390 athletes make ACC Academic Honor Roll

BC spends a lot of time on managing and publicizing APRs and graduation rates. However, just graduating athletes really undersells how much is done in the classroom by BC athletes. Nearly 400 students just made the ACC's Academic Honor Roll. That list recognizes students who maintain a 3.0 or better during one full school year. 

While some curriculums are easier than others, BC doesn't have fake majors or fake courses to pad these GPAs. These students work hard, especially when you consider their commitments outside the classroom. BC was third overall in ACC honorees. Congrats to all. 

What Syracuse's AD means for BC

Earlier this week, Syracuse hired former ESPN executive John Wildhack as their new Athletic Director. From an ACC and BC perspective, this is good news. Now as we design and negotiate new TV deals, we have a level of expertise unmatched by any other major conference. Wildhack understands ESPN in a way that few could. Hopefully, he also leads the charge in the every evolving ACC Network.

While hiring someone without any previous Athletic Department experience comes with risk, I applaud Syracuse for trying something new. Although non-traditional names were floated after GDF, Brad Bates was a safe and traditional candidate. The jury is still out on his success, but it seems pretty clear he is not going to make any major changes while in charge nor take any big risk. I hope that BC soon reaches a level of stability, so that when it comes time to replace Bates, BC can look beyond the traditional and make a hire like Syracuse just did.

ESPN's Scouting Report on Burton

Austin Burton switched to a Florida High School to raise his profile and become a better football player. Based on this ESPN article it doesn't seem like any of that was necessary. Burton gets high praise for his arm strength and accuracy. They also think he'll be more mobile than expected.

All this talk about Burton has me feeling good, but I can only wonder how it will play out. The verbal to BC put him on other schools' radars. Playing at a higher level will also raise interest. Let's hope he continues to progress, yet doesn't give into the temptation that will come with new offers. 

Hot Seats and other links

The Football season is nearing and Addazio is starting on many Hot Seat lists. Last year was disappointing, but it will take a lot for Bates to fire Addazio this year. Perhaps another winless ACC schedule.

Matt Ryan said all the right things at his BC press conference. He made a special point to thank and credit his two offensive coordinators -- Dana Bible and Steve Logan.

BCI listed all the ACC's odds for winning the conference and division. If you want to put money down on BC, you'll make big bucks if BC wins.

BC to retire Ryan, Kuechly's jerseys

In two separate ceremonies this fall, BC will retire the jerseys of Matt Ryan and Luke Kuechly. In the final paragraph of the release, BC explains:

Previously, Boston College has retired the numbers of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Doug Flutie and Outland Trophy winner Mike Ruth and the jerseys of eight other standouts: Art Donovan, Bill Flynn, Gene Goodreault, Mike Holovak, Lou Montgomery, Charles O'Rourke, Tony Thurman and Louis Urban.

Both Luke and Matt are great guys who followed great BC careers with great NFL careers. Both have given back to BC and serve as role models for the BC Football community. This honor is well deserved. However, I do have a few quibbles with the process and timing.

Retiring numbers in football is difficult logistically. The massive size of the roster necessitates recycling iconic numbers. Hence most teams use some sort of ring of honor. The eight numberless jerseys that are honored at Alumni are in the same concept. BC doesn't clarify whether or not Ryan and Kuechly's 12 and 40 will be permanently retired, yet both are out of use and seemingly reserved for retirement. I think Ryan and Kuechly should be retired, but their numbers should live on with new players. In my opinion, Flutie's 22 should be the only number not re-used. (I would argue that even Ruth's 58 was premature...but that is another subject.) While both Ryan and Kuechly were special, I don't think either deserve the ultimate honor and honoring them in that way now is a trend that glorifies the recent past (in all sports) over true history.

My second issue is that this honoring skips over too many guys who came between the Thurman-Flutie-Ruth eras and the Ryan-Kuechly ACC era. I think Herzlich and Kiwinuka were both conference players of the year and both had incredible college careers. I feel like they are not being honored like Ryan and Kuechly because their NFL careers did not reach the same heights. That shouldn't matter.

There might not be a Matt Ryan era if not for the rebound led by Glenn Foley. How is his jersey not retired? What about all the great offensive linemen who have protected BC's stars? Mike Cloud, Derrick Knight and Montel Harris all finished their respective BC careers as the school's all-time leading rusher. Some acknowledgement is deserved, not to mention what Andre Williams' accomplished. Tom Coughlin and Tom O'Brien deserved the same honor that Mike Holovak received. I could go on, but the point remains.

In the short term this will be a nice little boost of PR for the Football team. I hope it leads to clarification of what BC is honoring --  "jersey vs number" -- and a whole new group of other players getting the recognition they deserve.

Happy 4th of July

There were several July 4th messages on Twitter, but this one was my favorite. I keep smiling at the player wearing 1776. That's the number I would want to request if I played BC Football. God Bless America.

Happy #4thofJuly hope everyone is having a safe & enjoyable weekend pic.twitter.com/5GN1IWl2bD

— Steve Addazio (@BCCoachAddazio) July 4, 2016

Dunn set to make pro debut

Justin Dunn completed the Mets 10-day throwing program for new signees and is now ready to pitch professionally. He's been assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones and could pitch any day now. Dunn is starting in the Bullpen, so his usage will be a bit unpredictable. The team is monitoring his pitch count and adjustment to the new environment. Good luck to him.

Trying to rebuild local basketball connections

Despite being the only major conference team in the area, BC doesn't have great relationships with the AAU basketball powers around Boston. The problems and history are long, but it is partially because of admissions issues, JOB's scorched earth, Skinner's disinterest and Donahue not having enough time to build relationships. Jim Christian is trying to change that. Hiring a Boston guy like Spinelli was a first step, but so is getting in early on local talent.

BC just offered 2019 prospect Brycen Goodine. He is a BABC product. BABC is the oldest AAU team in the area and yet recruiting there has been hit or miss for BC. Can this be the start of a different era?

Goodine's graduation year is a long, long way away, so who knows if anything will come of this offer, but I am glad BC is being aggressive. It is just one more step to turning things around.

BC needs to get Holy Cross in Hockey East

As BCI points out, it appears Holy Cross wants to join Hockey East. There are lots of hurdles to clear, but if the Crusaders put together a solid proposal, BC needs to be their biggest advocate.

Even though the Holy Cross-BC rivalry doesn't mean much to any BC fan born after 1970, baby steps towards rebuilding it are good for BC. We are headed towards a time of uncertainty for college sports. Paying players, breaking off from the NCAA, and challenges to Title IX are all in play. Given that BC is proudly anti-athletic payment, I could see a situation where our leadership decides to de-emphasizes sports (especially if the Power 5 really starts up player salaries). However, if our historic rival is moving towards big-time sports (like Football and Hockey), it will put pressure on BC. Why would BC give up the marketing and community advantage that sports brings just when Holy Cross is embracing it? Holy Cross learned their lesson when they decided against the Big East basketball and gave up athletic scholarships.

I know that Holy Cross joining Hockey East is not the same as the Crusaders joining the Big Ten (or even something like the Conference USA), but it is a good first step. And even if it doesn't generate huge athletic momentum for them or start an athletic renaissance for BC and Holy Cross, it would still be good to play them more often. Their return to big-time sports is also a good reminder of what we did right over the years.

Burton and Stoneburner commit

Although he only recently received an offer from BC and transferred to Florida in order to gain more national attention, Austin Burton will be playing college football close to home. The former Newton South QB verballed to Addazio Thursday. He's the second QB to commit in this recruiting class. I am excited for him -- all reports are that he is a good kid -- I just hope this sticks. My fear is that if he has a great season in Florida, big programs will come calling.

