Basketball Previews: Meet Dennis Clifford

Steve Donahue said that when he first saw Dennis Clifford, he thought to himself: "he could be a really good Ivy League player." When you are the coach at Cornell that's a great endorsement. When you are the coach at BC, that's the ultimate backhanded compliment. Yet here we are, weeks away from the season and all everyone is talking about is Dennis Clifford. It could be that Donahue's first official BC recruit might turn out to be the biggest surprise. Clifford might turn out to be a really good ACC player. But before we get too far ahead, let's look at where he came from and where he might go.

Then
One of the reasons Clifford didn't generate much high level interest was his level of competition. He played at Milton Academy and AAU ball with the Bay State Magic.

But you cannot teach nor hide height. He is a legitimate 7-footer. That was going to get attention eventually. Clifford is also a decent shooter and has good post moves.

Now
Since Donahue's megaclass hit campus all the talk has been about Clifford. People have been surprised by his agility and how well he moves for a 7-footer. His skill set is stronger than expected. He can play inside and move outside to knock down shots.

But we've heard about plenty of Power Gym superstars before. Clifford is still raw and still untested against elite ACC bigmen. Even if he becomes a good ACC player, he won't be one in three weeks. He'll still be a tall, developing freshman.

The future
I expect Clifford to have an uneven freshman year. He'll have huge defensive assignments and if he shows any offensive skills, he will certainly be the other team's focus.

BC and Donahue obviously have faith in Clifford. They brought him to the ACC media day. We also don't have many bigs so he's going to get serious minutes this year. Who knows if he'll ever be more than a good ivy league player, but it should be fun to watch him develop.

Basketball Previews: How far can Tyrese Rice carry this team?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.



RETURNING PLAYER

Tyrese Rice, G, 6'1

Rice has shown that he can score and make tough baskets with the game on the line. This season he needs to do even more. He'll be the focal point for our team and the focus of all of our opponents.

Strengths: Great shooter. Can get to the basket and create his own shot.

Questions: Can he get others involved in the offense? Can he improve defensively?

Outlook: Al has won with one-man shows before (Troy Bell). But I don't think Rice has enough of Bell's size or skill set to single-handedly carry this team to the NCAA Tournament. I expect teams to hang on him physically and try to wear him down and keep him from starting the offense. He'll need to get the ball to our other scorers. If Rice is one of the top scorers in the ACC, we'll be OK. Ironically if he is one of the top scorers in the country, I think it will mean he is not getting any help and BC is struggling. Let's hope it is the former.

Basketball Previews: Can Tyrelle Blair be a defensive difference maker?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


RETURNING PLAYERS

Tyrelle Blair, C, 6'11

Last season Tyrelle Blair went from non-factor to space filler to unexpected contributor in the span of about four weeks. He never filled the highlight reel like Sean Williams, but he was nearly as productive in the blocked shots department.

Strengths: Very good shot blocker. Great help defender. Showed he could make the 10-footer when needed.

Questions: Can he become a better rebounder? Can he pick up more points in the low post? Can he become a better one on one defender?

Outlook: Skinner's teams have never been known for great D. But one shot blocker can clean up a lot of mistakes. That is what makes Blair's role so important this season. If he stays out of foul trouble he could lead the ACC in blocked shots. The biggest question is what else can he do defensively. BC needs him to get defensive rebounds too. The chance of him being more than a one-trick pony is another reason for optimism heading into the season.

Basketball Previews: Will John Oates stay within his role?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


RETURNING PLAYER

John Oates, C/F, 6'10

John Oates is the most experienced guy on the team. He'll never be someone to win a game, but the guy has his moments. And Al is sure to use all his fouls. He's battling an injury now.

Strengths: Gives Al five fouls. Works hard on defense to overcome slow feet. Decent rebounder. Occasionally gets hot from beyond the arc.

Question: Will he chuck up too many 3s? When will he be healthy this season?

OUTLOOK: Oates is a role player. He's a Senior now...there is no upside. But that is fine. He just needs to give Al 10 to 15 minutes, give his five fouls and get a few points and boards. The problem is when Oates thinks he can do more and he drifts out to take 3s. He's never been that great from outside and this team doesn't need him to do that. We'll already have enough perimeter shooting from Rice, Sanders and Roche. With Dudley gone we need Oates to pick up some of the rebounding slack. If Oates can hustle and bang a little, he'll have a nice end to his career. If he wastes time and shots trying to be the hero from outside, he'll be doing the team a disservice.

Basketball Preview: Notes from Carleton

I didn't see or hear our exhibition game against Carleton Sunday. From the boards and reports here are a few notes...

Starting Lineup
The starters were Rice, Sanders, Roche, Spears and Blair. I don't know if that will be our first five for the next few weeks or not. Oates is injured but did play. He has never been as productive as Blair, so maybe Al is coming around.

