BC-Miami preview

The most interesting reaction to last week's loss was from the neutral parties. We know how the diehards feel and even the casual BC fans. But due to playing during a national spotlight, you saw more of the regular football fans and football media paying attention to BC and Hafley for the first time this season. And while not a consensus, many were very critical. BC should have won that game and should be better than getting by with six wins. That is why I said that game was so important. This one is too. Hafley needs to get over the hump. Injuries, some of the inherent challenges at BC, bad luck...none of it matters. Every team has similar handicaps. It is up to him to overcome those. Lots of guys can win six games at BC. We've proven that over the past 30 years. We need someone who can do more. The Miami game is a chance to do more. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
Syracuse fires Dino Babers and many of Holy Cross' best players enter the portal. Seems more than coincidental. Perhaps the Chesney to the Orange thing is a done deal and the media are ignoring it to promote their preferred candidates. I would be disappointed if Chesney does end up at Syracuse because I think he will do well there. I think he would do well at BC. There is no foolproof path to football coaching success, but I do think winning at every stop is a great sign. While a promoted coordinator has to adjust to hiring, leading, game management, someone who has been a head coach at a lower level has done all those things before (presumably successfully). For a guy like Chesney the adjustment to a higher level is instead about finding the right players and I think in the portal era that is less about selling to high schoolers and more about piecing your roster together on an annual basis.

Three Simple Keys
1. Stopping the run. We have been terrible against the run the past few games. Miami has a good oline. This is the key to the whole game. If they run at will, we will be toast.
2. No turnovers from Castellanos. I like TC and realize you take the good with the bad, but he has to get better with the ball. 
3. Get some INTs. If BC pulls down a few of those 50/50 balls last week, it is a different game. 

Gambling Notes
-- Miami leads the series 24-6
-- Four of BC's six wins in the series have come at Alumni
-- BC has won three of the last four in the series
The current line is BC+10

Factoid
For those few remaining BC fans still longing for the Big East, I would like to point out that BC played six former Big East teams this year. Current Big East school UConn played two.

Scoreboard Watching
Michigan-Ohio State. For members of the Ryan Day Fan Club, this is sort of a big deal. 

BC is in trouble if...We are down late. I have zero confidence in pulling off a two minute drill late in the game. Last week killed my belief in being able to go the length of the field without pounding the ball.

I hope to see...a BC win. Forget about Chesney or Ryan Day or anyone else, I want Hafley to win and succeed at BC. He is safe for now, but I want hope. I want progress. We need to pull off a huge upset to get out of lame duck status heading into 2024.

Bottom Line
I hate to be the guy to ruin your Thanksgiving, but I don't see us winning this game. Miami is a bad matchup and I fear our team is checked out.
Final Score: Miami 35, BC 21

BC cruises past 'Canes

BC won by 13 and it wasn't even that close. In another special Red Bandanna night, BC beat Miami to improve to 6-2. With the win, BC is bowl-eligible and in position for Addazio's best season at BC. The Oline and Dillon carried the day and the Defense played well. There is no reason BC cannot get hot again. Things seem to be coming together.

(Periscope crashed so it is broken into two parts.)

Post-game Periscope PART 1

Post game Periscope: Miami https://t.co/uS9ymet03Y

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) October 27, 2018

Post-game Periscope PART 2

Post game Periscope Part 2 https://t.co/YixVarovBo

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) October 27, 2018

In-game comments post: Miami

It seems like every game with Addazio is a litmus test for his tenure. I guess this critical game is no different. We are BC!

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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Good news on Dillon

Addazio said that Dillon looked good in practice and is on schedule to play against Miami. I think BC can win without Dillon, but having him play is a huge asset for BC. Even if he is not 100%, his presence will force Miami to key on him and open up other plays for BC on Offense.

There may be a concern among some about Dillon coming back too fast. I am not worried. We need this game and the win. 

Miami using off week to shake things up

Mark Richt named old starter and recent backup Malik Rosier the starter for the BC game. He also said that former backup turned starter turned demoted QB Kosi Perry will also play. If this is all confusing to you, great. It is clearly confusing to Miami.

The only downside for BC in all of this is having to prepare for two different QBs. But neither should be a real problem since they are both very mistake prone and inaccurate. The trouble comes when they run. Miami's D is also pretty good.

What I like about Richt's issues is that BC's night game and rowdy crowd to honor Welles Crowther will only add to the tension on the Miami sidelines. If either QB struggles, look for a quick hook. If both struggle, who knows what will happen.

Our D has issues. But if they can create pressure on the Miami QBs, this will get interesting.

Basketball blows winnable game against Miami

It's been a few hours and I am still frustrated with the loss to Miami. Losing a game with a five-point lead under a minute is flat out blowing a game. Look at the ESPN win probability charts (via AJ) .

Bad choices. Missed foul shots. Bad D. It all happened. It is one thing to lose a close game. That happens. We've won some this year and lost some. But this wasn't a back and forth with a bad bounce. This was a collapse. BC lost big leads late. It is games like this that have me doubting Christian's upside. The talent is improving, but the coaching...eh. As much as people credit Christian for his inbound plays, there are holes in this roster, there are holes in the D and there are some games where you wonder what they are doing. Now we are on the NIT bubble. Ugh.

