ACC releases BC's basketball opponents

The ACC won't release the dates, times and TV partners for the basketball season until later this summer. However, Thursday the conference announced the matchups. Here is who BC is playing this season:

Home and home -- Syracuse, Notre Dame, Florida State, and Miami
Home only --  Georgia Tech, Clemson, Duke, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech
Road only -- North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Louisville, and Pitt

Forget for a moment the low expectations for the season and the program. That is a very appealing home schedule. You get Duke, Notre Dame, and Syracuse at Conte. Plus a few winnable games with some of the lower level ACC teams. Jarmond and his new crew need to do something to get people to these games. It probably won't make a difference for Christian, but building some momentum about basketball and figuring out what ticket sales strategies work will help the program down the road.

BC makes non-conference basketball schedule official

BC released its non-conference basketball schedule Tuesday. No real surprises. The one thing drawing attention is that BC plays no true road games. There are some quality opponents, but all of those games are either at Conte or a neutral site. Even regional games and traditional rivals are home this year (Providence and Harvard to name two).

If BC were planning on a big season, this would be a big deal. But in a rebuilding year it is not. RPI and tournament resumes factor in true road games, but does anyone think BC will even be in that conversation?

A few years ago Steve Donahue scheduled himself out of a job. I hope Jim Christian realizes what a gift this season is and scheduled himself some Ws and goodwill.

ACC Schedule Basketball to expand

The launch of the new ACC Network will mean many things but our first tidbit is that the basketball schedule will expand to 20 games. This is good news for BC. We have had a hard time building good basketball schedules. They've been either too hard or too easy with few games at Conte filled. These two extra games will improve BC's RIP opportunity and increases the number of quality teams that come to Chestnut Hill.

What comes next? My guess is more ACC Football games. It will only make sense. Basketball is nice but Football is what will drive the new network.

Full Basketball schedule released

We knew who BC was playing, now we know when we are playing them. The ACC and BC released their full season schedules. The absolute toughest stretch is three straight road games at UNC, Virginia and Louisville in late January and early February. Season ticket holders get a good mix of games including Duke, Syracuse, Notre Dame and North Carolina. But because we host some of the better teams in the conference, it is critical that BC takes advantage of the winnable ACC home games (Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech).

This doesn't change the outlook on the season, but it is a welcome reminder that we are close to tip-off.

BC to play Michigan State in hoops and other links

Multiple reports out of Michigan, say that BC will play Michigan State in the opener of the Wooden Classic. The Tournament is in Anaheim, so there are plenty of BC fans in the area.

The media picked BC to finish 5th in the Atlantic Division.

Julian Benbow wrote a feature on the two Seniors and how the team is using last season's near misses as motivation.

Thoughts on the out of conference Basketball schedule

BC announced their non-conference schedule and it is best to call it...soft. The best games -- outside of one holiday tournament -- are Harvard, Penn State and Providence. This is not a schedule to build BC's resume. It is designed to help Christian get through his second season with a very young roster.

I don't begrudge the soft scheduling this year. It is the same philosophy we are using in football. The belief is the easier wins now will lead to better wins in a few years. It's the opposite strategy of Steve Donahue's Death March meant to impress Selection Committees. The idea is that the team learns to win before taking on ACC teams. I think it might work. I also don't think we are heading to any tournament this year, so the team's resume is a non-issue. I also don't think scheduling a bunch of heavyweights would generate much interest. Or at least as much interest as winning should.

My only real gripe is not scheduling more local teams. Why not schedule a BU or Holy Cross in place of Delaware or St. Francis? Even though they are not basketball rivals, teams like those do carry some tradition. A little juice and energy into a non-conference game is better than nothing.

Official Basketball schedule released

Aside from the coaching change the biggest difference between last year's basketball season and this one will be the schedule. Although the previous staff's commitments to the Coaches vs Cancer games and the Puerto Rico Tip-off could not be changed, the rest of the non-conference schedule is easier. BC plays Harvard and Providence as usual, but also takes it easier with Marist, Maine and UMass-Lowell. The new ACC's rotations kick in too. We get Louisville for the first time as a conference foe and Pitt comes back to Conte.

Brian noted the abundance of 9 PM starts, but to me that is a non-issue. Attendance is going to be terrible this year regardless of when the games are played. Christian understands this but he's not going to go out and shake every student's hand to get them to games. His marketing plan is about winning basketball. TV dictates so much, we are going to see 9 PM starts from here to eternity. It is up to BC to provide winning basketball and rethink the capacity and configuration of Conte so that it is right-sized for the demand. We play Notre Dame, Syracuse and UNC in heart of the season at home. If we are playing good basketball and near .500, I think crowds will be decent.

