Josh Southern is excited about playing in Michigan against former high school foes.
The key tonight is BC's defense of Michigan's perimeter shooting.
Seeing Evan Smotrycz at Michigan leads the Globe to ask if BC ignores local talent. In the article Duquette explains BC's philosophy.
For those who missed it, Kuechly picked up another award. This time as the ACC Defensive rookie of the year.
Jared Dudley's post NBA career plans include college coaching. That puts him inline to take over after Al's replacement retires.
The BC women will take on Iowa tonight as part of their version of the ACC/Big Ten challenge. The game will be on the Big Ten Network.
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2 comments:
On the bowl projection front, interesting to see, CBS has FSU jumping ahead in line to ACC#4, and Clemson falls like a stone to ACC#5. (BC apparently is not the only team to get shabby treament upon losing the ACCCG) Reason: FSU is a better draw, even though a lesser team than Clemson. I guess the Bowden retirement part is a big factor too.
1. Orange - Gtech v TCU
2. Chick-fil-A SEC vs. ACC No. 2 Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
3. Gator ACC No. 3 vs. Big East Miami vs. West Virginia
4. Champs Sports ACC No. 4 vs. Big Ten No. 4/5 Florida State vs. Northwestern
5. Music City SEC vs. ACC No. 5/6/7 Kentucky vs. Clemson
6. Emerald ACC No. 5/6/7 vs. Pac-10 Boston College vs. Stanford
7. Meineke Car Care . ACC No. 5/6/7 vs. Big East No. 3 North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
I understand what Duquette is saying about their philosophy, and agree that you must consider the system when recruiting a player.
That being said... I think it is dangerous to base recruiting only on what you 'need' right then. Yes it makes sense to bring in a Biko Paris when Rice is a junior; that transition flows nicely. BUT, it's also a good idea to bring in the best players possible. That pushes the veterans/makes them work harder to keep their jobs, and if they don't cut it, they'll be replaced by someone better.
Think about the last time someone at BC had their playing time decrease over their career... usually if they are a starter, they remain a starter. If they are a bench player, their minutes gradually increase or stay the same... but they never decrease. There is always the exception when players get suspended/dismissed, and a guy like Tyler Roche falls into a starting job for a year, but this is not my point.
Look at a team like Duke -- they bring in the best players possible. If that means Greg Paulus has to take a back seat and has his minutes cut in half in his senior year, so be it. It's all about what makes the team better. I'm not trying to compare us to Duke... just using them as an example that most will understand.
The New York Giants did this when drafting BC's own Mathias Kiwanuka. They already had great D ends (Strahan, Osi, etc.), and the fanbase couldn't understand why the front office drafted where they were already strong and deep. They simply stated that he was the best player on the board, so they took him. A few injuries later, and he is getting regular time. A couple years later, he's an important member of their defense (again, I know the pros is different, as players could be around for a decade... but I feel that the thinking fits.)
My point is that yes, you need to be sure to have replacement guys lined up for graduating players... but also, it is your job as a recruiter to go after the best guys out there (that fit our system), and not just what we might need. You never know who is going to excel at this level... And although Al will never do this, if we have a bunch of guards that are great, go with a 3 guard set (Villanova anyone?). Adapt to the talent that the team has, don't just try to loosely plug holes with mediocre filler.
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