Opponent preview roundup

Scout started publishing their team previews. BC's is not up yet, but plenty of our opponents are. I find team-by-team previews from magazines and websites helpful. I don't follow the ins and outs of Syracuse or Northern Illinois like I do BC, so this gives me some insights and helps set expectations for us and them. Here are the ones that are out and a few takeaways...

Florida State -- Like us Florida State has a revamped offensive line and a new QB. Like us, they have a good position coach at OLine (Rick Trickett) so I think they will be ok.

Northern Illinois -- the preview starts with talk of Northern Illinois making the jump to a Power 5 conference, so you know expectations are high. For BC it will be more about stopping the run.

Syracuse -- The Orange are replacing most of their Defense. This team did not score much last year, so a revamped O and a young D could make for a long season. We don't play them until the end of the year, so they will have figured things out or checked out on the season.

Wake Forest -- There schedule is almost as bad as ours. Like us they play Notre Dame. Their other non-conference games are Elon, Indiana, and Army. They are also very young.

More Second Round talk for Hanlan

With the NBA Draft approaching, it appears Olivier Hanlan will be a second round pick. Even the Phoenix Suns -- who love combo guards and have a GM who has known Hanlan for years -- seem to view him as a second round talent. 

Hanlan fits into Washington's needs, but they look like they will wait until the second round to move on him.

Chad Ford also slots Hanlan in the second round.

Tweets of the Week

UConn goes from sanctions due to terrible APR to one of the best in the country. That doesn't seem suspicious at all https://t.co/QtW9SwLvG8

— A.J. Black (@BCHysteria) May 28, 2015

Great run by @BC_Saililng today - 2nd place at the National Champ. #WeAreBC http://t.co/xjAIb8I0Yo

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) May 29, 2015

Ok Kobe fans listen to the interview. I said Kobe one of the greats! I'm laughing about his shot attempts . Most people not taking less $

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 27, 2015

Jared Dudley is trending. What about Craig Smith?

— Greg Gagliardi (@greggagliardi) May 27, 2015

I Applaud Jared Dudley for telling it how he sees it. Athletes are usually safe. He has valid points. People can hate all they want. @ESPN

— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) May 27, 2015

The SEC used to revel in the power of national titles. Now it just whines when it doesn't get its way. http://t.co/Bch8HG34mQ via @usatoday

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) May 27, 2015

No Crimmins, no big deal

Wednesday, ACC Sports reported that Dan Crimmins was no longer on the team. No reason nor confirmation came from BC, however, Crimmins is not listed on the roster. It is the offseason and I know that Crimmins accounted for 18% of our receptions last year, but I think this won't really impact the season.

Crimmins served as a nice hybrid WR/TE and was a decent blocker, but in the whole scheme of things, he was replaceable. We will remain a run first attack and the running game is where the majority of our playermakers are. Crimmins would have been a "nice to have" guy and we could have used his experience, but I think our current roster can backfill his productivity. The only real benefit of Crimmins over his potential replacements was his ability to play both positions. Now we are more likely to see pure blockers or pure WRs in what would have been his snaps.

Crimmins' absence does raise some questions. Will he return to BC next year to use his final year of eligibility? Will Addazio find a 5th year over the summer? I think both are unlikely. I don't know if Crimmins would want to come back and I don't know if BC has any recent grads in their pipeline.

Good luck to Crimmins wherever he finishes his career.

Grantland dives deep on OLine with Addazio

The Addazio offseason media tour continues as he is the main subject in this Grantland article on building an offensive line. There are plenty of good nuggets in there, but the most interesting to me was the drill he has the lineman run in the offseason conditioning:

At Boston College, winter conditioning includes a borderline-sadistic drill in which one player contorts himself into a chairlike position, back against a wall, and balances weights on his knees. At the same time, another player pushes a 45-pound plate around the room as fast as he can. The longer it takes the second player to finish the course, the longer his teammate has to support the weights on his knees; if the player against the wall drops the plates, his teammate has to go back to the starting line. Addazio’s description of this regimen alone will turn the listener’s thighs to jelly.

“We’re trying to create accountability with each other,” Addazio says. “Don’t let your partner down. Don’t let your teammate down. You work on these skill sets.”

While Addazio has a plan for building an Oline, I still think it can be as simple as coaching. As mush as we hated Tranquill or thought Spaz was inept, what really undermined his teams was the OLine coaching. Jags showed that a head coach who appreciates OL play combined with a very good position coach can come in and make an Oline thrive. Addazio did the same thing in his first two years. I don't love the turnover at the OLine this year, but I have full confidence in Addazio and Justin Frye to make these guys competent by our opener.

BC proudly calls itself OLine U and I hope we always do. We need that mentality to compete. It is an area where we've shown we can recruit and develop and it covers so many potential weaknesses.

I hope Addazio has a long and successful tenure and I also hope that whoever replaces him has an Oline background. That works for BC.

Can BC's hardline recruiting stance backfire?

Rivals' Justin Rowland posted an interesting article on BC's old school recruiting policy. Rowland points out that in a world of social media and recruits flirting with everyone and wanting to take all their visits, BC's idea of committing and sticking is risky. In his first two classes Addazio only suffered one decommit. Yet watching Danny Dalton walk away this spring and seeing Anthony Brown drag his feet to committing has recruiting analysts and some fans questioning Addazio's aggressive stance.

