Addazio adds another WR recruit

Pennsylvania prospect Kobay White committed to Boston College on Twitter Wednesday night. After a relatively slow month, Addazio and team should be happy to close April with one of their key targets.

White holds offers from numerous ACC and Big Ten schools. He has decent size. The various recruiting services rank him as a 3 star.

Although this class will be smaller than the last two, I still expect Addazio to load up early and before camps. White is the fifth verbal for the 2016 recruiting class.

A Boston College blogger on Jameis Winston

One the eve of the NFL Draft there isn't much Boston College news, but the football world remains focused on a player very familiar to BC fans: Jameis Winston. His off the field issues are well known. I cannot speak to his character or his maturity. Both could be issues in his NFL success. But as a football player, I think he's going to be very good in the NFL. In fact, I have a tried and true, never failed*, totally subjective form of evaluation for all NFL prospects. I throw out all the stats. I ignore the combine. I don't even care about most of their college career. Instead I evaluate them on how they played against BC.

As silly as it might seem, I do have faith in my "how'd he play against us" theory. In part because I know our team pretty well, so I know when someone has played them well. Also our defenses have been very reliant on systems (heavy zone in Spaz, heavy pressure with Brown). Because we are one-dimensional and usually decent in that dimension, it puts pressure on the opposing QB to make the plays. If a QB cannot figure out and adjust to our systems, I don't trust them at the next level where everything gets more complex.

Russell Wilson surprised many NFL fans, but most BC fans remember how good he was against us. Michael Vick had one of his best games ever against BC. I became a believer in Colin Kaepernick when we shut down his running and he still did enough in the air to beat us. Can any BC fan think of a recent QB who looked bad against us and then went on to have a top flight NFL career?

Winston's two games against BC were probably two of his biggest tests in college. He famously used the 2013 game as a reminder to his teammates that they could come back to win the National Championship game. Last season's contest wasn't filled with highlights but it ended with Winston leading a winning drive in the final minutes.

In the two games, I saw enough to think Winston will be a good NFL QB. He made good decisions on the field. He made tight throws. He read things well and when things broke down, he made great plays (see the video above). Winston is not perfect, but he's tough to bring down and can make any throw. That alone will get him plenty of chances in the NFL. But his ability to adjust to BC's different pressures leads me to believe he'll be fine in the NFL's faster game.

Could something derail him? Sure. A bad team or more bad choices could sink his career. But if he is the player BC fans saw, he's worth the risk.

*I've never actually selected nor coached a player in the NFL. But who's paying attention to that sort of detail.

Problems with paying players

Chad Scott wrote a good piece on the head scratching math that goes into the NCAA's new cost of attendance policy. The money is supposed to be related to the cost of living in that particular area for a student, not related to tuition or already covered room, board and books. In the current world it is more costly to attend the University of Tennessee ($5,666) than Boston College ($1,400). In the spirit of the new rules, Tennessee would be able to hand out more than $4,000 to a student athlete than BC would be able to offer to the same athlete. How do you think that is going to play out?

Scott noted that these numbers were not cooked up by some scheming SEC Football recruiter, but by each university's office of financial aid and collected by the Department of Education. That explains why school that would seemingly be inline with one another (USC and UCLA) or (Auburn and Alabama) are so different.

The good news is that this calculation won't last. Forget the bad math and worse logic behind Knoxville being more costly than Chestnut Hill. The reason this won't last is that the SEC won't allow one school to have a leg up on another. I expect that eventually there will be a flattening of the cost of attendance stipend and all schools will offer the same thing.

When BC voted against the pay players plan, they never mentioned this issue. They were thinking big picture and where the paying players will creep, but they should have included this aspect of the issue in their protest. It might have generated a little more support and slowed the movement down.

Football recruiting speculation and other links

BC's top QB target Anthony Brown is nearing a decision. The recruiting analysts from 247 are still predicting that he will sign with BC.

UNC swept Baseball over the weekend. The team gets a chance to bounce back with games against URI and Bryant this week.

CBS thinks Ian Silberman will be an undrafted free agent.

Softball fell to 21-21 after losing two out of three to Louisville.

Kennesaw St. hires Al Skinner

Kennesaw State made all speculation official by hiring Al Skinner as its next basketball coach. Many felt it was a done deal from the start due to the relationship between Skinner and KSU Athletic Director Vaugh Williams. Williams worked at BC (and got his masters at BC) during some of Skinner's best seasons.

