Former BC assistant Preston Murphy caught in ties to bribery scheme and why it matters

Creighton put Preston Murphy -- who worked as an assistant under Skinner and Jim Christian -- on administrative leave while they investigate his ties to the College Basketball-FBI saga. There are no known reports of Murphy breaking any laws or NCAA rules while he worked at BC. But this is still important to BC and BC Basketball.

One thing this FBI investigation has proven is that paying players is rampant in college basketball. I don't know if BC is doing it or has done it, but plenty of P5 schools have been caught red-handed. If BC is not cheating, than we are playing with one hand tied behind our back while the big boys buy the best players. If we are cheating, then this is all that more pathetic, because we are not getting good ROI on any pay for play. But this system is clearly corrupt and clearly broken and the Murphy news should be a reminder to BC that our only move is to lead for NCAA change. While I am for paying players, I believe BC's leadership is not. Either way, BC should take a stand and lead to real reform...whether it be legal payments or true amateurism that is strictly enforced and violators are punished. Until then guys like Murphy will keep getting caught in the middle.

Christian talks to Vega and other links

Michael Vega remains the friendliest media outlet BC sports has, so I found the tone of this article with Christian interesting. The Basketball coach gives of the impression that this rebuilding and retooling of the roster is all part of the plan. Yet, there's no mention of the staff change nor how quiet the transfer news has been. How does Vega not even mention a staffer leaving last week? I agree with Christian that roster construction is more fluid than it has ever been, but BC fans would hope that he could speed up the turnaround by finding the right players quickly.

It has been a long, long road back for Charlie Davies, but this seen in New England has been great.

ESPN posted a short preview of the Football team.

BCI pointed out that a Miss State-BC series would fit both team's football schedules. I would love to see it too, but highly doubt it will happen. I don't think Mullen or Addazio would want it at this point.

Ifeanyi Momah switched positions from WR to Tight End and it may help him make the Cardinals' roster.

Murphy leaving is bad news for BC Basketball

Creighton hired Preston Murphy. Let that sink in for a minute. A guy who has spent most of his career in New England and was on his second stint at BC, just left for Creighton. It is hard to even call it a lateral move. Even if you spin it as Jim Christian wanting to get his whole staff on the same page or Murphy wanting to spread his wings and network, it still raises plenty of questions.

When Bates hired Christian, some of the obvious knocks against him were his reputation as a mediocre recruiter and his lack of ties to New England. He addressed those issues by opening up the checkbook to hire Scott Spinelli away from Maryland and bringing back Murphy. Murphy gained a lot of trust as one of the better assistants in the final Skinner seasons and only reinforced his reputation by performing well after he left BC. It seemed like this was a good foundation. Christian could build the program and be the Xs & Os and the two ace recruiters would bring in elite talent.

In the year since they were all hired, the plan had its moments. There have certainly been some big recruiting wins but also some frustrating losses. This incoming class is better than any BC Class in the last seven years, but it is still not among the ACC's best. There were still gripes that the assistants were bringing in recruits only Christian wasn't closing.

Christian's got a busy few weeks ahead of him. He still has to find some worthwhile transfers and has to replace Murphy with another good recruiter. If Murphy and Christian weren't on the same page, it is probably better to make the change now, but I hope for BC's sake Christian turns this into a positive. From here it sure seems like a crack in the wall.

Christian focuses on Shawntrez Davis

247's Zach Spears broke the news of Shawntrez Davis' impending visit to BC later this month. This would be huge coup for Jim Christian and his 2015 recruiting class. Davis is highly ranked, a front court player who would likely start and is from outside the region. BC hasn't pulled in an offensive big man of this caliber in forever.

There are two aspects of this process that I found encouraging. First that we are in on a player like this. (Davis has numerous high profile offers.) Second, I am glad to see the staff be this opportunistic. One of the reasons Davis is available is due to coaching changes at other programs and the natural musical chairs aspect of recruiting. Now they just have to close on him.

247 predicts Davis will be an Eagle, so expect a decision quickly following his visit.

A philosophical basketball preview

Jim Christian doesn't have a set style. He's not married to any offensive or defensive philosophy that he must stringently implement regardless of his players or opponent. Given his talent this year, that's probably a good thing. If he's smart, he will just give the ball to Olivier Hanlan and get out of the way. 

Hanlan is a versatile offensive player with the requisite skills, speed and build to be a great player. He will be the best player on the court in most of BC's games this year. His talent alone should carry the team to 14 wins. But it is not always that simple. Hanlan couldn't carry last year's team to 14 wins. But the reason for my optimism is that I believe Christian is smart enough to put the pieces together and maximize this group of players.

