Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Clemson

We didn't play well. Our passing was the only thing working and even that wasn't perfect. But it is good enough that we are going to steal a game or two. But to steal a game we need our defense to make more plays. They didn't on Saturday so we didn't deserve to win this game. The second viewing confirmed that. But you can see how this team could get on a roll. But will Spaz be willing and able to put it together?

Offense: B-

Rettig played well, but wasn't as sharp as some of his earlier games. He forced a few things and his footwork got sloppy. I don't know if he is getting frustrated or feels he has to do too much. What is getting better is his improvisation on broken plays. But overall he still made some great throws. Darts right dowfield and into tight spot. The first INT was not his fault. The second one was on him. He was too late getting off the pass and forced it.

Andre Williams is limited but he's basically all we have. The good news: he's getting very good at blitz pick up. He's also good in space. But most of our rushing issues were not really his fault. Dudeck looked good catching the ball, but he's got to get to the first down market. Sinkovec was involved in some of our best runs as a lead blocker.

When you pass a lot, someone is going to get to pad his stats. That's not the case with Amidon. He played really well. His route running is very, very good. If you look at his first TD, he made a pivot and cut so fast that he pulled away. He still had a drop, but is now a reliable real weapon. Coleman is playing better and had a few nice catches. I am glad to see Evans stepping up. He made some nice plays and is putting his early season drops behind him. Swigert made some nice catches. His throw was risky, but it worked. Parsons was okay. Larmond was on the field but wasn't thrown to.

Williams couldn't run much because our offensive line was not good. Collectively they can't get a push or to the second level on run plays. Wetzel and White were okay. Cleary was okay but had a killer holding call and he and Vardaro seemed to have some assignment issues. Vardaro struggles when he's asked to move or pull. He also allowed a blitzer in untouched while he was doubleteaming someone else. Gallik had a rough game. He got penalized before the half and got beat multiple times. With Gallik and Vardaro struggling the most, I think it might be time to give their backups a shot or shift White back to Center.

As I have been hammering home, we do one thing well and that is pass. Doug Martin called 28 rushes. Those are wasted opportunities. I appreciate the new wrinkles he added to take advantage of Williams. Like the toss with one side overloaded. He also called a lot of off tackle runs (Williams' comfort zone), but none of it was great. Some of Williams best stuff were draws when the field is spread. I am sure part of the reason we ran so much was to keep the game close. That's a common strategy against high powered teams like Clemson. But I think you defeat the strategic purpose if you don't run well. Our OL pass blocks well. We have a maturing group of pass catchers. We have a very good QB. Throw!!! If you want to control clocks than do it off of draws or short passes.


Defense: D

The defensive line wasn't bad, but they have to start making more plays. They rarely make tackles in the backfield and didn't force Clemson into many broken plays. Quinn made a big play on the third and short late in the game. Mihalik had one of his better games and is at least using his height to disrupt passes. Borcich made a few plays. Abdesmad was okay. Appiah didn't do much. Neither did Ricci.

KPL played really well early. He had multiple tackles but then got banged up. Clancy was pretty good and had a huge stop on the 4th down when we needed one. But Boyd did get off a few easy passes in Clancy's area.  Divitto was better but his shoulder block on Boyd on a crucial 3rd down was a big mistake. Duggan looked good and should be getting more snaps. At least he made some plays behind the line of scrimmage. Keyes was very active and needs to be on the field more. We should use more 3-4 from here on out just so our linebackers have more chances to make plays.

Like the defensive line, the secondary needs to make more plays. Other than Sylvia's INT, they didn't do much. When BC's D is at its best, we close quickly on quickouts to WRs. Clemson gashed us with that same play. Jones got burned multiple times. Asprilla was ok. All the Safeties had a rough day. They missed tackles. They got faked out on play action. They also didn't help on the deep plays. Rositano played more than Noel. On McDowell's TD run, I have no idea what Rositano was doing, but he was really out of position. Not a good day. Sylvia missed tackles and also didn't help the corners much.