There are numerous BC alums in athletic departments around the country who had the chance to hire Skinner since he left the Heights. I am glad that Williams finally did.

As I wrote previously, I think Skinner will do well there. He always had a good eye for talent and there are enough second-tier players here in metro Atlanta to compete. Plus the college game has drastically changed with transfers and 5th years. Skinner and KSU seem well positioned to find those guys looking for a second chance or one last shot.

The local media doesn't care about KSU, so that won't bother Al. The Alumni base is not overly demanding and won't expect him at chicken dinner after chicken dinner. All he needs to do is win and coach basketball. This works. Best of luck to him and I hope he goes out on top.

Croke Park won't host BC-Georgia Tech

Earlier this week, Irish media reported the Croke Park will not host a football game between Georgia Tech and Boston College. The report said negotiations had been at "advanced" stages but potential scheduling conflicts with Irish sports, not enough support from the Irish government and the falling value of the euro vs the dollar all undermined the game.

There are other potential venues that could still host a game in Ireland, but if currency and government support issues are problems, they are going to be problems in any stadium. ESPN might up payout in hopes of getting a morning game, but I doubt that will be enough. It looks like this will be held in the U.S. after all.

(Thanks to Morrissey for the link.)

Tweets of the Week

"Oh, just SMU? CARRY ON" http://t.co/wfoPa99pcd pic.twitter.com/BSSH9QbHly

— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) April 23, 2015

Where once was snow.... (Photo by Maria Ireland '15) pic.twitter.com/lSZDmYMEQf

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) April 22, 2015

@DavidCMorrison also Steve Addazio just said it and I feel like he has a special disdain for passing #throwgame #ifihaveto

— Lauren Brownlow (@lebrownlow) April 22, 2015

If Al Skinner to KSU happens, you can't be upset. Great hire taking a former Big East/ACC coach to A-Sun

— Kyle Sandy (@KyleSandy355) April 23, 2015

Transcribing an interview with a coach and realizing they all should send a thank-you note to Cardale Jones for giving backup QBs hope.

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) April 16, 2015

What is Kennesaw State and why would Al Skinner go there?

At this point I should just expect all Eagles to end up in Georgia. There are multiple rumors that the suburban Atlanta school is set to hire the former BC coach. To me this makes perfect sense. For the rest of you, this is probably a head scratcher. 

Even though it is not a well-known outside of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a rising university in the area. They've improved their offerings, their grad programs and are trying to transition from their roots as a commuter school. They've built housing but like other younger universities, they view sports as a way to get more students excited about the school. Think of how much attention Georgia State received during this year's NCAA Tournament. The leaders at Kennesaw want that same exposure. They've already invested in football. Now it is time for basketball. Once they demoted their most recent coach, it only made sense to go after an established coach. Skinner won't sell tickets, but he will win there and that is the end game.

As for why Skinner would take this job...some times it is as simple as it is the only offer to come his way. Skinner has interviewed multiple times over the years and never gotten that second chance. His (unfair) reputation and now his age probably hurt his chances at most major jobs and the mid majors in the northeast. Kennesaw offers one last chance to do what he wants to do: coach. The salary won't be huge, but it will be more than he is making at Bryant. With Al's eye for talent and his easy to install system, he can be one of the top teams in the Atlantic Sun annually. 

I hope the two sides can come to an agreement. It could be a happy ending for both.

Baseball wins Beanpot

Eagles WIN! The Beanpot is coming back to as The Heights!! pic.twitter.com/9DqnZx1W65
— BC Baseball (@BCBirdBall) April 23, 2015

Baseball won the school's 11th Baseball Beanpot Wednesday night beating UMass in the Final. This is the team's sixth win in a row and improves the overall record to 22-18.

Next up is a three-game series against UNC in Chapel Hill. Let's hope the current momentum keeps up.

Get Addazio on TV more

Did anyone else see Jim Harbaugh on SportsCenter clips the past few days? He's been featured in ESPN's Draft Academy. It is great exposure for the coach as he returns back to college football. It is also a reminder that BC needs to get Addazio down to ESPN again this offseason. BC probably missed the window on Tebow talk, but there is always something that you could shoehorn him into. Addazio can talk Draft. He can go on about season two of the playoff and what teams have learned. I would even bet Addazio would handle himself well if ESPN needed an active coach to discuss the move to pay players.