Scheduling undid last year. That won't be the case this year. Confidence means a lot in basketball. I hope fattening up on the non-conference teams makes us more competitive come ACC play.

Sharing disrespect and other links

If I wanted I could fill this blog up with thousands of posts about the media and other fans disrespecting BC Sports. It always feels like everyone is a doubter or a hater. But we are not the only fanbase that feels that way. Look at this post from a Syracuse site that is offended that a few members of the media think BC might be better than the Orange. I guess it is nice knowing we are not alone...it is also nice to know a few people also think we are better than Syracuse.

Day 2 went off without a hitch. The team leaders provided quotes on prep and each other.

BC's first opponent in the Puerto Rico Tip-off will be New Mexico.

This news broke earlier in the week, but Sonny Milano confirmed he's coming to BC and not heading to the NHL or Canadian Juniors yet.

"Smart" Schedule, Take 2

Last season Steve Donahue put together one of the most aggressive basketball schedules in the country. Instead of gaming the RPI (as intended) it blew up, crushed the team and led to Donahue's departure. As always when things don't end well in sports, the new guy usually does things differently from his predecessor. Jim Christian is no different as BC released its 2014-15 non-conference basketball schedule and it is very different from last year and very manageable.

The team plays traditional regional rivals like Harvard, UMass and Providence and the backend of the USC agreement, but everyone else is a middling Mid Major. The team is also committed to the Puerto Rico Tip-off. If the team overachieves and makes a run at the bubble, that tournament will be their best chance to impress the selection committee and the computers.

I don't know what to expect yet from this team, but the schedule should give them a better start than last year's. Six of these games are easy wins and the Harvard, UMass and PC games are all winnable. There will always be concern from ticket holders about the game times or lack of appealing opponents, but that shouldn't be the focus in Year 1. Now we need to win and this schedule is the first step.

Smarting start

Steve Donahue knew he created a very difficult schedule. Like many of his moves, he studied the data and made a decision that went against conventional wisdom. We wouldn't fill up on out of conference cupcakes. Instead BC would play one of the toughest schedules in America and would be rewarded when the Selection Committee gets together to in March. Like some of Donahue's other unconventional decisions that are statistically supported (valuing transition defense over offensive rebounding, valuing a players who can execute a perimeter shooting based offense over raw athleticism) this sort of move takes a brave visionary to embrace and execute. If it works, Donahue looks really smart. Right now, he and the team look lost.

I am not ready to give up on the season. College Basketball can be a tricky sport, especially when you play a high risk, high reward system. BC could easily get hot for a few weeks and shoot everyone out of the building. In prior rears Donahue also did a decent job of adjusting rotations and strategies after early shortcomings were exposed. Magarity looked decent too in limited action, so maybe some of our size and rebounding issues will improve as he gets more time. And as much as the schedule seems foolish now, Donahue is right. If BC has a decent ACC record and a good RPI, we will make the tournament. But to recover and start winning means Donahue and his team figure out all their issues quickly. The schedule is unforgiving.

I am not off the Donahue bandwagon yet. There have been too many glimpses of what we could be to lose faith this early. But I am not someone who thinks he deserves a fifth year if BC struggles with our schedule. I appreciate unconventional approaches but you cannot ignore reality. If a coach cannot translate stats to success on the court, you need to let someone else take over the program. The Miami Heat are one of the least conventional teams in basketball with regard to player positioning, lineup usage and traditional positions and they have won two straight championships. But the Heat won when they married an unconventional approach with the best talent. Donahue has to adjust his approaches to the talent he has brought to BC.

I hope all this handwringing and fire the coach talk seems premature in March. As I've said when Spaz struggled, these seasons are much easier to watch and write about when they are fun. BC fans want Donahue to succeed. This start is disconcerting, but let's see if the guy can paint himself out of the corner.

Donahue's scheduling logic

Basketball practice officially begins today. This is exciting news for what should be an exciting season. Much of the excitement will come from BC's overly challenging schedule. We've discussed the out of conference slate before, but last week in an ESPN article, Donahue explained why he gave his still young team such a challenge.

Donahue believes some of the beefed-up conferences will be so brutal that a strong nonconference performance might be enough to boost a team with a so-so conference record into the postseason.
"When a 9-7 Boise State from the Mountain West makes the NCAA tournament and an 11-7 Virginia from the ACC doesn't, I think in my position, I gotta wake up," Donahue said. "And that's what we did. We analyzed really our schedule. ... I don't want to be 12-1 [in the nonconference] with an RPI in triple digits and then have to win 13 games in the ACC."
And then there's the entertainment factor, which can't be dismissed.
"The other reason for me is I want to attract as many teams as we can that will excite our fan base," the BC coach said.

