Could another Raji play football at the Heights?

Could Corey make this catch in traffic with a football and pads?

Two things this week got me thinking about Corey Raji trying football in 2011. First was seeing Jimmy Graham put on a good show during Monday Night Football. The second was reading about Steve Donahue talking about Corey's smooth stroke. The reality is that Corey is probably not going to play in the NBA. While he is a good defender and college rebounder, he doesn't have the handle to be a wing in the NBA, nor the size to play in the interior. He could probably make a go of it in Europe but that is not a given.

However, very few borderline pro hoops prospects have brothers who were first round NFL Draft picks. BJ and his burgeoning success has got to be a model for Corey. BJ is making more playing football than Corey ever could make playing hoops in Europe. Plus Corey has a slight understanding of the physicality of football. I know that is not the same as getting hit yourself, but it does count for something.

Now if Corey decided to play football, his natural position might be an issue. Would he be a WR? A Tight End? Maybe a Defensive End? With such a limited window to try football, I think Spaz and his staff would have to give him a quick tryout at each position and see which one he gravitates towards. If he can't catch, then you put him on D, etc.

Could Spaz even use him? That is another question. We have decent depth at WR and TE. Corey might not even see the field. While we have some nice experience returning at DE, Corey might be able to work himself into that rotation. Does Spaz have a scholarship for him? Maybe. It looks like we will max out on the recruiting class, but a kid is bound to leave or wash out before fall practices begin. If it really came down to cost, I am sure BJ would pick up the tab for Corey to be a football walkon for one semester.

Although Corey is a good athlete, he could have a really strong year in football and still not get a shot at the NFL. It might not be worth the trouble or potential injury, but it would be a fun end to the Raji family's time at the Heights.

Starters suspended

We will be without Sanders, Raji and Dunn against Dartmouth and for the next game. No specifics are given other than the violation of team rules. I was told from unnamed folks that this is not a big deal or a sign of a bigger problem. It is more BC being BC.

Basketball Season Grades: Corey Raji

I didn't know what to factor into Corey Raji's grade. He showed guts and toughness by playing with a bad groin for the heart of the schedule. Yet he clearly frustrated fans and didn't progress as much as I would have hoped. At the end of the day it comes back to expectations and Raji didn't meet them.

The good news about Raji is that what he did well, he did very well. He's an instinctive rebounder who led the team in offensive [Corrected. Thanks, conlonc] boards. Having a guy who can keep those possessions alive is the key to Skinner's offensive system. Raji was good on the glass last year and only got better this year. In addition to being in the right place at the right time, he's also shown he can grab a ball in traffic and fight for those tough rebounds. Raji excelled in transition. He runs the floor well and is a good finisher on the break.

Raji's weaknesses were pretty evident -- he had 0 touch around the basket. He failed to convert on numerous opportunities close to the hoop. I have no idea what happened. Last year he had a very good shooting percentage by filling the stat sheet with putbacks and bunnies. Now it is like he is trying to get a ball through one of those small hoops you'd see at a carnival. Raji also struggled at times defensively. Big men got some easy baskets on him. Last year we often gave him a tough defensive assignment on wing players. This year other eagles got the call.

Raji has a great career ahead of him. Anyone who can rebound like that has huge value to any team. Maybe with the expectations a little lower next year, he'll step up his game.

Season Grade: B-

Stars, Skinner, and winning differently next season

This season validated many things around BC basketball. It showed that last year was a temporary setback due to rebuilding. It showed that BC could win in the ACC with a young team. And finally it showed that BC could win if Rice got more of his teammates involved. But as we all read in the run up to the tournament, opposing coaches and fans still felt Rice was the key to the team. Friday night USC stopped Rice and therefore stopped BC. But I don't think any of us believe it was that simple.

Rice is now gone and Skinner's squad will be very different next year. For the first time in a long time BC won't have a proven star returning. In fact next year will be the first time since 1999-2000 that BC will enter the basketball season without a player who has earned league honors. None of the super sophs, Roche or Jackson have been named to ACC rookie teams, defensive teams or all conference teams. The only player to get any sort of recognition is Joe Trapani, but that comes with a major asterisk since his America East All-Rookie Team honors had nothing to do with his BC career.

Stars have served Skinner well. Each year he took his scheme and adjusted it to the talents of his best players. He also let the under recruited, late bloomers lead the team emotionally and through example. Despite our occasional frustrations with how the team deferred to these different stars, the program worked. BC kept finding and installing great players and kept winning.

The current mix of players breaks that model. The six sophs (and even Reggie Jackson) are a different breed of BC recruits. They are not McDonald's All Americans, but all had solid offers from major conferences. None were as unheralded as Bell or Dudley. They also all came in together. Prior to that BC had small classes that saw usually just one star emerge. These guys have a bond that prior classes didn't. They also will share the load in ways previous teams did not.

I don't mean to limit any of the guys we have returning. I think more than one will get all league honors before their BC careers are over. You could argue that Sanders and Jackson were overlooked this year. But there is no one yet who has shown the consistency to be considered a star. Some of the clutch moments are a good foundation for stardom. You need a pile of game changing moments to be considered a star.

I actually think the team concept will take BC further than any of the previous Skinner years. Next year Al will have one of the most experienced, versatile and deepest teams in the ACC. Not dominant in any facet, but good enough in all. And most importantly, unless there is a late flyer or some one has a change of heart, BC will not be bringing in any significant recruit. Barring transfers and a little more Ravenal and Ellmore sprinkled in, what you see is what you get for BC basketball. Can they do it? I think so. In a way, I think they outgrew Rice this year. Friday's struggles were a learning tool and a transition. These guys now have the off season to bet better, work together and show that there is more to BC than just a star system.