Have you ever felt so helpless watching BC on defense? McGovern mixed it up. We used a lot of three man fronts. We blitzed a fair bit yet we still allowed 576 yards. There were so many huge holes in some of the zones, it was hard to tell if the guys we missing assignments or if we just can't cover. I like McGovern. It amazes me that he and Spaz ant come up with some gameplan that gets us off the field.  I hope we stick with the three man more in future games, if only to get better players on the field. But at this point what he is doing is not working.

Special Teams: D

Freese was solid. I also like Evans' aggressiveness on his returns. Our kick coverage was decent, although not as effective as last week. The problem was the punting. We've been spoiled for nearly eight years with great and consistent punting. That's not the case this year. Levano's two bad early punts killed our momentum and put the D in a huge hole.

Overall: C-

Aside from sticking with the run too long (as noted above), this was not a bad game strategically. I whined about the use of timeouts, but that wasn't why we lost the game. I also didn't mind the pooch punt nor going for the field goal down three scores. Spaz was appropriately aggressive on the other 4th downs. He didn't do anything to screw things up. That's improvement. But now he needs to do something about the defense. Even though we sort of hang around in these games, the defense is bad. He's stuck with the players he recruited, so it is now up to him and McGovern to smoke and mirror things for a few weeks.

The good news for Spaz is that we have Army next. The bad news is that they are unconventional, so the carryover from what we've done or what we will do later in the season is minimal. But it is his chance to right the ship.

Hoops hits their wall against Wake

Every team has lapses. When you are predominantly freshmen those lapses can come at inopportune times. Yesterday's bad, bad loss to Wake Forest was the basketball team's bad loss. I think the guys have hit a wall. They seemed to being going through the motions at times and the laissez-faire defense was another sign that they didn't come to play. I hope they can regroup in the final week and a half of the season. These are my other thoughts.

Likes
-- Ryan Anderson driving to the basket. If he can make that part of his regular game, he'll be an elite ACC scorer.
-- Caudill's post moves. He looked decent on offense. The hooks and fade aways against taller guys show potential for growth in his offensive game.
-- Moton's minutes. Pretty solid overall. He provided good defense without holding the team back offensively.

Dislikes
-- Ryan Anderson's foul shooting. Let's hope it was a one game aberration.
-- The defense. It was pretty terrible all around. Not that we should be guarding big men tight on the perimeter, but we weren't even in the same zip code. The rotation and help was terrible. Wake guys had too many open looks or clear paths to the basket.
-- Jordan Daniels not being an offensive threat. If he is not going to drive nor shoot then it makes the offense less effective. He needs to take the ball to the basket more and either take the shot himself or find an open man.
-- Too much passing without purpose. You pass and you pass and you pass like that hoping for a defensive breakdown. But if the guys don't cut or shoot on decent looks, then the offense becomes stagnant. Anderson, Humphrey and Jackson were the only guys who will consistently force/create. The other guys need to start doing that too.

Basketball Season Grades: Rakim Sanders

[We now continue with the longest delayed series in atleagle history...]

When pinpointing the difference between last season and the '07-'08 campaign, you don't need to look much further than Rakim Sanders. Always considered to be the most talented recruit of his class, Sanders showed this year he has the ability to lead a team, create mismatches with any player in the league and make a big play when the game is on the line.

Sanders accession didn't seem like a sure things when the season began. Early on you saw many of the same issues from his uneven freshman year. He'd be off on his shots. He'd shoot too much. He'd get in foul trouble. Slowly he turned a corner and the bigger the stage the better he played. His shot selection and defense were huge factors in our upset of UNC.

Despite his progression, Sanders still has areas in need of improvement. His handle in the open floor is not great. Even down the stretch he still had games where he committed stupid fouls. Considering how often he is touching the ball and the offense we run, he needs to improve his assist to turnover ratio. (Or even just be more careful with the ball.)

If he continues to improve Sanders should be all ACC next year. I am very excited for what he may do (and not just because of his late game heroics). His size and strength and ability to play inside and out could make him deadly when our offense is clicking. Think of all those easy baskets Smith and Dudley got in the flex. That could be Rakim next year as he pounds smaller wing players. Ultimately, he has the tools to be great. This year he showed glimpses of that greatness and the willingness to work to get there. For that he gets a strong grade.

