Basketball survives scare from UNH

It took OT, but BC did (finally) beat UNH. The win is good. Having to take it to overtime, is not. This was BC's last game before ACC play. Right now they don't appear ready. If Eli Carter can barely carry this team over UNH, how is he going to do it against Duke?

There's not much to take away from this game. Carter scored, but not efficiently and still turned the ball over too often. Robinson was okay, but most of the freshmen did not do much. BC couldn't make 3s or FTs. The D was not good.

I don't know what to expect now. I thought this team would show toughness in the early games and work out the kinks. Even with the Chipolte issues, this team is not clicking. I hope they don't get even more discouraged over the next three weeks.

Hoops handles UNH

The Jim Christian era started in the most important way -- with a win. Other than the "W" though there is not too much to go against a bad UNH team. Things started sloppy but eventually BC controlled in the first half and maintained that lead most of the second half. Here are some other thoughts:

-- There is a noticeable increase in defensive effort. Six steals, more ball pressure and decent rebounding made a difference.
-- Cold from 3. BC only made one from downtown. With Jackson hurt and Rahon gone, I don't think we will be as consistent from 3, but I am glad we still attempted a good amount. We know Hanlan and Heckmann can make them. Let's hope Brown starts making his.
-- Clifford moved well. He didn't dominate but looked healthy. Last year in his limited appearance he seemed gimpy. I couldn't pick up on any of that during his 20 minutes last night.

Last year, the frustrating OT loss to Providence set the tone for the entire season. This game wasn't the same sort of test, but it is a good start for the new regime.

BC also produced a highlight package for the game. Hopefully this becomes a regular occurrence.

BC needs OT to beat UNH

Some of Al Skinner's best teams won games only making two 3-pointers. The difference though is that those teams weren't designed to take or make lots of 3s. This one is. Despite going not making one in regulation, they hit enough in OT to beat a bad UNH team. The win gets them back to .500 and hopefully builds some confidence. Here are my other thoughts:

Likes
-- Huge game from Ryan Anderson. It looks like his gimpy ankle is healed. He moved well today and put up huge numbers. He also made some good defensive plays.
-- Heckmann's athleticism. He had a few nice defensive plays late and did this.
-- Rahon handling it late. Donahue said he has the best feel for what they are trying to do. At least someone does.

Dislikes
-- Shooting. You can talk about talent issues or understanding the system, but the shooting is inexplicable. These guys used to shoot and now they can't buy a basket. We also supposedly have great shooting instructors on staff. Someone needs to figure out what is going on!
-- Defensive lapses. How is this still happening. They tightened up down the stretch but left themselves in a huge hole because no one on this team plays consistent defense.