I keep saying BC will be a bubble team this year. That is probably not accurate. We will either be in or out based on our record. There won't be any ambiguity because our Strength of Schedule and RPI should be very high.

I don't know if Donahue's gamble will work. I assume it will because if he succeeds, he will have done everything the selection committee asks. And if he fills some more seats at Conte, we are better for it.

Thoughts on the basketball schedule

BC released its basketball schedule Thursday. Most of us knew the opponents already but it is nice to see all the dates lined up, especially those in the ACC. Here are some thoughts:

Perfect out of conference schedule
Given the creep of conference play, special tournaments and some historical match-ups, there is less freedom in filling out the non-conference schedule than there used to be. This year is a very nice balance. We've got plenty of respectable teams (Purdue, VCU), some trips to Alumni friendly spots (USC, MSG) and a few softies to help pad the win total. The traditionalist in me would like to see a Holy Cross game, but this a solid list of games.

The other benefit of playing a respectable out of conference schedule is that it will help our tournament resume. BC should get a minimum of seven out of conference wins.

Exciting home games
Attendance has been in a long, embarrassing decline since our first season in the ACC. Everyone has a pet theory as to why. I attribute it to a variety of factors. One way to change things is to build some excitement and anticipation around the good games we have at home. This year Maryland, Duke, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pitt and Florida State come to us. Steve Donahue and the team can help by playing well, but filling the seats at this game is really on Bates. He's now had time to prepare for this season. The team will be better. If we cannot draw our own fans, we will need to readdress our whole approach to basketball marketing.

Must finish strong
The most critical part of the schedule is the final six games, four of which are on the road. How you finish is important for your tournament resume. That stretch will also include our first return to Syracuse since leaving the Big East. We must win at least four of those games.

I am excited about the schedule and the season. I hope the team lives up to expectations.

ACC releases basketball rotations for 2013-14

The ACC announced the basketball schedules for next year. We don't have dates yet, but we know who we will play. As we knew, Notre Dame and Syracuse will be our permanent rivals that we play twice each year. As part of the rotation, we will also have two-game series with Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. 

The remaining home games will be Pitt, Florida State, Maryland, Clemson and Duke. The other road games will be Miami, UNC, Wake Forest, NC State and Virginia.

Not knowing how Donahue will finish out his recruiting class, I think this is a reasonable mix. We can win eight ACC games and should be a solid NCAA Tourney candidate. 

From a Marketing standpoint, it is nice to have Duke along with Syracuse and Notre Dame. There are enough elite teams to sell to our fickle fans.

Who should the basketball team play out of conference?

One of the minor controversies to come out of the Basketball team's media day was the break in our series with UMass. As Donahue explained, there is only so much room on our schedule and there wasn't much demand. I actually agree with him and would place UMass relatively low on our non-conference slate. The NCAA limits basketball teams to 27 to 29 regular season games (depending on the number of games in their preseason tournaments). With the preseason tournaments, schedules are designed to max out at 31 games. The ACC has 18 regular season games. We also will play in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge most years. A preseason tournament also account for three games. That leaves BC with between five and seven non-conference games a year. There is not that much room. With those factors, this is how I would rank in importance our non-conference foes.

1. Providence. Long running rival. Close game. Playing a Big East team helps our RPI.
2. Holy Cross. Another long-time rival. Our athletic history is so muddled at this point, I think it is important to play Holy Cross in at least one sport that means a lot to both schools.
3. One game against a team from a BCS conference. Even with the Big Ten game and the Providence game, we will always need a game against a major program to help our ratings. This year's example is Auburn. In most years I would prefer a West Coast team so that our fans in California could see the team in person.
4. Harvard, BU or Northeastern. I think a Basketball Beanpot is a little premature, but we should play at least one of these teams annually. Ideally we would rotate through them on a three year basis. Proximity and travel cost alone justify these teams. In most years we will win.
5. One game in the New York area. As you saw from the Army game, our fans in the Tri-State area will come out to support the team if they are close. Ideally this would be a Big East team, but I understand if playing two Big East teams annually would be too much. Fordham, Army, Fairfield, Manhattan, and Hofstra all jump out as good targets for short series.
6. UMass. There is history and in most years they will be a respectable opponent. But now that we are playing them in football, I don't think it is as important to play them in hoops annually.
7. Other New England schools. On years where we have openings, we should look regionally. It makes sense financially and athletically. Byrant, UNH and Dartmouth are perfect examples from this year's schedule.