Season Grade: A-

Basketball Season Grades: The Assistant Coaches

[Finally continuing the grades series]

The assistant coaches are probably the most under appreciated aspect of college basketball. Like their piers in college football they do much of the positional coaching, much of the instruction and a lot of the leg work in recruiting. However, because the head coach in hoops becomes so iconic, the assistants are taken for granted. On Skinner's staffs assistants' roles can get expanded even more into practice and media duties that Al delegates.

When it comes to grading though, it is hard to judge the assistants on a seasonal basis. First, we did not bring in one recruit this year. By design the staff decided to bank a scholarship rather than use one on a player they didn't like. It also allows them to bring in a decent sized class next year. So that portion of their duties is incomplete.

An area of strength this year was player development. Sanders, Roche, Dunn and Jackson all got better as the season played on. That development should be credited in part to the assistants.

Assistants also do much of the prep and scouting. This year I felt the guys were much better prepared on a game to game basis and our strategy also seemed to be appropriate given each opponent.

While this group of assistants might not be as accomplished or talented as some of Al's previous staffs, they deserve much credit for this year's turnaround. The team was better in multiple ways and much of that was done by the guys who sit and work around Al.

Season Grade: B

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-

Basketball Season Grades: Tyler Roche

In an earlier Basketball Grades post, I referenced the rebirth of Tyler Roche. A few folks scoffed. I think I was on the mark. How else would you describe a guy who was ignored for the first few weeks by the coaching staff, written off by most BC fans and then became a solid contributor?

With the youth movement and Trapani's transfer complete, Roche was sitting on the end of the bench early in the season. As he would later tell the media, the former starter felt frustrated. He knew he could contribute. But I am sure the staff had many of the same old fears regarding Roche: can't make the shots in game and is limited defensively.

Eventually he got on the floor and stepped up. He started knocking down his 3s. He didn't shut anyone down, but became a serviceable and fundamentally sound defender. Although not as tall or as versatile as Trapani, Roche served as a good sub when Trapani needed a rest.

Now just because he improved doesn't mean he doesn't have flaws. He made some curious decisions inbounding and doesn't have a great handle.

Roche will never be an all conference player. But the grade is in part based on expectations. He exceeded them this season.

Season Grade: B

Basketball Season Grades: Reggie Jackson

If you look at Reggie Jackson's stat line for the year, you wouldn't come away thinking he was a difference maker. Yet he was vital and did everything well without his weaknesses being exploited.

Any discussion of Jackson has to center on the Duke and North Carolina games. In both he stepped up and was unafraid to have the ball in his hands late in the game. That poise -- against college basketball heavyweights -- is an encouraging sign of things to come.

I also think Jackson's energy and defense were critical. The wiry guard mixed it up close to the basket for 14 blocked shots. Jackson also pushed the tempo off of turnovers. In a program that requires a lot of self motivation, Jackson provided a much needed spark.

If you are going to fault him for anything, it was his outside shooting and occasionally getting lost on defensive switches. But as I mentioned earlier, even those problems never cost us a game.

Jackson outperformed expectations and looks to be a key for the next three years. Next season he'll have to step up his game to fill some of the void left by Rice, but grading him on what he did this year, I give him high marks.

Season Grade: A-

Basketball Season Grades: Dallas Elmore and Evan Ravenel

Life as a player under Al Skinner is usually straight forward. You either play regularly or you don't. Skinner keeps a tight rotation and it only gets tighter as the games get more important. This year offered a variation from that model in the form of Dallas Elmore and Evan Ravenel. They played in 12 and 14 games respectively. Often when a young player gets benched like that in Skinner's world, their BC careers are over. They know future playing time is not coming so they transfer elsewhere. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with Elmore and Ravenel. Both didn't play for particular reasons and both have opportunities heading into next year.

