Media Day reactions

Addazio and his coordinators spoke with the media Tuesday. It was pretty standard preseason stuff without much true news. At this point we know Addazio, he knows the fans, he knows his team, his AD and the media. The college football world is not waiting on his media address in August, but I think he does use this to set expectations for the season. Now I am about to get into all sorts of speculative nonsense, but I think Addazio is a little worried about the season. He specifically avoided a win total discussion and only vaguely included competing for a division. That is understandable considering Clemson is in the division, but in prior years he was a bit bolder. He put a lot of emphasis on building a culture and not wanting to disrupt that culture and the recruiting hit you take when you do. That seems directed at his critics -- like me -- and potentially his AD. I think the timing of this is all off for him. Last year was supposed to be the year. This year seems harder, so just when he needs a breakthrough, he will have to scrape that much harder to maintain.

I do trust him on his evaluation and enthusiasm for the OLine. If this team does exceed expectations it will be because the OLine made things easier for Dillon.

Sheridan was low key. He seems to like his squad and is not worried about the transition from Jim Reid. He was much more frank about the youth and how they aren't ready. I guess he has a lot to do before VT.

Bajakian didn't offer much news either. He does seem to buy into what BC is and what Addazio is selling. I found his criticism of Brown's accuracy important. I think it is one of the issues to get AB to the next level, but I also think Brown needs to work on finding the best option and also his general awareness. Some of that will come with maturity, but most of that will have to be nurtured by Bajakian. 

RIP Cathy Inglese

Longtime BC women’s basketball coach Cathy Inglese died Wednesday. She had suffered a brain injury last week after falling.

Inglese built and maintained one of BC Women's Basketball longest periods of success during the '90s and early '00s. Like her colleagues of that time who weren't hired by Defillippo, she was out the minute the program ebbed. And like some of the other misguided changes, the program has not been the same since she left.

Inglese was only 60 and had recently been an assistant at Hofstra. Condolences to her family. Many former players still hold her in high regard and are clearly saddened by her passing.

Moore serves as a reminder

Many times I have used this blog to promote BC athletes as special. In the vast majority of cases, I don't know the player. I am just attributing virtue and uniqueness based purely on what we see in public and based on my love for the school they represent. And while many of these athletes have been special, it is foolish not to remember that they are all human and some of them do terrible things.

I don't know Kam Moore and understand that he deserves his day in court, but this arrest is bad. I don't know if there is a good resolution for this sort of thing other than everyone heal and get better, and for it to never happen again. Football really isn't important when things get to this stage.

BC players are flawed. Deep down I know that. What I do hope is that BC continues to try to create a special culture. I also hope that the BC football community (coaches and players) reach out to Kam and try to get him and his alleged victim some help.

UConn is dumb and so are the BC analogies

UConn is leaving the AAC to return to its roots in the Big East. This has been met with applause and head scratching in the college sports world. I am firmly in the head scratching camp. In my opinion, this move is risky and borderline nonsensical. I predict that UConn, in trying to reclaim past glory, will only sink all their future endeavours. I also think that anyone saying BC should do the same should also realize how silly that would be.

The Big East is dead
Whatever UConn thinks it is going to find in the Big East doesn't exist anymore. Yes there is still a tournament in Madison Square Garden and yes many of the teams they play are familiar, but the Big East is not the Big East of the '80s or even the Big East of the 2000s. TV audiences are smaller. There are fewer elite teams. The geography is spread out to the Midwest. Are the UConn fans who were disinterested in Memphis or Tulane going to turn out for Butler or Creighton?

It is coaching
While Villanova's success shows that you can win National Championships out of the Big East, UConn already won a title out of the AAC. Villanova's success was driven by Jay Wright. UConn's struggles post-Calhoun were just as easily attributed to coaching as conference. The AAC has legit basketball programs in Memphis, Cincinnati and Central Florida. UConn couldn't have beaten any of them lately. That's not because their players and fans long for the Big East. It is because their teams were bad. Maybe coaching will fix this, but changing conferences won't.

