It was fitting that BC's poorly rated recruiting class signed on the same day as the basketball team lost again. Many BC fans are wondering: "will it every get better" and "what do the coaches have to do?" The simple answer is "yes" and "everything." I don't know if Addazio and Christian will be the ones to fix their respective programs, because I feel like both are missing an element to true, long-term success.
Talent is what is most important in all sports. At a basic level, Christian and Addazio (and Brad Bates) get that. Addazio is a passionate recruiter and Christian put an emphasis on hiring ace recruiters for his staff. BC is never going to have its pick of the best players. For the sake of this post (and your own sanity), just accept that. However, BC can still get enough elite talent to win championships. But to win those championships, BC needs really, really good talent AND systems in which that talent can excel. The system aspect is where I feel like Christian and Addazio are both missing the mark.
Addazio got me thinking about systems with his Signing Day press conference. He acknowledged that BC can't really outskill top teams. He said the emphasis is going to have to be on OL and DL. It was an echo of the Pro Style discussion. Addazio has upgraded the skill talent, but not to the level where we can win on skill alone. Now he is banking on OL success and a slightly different look and style of play from most of the conference. It is the formula that worked before. I hope he can execute it at BC.
If Addazio is transitioning towards a different system, Christian is showing no signs of the same structure. Losing to Virginia should serve as a reminder. The Bennetts have won without elite talent, but with a rigid system (in their case pack line D). We've used more zone of late, but haven't gone all in on anything offensively or defensively. It is sort of the opposite of Donahue (and even Skinner). On paper Christian's talent is an upgrade, but the talent still seems lost. Perhaps it will click as they age, but I prefer a more proven model in case the talent doesn't ever reach elite levels.
The way the basketball season is headed, I think all BC fans will be questioning the future. Things will get better. I just hope it is sooner rather than later.
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6 comments:
Been saying this for years. BC needs to maul people up front. We don't get elite WR/DB talent. How is this hard to understand? The thing that separates the SEC from other conferences is the defensive lines. They don't dominate college football with QB play. And we're "O line U?" That's the big equalizer in college ball. Mobile linemen. We can get those guys. And my heart breaks with this schedule because I think most people know I've always said we should be the "anytime, anywhere" team, almost as if we're an FCS team. It would if nothing else give us an identity. And that is something sorely lacking.
As for bball, that's so much more about talent. But it goes to show how hard it is to stop the train of momentum, in either direction.
I think football is a much easier fix than Bball, though I have doubts about winning Title's. We've been at this a long time and never have. I think we can be decent, which is a heck of allot better than we were last year. I think Daz can do it based on his first 2 years when the Oline was good. I agree w/ CT about the cowardly scheduling. I don't think u get better by playing teams like Wagner and Howard, it's telling our team and fans we can't compete. Not the way to go IMO.
In hoops I'll have very low expectations till events show me otherwise. Just to be competitive in the best basketball league in the country you have to have 2 NBA players on the floor, preferably one who's a big. I just don't see how we get those guys. The last time we had a real good team we had 3 of them, Smith, Dudley, and Williams, yet we still didn't win the Title in a league that was no where near as strong as this one. If we can somehow get to play 500 in league, probably years off, it would be a major accomplishment.
Dudley has mentioned in a handful of podcasts ("The Lowe Post" with Zach Lowe, most recently on JJ Redick's podcast for the Vertical) that he'd like to go back to coach at BC some day. all hyperbole and joking aside, whoever is the AD at that time Dudley retires from the NBA (i would say with 100% certainty that Bates doesn't have the tact or the foresight to do this, so whoever comes after him) should call him up and offer him the keys to the program.
I would love to see Dudley return to coach, but I think he'll have to make the first move; hiring him would be too exciting and creative - something that doesn't seem to be in the current lexicon.
I'm very concerned about the apparent inability of Christian to "coach up" the talent he has. No progression, from what I can tell. Much like last year's O-line with Addazio.
Slow down on the Dudley thing. Please go be an assistant somewhere sometime and get some chops before leading an ACC team. That's many years away, if ever.
CT
Absolutely right, maybe he can start as an assistant at BC, and develop. I certainly think he has the brains for the job, but is he willing to put in the time. I've always thought Flutie would make a good coach, but he's opted out so far. Hard to leave the glamour of the big time and get in the trenches to earn your chops. Al Skinner was willing to do it, we'll see about Duds.
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