Elmore only played 110 minutes. Most of it was against the weaker portion of the schedule, but when he played, he played well. He was productive enough and was a capable defender. He didn't convert many of his few 3 attempts (which was supposed to be a strength) but didn't seem lost or hopeless. He would have played more on a team that was less crowded on the wings. His PT was also hurt by the unexpected rebirth of Tyler Roche. If Elmore works on his handle and improves his outside shooting, he should see the floor more next season. Rice's departure means that minutes Jackson and Paris logged at the 2 spot will now shift to the point. Elmore will be behind Raji, Roche, and Sanders for minutes, but he can still be add a bit of size and a mid to long range touch that Raji doesn't have. If he needs a role model, he only needs to turn to Courtney Dunn. Dunn played even less than Elmore during his freshmen year, yet logged 368 minutes this season and saw action in 29 games.

The other player to get an incomplete was Evan Ravenel. He also looked promising in his debut stretch. In the second half of the season he didn't see the floor. The school will never provide an official reason for the DNPs, but the recurrent rumor was his bench time was related to struggles in the classroom. When he played he showed good defensive instincts. If he can become an efficient rebounder, BC would suddenly have more options on the front line.

With no impact player scheduled to arrive at the Heights next fall Elmore and Ravenel are all we have in the way of new blood and new looks. If they do the right things on and off the court there is no reason to think that they won't both be regular contributors next year. For now they get a pass on 2008-2009.

Season Grade: Incomplete

Full Season Prouty Ratings

Since I've just spent the past couple weeks using completely subjective measurements in rating the basketball players, I only thought it was fair to conclude with the objective. Below is the full season Prouty Ratings. (Prouty is an efficiency measurement used by some college hoops stats guys).

Here is the calculation:

Prouty Rating
[ {Points / (Field Goals Attempted * 2 + FTA) } +
{ (Points + Assists * 2 - Turnovers) / Minutes} +
{ (Rebounds + Steals + (Blocks / 2) - Personal Fouls) / Minutes} +
{ (Minutes / (TEAM TOTAL MINUTES / 5) } * Team Winning Pct} ] / 4

As I said when I produced the midseason ratings, this is not perfect. It does attempt to measure a player's contributions by combing offensive stats, possession stats (defense) and productivity. Here's how the BC players performed:

Rice -- 0.579
Raji -- 0.465
Sanders -- 0.450
Spears -- 0.420
Southern -- 0.391
Paris -- 0.360
Oates -- 0.354
Blair -- 0.337
Roche -- 0.333


Some thoughts...
-- The good news: our three most productive players return and two of our least productive are leaving
-- When reviewing the stats for the calculation, I was reminded how sloppy many of our players were. You don't expect inside players to have great assist to turnover ratios but Sanders (.63), Spears (.58), Blair (.43) were too careless.
-- If you take Rice out of the equation the rest of the team shot .626 from the line. Terrible.

Basketball Season Grades: Al Skinner

I’ve been dragging my feet on this post since the end of the season. I could have buried it amidst the hockey stuff or the draft coverage, but that wouldn’t have been fair. Before I get into the thoughts on this season, let me restate that I think Al Skinner is a great coach and the program is still in good hands. The grade and post below are strictly about the 2007-08 season.



The loss to Kansas didn’t bother me. Nor did the stinker against Robert Morris. When the team followed those bumps with three straight ACC wins, I was at ease. We were looking at another good season. New faces, new challenges, same Skinner results. Who would have known that 3-0 start would be the peak of it all? Shortly after the quick start, the wheels came off.

There were so many problems I don’t know where to begin. Ultimately what made this season different from past is we did not establish an offense that could dictate tempo and force teams to play our style. Left scrambling for points, we were susceptible to presses and couldn’t stop other teams’ runs. How did we go from being so consistent to the mess we became? Part of it was the roster change, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Skinner made the mistake of trying to bridge the eras. We tried to use Blair and Spears like they had the same inside games as Dudley and Smith. When that failed against better competition, Skinner started giving those minutes to Southern (and Raji somewhat) and moved to a more open style of play a la the Troy Bell years. By then it was too little too late. We also were very sloppy with the ball. That’s to be expected with so many young players, but there wasn’t much improvement as the season progressed.

I also hoped the defense would be better this year. It wasn’t. While the team showed improvement on the perimeter and in transition, the defensive rebounding and interior play was lacking.