One of the guys he might be throwing to at BC is new commit Ohio WR Caleb Stoneburner. He's a big kid and from a good program in Dublin, OH, but most of his offers are MAC type. Perhaps being a tweener between Tight End and Wide Receiver scared Power 5s off. BC has done well with big WRs under Addazio. As long as the kid can block, we should be okay.

BC gets excited about Twitter addresses

Earlier in the week, BC teased a big announcement for Friday. The guessing among fans kicked into overdrive. New uniforms? Revamping the dreadful BC italics logo? Real progress on some of the facilities? Friday of a holiday weekend is usually a bad time to announce major news, but who cares? BC fans were getting something big! Errr, maybe not.

Maybe they teased the change too well, because this release from BC make it seem like the big announcement was about Twitter handles. Changing Twitter addresses is such a non-event, I don't know why they felt the need to promote it. All the short little rollercoaster did was raise expectations and in the aftermath raise frustration.

The only good to come of it is that the Athletic Department got a glimpse into what the people want. Perhaps they should address uniforms, or logos or other things people brought up. It would certainly excite the fanbase more than Twitter tweaks.

Chatman joins Basketball team

According to reports, former BYU guard Jordan Chatman is our newest basketball transfer. He's a graduate, so he is eligible immediately, but that might be the only thing normal about his situation. Unlike most grad transfers, Chatman is not a one-year rental. He actually has three years of playing time left. He's also 22 and has used a redshirt year too. Chatman's unique age and eligibility stats are all related to his time as a Mormon missionary.

As a missionary he took a two year break from college. The mission stops the NCAA playing time clock, but he was still able to get through school quickly.

Chatman came off the bench for BYU last season. He is likely to be a role player with BC too. He's not a difference maker, but should provide some good depth and maturity. With his remaining years of eligibility, he doesn't really help the scholarship imbalance like a normal grad transfer might have. Hopefully his age becomes an asset, because this team is desperate for a leader. Welcome aboard, Jordan.

Oline pressure and other links

Everyone talks about our QBs, but the real key to the season might be the Offensive Line. Personally I think this unite comes together quickly.

The Heights put together a nice "Year n Review" feature.

Former BC Defensive End Brian Mihalik is going to convert to Offensive Tackle for the Steelers.

Camp, kicking camp and Towles stuff

BC posted a a slide show of some of their Football camps. It is a pretty good insight into much of what goes on...which is nothing. While it is critical to get targets and good regional teams to campus for camps, there is also plenty of kids who camp at BC who have zero chance to play FBS football. For starters, many are young and this is just something to do in the summer. BC and its football staff make a few bucks, kids get a great experience and it grows BC Football and Football in general in the area. Most colleges do this in all sports. One of my kids just spent a week at a Georgia Tech camp. But there are also camps for older, elite prospects which are very important. We've generated dozens of players from these events over the year. The camp environment allows the players and coaches to get to know one another in a football setting. And unlike the new satellite camps, it a kid attends camp at Alumni, you know the guy has real interest in BC.

Another smart camp related thing that Addazio is doing is hosting a Kohl's Kicking Camp at Alumni. Ours just took place last week. Kohl's sponsors a series of these around the country and they are a tool to showcase Special Team's specialists. BC coaches have attended these for years looking for kickers and punters. By having it on campus, BC improves their access and ability to recruit kickers and punters that much more.

Athlon thinks Towles was one of the bigger QB transfers this year. They don't mention the chance of Wade starting. It should be an interesting training camp. I think both guys think they will start.

Sorry for the delay

Long story short, I didn't post Friday or Saturday. Not much news and I was partially out of pocket. Fortunately it is the dead of summer. Thanks for the inquiries. Normal blogging resumes now.

Army hires Foster away from BC Baseball

BC Baseball looked hapless as recently as two years ago. The turnaround began last year. In part due to improved and maturing talent, but also due to pitching coach Jim Foster. That success gained notice as Army hired Foster to be their next head coach.

If you listened to the player interviews during BC's run, they gave a lot of credit to Foster. He called very solid games and provided great scouting reports on the other team's hitters. Beyond the NCAA tourney success, Foster also served as a trusted adviser to Gambino. When he joined the staff, Foster brought much needed experience as a head coach from his days at URI. Hopefully Gambino appreciated what Foster brought to the team and finds another great assistant who can handle the pitching staff as well as fill in for some of Gambino's short comings.

Best of luck to Foster at West Point. Coaching and winning there is always a challenge. If he struggles, I would love to see him return to BC as an assistant. If he wins big, maybe he'll be the head man here one day.

Recruiting class getting bigger

Summer remains Addazio's key recruiting period. Wednesday, BC added New Jersey DE Marcus Valdez. While he doesn't have many stars with the rating services, Valdez does have a good mix of offers from Power 5 and mid major schools. He also comes from Don Bosco. I think it is important to stay relevant and bring in kids from programs like Bosco that have supported BC through the years and consistently produce talent. Hopefully Valdez is another Bosco player who will blossom at BC.

Another new member of the class is New Hampshire's Drew McQuarrie. Although he plays QB, he is coming to BC as a Tight End (according to BCI and EA).

I remain impressed that Addazio has this momentum coming off a terrible season. Imagine how things will be if we turn it around?

Can Florida competition validate Mass QB?

BC offered QB prospect Austin Burton Monday after camp. Focusing on a second QB in this class is noteworthy, but what I find more interesting about Burton is his geographic background. He's from Massachusetts and played at Newton South, but is now playing in Florida.

BC was very familiar with Burton before he left for Florida. He's Newton Offensive Cooridnator was Darren Flutie and his father is local Boston anchor Steve Burton. Austin tranfered in an effort to raise his profile and prove his talent at a higher level. Now that he's wrapped up a BC offer, will other Power 5 schools come calling? Will they wait until he actually plays in Florida?

It will be also interesting to see how much playing in his hometown means to Austin and if he is willing to be the second QB in the class. He seems like a good prospect and assuming he plays well this fall, will bring in a different perspective than most of our New England recruits.

Barnes-Thompkins to transfer

Rising sophmore Sammy Barnes-Thompkins is transferring. This comes as no surprise considering SBT's open criticism of the staff and his teammates. While it would have been nice to see Barnes-Thompkins develop, as a player, he is not a significant loss. He was not going to change the program this summer as a swimmer.

Best of luck to SBT. Hopefully he finds a team and scenario that meets his needs and hopefully BC uses the SBT scholarship in a thoughtful and valuable way.

Two more recruits for Addazio

BC had a busy weekend. Coming off of on campus camps, BC made some offers and landed some new recruits. The big name is Alec Lindstrom. He's one of the better players in Massachusetts and has a chance to play either offensive or defensive line. He's also the brother of BC's Chris Lindstrom. That aspect of his recruitment and commitment can't be overlooked. It means that players and their families still believe. Coming off a terrible season, that is not always a given.

The second player who verballed to Addazio was New York WR Noah Jordan-Williams. This is also a good sign, since Jordan-Williams held a Syracuse offer, is from Syracuse's backyard and turned down Syracuse's new pass happy offense. Those are tough recruiting hurdles.

More verbals should be coming out BC's camps and satellite efforts.

Sneak peek at Ireland field

In case you missed it, our Irish hosts tweeted out the layout and paint scheme for the game in Ireland. Their maroon looks okay and I like the added touched of the Boston College at midfield. It is a neutral site, but this was our home game and we pushed for the Ireland opportunity. Labor Day weekend can't get here soon enough.

The battlefield has been marked for September 3rd in the Aviva Stadium - will you be there?! #muchmorethanagame pic.twitter.com/FRRHnVFZsn

— College Football IRE (@cfbireland) June 14, 2016

Pundits hate our schedule too

As BCI pointed out, CBS thinks BC has the weakest schedule of any Power 5 team. Our non-conference is a joke and even the ACC games line up in a favorable manner. CBS is not alone in trashing our schedule. Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman also thinks BC's slate is very friendly. He uses an index, but is math really needed when you look at UConn, Wagner, UMass and Buffalo?