BC pulls out another close win at home

Being in a lot of close games means constantly pressing your luck. I hope that every BC game is a blowout win, but I will gladly take a win like Saturday's over Miami. Bowman sealed the game with a few last second free throws. It was part of a run that flipped the game in the final minutes.

Bowman finished with 24 points. Robinson exploded again, this time for 29.  It was typical of our recent ACC wins as those two and Chatman all played 40 minutes. JC only went seven deep. The D was rough early, but tightened down the stretch. 

BC next takes the court in a road game at Pitt.

BC's comeback against Miami falls short

This was one of those games where the score doesn't tell the whole story. BC lost to Miami by one, but the game was not close for long stretches. It was only a frantic comeback that made it interesting. You can look at a game like that two ways. BC fighting until the end and not giving up is a great sign for future close games. The bad news is that they fell so far behind with sloppy play and letting Miami get too many second chances.

Turner had one of his best games. He was aggressive from outside and grabbed some boards. Robinson carried the team. Bowman was contained and he made many of the sloppy turnovers. Overall, though, these guys were not the problem. We didn't get enough points out of the frontline and they also were allowing too many easy baskets.

The team next takes on Virginia Tech Sunday night.

End of the Week Rant: the ACC Divisions are stupid

The ACC Divisions are stupid! Not a new theory, but I am reminded of that by the Colorado-Michigan game (of all things). In the run up to this weekend's game in Ann Arbor, I've seen Kordell Stewart's Hail Mary a dozen times. And each time the announcers say something along the lines of "one of the most memorable play of all time in College Football." Not spoken, but implied, is that Flutie's pass is right there too. Although we've all seen the play a million times, the BC-Miami game doesn't get that sort of annual stroll down memory lane because WE HARDLY EVER PLAY MIAMI! Why don't we play Miami? Because the conference is huge and they are in the other division!

The ACC's expansion necessitated divisions so that the conference could hold an Championship Game. At the time, they did their best to divide the teams to meet as many needs as possible and balance the power. Balancing teams based on their strengths in 2004 was dumb and shortsighted. Powers ebb and flow. Then you throw in the new teams and the Maryland departure and you have an even more random collection of teams that have no real connection.

As I've said and written before, the two divisions should revert back to some sort of shared history. The former Big East teams (Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia Tech) plus one sacrificial lamb should make up one division. The other would be filled by the more traditional ACC teams. That makes sense historically, geographically, and probably recruiting wise too. And best of all, BC would play Miami every year! ("...caught by Boston College! It's a touchdown!")

It won't happen. The politics are too messy. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't.

Baseball's run comes to an end

Very few (with me at the front of the line) would have predicted that BC Baseball would come within one game of the College World Series. While being firmly on the bubble, they spent the past four weeks winning more than expected, got into the ACC Tourney, the NCAA Tournament and then won their bracket. It came to an end Sunday in Miami. After chipping away at Miami's lead, the game got away on a Canes grand slam. The final score was 9-4.

Both benches emptied after the grand slam, as our guys took exception to the bat flips and taunting from the Hurricanes. Based on social media, many BC fans were angered by Miami's display and proud of the boys for standing up. I am more of the opinion that if you don't want someone showboating or taunting, don't let them score. The whole thing was unfortunate, because it was a great series.

Let's hope BC rides this momentum. This should only help recruiting, fundraising and fan support. If we get the new stadium in a reasonable time, BC Baseball could be a real force. I also hope Gambino has officially turned the corner. There were many times over the past few years where the results on the field raised numerous questions. This year was a breakthrough. Now, let's not fall back.

Congrats to the whole team and organization on a great season. They ended a rough year for BC Sports on a high note. 

BC stays alive in Super Regional

The story of Saturday was BC taking the lead and not looking back.  Even while both teams waited out a long lightning delay, BC staying focused and close out the win. That keeps the team alive and creates a game Sunday. Sunday, is winner take all. Win and BC is on to the College World Series in Omaha.

Miami takes Game 1

BC took an early lead and kept it close into the 5th, but once the 'Canes got into our Bullpen, it was effectively over. BC added a few runs late, but never really threatened. The final score was Miami 12, BC 7.
Justin Dunn pitched well in the loss. He struck out plenty of Miami's players and kept walks down. However, when they did hit him, they hit him hard. Miami is a talented team that is playing well at the right moment.

BC must win Game 2 of the series Saturday at noon to stay alive.

BC to face Miami in Super Regionals

BC's next step in the NCAA Baseball Tournament is against an old foe. BC will face fellow ACC member Miami in a best-of-three game Super Regional.

Due to the ACC's expansion, Miami and BC have not played since 2014. The Hurricanes won the College World Series four times, but have not had the same level of championship success since moving to the ACC. Like BC, they were a three seed in their bracket and advanced.