There’s a perception that Al doesn’t coach during that games. Anyone who has sat near the BC bench can easily refute that myth. However, his in-game adjustments hit the wrong notes this year. We let winnable contests get away from us too often during ACC play.

Fortunately recruiting held up and there is more talent on the way.

I remain optimistic. I’ll give Skinner a pass for this year and probably for next year too. But I can’t sugarcoat what happened on the court this year. I look forward to next fall so we can put this season behind us.

Season Grade: C-

Basketball Season Grades: Assistant Coaches

Last year was the first season with this group four assistants together and I felt they performed well. This year is a different story. Not only do I blame the assistants for some of the losing, but I also didn't see the signs that they were doing as well as past Skinner staffs.

Recruiting -- this is probably the area where they performed the best. While not as deep as last season's recruiting class, the staff landed another strong group of players. Reggie Jackson should make an immediate impact and Ravenel received many accolades in Florida.

Scouting -- without knowing the true ins and outs from game to game, I have to be critical of our scouting this season. Too often we got down early, seemingly unprepared for the circumstances. Sometimes we'd claw back, others we'd never catch up. I appreciate that the freshmen were asked to do a lot, but I would hope that the assistants would get them mentally ready for ACC play. At times during the losing streak, it felt like Tyrese was all alone and was the only one who knew his role.

Player Development -- good news, bad news. The freshmen all looked better and Rice took a huge leap in his level of play. Oates, Blair, Roche and Spears didn't. That's on the assistants. How can the same guys be making the same mistakes over and over? I also have to say I am disappointed in how the big men developed. I think Blair got worse as the season progressed. Oates never performed at a consistent level. During the season and at practices and shoot arounds, the assistants do most of the teaching and talking. Last season whatever they did worked. Everyone got better. This year it didn't.

I am not giving up on Al's guys just yet. Pat Duquette is one of the best around and Preston Murphy is showing real promise. Hopefully another season working together will provide the cohesion the players need and help us get back to winning basketball.

Season Grade: C+

Basketball Season Grades: Tyrese Rice

The microcosm of Tyrese Rice's season was the UNC game. He put together one of the best single-game performances in BC history and we lost. Tyrese expressed his disappointment in the season and the losing. He shouldn't be too hard on himself -- he had a great season.

Outside of the accolades (first team ACC) and raw numbers (629 points, .849 from the line), the most impressive aspect of Rice's game was his ability to score on any and everyone. Every team focused on Rice and no one really stopped him. He was able to get to the basket on players of all size and remained deadly from outside. Despite playing nearly every minute of the season, Rice never faded.

Rice wasn't perfect. His defense is still average. When a wing player gets hot (like McClinton in the second Miami game) we need Rice to step up and shut the guy down. Rice also needs to become a true point guard and get his teammates involved on a consistent basis. He also needs to be more careful with the basketball. His assist to turnover ratio is not where it needs to be for a true point.

With more scorers joining the team and two offensive black holes leaving (Oates and Blair) Rice's burden will be lifted (somewhat). If he becomes a more well-rounded player, BC should be much better and the NBA will take notice.

Season Grade: A-

Basketball Season Grades: Rakim Sanders

Rakim Sanders played like a raw freshman. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment, it is.

Sanders has great potential and contributed a few great moments. He hit some big outside shots at various times (included the notoriously waived off shot against VT). Sanders body and hops put him in great position to pick up rebounds and he collected a respectable 4.6 a game. He also proved to be a good defender, capable of disrupting passes and blocking the occasional shot.

Sanders two problems were glaring -- free throws and turnovers. I attribute both to being young and facing a higher level of competition for the first time. The turnover numbers obviously mean that Sanders must be more careful passing the ball. You have to go back to 2000 and Troy Bell's first year to find a BC freshmen who turned the ball over more (and Bell touched the ball much more than Sanders). An alarming number of his turnovers were traveling. Sanders has got to be more disciplined with his feet and first steps. The other disappointment was Sanders' atrocious free throw shooting. He shot .462 from the line. I think he can improve. He shot .386 from three and his former seemed decent. I think it is all in his head and working on a consistent approach.