Getting on TV is not really about Addazio improving on camera. It remains a good tool to sell the program to recruits and fans. I doubt that ESPN has anything as big as Draft Academy coming up, but Addazio doesn't need that. For this offseason it just about using ESPN to keep momentum going.

Why the "Drop Baseball" debate can't be settled by one series or one season

Baseball is playing well and that's great. Over at BCI Dan Rubin led off his recap of the weekend with a reminder how vocal the "drop baseball" crowd was a year ago and how it might have been shortsighted. I never advocated dropping baseball, but the current success doesn't validate anything and doesn't stop Brad Bates from asking the tough questions about which sports BC should support. Those who questioned BC's baseball future weren't trying to kill a program just to kill it or to make room for lacrosse. They were also looking at the big picture and where BC baseball fits.

The challenges with baseball
Some of BC baseball issues are fixable. Some are not.

The lack of depth among local recruits is probably overstated. You can deliver a consistent winner with players from the northeast.

Any coaching issue is fixable. I am not sold on Gambino being the long-term solution. But the uncertainty over BC's baseball future indirectly led to him getting more time. Hats off if he uses the time to prove he's an ACC-caliber coach. But BC is not a deadend job (see Aoki, see Hughes). If Gambino cannot sustain success, other qualified coaches will gladly take the job if there is a program.

You cannot change the New England weather. It will always make early season games a huge scheduling challenge. It will also make recruiting players from warmer regions a challenge. But BC can address this challenge with a permanent baseball facility that minimizes the impact of many of the weather issues (snow removal, drainage, synthetic fields, etc.).

Playing in a deep baseball conference is a challenge that BC cannot change. But the silver lining of ACC Baseball is that if BC competes in this conference, we can compete with any team in the country.

Funding
While many of the obstacles related to the baseball field are due to local objections, BC's support for the program is still critical. Not only are funds needed for the permanent field, but paying the players remains a looming budget issue. Football and Basketball are the sports most associated with paying athletes, but baseball will be part of the second wave (if it is not part of the first).

Lacrosse vs Baseball
Despite the ongoing debate over which is more viable at BC, the more likely outcome is neither as a varsity sport. If BC ever kills baseball over competitive and or financial reasons, I don't see them making Men's Lacrosse a funded, varsity sport.

But I don't think even the most diehard BC Baseball fan would argue that a well-funded BC Lacrosse team would be more likely to have national success than BC Baseball.

What does BC want out of Sports
Even with our grandstanding votes against paying athletes, I don't think BC will walk away from college sports. Football and, to a lessor extent basketball, are too valuable as marketing tools. The women's sports are safe as long as Title IX is law. Hockey is safe. So then it comes down to the non-revenue men's sports. Baseball is not untouchable. Bates and Father Leahy will have to decide what is important and what sports best promote and fulfill the school's mission. One hot streak in April is not going to answer that question.

Baseball sweeps GT and other links

Baseball completed its sweep of Georgia Tech. They are riding a huge wave of momentum into their Beanpot game with UMass. Softball won their series with Georgia Tech too.

The Notre Dame game at Fenway will kick off at 7:30. With the weather and home aspect of the game, I think that helps BC.

Lacrosse improved to 14-2 with their win over UNH.

A Patriots blogger broke down Andy Gallik as a prospect and potential draft pick for New England.

Baseball beats Georgia Tech on ALS Day

The Baseball team is playing its best baseball and doing it just in time to honor Pete Frates. Saturday they upset No. 24 Georgia Tech in the ALS Awareness game. The win was their second in a row against the Yellow Jackets and clinched the series. The team has now won four in a row overall and keeps the team above .500.

