What to learn from other team's coaching changes

Regardless of how you feel about Jim Christian, most would agree that he deserves at at least one more season. But BC can learn a bit about future changes by watching what happens to some of BC's future football and basketball opponents.

1. Available names.

Plenty of names will be floated for jobs, but not all will get hired. If a coach is a candidate this year, they wil probably be available next year.

2. Available players.

BC's fifth year experience this season was a disaster. But BC still needs size and experience next year. As coaches get fired or move on, some of their former players will want to explore new opportunities. Our coaches need to start networking to those players and get one or two to BC.

It's over

The worst season in BC Basketball history came to an end Tuesday afternoon with the Eagles lost to Florida State in the ACC Tournament. BC looked good early, but foul trouble, lack of rebounding and some bad D allowed Florida State to pull away. Normally I would say something about the seniors or mention some coaching issues, but come on. What's the point? Christian sort of threw in the towel when Clifford fouled out. Why should we care?

There are rumblings of a Globe story focusing on BC sports coming out this weekend. I don't know how much of the alleged feature will focus on basketball, but this season's failure is not confirmation that BC cannot win. This was always going to be a transition year and a likely low point. Despite early gossip of the team's collective talent, it clearly never came together. Throw in some bad breaks, bad efforts and too much norovirus and you have the Season from Hell.

It will be interesting to see how Christian deals with this collapse. I hope he buckles down, finds more talent and does a better job bringing them together. I don't advocate firing a coach after just two seasons, but this year is a huge warning sign that he might be a terrible fit. Next year needs major progress and improvement.

0-for

BC lost their final regular season basketball game Saturday. That's not really the story. The bigger issue is that the lost completed a winless ACC slate for BC Football and BC basketball this year. Like Football, there is plenty of bad luck and inherited problems to explain the season. But there was also bad coaching.

I don't think we are doomed forever, but I do think that this has exposed Christian. Do elite coaches go winless in conference play? Probably not. He may get us back to respectability, but he's not special. He's not winning it all and probably not winning the ACC. I can say that because a great coach would not have let things get this bad.

The losses are on Christian but having Addazio and Christian fail like this in the same year is on Brad Bates. He hired two mediocre coaches. You can give them friendly schedules, good assistant budgets and more recruiting resources, but you can't coach the game for them. Both of Bates' picks have shown major limitations in how they run their teams and the ACC records echo those limitations.

Bates can't get these teams out of their respective holes. It is too late for that. Both coaches need (and will get) time. And if they don't improve, Bates won't be hiring their replacements.

I think things will get better and will spend the offseason writing about it. I hope the embarrassment of this year creates a stir within BC's Board and Senior leadership. We cannot fire Bates, Addazio and Christian tomorrow, but we can address how we can improve BC sports and what our plan should be if the coaches don't improve.

So close...

BC lost to NC State by one on a last-second layup off an inbounds play under the basket. That one sentence doesn't capture how painful and frustrating the final second was. The only reason NC State had the ball was because BC guys scrambled for a it after the Wolfpack missed multiple shots in the final seconds. The hustle in the closing minutes was admirable but still not enough as BC missed foul shots and rebounds that could have closed out the game. 

The good news is that the team looked better with Robinson and Turner back. The offense had more life and both added to the defense. Carter was a net-negative, but even he made a few plays down the stretch. With more talent back, Christian went with a shorter bench and BC led for most of the game. There were some dumb plays down the stretch, but the team played hard.

There's one chance left to win. Tonight's effort shows it can be done. Now we just need the breaks to go our way.

No defense of BC's Defense against GT

It was a little bit of the familiar -- poor decisions when the game got close -- and a little bit new -- terrible, terrible defense in the entire first half. In the end, BC couldn't do enough to close the gap and lost to Georgia Tech. If you want to get excited about anything it is that BC kept trying in the second half. But man, there was very little positive to takeaway from that game. I will try anyway.

-- Milon's 3s are starting to drop. Next year he needs to shoot and make a lot more.

-- Barnes-Thompkins is making good decisions. He should be a serviceable ACC level role player next year too.

-- Carter's BC career is nearly done. That may seem harsh or overly cynical, but some of his turnovers were just flat giving up. 

Historical perspective on BC's terrible year

With only a few games left, expect more and more coverage of our season. The reason: BC's chance to make history. If BC fails to win a conference game, BC will be the first team since the 1976-77 TCU teams. To loss this much, you have to be really bad and really unlucky.

BC's next game is Saturday against a suddenly hot Georgia Tech team.

VT hands BC another basketball loss

The team played with a little more effort, but were still way too sloppy and lost to Virginia Tech. What I found interesting is listening to Malcolm Huckaby. Here is ostensibly national analyst, yet he also happens to be a BC alum and a former BC radio analyst. Throughout the game he was openly and repeatedly critical of Eli Carter. Too many analysts have giving Carter a pass and said he's trying to do too much. Huckaby pointed out Carter's poor shot selection and sloppy passing. It doesn't make it any less frustrating to watch, but it gives me a little comfort that people close to the program are saying what needs to be said.