Sanders can be a great player. You can see it in his size, ability and willingness to take big shots. The mismatches he creates with his size can be exploited close to the basket and he can pop out to bury an outside shot. That alone is a foundation for success. If Sanders improves on his sloppy play, BC could be good next year.

Season Grade: B

Basketball Season Grades: Josh Southern

Of the freshmen that played this year, Josh Southern had the most abbreviated season. He didn't get off the bench much in the first part of the year, yet worked his way into the rotation by the end of the season.

Southern's strengths are his offensive tools. While he doesn't have Craig Smith's power, Southern is good close to the basket. Size is part of the equation, but he also has touch. And he's not afraid of contact (it helps that he makes free throws). What I especially liked about him was his ability to move around the low blocks without the ball. Southern proved apt at cutting close to the basket -- which should be a reliable scoring play next year. He also did a decent job on the offensive boards.

For all his ability on the offensive end, Southern had real issues on D. He was very passive against other big men. He let smaller players back him down and quick players drive around him. There were a few games where he also got into foul trouble.

Southern has real potential. Playing 30 minutes a game next year will give BC a much needed inside presence on offense. To stay on the floor, he is going to need to become a more reliable defender and avoid fouls. His progress will be critical if BC is to improve upon this forgettable year.

Season Grade: B-

Basketball Season Grades: Biko Paris

Biko Paris did not have a dynamic Freshmen year, but his consistency and ability provided a nice foundation for what should be a solid career at the Heights.

Paris started the opener and then reappeared in the starting lineup during our swoon. At the time Al was juggling the rotation. Using Paris as the point freed up Rice to move to the 2 spot. However, it didn’t provide the spark we needed and Paris went back to the bench as Raji became a starter. Regardless of his minutes, Paris remained consistent -- not the guy who would take over games, but also not the type who would wilt under the pressure.

Skinner and Rice both gave Paris high marks for understanding the offense and his basketball IQ. His assist to turnover ration is nearly identical to Rice’s freshmen year

Rice in 2006 (A: 91, T:77, Ratio: 1.18)
Paris in 2008 (A: 89, T:71, Ratio: 1.25)


There is room for improvement. Paris was not a great shooter. He only made .261 percent of his 3s and shot .662 from the line. He also was quick to take it to the hoop only to lose the ball or see it get swatted away. Defensively he played smart but was not a shutdown guy nor did he generate many turnovers.

Paris growth and future really depends on Tyrese Rice’s draft decisions. Rumblings have Rice returning, meaning Paris will likely be a backup again next year. This is probably the best situation for him in that he can continue to improve yet won’t have the burden of carrying the offense or playing 35 minutes a game.

Season Grade: B-

Basketball Season Grades: John Oates

I hoped for big years from Blair, Spears and Roche. I expected little of John Oates. When he started the season nursing injuries and whining about playing time, I didn't lose any sleep. Did any BC fan think, "we'd be much better now if Oates was getting more time"? Yet he worked his way back into the starting five. Once he started hitting a few big shots and had me fooled. I thought it was all coming together for the big guy after all this time. That glimpse of hope made his final (seemingly disinterested) few weeks that much more painful.

To Oates' credit he did a few things right. His defense was much better. Never the quickest guy, he finally started moving his feet in the low post which actually kept him in decent positions. His help defense improved and he actually became a factor in blocked shots. Oates did become a more realistic threat from long range and shot .424 from downtown.

Rebounding remained a problem. How can a guy his size, in this offense, play more than 600 minutes and only grab 18 offensive rebounds?? That's close to what Roche did. Hell, Southern played in half as many games and still had more offensive boards than Oates. I also fault Oates for getting senioritis. Like Blair, Oates played with little passion or focus in the final few weeks.

Despite his limitations and disappointments, I thank him for his contributions to BC and wish him the best of luck.

Season Grade: C

Explaining the grading

Since a few regulars are finding my grading system generous, I thought I'd explain a little. There is nothing scientific about this endeavor. (For a completely unbiased and objective take, I'll post the complete season Prouty Ratings after all the grades are up.) I grade on an individual basis and factor in the general expectations most of us held coming into the season. No one expected Roche to be great in October. He wasn't very good and didn't improve much, so I gave him a C. Compared to Rice, he's an F. Compared to an average ACC player, he's probably a D+. But that is not what I expected from him.