How did they play?
Reports were Rice looked flat and sat for long stretches. Sanders looked very good. Roche was hot early and Spears was hot late. The game was close with eight minutes left, but BC eventually pulled away.

Freshman report
As mentioned above, Sanders started and played well. Southern, Paris and Raji all played more than 15 minutes. Second hand reports say Southern looked raw and Raji flailed around a bit. Paris looked solid once he got settled in.

What should we make of this?
Outside of the who looks to be starting, not much. The early season games that actually count will be a better indicator of the season and the team's potential.

Basketball Previews: How good can Shamari Spears be?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.

RETURNING PLAYER

Shamari Spears, F, 6'7

A lot was asked and expected of Shamari Spears last year. He started the season strong, but a lingering back problem and some poor performances ended his season on a down note. Of the returning players, he represents the biggest unknown. His play will be one of the main variables in BC's success or failure.

Strengths: Decent rebounder. Knows how to use his frame in the low post. Has shown that he can score in bunches.

Questions: Can he improve his hands and avoid turnovers? Will he continue to drift away from the basket on offense? How much will he mature physically and mentally this year?

Outlook: A year ago, I had hoped Spears would be the next Skinner star. Now I don't think he has that much upside. But he can be much better than he was last season. If he stays healthy and plays smart, he can be a very important member of the team. I expect 10 pts and 6 boards a game. If he is healthy all season and averages less than that, there will be no more talk of upside.

Basketball Previews: Where does Tyler Roche fit?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


RETURNING PLAYER

Tyler Roche, F, 6'7

Last season when injuries and suspensions hit Skinner's rotation hard, he turned to Tyler Roche. The results were mixed. This year will be very important for the New Hampshire product. If he doesn't show real improvement this year, he might not see much playing time as a Junior and Senior.

Strengths: Good shooter. Far more productive than people realized in his limited minutes. Knows where the open men are in the flex.

Questions: Why isn't he more aggressive with his open looks? Can he become an adequate defender of ACC talent? Is he strong enough to play more minutes closer to the basket?

Outlook: You hear things about Roche like "he doesn't miss in practice" and you wonder what happened last year. He should have made a killing by just waiting for a kick out from Dudley. But he was very hesitant. Maybe it was freshman jitters. If he doesn't step up this season and in the early part of the year, he may be a lost cause. I am sure he is a nice kid, but Skinner likes a tight rotation and there are too many guys fighting for playing time at the wings. I think Roche will step up and become a real scoring option and be part of BC's surprising season.

Midweek links

Don't believe me that Herbstreit doesn't think much of BC? Watch this clip.

Heisman Pundit remains a doubter too. However, unlike a lot of pundits he has not moved onto the Dennis Dixon bandwagon. He'd still vote for Tebow!?!

Ian has a great line when talking about the FSU QB situation:

It's hard to tell what's worse: not being able to make the grade academically at Florida State or not being able to permanently wrest the starting QB job from Drew Weatherford- you can buy condoms in gas station bathrooms that are more reliable than Weatherford as a full-time starter.

Here is a basketball preview on ACC Nation. The link includes a podcast I did with them.

Finally, it is Wednesday, which means more people on the bandwagon at Ryan For Heisman. Another great photo shop effort from those guys.

Basketball Previews: Meet Courtney Dunn

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.




NEW FACE

Courtney Dunn, F, 6'8

Of the new faces, Dunn comes in with the fewest accolades. He is a late bloomer who still might need more time to round out his game.

Strengths: Good build. Can block shots.

Questions: Can he adjust to this level of play? Does he do any one thing well enough to merit playing time?

Outlook: Early word out of practices is that Dunn might not see the floor this year. With Blair and Oates graduating next season, there will be minutes for him in the future if he matures, works hard and rounds out his game. But you can never count anyone out. Some of the biggest surprises of the past ten years were also afterthoughts who struggled at first.

Basketball Previews: Meet Biko Paris

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.



NEW FACE

Biko Paris, G, 6'1

Originally committed to Southern Cal, Paris changed his minded and decided to head east to play for Skinner. His high school career was disrupted when Hurricane Katrina forced him to transfer to Texas.

Strengths: Good shooter. Does a good job finding the open man.

Questions: Can he handle the faster guards in the ACC? How much floor time will he see this year?

Outlook: For BC fans, I would say Paris has Louis Hinnant's game in Tyrese Rice's body. I think Rice will be on the floor for 38+ minutes a game this year, so I wonder how much of an impact Paris will have as a freshman. However, I do think he will develop into a solid contributor over the next four years.

Basketball Previews: Meet Josh Southern

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


NEW FACE

Josh Southern, C/F, 6'10


Southern is another part of this deep and talented freshman class. The cousin of Director of Basketball Operations Preston Murphy, Southern was sought after by many Big 10 schools and ACC foe Wake Forest.