Owens dunk will make the highlight reels. He was ok. Clifford looked good and played hard near the basket. Milon was a disappointment. We've seen him make the shots. Let's hope for more consistency next year.

Three games left...it is almost over.

Going right past rock bottom

I had a conflict Sunday night and missed watching the basketball game live. When the night began I really thought I was going to miss my one chance to watch BC win an ACC game this year. I should have known better. BC Basketball embarrassed themselves again, losing to Wake 74-48. I don't know how the players feel, but Christian and Bates should both be worried. Either this team gave up or is very untalented. Neither excuse offers much hope for the future.

Is there a win left on the schedule? I doubt it.

As for how to fix this, (other than finding a miracle recruit), Christian has recruiting specialists, but now he needs to find an assistant coach who can install an offense. BC can't score for long, long stretches. That problem is not going to fix itself.

National Media mocking BC

Wow. College Game Day being vocal about Boston College Bball and Fball. #notgood pic.twitter.com/oopqok3xgM

— NORTHEAST GRIDIRON (@Gridiron_Promo) February 20, 2016

They say that there is no such thing as bad publicity. BC is testing that theory this year. College Gameday took time on their show Saturday to highlight BC's potential embarrassing path. This is why BC's game against Wake is so important. The Deacons are not good and are shorthanded. They remain favored, but BC can win this game. Even if you don't care for Christian or Bates, hope for a win just to avoid more nonsense like this.

Why one ACC win matters

It is only one game, but the difference between 0-18 in ACC play and 1-17 is huge. As of Thursday night, there are only two Power 5 teams who are winless in their respective league play: BC and Rutgers. I don't know or care if Rutgers can pull out a win in the Big Ten. But I do care if BC can. Any BC fan should care. 

There are plenty of excuses for BC's terrible season. Christian dealt with youth and injuries and gaping holes in the roster he inherited. The competitiveness of the conference is also unprecedented. Even Duke is clawing for conference wins. Yet that doesn't let Christian off the hook. Pulling out or even lucking into a win, would be a sign that this team has mental toughness, a smidgen of ACC talent and a coach who can make the right call in a close game. Christian needs to show he can persevere through this low point. 

The other person that needs a basketball win is Brad Bates. Going winless in basketball and football in one year would be a huge black-eye for the program. It would invite the critics and national media to say that BC doesn't belong in the ACC. These are Brad Bates' hand-picked coaches. Both coaches bottoming out at the same time, raises numerous questions about Bates' decisions in hiring and supporting these two coaches. 

I still think BC will pull one out. We've seen how it can happen. We just need a few things to break our way and for Christian to make a few right calls. I worry that if he cannot make the right calls in a close game when we stink, can he make the right calls when we get good again. 

Carter kills BC at Clemson

Without Eli Carter, BC wins this game. That might seem unfair or diminishing the attention he draws on offense, but I really think he cost BC. His defense, his selfish shot selection and his cold shooting are the reason BC lost to Clemson. As the broadcast team said, the score doesn't indicate how close the game was.

There were some bright spots. Clifford's good run continued. The only thing that slowed him were fouls. Barnes-Thompkins came off the bench and provided a much-needed spark. The 2-3 zone is looking better and hiding some of this team's issues. We are still not rebounding well for a 2-3 team, but the guys are getting better with their assignments. The defensive breakdowns came mostly off of slow rotations or when BC played man-to-man.

I don't know what Christian is going to do with Carter. Is a 24-year-old at his third school willing to take coaching and constructive criticism? If he sits will the other teams just collapse down on Clifford? Will it help or hurt the locker room?  BC is not playing for the postseason. At this point it is about building for the future and gaining a little bit of respectability...and winning a conference game. Christian needs to decide how Carter fits into that plan.

Almost

BC played their best basketball in weeks but still couldn't do enough to upset North Carolina. I admit I believed. When Carter made his 3 with just over two minutes left, I thought it was going to be our night. But even down the stretch BC made familiar mistakes (losing assignments on D and forcing bad shots on O) that cost them the game. Adding to the woe of the loss, Turner went down during the game with a bad looking injury.

As much as we might want to take away a lot of positives and hope from this game, you cannot. BC's been outplayed and overmatched in all their other ACC games. Play three more close games and then I will feel like we are seeing progress.

I feel for the fans who were there. They almost got to see something special.

The next chapter comes this weekend. Who knows what to expect.

Losing continues in Louisville

During the scoring drought at the start of the game, I really started to wonder if BC would score more than 10 points before the half. Things have gotten that bad. Even with a few runs to make it closer, the final score was pretty representative of how bad the loss to Louisville was. With listless play like this it is only fair to ask if this is the is going to be the worst basketball team in BC history.

What were the positives? Barnes-Thompkins showed some fight and made a few nice shots. Dennis Clifford -- who was overmatched inside -- still played hard and did all right defensively. That is about it. Like all really bad BC seasons, watching is becoming a chore.

The national basketball people are saying Christian needs time. I agree. But this season is not giving me much hope. Great coaches have down years. I don't think great coaches have years this bad...especially when the roster is filled with their players.