Giving up on Football will drag all sports
While their fans seems to think this move will give their programs new life, I think it will kill all their sports. Every coach who is recruiting against UConn can say, "they killed their football program. What will they kill next?" While I don't have a clear look into their books, I can't imagine this will improve athletic department revenues. We know the Big East TV deal is small. We know that football will be lucky not to lose a ton of money as an independent. Plus they have a $10 million AAC exit fee. Will ticket revenue from basketball and donations be enough to offset those decision?

Don't talk about BC and UConn
Predictably UConn's decision sparked talk from the pundits that BC should consider the same move. This is stupid beyond so many levels, namely the money, but also because the ACC is an entirely different group of schools. BC wants to be associated with Duke, Syracuse, Notre Dame, etc. Even those who don't care about sports realize that benefit to BC. Plus unlike UConn -- which declared itself a basketball school to the world -- BC is a football school. Our most public moments have been football related. Our fans and alums care more about football than any of our other sports. And football has given us an identity.

As has been proven out time and again in college sports, any team can compete from any conference. The key is always finding the right coach and giving that coach the right time and support to turn things around. Whatever failings BC or UConn have had in the last decade have not been one of conference affiliations. They've been bad hires or bad decisions. Both schools have challenges. I hope that BC is on the right path to fix ours. I am pretty sure UConn just made their problems worse.

Bowman made the right decision

Congratulations to Ky Bowman. Although the BC guard wasn't drafted, he did sign a deal with the Golden State Warriors. Given the Warriors' depleted roster and their need for cheap talent in the hopes of retaining Thompson and Durant, Bowman should get a legitimate shot at making the team. The difference between being a first round pick and a second is bigger than being a second round pick and an undrafted free agent. Second round picks are discarded by NBA teams all the time. The other blessing for Bowman is the renewed commitment to the G-League. Teams actually use it for true development now. It is not lucrative nor glamorous, but if the Warriors send him down, he will have a chance to comeback.

I don't know if Bowman will bother completing his BC degree. I would hope he does. Even in professional basketball, he would probably need it in most post-playing jobs (coaching, front office, etc). I know BC does help these guys the best they can with completing course work in the offseason or through distance opportunities. 

Despite a happy ending, I wish BC would be at the forefront of a rule change to allow players to return if they are not drafted in the NBA or NFL (call it the Hamp Cheevers rule). If BC is going to take a stand on paying players, why not make this stand too? Give players the chance to earn in the real world, but return if they change their mind or are given bad advice. If this is truly about developing them or giving them an education, changing that rule would seem like the something BC should believe in and support. 

I hope Bowman has a great career. He was fun the watch the past few years and I thank him for what he did for BC.

A look at the roster shuffle

The transfer portal has been up and filled with BC-related names, but not many answers from BC or the press. We got some answers Wednesday. Matt McDonald, who had been on the portal for a few weeks, is headed to Bowling Green. He will join fifth year Grad Transfer Davon Jones and former BC OC Scot Loeffler. While Addazio can't talk about it right now, I assume both had his blessing. When the season ended Jones seemed iffy on social media if he would even be asked back. McDonald showed promise in the Spring Game, but I think he still faced an uphill climb on the depth chart. Reuniting with Loeffler give both a chance to see the field. Addazio's son is on Loeffler's staff, so this has to be seen as friendly.

McDonald leaving also explains the recent commit of Florida QB Daelen Menard. Commits that come in late may usually have a story. Menard is small and dealt with injuries, hurting his chance to play at a high level. I am fine with taking a risk on him and Brian White and Addazio's hit rate on under the radar guys from Florida has been pretty good. Menard will hopefully continue that pattern.

Incoming transfers include former Miami OL Hayden Mahoney and former Clemson DE Richard Yeargin III. They join the long-announced Danny Dalton. Will any of these guys change the program? Probably not but like the Florida history, Addazio has a good track record of turning discarded P5 players into contributors at BC.

Baseball's bubble burst

After making an impressive run in the ACC Tournament, the Baseball team's season came to an end when they didn't make the field of 64 for the College World Series. They've been playing some of their best baseball the last month of the season, but the slow start to the year and some tough early losses hurt their resume. The ACC is well represented with seven teams. Hopefully one of them wins it all.