BC looks ok(ish) against 'Canes

The final score of BC's loss to Miami doesn't tell the whole story. The game was closer than it appeared. Many of the young players moved and scored with confidence (Diallo and Robinson). Plenty of the young guys looked like ACC players. But positive things still weren't enough. If BC is ever going to win an ACC game, multiple people need to play well. You can't have Carter and, to a lessor extent, Clifford not play well.

The overall effort was better too. But that doesn't offset the TOs from the guards. There was one sequence where Hicks coughed it up, stole it back and then coughed it up again. It is maddening.

I want to consider this game encouraging, but the team has shown little progress or momentum game to game. Hopefully this week is different.

Can't win

Jinxes are a fun cop out, but maybe there is something to this team being cursed. How else do you explain Heckmann's point blank layup at the end of the first OT not going in? BC's couldn't keep up the momentum in the second OT and lost to Miami. Heckmann's play was bad -- Brad Daugherty was incredulous that he didn't dunk. But it wasn't the sole reason BC loss. I do think there is something to playing closer games. Maybe the luck will turn. Here are some other thoughts.

-- The Heckmann play. Lost in the missed layup was the great play design. Christian made a great call. The 'Canes focused on Hanlan, our guys spread out and Heckmann had a clear path to the basket. I tell myself that with better recruits, that design wins the game.
-- Terrible shooting. It is amazing that BC pushed this game as far as it did with such a bad shooting afternoon. No one could make a basket and plenty of misses were near the rim.
-- Where were the students? I hoped that students might use the snow and double header as an excuse to come to the game. It seemed like they used the unique time and weather to stay away. The team won't be better until most of current students are gone, so I understand people not caring. However, they missed a fun, free game.

What are your thoughts? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section.

Cannot top 'Canes

Basketball lost another tough game. A loss is a loss, but this one was more encouraging than the collapse against Pitt. BC couldn't make a shot for long stretches and had real trouble on interior D, but still managed a comeback to tie the game late. Even in the final seconds, Christian set up a good play to get Hanlan a clean look. He missed, but he'll make some of those soon. Here are some other thoughts:

-- Odio came to play. Maybe it was being back home or maybe he's finally healthy, but Odio had a good game. He made three critical 3s. His help D was ok, but he still has trouble with guys away from the basket. He was certainly an improvement over Heckmann.

-- Missing FTs cost BC the game. Hanlan and Clifford both missed crucial tries late. That's mental. Hopefully more of those will fall in soon.

-- The Defensive schemes are solid. BC had real trouble with Jekiri's strength and size, but overall the defense was good. There weren't as many open looks for Miami and we are still not athletic, but they are getting better on D. That is another long-term sign that things are headed in the right direction. 

Next up is Harvard. It's not an ACC game, but it is very important as a program building game.

Back to normal

I didn't get to watch the game today. (Real life comes before blogging.) I did get to listen to most of it on satellite radio. It happened to be the Miami feed, which proved interesting. The announcers obviously focused on the 'Canes, but were very respectful of BC and yet sort of matter of fact in our ineptitude. This was our eighth straight loss to Miami and our 42nd double-digit loss under Donahue.

Steve Donahue is a great ambassador for the school. He's not a great basketball coach for the school. As much as I enjoyed the Syracuse win and hope he lines up other elite recruits to join Miller, he's not the guy. I may try to watch the game Sunday, but I don't know if it is even worth it. Syracuse was an anomaly. This is who were are and who this team is. I expect more of the same as the season plays out.

In-game comments post: BC vs Miami ACC Tourney

Yesterday turned out to be historic. Winning today would be equally big and probably get us into the NIT. Let's hope it is another fun game.

Go BC!

Friday ACC Tourney Game Watches

The noon start for BC's rematch against Miami is perfect for those on the East Coast. Turn your lunch into a game watch. Here are official watches. Post any other watches in the comments section.

Boston Game Watch

Battery Park
33 Batterymarch St
Boston, MA 02110

Washington, DC Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19TH Street NW
Washington, DC

Not even close

Our first loss to Miami was a heart breaker. Tuesday's loss was never in doubt once Miami took an early lead. A little surge at the start of the second half narrowed the deficit, but Miami killed the momentum with some tough 3s. The Hurricanes are playing good basketball and will always cause problems for us with their size, but that doesn't excuse the poor play. We seemed real tentative on offense and over passed many times. Here are my other thoughts:

Likes
-- The first half Defense. We weren't down in the first 20 minutes simply because Miami overpowered us (see first dislike). Instead we played good defense and with intensity. And the guys guarding their big men moved well and didn't just hack away.
-- Anderson's ability to score close. He had some nice moves inside against Miami's giants. In fact his wide open mid-range shots on the pick and pop were the problem.


Dislikes
-- Hesitation and timidness on offense. Time and again our guys would pass decent looks. Too often that "extra" pass led to nothing. We wasted time and forced some bad shots towards the end of the shot clock.
-- Odio taking 3s. The other team's are forcing the issue by leaving him open, but I would prefer he play closer to the basket and grab more boards.
-- Rahon's night. This happens to freshmen. But Hanlon over came a cold shooting night by getting better shots close to the basket. Rahon stopped looking for his shot.