Carolina crushes BC

If you are looking to add to our the list of frustrating moments, how about know that any early game lead will fade. Saturday's loss to UNC had the prototypical breakdown. BC led early despite turnovers. Then UNC made a run and never looked back. BC cannot hang with any team -- let alone the No. 2 team in the country -- with an offense like this. Even if Carter gets hot, the rest of the offense is so mistake prone and terrible on the boards, that you know things will go wrong.

What's also frustrating is how many turnovers we got from our upperclassmen. How are these guys not more aware? 

I don't know what else to write. Even if we upgrade the talent, Christian still has a lot to fix with how his teams approach and manage these games.

BC looks ok(ish) against 'Canes

The final score of BC's loss to Miami doesn't tell the whole story. The game was closer than it appeared. Many of the young players moved and scored with confidence (Diallo and Robinson). Plenty of the young guys looked like ACC players. But positive things still weren't enough. If BC is ever going to win an ACC game, multiple people need to play well. You can't have Carter and, to a lessor extent, Clifford not play well.

The overall effort was better too. But that doesn't offset the TOs from the guards. There was one sequence where Hicks coughed it up, stole it back and then coughed it up again. It is maddening.

I want to consider this game encouraging, but the team has shown little progress or momentum game to game. Hopefully this week is different.

Pitiful against Pitt

BC lost another lopsided basketball game Saturday. This time to Pitt. I am torn on the Eili Carter issue. Carter filled up the stat sheet and played a statistically efficient game, but I feel like the team is suffering because of it. It would be one thing if Carter was carrying the team to wins. But we are getting killed and none of the young guys are developing. 

Occasionally you would see Carter find Diallo or someone else for a nice assist, but it didn't happen enough. 

BC's Defense was not good. There were plenty of breakdowns and terrible rebounding. 

I don't know the answers, but either this team is really inconsistent or just plain bad. 

No offense against Orange

Syracuse killed BC Wednesday. I don't even know what to say positively about it. The 2-3 causes problems for lots of teams, but BC had no real method for getting baskets. They went scoreless for long stretches in both the first and second half.

Defensively things were okay in the sense that they didn't make as many mental mistakes as the ND game. But they still had huge issues rebounding.

Carter played with more control but didn't get much help from anyone else. Clifford wasted too many good looks near the basket.

It is going to be a long season.

BC looks terrible in loss to ND

As encouraging as the Duke loss was, this game erased much of that good will. The effort was terrible. The guys looked clueless. Even on raw talent and athleticism, they looked over matched. It wasn't very fun to watch. Instead of getting into the in-game issue (why bother?), I want to question Jim Christian a bit.

Bad nights happen to teams. The guys are young and it is hard to be 100% focused every game. But when that happens, it is on the coach to try to salvage the game. You put in the guys who are playing well. You try to teach. You scream. You do something. Watching from afar, it felt like Christian threw in the towel with his team. Not a good sign, especially with a roster this young and this early in the season.

Donahue and Skinner both had systems. They were somewhat rigid and also too dependent on offense, but at least they had something. Christian is not married to some offense and said he had an emphasis on D. That is fine. But when things are going bad, you hope the guys can revert to something (great D or an easy basket) to help steady the game. BC doesn't have that. We have the athleticism to be a defensive team. But I don't think the guys have the instincts or length to do it without intense coaching. Where is it?

Christian said this team was a talent upgrade over last year's. On paper it is. In person it looks better. But they are not playing better. Some of that is youth, but these guys also need a lot more coaching.

I hope this would be a fun season as we watched this team grow. So far it is not. I hope that changes soon.

Duke is still Duke and BC is still BC (for now)

All things considered...I am okay with how BC played against Duke. After Duke's run, it was never close again. And a loss is still a loss. But this gave me a little hope. More hope than I had after Lowell. Here are some other thoughts:

-- The refs killed BC. We joked about Duke getting all the calls, but they got a lot of them. Carter getting in foul trouble hurt his defense when BC was trying to make a late comeback.
-- BC still doesn't have the instincts to adjust. Duke ran basically the same play over and over and our guys never anticipated the movement or the passes. It was a little frustrating that Christian didn't make an adjustment, but the players have to respond too.
-- BC needs to be more careful. Too many turnovers led to Duke points.

BC will still be an underdog in most ACC games, but if they play like this and slightly improve, they can still be competitive. The next chance is against Notre Dame this week.

Basketball back on a roll

Now that the Chipotle issues are behind them, the basketball team seems to be playing better. They beat Fordham Tuesday to get back to .500 and have won three in a row. Fordham is a pretty good team, so this win is a decent indicator. The team also played its best defense in weeks. Other things to like:

-- Diallo is providing solid minutes off the bench and he's avoiding foul trouble.
-- BC is blocking plenty of shots. We couldn't exploit length and height earlier in the year. No we are finally playing smart, aggressive D.
-- Winning despite a poor shooting night. We are still missing way too many shots, but the ball movement and rebounding is getting better. More shots will drop soon.

The team has one more game before ACC play. A win would be a nice boost before  the schedule becomes brutal.