Tweets of the Week

Proud to see alumnus Patrick Downes at #BCStrong last night, and with fellow survivor Jeff Bauman at Fenway today. https://t.co/s3lHnkk2bj

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) April 15, 2015

Forget Drake-themed letters. An Addazio plushie or a glitter-bomb envelope will land recruits. http://t.co/n2RhTnULV5 pic.twitter.com/LVVEJSyRqI

— Michael Sullivan (@SullyHeights) April 14, 2015

College football offseason before and after pic.twitter.com/PV02gZVNMZ

— cuppycup (@cuppycup) April 16, 2015

.@PeteFrates3 is a @RedSox ! Eagles fans rejoice! Crying tears of joy at the office at right. No words. #WeAreBC

— Stephanie St. Martin (@StephStMartin) April 13, 2015

Handwritten letter of thanks for Jesuit scholarship from @JordanSpieth in 2009 in which he reveals @TheMasters dream. pic.twitter.com/95dU7soxda

— Barry Horn (@bhorn55) April 14, 2015

Ireland update? and other links

BCI put two and two together and think that Georgia Tech clearing up their 2016 schedule means that BC and the Yellow Jackets are Ireland bound. Bates keeps denying it publicly, but the maneuvering does make sense. The logistics or the game require plenty of time and plenty of marketing to our fanbase so it will have to be announced soon if it is to happen in 2016.

An EO poster dug up this link to a recent BC tax filing. Page 46 lists Addazio's total comp as $2.5M.

Eric Hoffses reported that Basketball brought in a preferred walk-on. Now we just need some impact players.

Magarity gone too

Will Magarity is the latest basketball player to depart. According to Goodman, BC released him from his scholarship. While Magarity showed some flashes, he was never going to be great fit for what Christian is trying to do. Having him around for some depth would have been nice, but his extended absence last season due to lingering effects from a concussion showed that the team could get by without him. Good luck to him and good luck to the staff in finding some more big men.

Athlon's ACC experts don't think much of the BC job

It is that time of year. The preview magazines hit the shelves and post all sorts of lists. Athlon asked a panel of ACC experts to rank the conference coaching jobs based on potential and difficulty of the job. BC came in 12th out of 14. Although this list don't mean much (is Addazio going to quit tomorrow because we are not higher up?), I still take issue a bit with the ranking.

Is it easier to win at some schools than others? Absolutely. However, when ranking jobs, fit is too often overlooked. Take TOB as an example. He left BC for NC State (ranked 8th). Is NC State a better job? Maybe on paper. Maybe the budgets are a little higher and the admissions a little more friendly. But TOB could never make it work there. He wasn't the right fit. BC in general has done a good job finding guys who can work within our culture and thrive within our region. We will never be Florida State, so it doesn't make sense to try to be Florida State. If the experts slight the job at BC or view it as too difficult, does it really matter? There will always be coaches who can win at BC. We just need to find them.

Why Christian needs transfers

With or without Hanlan, next season was probably going to be a rebuilding effort. The team is going to be young and lacking enough depth to be consistently competitive in ACC play. Christian has three respected recruits committed and will likely pick up at least one more this month. However, if he wants long-term success and stability, Christian should use his remaining scholarships to find a few transfers.

As with football, transfers allow BC to add depth that is older and physically more mature. While the long-term upside is limited with transfers, it buys Christian time without bottoming out. Plus, transfers ease roster balance. BC Basketball is in a bad cycle of megaclasses. If a megaclass doesn't pan out, you are stuck with four years of underachievement. Megaclasses are also a challenge with player development (spreading minutes) and recruiting cycles.

Ideally BC would have three impact recruits coming in every year to provide the right mix of new energy, but plenty of depth and stability.

Christian used transfers well last year on relatively short notice. This season had more planning, so I expect one or two of these guys to end up at BC. Position is not critical (although a defensive big man and a true point guard would be nice). What is critical is getting experience to this young roster.

Sox sign Frates

The Red Sox signed Pete Frates to an honorary contract as part of the ceremonies of their home opener. The Red Sox have been very public in their support of Frates and I hope things like this continue throughout the season. Below is video of the moment:

Hanlan declares for NBA Draft

Jeff Goodman confirmed rumors that Olivier Hanlan declared for the NBA Draft. Hanlan cannot change his mind and cannot transfer. Even if he goes undrafted his college career is done. I hope he worked his way high up enough draft boards to be a first round pick. Although he was part of three frustrating seasons, I do thank Hanlan for some exciting basketball.

As for BC, without Hanlan, this team will be in bottom of the conference again. Christian will get some leeway, but this puts that much more pressure to land one final elite recruit in this class and snag a competent transfer.

I will have more on Hanlan's prospects and what Jim Christian's needs in the follow up to Draft Day and Signing Day.