Take Shamari as another example. He had his moments and ended the season on an uptick. He was also our leading rebounder. In my mind he was a B- player. We needed him to be a little better. Sure he under delivered, but he wasn't horrible.

I appreciate the feedback and the discussion.

Basketball Season Grades [and transfer update]: Shamari Spears

Andy Katz confirmed the rumors and speculation that Shamari Spears is leaving. In search of more playing time and a location closer to home, Spears is expected to transfer to Charlotte. I wish him well. It's a shame that he's leaving only weeks after Al finally found a niche for him.

Despite the upturn at the end of the season, it wasn't a good year for Spears. After starting off with double doubles in three of his first four games, Spears minutes and effort declined. As I mentioned many times throughout the season, we needed Spears to play four feet from the basket. Instead he seemed to prefer playing 12 feet away and hoisting up fadeaways. While a decent rebounder, Spears never became the finisher we needed. His defense also suffered in conference play. He did not have the strength to guard the big men nor the speed to disrupt wing players.

Shamari seemed at his best coming off the bench. Whether he was trying to prove something or the short bursts of PT helped his focus, he proved useful. As a 6th man he showed more energy and emotion than he did in most of his time as a starter. And he was more productive.

The biggest problem for Spears, Skinner and BC fans was he just wasn't the next great diamond in the rough. A good player, not a great one. Yet we needed him to be special to continue the legacy. I think Shamari thinks he can be more than he is (hence the clanky jumpers when he should be inside). He may make a leap in his development...it just won't be at the Heights.

Season Grade: B-

Basketball Season Grades: Tyler Roche

It is telling that even after another season of basketball, a google image search produces the same pictures of Tyler Roche. Instead of being a coming out year, Roche stagnated. By the end of the season his regular minutes were gone.

Roche is out there to hit perimeter shots. He made a few but was mediocre for the most part. His 3-pt percentage of .338 trailed Rice, Oates, Sanders and Raji. He's supposedly a good foul shooter, yet he only made five of his 11 attempts. I don't know what frustrates me more: 1. that he only got to the line 11 times or 2. that he didn't bury each shot.

I'd like to point out the positives but there weren't many. I guess you could say his early season play was better. Does that offset his lackluster play down the stretch? On the defensive side, you could point to his improved rebounding, especially on the longer rebounds.

I still believe Roche has some tools and value. But the clock is ticking. He still hesitates to take open shots. He never drives towards the basket. That can't happen next year.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Roche. Speculation is that he is coming back. But to do what? Unless he makes major improvements, I don't see him getting much playing time next season.

Season Grade: C

Basketball Season Grades: Tyrelle Blair

In a season of letdowns, one of the bigger disappointments had to be the play of Tyrelle Blair. The knowns before the season: Blair's shot blocking. The unknowns: could he become a great defender and offensive contributor? Despite being named to the All ACC defensive team and leading the conference in blocks, Blair did not take his D to the next level. And his O never became consistent.

Blair does deserve some credit. His shot blocking did alter a few games in BC's favor. His 11 blocks against Maryland will go down as one of the best single-game defensive performances in BC history. As for scoring, Blair was solid from the line and did a decent job finishing open looks.

Blair never became the rebounder we needed. As Raji and to a lesser extent Spears showed, putbacks are common place in our style of play. Yet Blair rarely got in the mix. And when he did go up, he lacked the touch and strength to finish well against big bodies. Blair also made some troubling errors when tyring to be a post player. Too often the ball would go into him with his back to the basket and he'd force a bad pass or bad shot.

I also think the losing affected Blair. He lost his cool against Robert Morris and then seemed to check out during the late season skid.

I thank Blair for his time and contribution to BC. His play at the end of last season, including his game winner at Florida State, will always be remembered. At times, he changed games with his swats. Even if his senior year fell short of expectations he had his moments. Best of luck to him in his post BC career.

Season Grade: C+