Purdue and Stanford are nice additions to future schedules, but there is no getting around this lineup. We will hear numerous excuses as to why it had to be this way. None of it really matters though. All that mattes now is winning and bouncing back from last year. If Addazio can't bounce back with this schedule, then he deserves all the criticism that comes his way.

Athlon doesn't think much of BC's talent

One of the things I dislike about College Football is how much perception matters. Rankings and recruiting are directly impacted by coverage and reputation. That is why BC's disastrous season will have a carry over until BC wins again. Take Athlon's preseason All ACC teams. There are no BC guys on the first team. Only two on the second team. One on the third and three on the fourth team. We all know that on the defensive side alone, we have more talent than that.

The guys who were named: Landry (Second Team), Milano (Second Team), Walker (Third Team), Hilliman (Fourth Team), Baker (Fourth Team), Strachan (Fourth).

I think the most glaring snub is none of the defensive backs being named anywhere. I also think Gutapfel should have been mentioned somewhere.

This list won't impact any wins or losses this season, but it will have an impact on player awards. Many of the All ACC postseason lists will be very similar to the preseason lists. It will be interesting to see how the other preseason magazines rate individual players. Hopefully someone recognizes the talent and more importantly, I hope that all the players overachieve this year. 

Basketball announces more schedule info and other links

Basketball announced they will take part in the Birthday of Basketball Doubleheader. BC plays Fairfield in the opener followed by Auburn-Oklahoma.

BC is making a big push at North Carolina RB Larry Rountree.

Jared Dudley seems ready to come back to Boston as a Celtic.

The conflict of the MLB Draft

The MLB Draft might be the most player friendly. A prospect can get drafted and still play in college. However, there is a catch. Once a player starts college baseball, he cannot return to the MLB Draft until the end of his junior year. BC commitment Dante Baldelli is dealing with that right now.

The Phillies drafted Baldelli. Depsite his commitment to BC, Baldelli could still be gone. If he agrees to a deal before school starts, he's a Phillie. If he waits, he's an Eagle for three seasons.

This whole scenario is tough on the coaches. They need elite talent, but cannot have too many empty roster spots or unused scholarships. Good luck to Baldelli and to BC Baseball's coaching staff.

Stanford added to future schedules

The good news is that BC scheduled another Power 5 series. The bad news is that it is more than a decade away. When BC plays Stanford in 2028 and 2029, both schools will be very different and very likely playing under different coaches.

This is a step in the right direction on many fronts. Stanford is a good role model on how an Athletic Department should look. We have legions of fans in California who will jump at the chance to see a game in person. Even with potential coaching changes down the road, adding Stanford helps BC's perception. We can sell this type of scheduling to the media and recruits.

My doubt about the series is still in effect. If the ACC adds a ninth game, this series could be in trouble. If the Power 5 break off, this series could be in jeopardy. Future football coaches and ADs from both schools might not want to play the game.

Brad Bates deserves credit for signing the deal. Now let's hope this one stays and we get more schedule quality in the coming seasons.

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.

Mets take Dunn in 1st Round

The good news continues for BC Baseball as the New York Mets selected Pitcher Justin Dunn with the 19th overall pick. This season saw a major jump in performance from Dunn as he moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation to the key player in a Super Regional team.

There were many reasons why BC Baseball struggled for a few years and why the rebound finally came and the biggest issue was talent. This year saw talented players like Dunn make the leap. As long as BC keeps doing that, BC Baseball should be fun to watch.

As for Dunn's future, I think the Mets know what they are doing. They wouldn't select him this high if they didn't think they could sign him. Dunn did bypass MLB when the Dodgers drafted him out of high school. Given how the MLB and college rules go, this probably means he's headed to the pros. 

Checking in on former Eagles

I always expect a lot out of 5th year transfers. I tell myself that BC will unleash the kid's potential and the change of scenery is just what everyone needs. However, the reminder that 5th years are not all program changers, is learning about former BC guys in their new stops.

Harrison Jackson had a few nice moments at BC but dealt with numerous injuries and numerous offensive coordinators. He never reached his perceived potential and I didn't care when BC failed to keep him on for another year. Former BC Offensive Coordinator Doug Martin must think that he can still get some value out of Jackson, because the BC grad is headed out to New Mexico State. Good luck to him there. He should be targeted more than he ever was at BC.

Malachi Moore is another guy who might benefit from a change of scenery. He contributed at BC but we always had good depth on the Dline and he never became an impact player. Now he's back in New Jersey at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have a new defensive minded coach, so maybe Moore will make the mot of his one season of eligibility remaining. 

More Hoops schedule info and other links

The dates and opponents are now known for Basketball's trip to Brooklyn. BC will face Kansas State November 25 in the Barclays Center. BC will then face either Richmond or Maryland in Day 2 of the event.

Former BC Athletic Director and BC grad Chet Gladchuk won a prestigious AD award. Gladchuk's post-BC career has been fascinating. He did many things that used up goodwill and the Henning-gambling issue ultimately cost him his job, but he has used his second chances to really turn other Athletic programs around.

BC is still putting the hard sell on New Jersey Defensive Lineman Mike Tverdov.

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.

Baseball sweeps regional!

The hottest team in college baseball might be BC! Although only a 3 seed in a four team bracket, BC ran through their whole regional without dropping a game. Sunday they beat Tulane to win the bracket and advance to the Super Regional.

While you could have considered BC a bubble team, their amazing performance in Oxford showed that their bid was well deserved. It was also validation of the season they had. In the past, early exits from the NCAAs raised questions to how good BC actually was. No doubt this season.

BOSTON COLLEGE IS ON TO SUPER REGIONALS!

For the FIRST TIME EVER, the Eagles advance to Supers. #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/teHx1HeRrX

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 6, 2016

Baseball keeps rolling

BC Baseball -- who were knocked out early in the ACC Tournament -- are on the cusp of winning their bracket! Saturday they rallied to beat Utah. Sunday night BC will start Freshman Jacob Stevens against the winner of the loser bracket game between Utah and Tulane. If Stevens and company shuts the opponent down, BC moves on. If not, BC has one more chance on Monday.

BC wins NCAA opener against Tulane

Justin Dunn dominated when BC needed him the most. He struck out 11 and held Tulane to just two runs as BC won 7-2. BC will now face the winner of Ole Miss and Utah.

Considering the pressure and lack of postseason experience on the roster, this was a great start for BC. No one seemed overwhelmed by the stage or the stakes. If they keep it up, they may win their bracket.

Athlon's Preview of BC

Athlon released their BC preview and has the Eagles at No. 65 nationally and 6th in the Division. They believe Towles will start and that the season will come down to what Loeffler can do. Overall Athlon considers Towles the 10th best QB in the conference. They consider Addazio the 12th best coach in the conference.

The most reassuring thing of all their BC coverage, is the confidence in the Defense. There is talent and good coaching on that side of the ball. As Athlon -- and everyone else is saying -- this year will come down to how the Offense performs.

Lezzer returns to Football...at UCF

Medical issues with college football raise plenty of questions. Some schools (like Alabama) have reputations for finding medical issues with unneeded or underperforming players. By moving a player to a medical scholarship, it frees up a true scholarship for the team to use on another recruit. There are other scenarios where School A might not clear a player and School B will. Think of when Ty-meer Brown left UConn for BC. I am not sure where to put Christian Lezzer's situation.

Last fall Lezzer announced his retirement due to head injuries. At the time it seemed like a smart move. There is still so much unknown about head injuries, that being cautious is usually best for a person's long-term health. Lezzer was a reserve at BC and his loss was not an issue on the football field. Now he's back playing football and is transferring to Central Florida.