Hanlan as the offense instead of Hanlan within the offense

For all of our frustrations, Steve Donahue ran a consistently efficient offense. The scheme wasn't dependent on any one player and allowed flexibility in tempo that should have enabled BC to compete with anyone. We know it didn't. But not only did the team not win enough, there were many times where it felt like the movement and patience restricted what the players could be. Think of how many first halfs we had where Hanlan was a non-factor. He would start the offense but never see the ball again. He could drive to the basket at will, yet instead we would eat clock looking to move the ball around the perimeter. In this new era I expect Christian to allow the players more freedom. Hanlan can score if it is there. The offense will also start with him driving and creating instead of waiting. The offense won't be as statistically efficient, but the mindset and aggressiveness should help in the win-loss column. 

The other guys will get their moments, but it will be as complimentary players off of pick and rolls or kick outs. And as long as they adapt and understand, they should be fine.

Defense, defense and more defense

Christian is also not some defensive whiz, but we cannot get any worse. There was very little effort or emphasis put on defense in the old regime. Now practices are defensively focused. Now guys like Owens and Brown will get minutes based off of their D. And then there is Dennis Clifford. Even if he will never be what he once was, he hasn't shrunk. Adding a legit 7-footer will impact rebounding and other teams' ability to score in the paint. Clifford wouldn't have been enough to save Donahue's job, but he will make Christian's life easier this season.

Survival instinct

When I was underwhelmed by the Christian hire, I wrote that he feels like a place holder. He's never been anywhere that long and seems like he has limited upside. My thoughts on him haven't really changed, but I think he is the type of guy who will work in this transition year. He's not looking to build something long-term. He doesn't do long-term (he even transferred during his playing days). He's a pragmatic basketball guy who will put the pieces together and install enough basics that our team will be consistently competitive and never terrible. Is that the type of program that will win championships or inspire fans? Probably not, but he's smart enough to keep getting hired. And if he wants to be marketable after BC, then it will be about letting Hanlan, a few transfers and some flawed big men do what it takes.

On the change in attitude and defense alone, I think BC wins 14 games. If Hanlan really gets going we could be .500. If I am wrong about Christian's upside (and even Clifford's upside) then maybe we become a bubble team. Regardless, I just hope for a fun season.

One more hoops transfer?

Southern Miss granted grad student Aaron Brown a partial release to transfer. Because he has his degree, he is eligible to play immediately. He visited campus Monday and will obviously make his decision soon. Based on the approaching semester and the limited number of openings at other schools, BC's chances look good. Where else can Brown play in a major conference right away? He also has a bit of history with Preston Murphy.

Any new bodies are welcome, but wing/perimeter players remains one area where BC has depth. I think Christian can and will take Brown, but I don't know if he's a season changer. I would prefer a true point or another big, but Brown is better than not using a scholarship.

With or without Brown, it is still hard to know what to expect of this team. It is going to be a mismatch of style and roster and we have no idea what we are getting out of our bigs or how much Hanlan can do on his own. But picking up Brown this late gives us one more option. I'll take it.

Don't get worked up about Terrell

On Friday Jared Terrell announced his commitment to URI. While most BC fans were level-headed, there was a vocal group that freaked out. I understand the frustration, but there is no reason to get upset over missing out on Terrell...even to a a midmajor like URI.

Terrell committed to Rhode Island after dealing with their program for nearly two years. He was familiar with Hurley and the team. He's been interacting with Jim Christian and BC for a few weeks. Despite being a bigger program, that lack of familiarity is tough to overcome. Plus our roster situation was not as friendly. We have Hanlan returning and he'll play 35+ minutes a game, be the primary ball handler and the leading scorer. And BC has decent depth at wing. Terrell would have come in immediately and played, but the minutes and scoring weren't as clear cut. The situation was much more inviting for a big man like Diallo.

Terrell would have been a huge boost and a great start for Christian, but it is not fair to hold it against the new staff. They scrambled the best they could, but the kid went elsewhere. It will happen again. The key to long-term success is just winning more of these battles than you lose.

Christian adds two more staffers

Jim Christian filled out his last two staff spots Thursday. One announcement was expected. The other proved to be a nice surprise.

The first hire was Christian's long-time assistant Bill Wuczynski. BC will be the third school where the two of them have been together. That sort of continuity is valuable when taking over a program. Refreshingly though Christian didn't just move his Ohio staff over. Following the Spinelli model, he also hired Preston Murphy to be his last assistant.

Murphy might be the best hire of the bunch for what he brings to the group. He's young. He's recruited New England extensively and most importantly he's worked at BC before. Christian lacks that connection to BC tradition and the BC basketball alumni community. Although Murphy didn't play at BC, he's been around the program long enough to help Christian adjust.

NCAA rules cap the staff at three. Christian still has to announce a Director of Operations. The Director of Ops is essentially another assistant coach, but there are limitations on what the Director can do with regards to recruits. But Christian is off to a good start. He's got two bulldog recruiters in Spinelli and Murphy and his trusted aid in Wuczynski. On paper it should work. Now they have to get some players on board to fill out the roster for next season.