A look at BC's official basketball schedule

BC released its basketball. Most of the opponents were known already. This clarifies the dates for conference games. I am very optimistic about the season, but the untested talent means that we really have no idea how they react to the ebbs and flows of the schedule. Here are some thoughts...

Thanksgiving Hangover
This is an annual issue as we almost always follow our holiday tournament with our Big Ten game. We follow that with BU and Providence. In normal years I wouldn't worry about BU or PC, but I think Joe Jones's familiarity with the scheme and roster will make that game tough. I also think Ed Cooley will also have extra motivation to beat BC.

Even ACC schedule
This is the first year as an ACC member where we don't have a killer stretch of games. We seemingly always have Duke and UNC near each other or a long stretch of away games. Right now I would say at VT, at MD and hosting Duke will be the most challenging week.

Only two Sunday night games
ESPN took over the FOX's old Sunday night ACC package. BC will only be feature twice this year. I guess it is too be expected given how young the team is. Let's hope the team is featured more in the coming seasons.

Hoops schedule and other links

The big news of Thursday was the basketball schedule. We knew most of the opponents. This was more of a matter of where they would fall on the calendar. We play Duke and Carolina back to back, which will test the team. We also have a tough stretch after the Old Spice Tournament. The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of TV coverage for our traditional New England opponents. As of now there is no TV for UMass, URI or Providence. Usually at least one of those would be on some TV somewhere.

One of the kids I can't wait to see play is Johnathan Coleman. If he plays well, his story will get told over and over.

This is not about BC, but is some of Spencer's best work. Read it if you are a football obsessive.

Hoops schedule released

BC released the Men's Basketball Schedule. The team will play at least 10 nationally televised games. More will certainly be added if they are top 25 team throughout the season. The toughest stretch is probably early January with road games at Clemson and Duke, home against Maryland and then back on the road against Miami and Virginia Tech.

There is also a tough stretch where we come home from the Island Jam and then play at Providence, at Michigan and then host Miami all within eight days.

This is the most difficult basketball schedule since the current JRs arrived on campus. They should be up for the challenge.

Hoops schedule stuff and other links

Most BC fans have tossed this topic around already, but here is what Andy Katz had to say about our future schedule:

Pitt was approached about playing Boston College in the Jimmy V Classic in December in New York but the Panthers decided against the matchup. Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said he wanted more of a national game. But there was another reason for his decision against the opponent. Pederson was concerned that there were stories written in Boston during the East Regional that it was Boston College -- a former Big East school now in the ACC -- hosting onetime Big East rivals. Pederson said he didn't want that to be the story again in December.

Since BC left for the ACC, the Eagles have played former Big East members Providence and St. John's. BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo said there are discussions about playing Villanova, and the Eagles are talking to Syracuse and Rutgers about playing again in football (they still continue to play Notre Dame, a basketball Big East member but an independent in football). DeFilippo said he doesn't see this as an issue. Pederson said the Panthers and Eagles will likely inevitably play. He said if there were no other opponents he wouldn't be against playing the Eagles. He also said he was thankful for the way the Eagles hosted the NCAA regional. The Big East said there is no policy against playing BC or any other defected school (Virginia Tech and Miami left the Big East before BC).

Pitt is expected to stay in the Jimmy V event. The rest of the field will be announced at a later date.

If Katz said it, it is probably true. He's well sourced on these things and if anything takes a proBC stance in his coverage. So it seems that Pitt still has some hard feelings about the Big East departure. One day this will all be behind us. The other news out of this was the potential games against 'Nova in basketball and Rutgers in football. The 'Nova game would be a great matchup and generate plenty of alumni interest. I am not as thrilled about Rutgers in football, but it is a convenient matchup in an important recruiting territory so I am not opposed.

Marc Colombo -- cornerstone tackle one day and frontman the next.

Carolyn Swords is one of the semifinalists for team USA. Of the current 15 members, only 12 will make the final team.

Basketball schedule and other links

BC unveiled the men's basketball schedule. Outside of the preseason NIT, it is the usual slate of ACC games, New England games and the Big Ten challenge game. The NIT is a nice addition as we've recently begged off or have been passed over the more established holiday tournaments. Winning the NIT carries more cache then 10 Island Jams or Vegas Invitationals. The ACC Tournament is in Atlanta, so you're all welcome to crash at my place.

Here's an interview with Jeff Smith. [I had to pull the Jeff Smith video. It was screwing up the page. You can view it here.]

ACC Nation put up their preseason podcast.

A fair bit of intrigue regarding BC Guy and Tom Brady confidant Will McDonough (here and here). My college internship at WEEI overlapped with Will's time there (he was in high school). Even then he was pretty hard working and plugged in...so it's not a Brady thing.