Former Clearfield star and Boston College LB Christian Lezzer is headed to UCF to play again. @Ry_Bass pic.twitter.com/eEzMR2nQvY

— Sean Fitz (@seanfitz247) June 1, 2016

I am going to give Lezzer the benefit of the doubt. I have also not heard of Addazio pushing him out or being aggressive with medical hardships like his buddy Urban Meyer is. I hope he does have new information on his brain issues and will be ready to play. With so much cynicism in college football, Lezzer's comeback would be a nice surprise.

More ACC preview stuff

CFN put out more of their ACC previews, this time with an overview of the conference. Like the past few years, they expect Florida State and Clemson to be at the top. While it sucks to have the two powers in our division, this is actually not a bad thing for BC. We are in rebuilding mode and unlikely to challenge for the ACC Championship. Ideally when we are peaking in a season or two, something will have happened to FSU or Clemson (or both) like a coaching change or scandal, that can make BC's rise a little faster.

BC did get mentioned in certain categories like Hot Seat. I don't think there is an appetite to replace Addazio yet. Barring another winless ACC season, I think he's back in 2017.

CFN still doesn't think much of our QB situation.

Baseball headed to NCAA Tournament

For the first time since 2009, BC Baseball is headed to the NCAA Tournament. They will play Tulane in the Oxford regional. We are in a bracket with Ole Miss and Utah. The four teams play a round robin double elimination. It will be tough to advance, but this whole season has been about exceeding expectations. Making the tournament is a good accomplishment and a long time coming. You can see from the clip below, the guys were excited. Let's hope the passion and success carries over to the games.

The Birds are dancing! This is the reaction when you hear your name called for the NCAA Tournament! #RoadToOmahahttps://t.co/roYRhG57It

— BC Baseball (@BCBirdBall) May 30, 2016

BC's ACC revenue continues to grow

As a private institution BC keeps most of its financial matters close to the vest. However, the ACC needs to file public tax documents and they are very revealing. For the 2014-15 school year, BC's ACC revenue share was $26.8 million. That is the money the league pays us for media rights and other shared ticket revenues. In just the ten years we've been in the ACC the annual number has grown by nearly $16 million. This also doesn't include any additional money BC takes in via Hockey East, our own fundraising and our on game day revenues and sponsorship. Being in the ACC has been good business for BC. 

Now because of other league members' revenue streams and larger fanbases, BC is probably still one of the lower revenue teams in the conference. Because of the mix of private schools and BC's conservative nature of reporting, we will probably never get a true picture of where BC stands among its peers. 

What frustrates me about this number is that even with the healthy and growing revenues, BC remains so conservative. How has the indoor practice facility taken so long, when some of this revenue could have off set up-front costs? Also, why do we still nickle and dime so many coaches and balk at paying players? I don't want to spend money to just to spend, but it is clear that BC could do more.  

RIP Don Horton

Former Offensive Line Coach Don Horton passed away after battling Parkinson's disease. Horton coached at BC for 10 years, all under Tom O'Brien. He then followed TOB to NC State. As part of the Cincinnati contingent, Horton recruited many of our Ohio prospects first as a Tight Ends coach and then as a Offensive Line coach.

If you follow many former BC players on social media, you will see an outpouring of emotion and respect for their former coach. My thoughts and prayers go out to those guys as well as Horton's family.

Baseball faces waiting game

As the various Conference Tournaments play out, BC Baseball is left to wait. Many projections still have them in the NCAAs, but upsets and the ever-changing RPIs make things unpredictable. I don't know if other ACC "bubble" teams like Clemson and Wake had good ACC Tournies, while BC fell out after one game. BC's resume is strong enough, but nothing is guaranteed.

Once things wrap up, newer projections will roll out and then the real invites. And unfortunately an NCAA invitation will influence how this season is viewed.

Vegas win totals for BC and other FBS schools

Win totals bets have been out for BC and other programs for a little while, but I have not really looked at them since the end of Spring Ball and transfer season. At this point, Vegas has most of the information on the teams that they are going to get. The consensus on BC for 2016? 6.5 wins.

That number is pretty perfect to me. Obviously I want to take the over, but still feel BC will be around that area. The other thing I like about the number is that Vegas is throwing out last season and setting the number close to what Addazio achieved in his first two seasons. They see him as a 6.5 win coach. Now consistently winning at just above .500 is not ideal, but at least it is winning. I would demand a lot more, but getting to consistent winning is the first step in creating a better program.

McDuffie joins recruiting class

It has been a busy week for Coach Addazio, as he and his staff collected another verbal late Monday. This time it was New York defensive player Isaiah McDuffie.

McDuffie originally committed to Syracuse. After their coaching change, he reopend the process and picked  BC.

BC adds New Jersey Linebacker

Paul Theobald is the newest member of Addazio's 2017 recruiting class. He verballed Tuesday via Twitter and gives the class more defensive talent and continues the push into New Jersey.

A Seton Hall Prep product, Theobald carries 3 stars from 247 and 3 stars from Rivals. He is unranked by Scout. Other than BC, his best offers were from Rutgers and Northwestern.

Things won't stop now. Other rumored verbals are looming and should come in the following days.

Flutie DUI and other links

Natick Police arrested and charged BC WR Troy Flutie with DUI. Based on the report, it doesn't appear that anyone was hurt. While this is serious for Flutie, now that he is not part of the QB rotation, it is less of a big deal for BC Football. What will be interesting is to see how Addazio punishes Troy. My guess is he will miss the season opener in Ireland.

According to Jeff Goodman, Matt Milon is headed to William & Mary. Like all basketball transfers, I am trying not to overreact and hope that Christian's plans for replacing Milon's productivity work.

Villanova did not see a Flutie effect from winning the NCAA Tournament.

More opponent previews

CFN put out two more ACC Atlantic previews. This week they looked at Clemson and Louisville. Of the two, I think Louisville is the better matchup for BC. Last year we really frustrated their Offense. While I trust Petrino to work out the kinks, I still think an aggressive approach can rattle the still young Jackson.

Clemson will probably start the season very high in the polls. We will be viewed as one of their conference cupcakes. Knowing Addazio, we will probably be highly conservative and hope to keep it close. Maybe things will change with the new Offensive leaders, but I still don't think Addazio will suddenly become a daring game manager.

The ultimate good news is that both games are at home.

BC Baseball makes the ACC Tournament

Congrats the Boston College Baseball team. By beating Georgia Tech twice on Saturday, the team earned a spot in the ACC Tournament. This is the first time the team qualified for the ACC Tourney since 2010. The teams will play again for the ACC Tourney Opener on Tuesday.

Addazio preparing for Georgia Tech already

If there is one thing to takeaway from Thursday's ESPN article on Addazio and Paul Johnson, it is that BC will be ready for the Jackets' triple option offense. Addazio has been studying it for years. Because we are beginning the season facing a gimmick offense, I agree with Addazio that we need to start now. Defeating them won't just be about maintaining gap control and assignments. It is also about their speed and cutbacks.

But no matter what Addazio does, Johnson will have a counter. That is the beauty of a gimmick offense. You create problems for the opponent and can change the game with a few momentum plays. Because of the gimmick, Johnson is never totally lost like BC was last year. He can create layers of depth and plug new people in from year to year. Addazio will never have that luxury if he keeps switching OCs and philosophies.

More recruiting help from Ohio State

Urban Meyer must really like Addazio. We knew about BC joining Ohio State on various satellite camps. Now BC will be part of Ohio State's on-campus camps in Columbus. These series of one day Mega Camps will also include some other friends of Meyer as well as many MAC schools.

This works for BC on a few levels. There will be hundreds of Ohio kids going through there and Meyer can't take them all. BC might be able to build relationships with the B list guys. We've been recruiting Ohio for years, so this will also allow us to encourage Ohio targets who can't make it to Boston to go to these Meyer camps.