Strengths: Good rebounder. Good size and frame to play on the frontline in the ACC.

Questions: Can he develop a low-post game? What can we expect defensively?

Outlook: In my opinion Southern will make or break the season. Follow me on this…Rice is a given and will do enough to win a few games just by himself. Everyone expects Sanders to contribute early. Roche and/or Raji should do enough to cover the 3 minutes. That leaves the front line. Oates, Blair and Spears are not elite players. In our conference they are role players (and limited ones at that). To take BC from a lower-level ACC team to a middle of the pack, we need someone creating points and grabbing rebounds in the 4/5 slots. Is Southern that guy? It is too early to tell, but let’s hope he can be.

Jeff Goodman interview

We often bemoan lack of coverage and insight on BC hoops from the national basketball writers. That's not the case with Foxsports.com's Jeff Goodman. It helps that Jeff cut his teeth covering BC basketball for the Herald. With the season fast approaching I asked him a few questions about this uncertain year for BC basketball.

The perception among BC fans is that BC sports are happily ignored in the Boston sports media circle. What was the reality when you were at the Herald?

JG: This is a pro sports town. Plain and simple. That's the reality, whether you and I like it or not. Boston College will never get the headlines that any of the pro sports in Boston receives - no matter what it does. For this area to have the No. 3 football team in the country is remarkable, yet most of the fans have no idea and could care less. That's what makes it so impressive that Al Skinner's program has been so successful lately in the Big East and now the ACC.


Tyrese Rice has been a very productive player for BC. Now he will be asked to do even more. Do you think he can be one of the elite guards in the country?


JG: I think Tyrese will "have" to be one of the elite point guards in the country. He had a lot of his plate a year ago when Sean Williams was kicked off the team and Sean Marshall was inconsistent. Now Rice will have to become a true leader - both on and off the court. It wouldn't surprise me if Tyrese leads the ACC in scoring this season, but what will be more important is whether he's able to make his young teammates better. He'll need to work on trying to score the ball, but also get his teammates open looks - which won't be easy. Anyway, to answer your question - yes, I think he can become one of the top point guards in the country - but there are so many terrific floor leaders around this year that have more around them than Tyrese.

This is a transition year for BC. Not much is expected. However, the last time Al faced a similar “rebuilding year” his team surprised and made the tournament. How do you see this season playing out? What should we expect of the freshmen?

JG: I think it's going to be a long season for BC, but you never know with Al Skinner. The guy just amazes me how he's able to do his best work when there aren't expectations. It's because he brings in a different type of kid and develops them. The kids that come to BC are usually overlooked and have something to prove. The Eagles will have Tyrese to build around and I feel as though Rakim Sanders should make an instant impact, but I'm not a huge fan of the John Oates-Tyrelle Blair duo up front. If I was Skinner, I'd throw freshman Josh Southern to the wolves and let him get some serious minutes so he's ready next season - when Joe Trapani becomes eligible, Rice is a senior and Sanders has a year under his belt. My prediction is that BC wins a half-dozen league games in this rebuidling year.

Basketball Preview: Meet Corey Raji

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


NEW FACE

Corey Raji, G/F, 6’5

The last name should be familiar. Corey is B.J.'s younger brother. Raji was a late bloomer on the national basketball scene but ended up getting offers from many ACC and Big East schools. He’ll be a wing player at BC

Strengths: High basketball IQ. Good energy and rebounder.

Questions: How will he handle bigger forwards? Can he improve his perimeter shot?


Outlook: Raji has the makings of a classic Skinner player in that he is not the most physically gifted but will make things happen with hustle and smarts. I don’t know where he will fit in the rotation. He could start or end up scrambling for minutes behind Roche, Sanders and even Spears (this year’s rotation is the biggest question mark heading into the season). I predict Raji will acquit himself well early and be a regular contributor throughout the season. My guess is that he’ll be good for 5 points and 5 rebounds a game.

Basketball Preview: Meet Rakim Sanders

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.



NEW FACE

Rakim Sanders, G, 6'5

Sanders was the cornerstone of this recruiting class. A New England product with a national ranking, he is expected to start this year.

Strengths: Can score from inside and out. Good rebounder.

Questions: Can he defend the ACC's best perimeter players? Can he help Rice out with ball handling when we are pressed?

Outlook: I don't expect Sanders to have a Troy Bell like impact as a freshmen. Rice will still be our first scoring option. But I do think he can get plenty of points just by picking up rebounds. When we run the flex close to the basket, I think you'll see Sanders show very good strength for a wing player. In terms of production, he is primarily replacing Sean Marshall's minutes. I don't think you'll see him average Marshall's 14.8 points per game, but he should exceed Marshall's 4.5 rebounds per game. If he can deliver 11 points and 6 boards a night, BC will be much better than the experts are predicting.