' decision to transfer.

More hoops comings and goings and Jags update

Andy Katz is adding to the Sanders news by reporting that Rakim is likely to join former BC assistant Ed Cooley's team at Fairfield.

The other news is that new assistant John Gallagher will never actually coach a game at the Heights. He's reportedly been hired as the new head coach at Hartford.

Finally Jags will return to the sidelines as Head Coach of the UFL's expansion franchise in Omaha. Not particularly glamorous but it gets him back in the game and if he wins, it gets him back on track to being a head coach in the NFL or college.

Report: Sanders leaving

Jeff Goodman is reporting that Rakim Sanders is leaving BC. Where the rising senior will transfer is unknown. Sanders would have to sit out a year and only have one year remaining.

With any coaching change you expect transfers, but I didn't expect the seniors to leave. Sanders' season was such a train wreck last year that you would hope he would stick around and let the new staff help him reach his potential.

Instead he is leaving. If anything Sanders represented what went wrong with this group of guys and the end of the Skinner era. Instead of having gym rats with physical limitations, you had a team of guys with huge upside who never got "it."

Best of luck to Rakim.

Strength of Schedule and other links

Although he's been wrong more than right regarding BC, I still give Phil Steele a lot of credit for his preview work and his magazine. He is now releasing stats in advance of the magazine's May arrival. This stat places BC's strength of schedule at 53rd nationally.

Steve Donahue hasn't coached a game at BC yet, but ESPN already thinks we are a tournament team. They are also assuming we will have a 96 team field next season.

NESN caught up with Matt Ryan as he recounted his draft day experience.

I think this ranking underrates Tennant a bit. I think he is arguably the best or second best center in the draft.

Getting to know Bordner and other links

Chase Rettig gets all the attention, but from all accounts it looks like the other early enrollee, Josh Bordner, will get a chance to compete for the job. In this good Q&A Bordner talks about the transition to college and his expectations.

The Heights did some good work tracking down Skinner's last hoops recruits. I understand their hesitations, but Noreen would be foolish not to come to BC. He should be perfect for The Don's offense.

The overrated/underrated link from the comments section caught ESPN's attention.

New recruit and other links

This has been a slow spring on the football recruiting front, but BC has finally landed its first verbal. Bronxville lineman Kieran Borcich committed to Spaz this weekend and will hopefully get this class going.

As a follow up to the big win, Jerry York is getting some much deserved media attention. The Patriot-Ledger had this piece and appeared on WEEI this afternoon.

Pics from the Hockey Parade and Rally

Thanks to Tim and Adam for sharing these photos from the great day.