This might seem like a lot of effort for just a few relevant kids, but I am glad Addazio is doing this. We need to turn over every rock we can find.

Darby to Arizona State

BC made a late push for New Jersey wide receiver Frank Darby, but he's headed to Arizona State. Since the 2016 recruit came on the radar so late, it doesn't really impact BC short-term or long-term plans. He would have been a "nice to have" type of player, but no need to lose sleep over it. The best sign of the whole affair was that the Admissions Office didn't get in the way of his recruitment. Late academic conflict is usually a red flag but clearly Addazio and Admissions came to some sort of common ground.

Darby playing at Arizona State probably won't come back to haunt us either. 

TV time "officially" set for Ireland game

We've all known about the kickoff and coverage of the BC-Georgia Tech Ireland game for months. Tuesday, ESPN made it official as they released their opening weekend coverage schedule. Basically it is wall-to-wall college football starting the Thursday before Labor Day. BC's game will be Saturday morning at 7:30 ET on ESPN2.

The ability to put live football on Saturday morning is really the biggest reason for the Ireland game. I am sure the Irish like the tourism boost and BC and Georgia Tech appreciate the marketing opportunity, but this is a TV event.

CFN's early look at FSU

It is the start of preview season and the first up is College Football News' ACC preview. They began with traditional power Florida State. Florida State was a critical turning point in BC's 2015 season. Wade went down and the offense couldn't do anything. Yet we still played them relatively close. In fact, Addazio has played the 'Noles well in each of his seasons...with nothing to show for it.

I actually think we have a shot against FSU this year. If our Defense remains competitive, there is no reason to think this game won't be close. It will be on BC's offense to help Addazio finally get over the FSU hump.

Also, CFN thinks BC will be the 10th best team in the ACC and cause all sorts of problems for the upper echelon of the conference.

ACC Network not dead yet

With cord cutting and ESPN killing Disney's stock, the ACC Network has never felt further away. Yet Awful Announcing read through the ACC Meeting tea leaves and thinks the project may still be viable.

Although the specialty networks have been money drains for ESPN, my guess is they are still willing to do them just to ensure a long-term relationship with the ACC. Look at what is happening with the Big Ten. They have their own network independent of ESPN and are now looking for another blockbuster TV deal. I am sure that as ESPN and Disney decide how to budget their rights deals, they would rather have a true partnership (with equity) with the ACC than overpay to lose money on a Big Ten deal. 

Awful Announcing referenced the impatient ACC Athletic Directors. I am sure that is a factor, but the bigger factor is ESPN stopping the cord cutting. Once they have that figured out, then they can move onto creating the ACC Network.

Simmons signs with Broncos and other links

Justin Simmons signed with the Broncos. Under the current bargaining agreement, there is not much negotiating room. Your pick really determines your pay.

If Mehdi Abdesmad doesn't make the Titans, he will be in high demand in Canada. As a Canadian, he can fill a valuable roster slot.

This guy thinks BC has the 5th best QB situation in the division. I remain more optimistic. If one of the guys steps up, we could surprise plenty of teams.

More looking back at Reid's 1994 Defense

Here is another video of 1994 game footage. This time it was the season opener vs Michigan. BC allowed 36 points, so it wasn't Reid's best effort that year. However, there is still a lot to learn. You can see that the front seven looks and formations are very similar to Brown's. Like Brown we also did a lot of twisting and stunting. 

Despite the score, the defense still made plays. This was a talented Michigan offense and the game swung on some big performances from future NFL guys like Toomer or Biakabutuka, not from bad schemes.  

ACC to create replay command center

The ACC is going to follow the NFL and create a central command center to handle all replays. Decisions will no longer be made at the stadium. While I don't think this will save BC from the occasional bad call, I do appreciate the consistency the new system should bring.

Campaniles on two sides of the Camp Wars

As Jim Harbough and Urban Meyer create new satellite camps for every day of the summer, things are starting to get testy. Upset by Harbough's move into New Jersey, Meyer decided to hold a New Jersey camp on the same day. The dueling camps will force prospects and high school coaches to pick one over the other. One of the coaches upset by this schedule is Bergen Catholic's Nunzio Campanile. He will take his team to the Meyer camp.

BC remains committed to the Michigan camp, including new DBs coach Anthony Campanile. Nunzio Campanile even mentioned his brother's commitment:

"I love my brother more than anything in the world. I just don't want anything to do with my kids going to a camp at Paramus Catholic."

Fortunately, Campanile has enough pull in New Jersey and with his brother that BC won't miss out on any Garden State recruits who don't attend the Harbaugh camp.

Perry dunks!

I have concerns about the quality of play that EJ Perry faces in Massachusetts, but the kid clearly has athleticism. In the video below he gets up and throws down a dunk. If he can't break the QB depth chart, maybe Jim Christian can use him. (ht Eagle Tribune).

Me and Woody Harrelson proving doubters wrong pic.twitter.com/7OSB1E3DMc

— EJ Perry (@ejperry20) March 22, 2016

BC's awards and other links

This weekend, BC held a big show for their various annual sports awards.

Rutgers commit Jonathan Taylor is hearing from BC.

BC missed on basketball transfer Lew Evans.

Reeves could be added as 5th year

There was gossip last week that a former Ohio State player was on campus exploring a 5th year transfer. It seems that Armani Reeves confirmed via Twitter that he is that transfer. Reeves is a Massachusetts native from West Roxbury. Coming out of Catholic Memorial he earned four star ratings and never gave BC much of a thought (still during the Spaz days). He was a contributor but not a star at Ohio State and missed his final year with a medical issue reportedly related to concussions. Now with his degree, he is eligible to play immediately.

We have good depth in the defensive backfield, but Reeves would be welcome. The issue is if BC will clear him to play medically. I don't doubt that he did have a head injury, but the way the story reads, it wouldn't surprise me if Urban Meyer gave him a wink, wink, nudge, nudge to take a medical. Often times coaches at a football factory would rather free up a scholarship for another elite recruit and let someone like Reeves (who was a contributor but not a star) sit his final year. 

One other thing of note, Jim Reid recruited him to Virginia too. 

Like all 5th years, Reeves has little downslide to BC. I hope it works out for both parties. 

Baseball wins as BC honors Frates

After a slow start, BC rallied to beat Wake Forest Saturday. The win gave the team the series over the Deacons and improved their ACC record to 11-14. But the wins were really secondary. The important moment came earlier as Boston College retired the jersey number (3) of former Eagle captain and current director of operations Peter Frates. His number joins Eddie Pellagrini's No. 13 as the only other baseball number given this honor.

The team has the week off before taking on Niagara next weekend.

BC leveraging Big Ten friends to tag along at satellite cmapes

Once the NCAA overturned their ban on satellite camps, it didn't take long for the Big Ten powers to reschedule them. While the ACC, as a conference, is still against satellite camps, BC is taking the right kind of baby steps. Instead of making a splash and spending money hosting our first satellite camps, BC is joining friendly programs at their camps.

First BC will be part of Michigan's camp at Paramus Catholic. My guess is Don Brown helped put this together. Some other programs with ties to Harbaugh -- like Maryland -- will also be there.

Later BC will join Ohio State and Urban Meyer at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. Presumably this was via Addazio's relationship with Meyer.

The good news about these camps is that you get to see prospects who you might normally get to Boston. The bad news is that all the elite players will be focused on Michigan and Ohio State. But that is the risk you take when the other program runs the camp. It is the same sort of deal when Harvard or UNH come to BC's camps at Alumni during the summer. As long as we make inroads with some prospects, it is worth it.

I hope these are huge successes for BC and we learn how to operate a satellite camp and run our own in the near future.

Reminder: Frates number retired this weekend

BC Baseball doesn't draw big crowds, but this weekend might be a good time for the casual or curious BC fan to attend. The team has a critical series against Wake to keep ACC Tourney hopes alive. But most importantly the team will honor Pete Frates by retiring his number.

At this point Frates' story is well known and global due to the ice bucket challenge. But BC is still an important part of who he is and BC Baseball owes a lot of who they are to his passion for the team.

BC Baseball games are different from a day at Fenway and even different from our Football, Hockey and Basketball experiences, but it is still a fun time. This weekend, because of Frates, it should be fun and special.

ESPN optimistic about Towles

ESPN posted an article on recent ACC QB transfers and how their histories projects to our new QB Patrick Towles. The short history of these transfers is mixed, but the good news is that the successes are closely tied to BC. We all know about Tyler Murphy and how he carried the team in 2014. But there are also huge differences between Murphy and Towles. Murphy got to play in a run heavy system with Ryan Day calling the plays. Murphy was also less experienced than Towles having only started six games to Towles' 22 starts.

The other relevant QB in the article was Virginia Tech's Michael Brewer. Despite some injuries, his two years in Blacksburg were very productive and a seemingly easy transition. That is comforting considering his Offensive Coordinator in those two seasons is BC's current OC Scot Loeffler.

The most reassuring part of the article was this quote from Bobby Petrino:

“I’ve known Patrick for a long time,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said recently on the ACC teleconference. “He had a great high school career and we competed against him at Kentucky. He's a very fine quarterback. He's big and physical, has a good release, and can really throw the football. He definitely should do a good job there.

With regards to most things, I don't trust Bobby Petrino. However, evaluating college QBs is one area where his expertise is superior to most. If he likes Towles, I feel pretty good about him too.

BC looking to flip Iowa commit

New Jersey WR Frank Darby was all set to go to Iowa. He even attended their Spring Game a few weeks ago. However, some academic concerns -- Iowa wanted him to attend prep school -- had Darby looking around again. His first post-Iowa visit will be BC.  This is where things get interesting.

As a 2016 recruit, Darby would be available to play this fall and would presumably join other 2016 recruits when they get on campus this summer. Although he is a WR, he has the athleticism to play other positions. BC didn't recruit him last time around, but Darby has a strong relationship with new staffer Anthony Campanile. 

Getting him on campus for a visit is huge, but I also wonder where the Admissions Office stands on Darby. If Iowa had academic concerns, I don't see how our Admissions team won't. I hope that by getting Darby this far in the process, he's cleared that hurdle. It would be bad to publicly court this kid and then jerk him around like Iowa did...especially as we are rebuilding our New Jersey relationships. 

Brace family speaks and other link

Ron Brace's family said he had a series of concussion with playing football.

BC Baseball is set to retire Pete Frates' number.

In addition to getting Drafted, Justin Simmons also just got married. That's a life-changing month.

Baseball, Softball both win weekend series

After a rough start, Baseball rallied this weekend won their series with Virginia Tech. It improved their ACC record to 9-13. There next game is against URI on Tuesday.

Softball swept Syracuse and improved to 10-8 in ACC play. They host Pittsburgh next.

Redskins draft Daniels

The third day of the NFL Draft was good for BC. The Washington Redskins took Steven Daniels in the 7th round. While seventh rounders are expendable and often cut, this is still very good for Daniels and BC. He gets a little more money and BC gets to boast about another draft pick. I don't know if Daniels has the coverage skills to be an star at this level, but he should be very effective.

BC's other two high profile seniors didn't get drafted but both signed free agent deals quickly. Mehdi Abdesmad is headed to Tennessee and Connor Wujciak signed with Philadelphia.

Broncos draft Simmons

Congratulations to Justin Simmons. The versatile DB is headed to the Super Bowl Champion Broncos. While not a Day 1 pick, Simmons is still high enough that BC can leverage his good news with our future recruiting. Simmons deserves so much credit for climbing up Draft boards. He had a very good season, but meeting him and seeing his tapes probably sold Denver.

Let's hope he has a great career and more BC guys join him in the NFL this weekend.

Baseball loses opener to VT

The BC Baseball team is at the point in the season where every ACC game has tons of conference implications. With a struggling Virginia Tech in town, BC needs a big weekend. Things did not star well as the Eagles lost to the Hokies on Friday. The two teams play again Saturday. That game will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Tunsil yet another reminder that college sports remains dirty

The story of the NFL Draft was Laremy Tunsil. While his drug video was the bigger deal, I think admitting to taking money from Ole Miss will have a more far reaching impact on college sports. Ole Miss will probably suffer some sort of scholarship reduction and a change in coaching staffs. The whole affair is a reminder of how broken college sports are.

BC took a stand on paying players last year, but the Power 5 is moving towards official Minor League status whether we like it or not. BC might think paying players is contrary to the school's mission, but it does benefit us. Money is already changing hands. Getting it out in the open might curb some of the cheating. Right now BC is playing with one hand behind their back. If we have strict salaries and caps and what not, some of that talent will get redistributed to places like BC.

I like to think that BC is not cheating like Ole Miss, but I know enough not to ask or push the issue. If BC is doing under the table stuff like Ole Miss, then that is just one more reason to support paying players. As anyone at CSOM will tell you, this is a highly inefficient market. Making the money official and allowing players' value to drive market will fix so much and we can all stop pretending it is about the education.

We won't know about Perry until he steps on campus

ESPN posted a glowing article on recent BC commit EJ Perry. It basically says he has all the tools to succeed at the next level. I obviously hope so, but have some hesitation on drinking the scouting report Kool-aid

All QBs are tough to project from one level to the next. You can't always tell how much the system in which they played, the depth of the league and the quality of the coaching impacted performance. There have been plenty of Massachusetts QBs who lit up the record books but weren't physically capable of playing at the next level. Even if, as the article states, Perry's offense was sophisticated for High School, in college it will be a different story. The defenses and the defenders will be much better. Your "football IQ" doesn't matter when you are running for your life in the pocket.

BC is hedging bit on Perry too. Addazio is supposedly bringing in two QBs in this class. That will give Perry some competition and Addazio a back up plan in case Perry is just another kid who dominated in high school.

Report:Brace suffered cardiac arrest

While the initial reaction to Ron Brace's death was sadness, there was also plenty of confusion. What caused such a young man die so suddenly? Throw in the lack of details and many were left to guess. Now the Globe is reporting that Brace died of a heart attack.  

There was no mention in the article if he had a previous heart condition nor his current weight. But even at his playing size, Brace was putting plenty of stress on his body and heart. Head injuries remain the focus of current and former football players. Maybe Brace's tragic death will get others to address size and weight for those no longer playing the game. 

BC land Mass QB

Addazio filled an important slot in his 2017 recruiting class with Massachusetts QB EJ Perry. Perry is the son of Andover High School's coach. Rivals considers him the 5th best prospect in the state. Nationally his rating is not as high.

Perry's commitment sparked the usual debate about the quality of Massachusetts prospects. Other schools have shown interest in him, but BC is his only Power 5 offer. I am still in the trusting Addazio mindset on local talent. The program knows Perry and if Loeffler is now on board with him, then I am sold too.

There haven't been many impact Massachusetts QBs in a long time. Let's hope Perry breaks that streak.

R.I.P. Ron Brace

The nature of my location doesn't lend itself to much face-to-face interaction with active BC players. Ron Brace was one of the few I met and interviewed. If you are BC fan, you know that Brace died this weekend at the age of 29.

I have a hard time of making sense of much of life and an even worse time with death. Dying young like this is a tragedy because he had so much time ahead of him and clearly many teammates and friends that will miss him. I pray for those people.

When I interviewed Brace, it was summer 2008. We discussed Raji coming back from his redshirt year and Brace lit up talking about the potential the team had and how he and BJ would compliment each other. He had a smile describing it...like he knew something no one else in a room full of ACC Football people knew. Of course he was right and the 2008 Defense destroyed teams all year. It was one of the most special seasons I can remember and easily the most fun season to blog about.

I don't know what football meant to Ron Brace or what he felt after his playing days were over. Hopefully he realized he was part of something special and gave thousands of people joy. There is no explanation for why something like this happens to someone so young, but there is clearly proof that Brace made an impact in his short life.

First no hitter for BC Softball and other links

Huge congratulations to BC pitcher Jessica Dreswick. She completed the first no-hitter in the history of BC Softball.

Baseball beat Louisville again.

Idrissa Diallo will finish his career at UC Riverside. Mabye being closer to home and in a less demanding league will allow him to blossom.

Baseball beats Louisville

BC Baseball earned the school's first ever win over Louisville Friday. The win helped BC improve to 6-11 in ACC play. It was BC's 20th win overall and the team remains on pace for its most successful season yet under Gambino.

The series continues Saturday afternoon.

Reading into the Devan Lawson decommitment

New York TE/DE Devan Lawson had this to say on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/6TrLE0Ujma

— Devan Lawson (@dlawson_10) April 21, 2016

Fortunately there are few (if any) BC fans overreacting to this news. Lawson seems like a diamond in the rough type and I trust the staff, but this is not a big loss. In fact losing him now hints at bigger issues.

Because BC cannot publicly discuss recruits, we are left to guess what happened or wait for the gossip to trickle out. Usually when a guy decommits, it means another school has entered the picture. That doesn't seem to be the case with Lawson. Since committing to BC, new teams have offered, but no Power 5s. If you believe the gossip, the staff started questioning Lawson's character and academic discipline.

Although he decommitted, I don't expect BC to swing Lawson back. That rarely happens. And although there will be exceptions, Addazio is big on moving on once a recruit starts looking flighty. I am sure we will have a new TE/DE type soon.

Don't go overboard on APR talk

Schools are sending out all sorts of press releases on their APR stats. I am sure a BC one will arrive soon. Usually BC is among the highest scorers in the rating that captures academic progress and graduation. The APR can also punish poor performing schools. Yet miraculously it is the little guys who always get penalized and the Power 5 programs all somehow skate along boasting of their success in supporting student athletes. Critics say the rating and system is fixed and borderline fraudulent. Considering Kentucky Basketball is now touting their perfect APR score, I think it is time to downplay our APR success.

I am not trying to pick on Kentucky. In fact, I admire Calipari's transparency. He's not bothering with the sham "student athletes." He's recruiting a bunch of "one and done"s and trying to win as many basketball games as he can. I doubt he is spending much time worrying about his APR. I assume there is a whole army of staffers and administrators in Lexington holding these players' hands for their one year, and the same support team is filing every exemption needed with regards to transfers and guys who leave for the Draft to not hurt Kentucky Basketball's APR.

I do think BC has genuine concern for our student's progress. As long as we are part of Big Time sports, I think we should keep that focus. It is a nice differentiator. However, let's use our own stats about graduating players and helping them succeed off the field. Because bragging about our APR is pointless.

Downes finishes Marathon and other links

In case you missed it, the Globe had a great article on Marathon Bombing survivor and BC grad Patrick Downes. It is worth your time and if you are interested, you can give to the scholarship at BC in Patrick's name.

Can Justin Simmons be a NFL Draft sleeper if he keeps getting this much attention?

BC is in the mix for Utah State basketball transfer Lew Evans. He would be a 5th year and eligible to play right away.

Some of BC's 2018 targets are getting media attention already.

What we can learn from the Petrula commitment

Aside from the Spring Game, the weekend also brought good recruiting news. New Jersey OL prospect Ben Petrula verballed on Saturday. The New Jersey media interviewed him and looked into his recruiting. It sheds a little light on how BC works.

Location is always important in recruiting. Most guys stay near their homes. That is why New Jersey remains so important. Petrula had other offers in the Big Ten and SEC but he wanted to stay in the northeast. It came down to BC and Rutgers. Fortunately we won and have put more New Jersey recruiters on staff.

Players recruiting other players is often overlooked. Petrula also mentioned the other St. Peter's players at BC. That is why we need to spend so much time recruiting kids who get what BC is about...and then we need those kids to sell that idea and perpetuate that culture.

Addazio getting in the mix also closed Petrula. Other BC coaches used to be the "closer" in the recruiting process and sell the kid when he was in the office. Addazio is getting out on the field and working with them. This gives him a chance to evaluate the player but it also gives them a chance to know him.

There are plenty of things Addazio needs to work on, but based on the Petrula courtship, recruiting doesn't seem to be one of them.

Checking in on Men's Lacrosse

This weekend was Senior Day for the Men's Lacrosse team. Fittingly they defeated UNH and are having another strong season.

Unsaid in the facilities announcement and renewed commitment to baseball, was that Men's Lacrosse remains a club and will likely be a club for the foreseeable future. As baseball faltered and club Lacrosse thrived it seemed like a smart move would be to have the programs trade places with regards to scholarships and funding. But that's not happening. It is a BC thing, an ACC thing and a Title 9 dilemma.

Right now BC is ranked 10th among club teams and should make the club championship tournament. Let's hope they make it and win it all. Although it wouldn't be an NCAA Title, it would still be a big step forward for the team and BC Athletics.

Wade looks good in Spring Game

This season is suppped to be about Patrick Towles. He was going to lead the team back to the postseason and help establish our passing game. Yet during Saturday's Spring Game, the QB who stood out was Darius Wade.

Technically the Maroon squad beat the White. Because it is Addazio in charge, the score ended up 6-2. QB of the future Anthony Brown looked pretty god, but also threw a pick. John Fadule also played.

I'll have more thoughts on the game in the coming week. For now, just be glad that our QB controversy has changed. Now we have too many QBs...which is a nice problem to have.

Patriots looking at Daniels and other links

The Patriots need Linebackers and Steven Daniels fits the bill. They looked at him PreDraft and this writer thinks they might be able to get him in late rounds.

This Syracuse blog ranked all the ACC Basketball jobs. I was actually surprised that they didn't put BC at the bottom. I think after Duke and North Carolina all the other jobs are somewhat interchangeable. Some have more tradition and fewer restrictions (Louisville, Syracuse), but the right coach can win and elevate any of the programs. Just look at what Larranaga did in Miami.

Here are the rosters for the Spring Game.

Spring Game's new look

At some schools the Spring Game is a big event. At BC, it has been a bit of a cluster of late. Injuries, weather and the unfortunate events of the Marathon Bombing have all created issues with the annual Jay McGillis Memorial Game. This year, Addazio has the roster he wants and the format he wants. It is going to be a true split squad scrimmage.  

What I like about the split squad and not just first team vs second team or offense vs defense, is that we get a sense of depth and systems. The sly thing about split squad is that it also keeps Wade and Towles happy and engaged. Neither will be declared the "starter" of the first team. I also like the idea of both guys getting thrown in with random teammates. We need next year's QB to be a gamer who can adapt to any situation. 

Regardless of how these tweaks to the game translate to the field, I am glad we get to see the new offense, new QBs and new defense. 

Time for Kobe to come back to BC

Go back in time with me to the winter of 2014 when a basketball star made a surreal appearance at BC.

Learn. Learn. Learn. thank you #BC #internationalmarketing Education never stops.

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 17, 2014

Yes. The then injured Laker star just showed up one night at BC and crashed a marketing class. Of course the surprise appearance went viral and everyone wondered how and why it all came together. But what was more interesting is that Bryant came back the next day and sat in on more classes and talked to some Administrators. I was told he had real discussions about getting his MBA after his playing days (and how that could happen even though he doesn't have a bachelor's degree.)

I haven't heard of anything BC and Bryant related since, but with his pending retirement, why not ask if Bryant was sincere about his BC education. Even with his open calendar and wealth, going back to school would be a huge sacrifice for Bryant. He would seemingly have to uproot his family and dedicate some time to school work. There are probably more convenient programs in Los Angeles for Bryant's needs and interests. I doubt he is even thinking about BC right now, but I hope someone from the school reaches out. Kobe becoming a student at BC would be a great opportunity for Bryant and BC.

Baseball wins and other links

Baseball beat Harvard in a shortened game.  Next up is the Beanpot.

Former BC football player Nat Dixon is headed to UT Chattanooga as a Basketball player. Maybe this could have been easier if Addazio and Christian worked something out so Dixon could have ditched BC Football for BC Basketball!

Wagner is also playing UMass this year too. It is an ambiston schedule for a FCS.

More Simmons news and other links

If you base things purely on media coverage, then Justin Simmons is rising up draft boards. The Lions are looking at him and in a thin class of Safeties, Simmons' experience and versatility could be an asset to many teams.

BC offered Virginia athlete Chris Pierce. He already has offers from Old Dominion and Virginia.

Baseball won their weekend series with UVA.

In case you missed it, the Globe had a great article on BC Janitor Fred Vautour and his five children. All are BC grads. I used to wait in line at Lower for Fred's chicken sandwiches back in the '90s. Even then you could tell he loved BC and took great pride in his work.

Sebastian verbals to Addazio

Connecticut DB Brandon Sebastian verbally committed to BC this weekend. He seems like a good local athlete and nice addition to the class. His offer list is very regional but he does come with three stars from most of the major services. Like many recruits, I am sure his verbal to BC will cause other programs to scout and review him. Let's hope that big programs validate his talent, but he stays committed to BC.

With the Spring Game coming up, more recruits should follow. I also find it encouraging that Addazio seems to be recruiting well and last season's losing does not seem to impact what kids think.

Getting to know Reid and other links

BC continued their series on the new football staffers with an article on Jim Reid. He seems energized to be back at BC.

Future Eagle Kobay White decided to play basketball in his final high school season and his team had a great year.

Some Celtics bloggers think Jared Dudley could and should return to Boston as a free agent this offseason.

NCAA bans satellite camps before BC even considers trying one

Score another win for the SEC as they somehow rallied enough support to ban satellite camps. The move was really about keeping Big Ten coaches like Harbaugh and Franklin from reaching the masses in the deep talent pools in the south.

Because the Big XII,  Pac 12 and ACC all have pockets of talent too, they were more than happy to keep Harbaugh out of Texas,  California and Florida. I don't know how BC felt but the ACC put up a united front. It is a shame too because I feel like Addazio and BC could have been great in this sort of touring camp.

As I've written before a few camps on Jesuit campuses in California, Texas and Ohio might have been perfect for BC. I don't think we would have pulled in five stars, but could have found more good fits for our roster.

I am sure Harbaugh is not done and will find another loop hole. When he does, I hope Addazio copies it instead of standing by as things are shut down.

Hockey's run ends in Semis

Although they pressed hard until the very end, BC Hockey won't add another trophy this year. The team came out flat against Quinnipiac and it ultimately them the game. Although the first goal probably should have been waved off, there were enough mental errors in a row that it was no surprise when the puck went between Demko's legs.

You could argue that BC was the better team in the third but the hole was too big by then. Saying BC came out flat should not minimize how good Quinnipiac is and how well they played. They were aggressive,  fast and smothering. Numerous BC power plays were totally neutralized. They look like champions.

It was still a great year for the team. And puts them in the right frame of mind to go out and win it all next year.

Bandwagon BC Hockey time

Thursday BC Hockey takes its regular spot in the Frozen Four. Thousands of BC fans will descend on Tampa hoping to watch Jerry York win another title. Yet for most BC fans -- including me -- this is one of the few times a year that we really pay attention to BC Hockey. And every year as York does it again, I tell myself I will make more of an effort next year.

I am not a hockey hater. I played as a kid and went to the same high school as York's son. I like the sport and am very proud of BC's dominance. I used to use the lack of TV coverage and my distance from campus as an excuse for not paying more attention.  Both those excuses are hollow now as there is good TV access for most games. I think what I am guilty of is not investing emotionally because it is almost too easy. I can only pay attention to so much and the rollercoaster of Football and Basketball tends to draw me in every time.

I will be following and watching Thursday.   I don't like being a casual hockey fan but don't want to miss out on another great York run. I know I'm spoiled but I promise I'll watch more next year!

Report: Milon asks for transfer release

Boston College 6'4 FR Matt Milon has been granted permission to contact other schools. Milon avg. 17mins 5.4pts 1.4rbs & shot 49% from 3.

— #Grind-Til-We-Sign (@willie_anderson) April 4, 2016

According to reports, Matt Milon is the latest basketball player to ask for his release. BC won't discuss or confirm, so we won't know when, where or why until Milon talks. With his inconsistent minutes, it shouldn't be a surprise that Milon wants to leave. His shooting should have been an asset this year and still could under the right circumstances. I don't think he is a program changer, but he would be a loss.

Lessons from Villanova

A mid-sized Catholic school with a suburban campus in a Northeast city just won a national championship. I thought that couldn't happen anymore? A team without an FBS football team just won a national championship. I thought that couldn't happen anymore? Even though an ACC team lost, this win is a good thing for BC.

Villanova has a better basketball history than BC and a stronger recruiting footprint. But the only major difference between their success and ours is commitment to winning and finding the right coaches. Nova has done a good job in transitioning the program from coach to coach and always putting an emphasis that the new coach was a more aggressive recruiter than the guy he was replacing. BC on the other hand has not had well planned transitions in the past 20 years. We lucked out that Skinner worked, but the other two transitions were not well planned nor well executed. If Christian is not the guy, we need to have the right guy lined up to take over well before we make a public move. Ironically BC courted Jay Wright two years ago. There are varied reports to how close things got, but it doesn't matter. Wright made the right decision for him and Villanova.

If you're like me and grew up Catholic in the northeast, I am sure you know plenty of Villanova fans and grads (Villanova is my grandfather's Alma mater). I am happy for them. Hopefully we will have our moment one day.

Wade redshirt bigger deal than Hilliman

Despite playing in multiple games, Darius Wade and Jon Hilliman both received medical redshirts for last season. It is good news for everyone that they now have more playing time, however, with regards to program building, Wade is the bigger deal.

Hilliman is going to play and probably play a lot next season. Even coming off of injury, he will still be BC's best running back. The medical redshirt gives him one more season, but it doesn't impact his immediate future nor does it really change his status at BC. Maybe he will transfer as a fifth year, but more likely he will continue to play out his eligibility if he is happy.

Wade is a different story. With Towles coming in, his opportunity to start is challenged. He might have to sit for another year. If he had not received a redshirt, sitting might not make sense. It would only leave him with one more season of eligibility. No worries about immediate transfers. It would also be ideal for his health and learning the new offense. BC needs long-term stability on offense, so by having Wade develop slowly -- and happily -- BC and he can hopefully benefit in 2017 and 2018.

BC adds California Tight End

California Tight End Patrick Brown committed to the football team this weekend. He's a three star with lower tier FBS offers, but still represents a good get. We have invested more time in California of late, so it is good to get a commitment. Brown plays for Cathedral Catholic which is a strong program in the San Diego area. Hopefully he won't be the only California product in this class.

Hoops at MSG and other links

BC Basketball announced a game with Auburn next year. The game -- part of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden -- is sponsored by Under Armour. Both schools are with UA. Aside from keeping Under Armour happy, the game is smart scheduling. Auburn is rebuilding too and we get to play them on a neutral court. Hopefully BC fans in New York will turn out for the game.

Both of our coordinator changes (offensive | defensive) are under the spotlight.

The Colts seem interested in Justin Simmons.