I have no problem with Addazio wanting commitments to shut their recruiting down. It is aggressive, but it makes sense. All these kids are fickle and young and easily swayed. Hold them down any way you can to Signing Day. Because of who we are, it is easy to negatively recruit against BC. We also offer a very different experience on recruiting visits. Look at how Dalton second-guessed his commitment just based on the thought that Alabama was interested. Imagine if they had offered or he had visited. We sell a solid, proven experience and path. But teenagers can be seduced by the flash.

Some might think Addazio is hypocritical since BC actively recruits kids committed elsewhere. But I also don't fault him on that front. Everyone is doing it. BC needs to also.

As he gets more established and BC adds some new facilities, Addazio might not have to take such a hardline on visits. Until then, he needs to do whatever it takes and protect his recruiting classes.

Hanlan's next stop and other links

The Canadian media is paying attention to Olivier Hanlan's draft prospects.

All the BC guys on the Philly staff influenced the Mihalik pick.

ESPN posted an overview on our recruiting and philosophy.

$10,000 decision

You probably heard about this story last week, but here is BC golfer Brian Butler explaining why he turned down the $10,000 prize that came with a hole-in-one he made at a recent tournament. I am glad he loves BC Golf enough to keep his eligibility. He seems like a smart guy, but he clearly doesn't understand BC jinxes. As a junior he should know that when he said he won't make a second hole-in-one (which would trigger a $1 million prize) he reversed the mojo and will now be faced with a $1 million decision.

Two more commitments for Addazio

Addazio picked up two more commitments for his 2016 recruiting class. Both were pleasant surprises in their own way. The first commitment came from Michigan OLine prospect Tom Kowalkoski. He is 6'4 and 265 lbs and plays for traditional power Catholic Central. Kowalkoski holds offers from MAC schools, but BC was the first Power 5 to offer and fortunately he committed in a quick time frame. I am sure BC's interest will get some of the Big Ten schools talking to him off the ledge, but Addazio does a good job of keeping commitments committed.

The second commitment was New Jersey QB Anthony Brown. BC focused in on Brown months ago and have been waiting on his verbal. Just when it seemed like he was ready, things would drag out. Other schools came calling and it looked like he might be slow playing BC. I don't know why he finally decided, but he's now a verbal commitment. Brown is 6'2 and has a live arm. He holds offers from many of our peers, like Northwestern, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

This class won't be as big as the last two, so it is nice to get key pieces like a QB and Lineman. I assume more things will pick up when camps start in a few weeks.

Latvian Meznieks commits

Jim Christian added the most interesting piece to his recruiting class yet: Ervins Meznieks. Other than some Youtube highlights (below), there is not much available on the Latvian. He's 6'6 so he's undersized to be a true front court player. He seems like the sort of risk Christian can take right now. If he matures and develops, BC gets a steal. If he doesn't then the odds are he'll be back in Europe in a year or two. Good luck to Ervins and let's see where this unique recruiting class goes next.

Tweets of the Week

Congratulations to our seniors on earning their @BostonCollege degrees! #EvertoExcel #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/9aSMJLZGS3

— BC Football News (@BCFootballNews) May 18, 2015

Chris Mortensen just compared Kraft's decision to paying respect to the office of the US President, which is silly for politics AND football

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 19, 2015

I think this will restore your faith in humanity, or something like that https://t.co/PtlLKlz1h8

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) May 19, 2015

Best moment of my life. https://t.co/U29eriJFhG

— Mark Herzlich (@MarkHerzlich) May 18, 2015

The #BCEagles, once again, succeed on the field AND in the classroom: http://t.co/aWpdyDhHxc #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/nfDilgth5C

— BC Athletics (@BCSportsNews) May 20, 2015

Arizona package? and other links

The best type of recruiting is when one elite player brings in another. According to Hoffses, that could be happening at BC if Arizona big man Andre Adams joins Sammy Barnes-Thompkins.  Adams will probably have to decide soon. The added bonus of the package is that it helps the transition for two kids far away from home.

For those who missed it, Chase Rettig signed with the Chargers. This follows a tryout with the Dolphins. I don't know why these teams are showing interest now but didn't really pursue Chase after Green Bay dropped him last season. I wish him well and think he can still be a solid NFL backup.

Rettig's teammate KPL is ready to get back on the field.

BC finished 6th nationally for APR success. 12 Eagle teams qualified for being in the Top 10th percentile of their respective sport in graduating student athletes.

Barnes-Thompkins commits

Jim Christian picked up another recruit with Sammy Barnes-Thompkins. He is a combo guard from Arizona and originally committed to St. John's and reopened his recruiting after Steve Lavin left. This is huge on many fronts. First BC added some major conference talent and depth. Second, like last year, BC took advantage of a coaching change at another school. In an ideal world, BC would have a deep pipeline and relationships that allowed them to lock up their own recruits. But being opportunistic about a shakeup at another program is not a bad thing.

This seems like the end of the 2015 recruits. Now BC can focus on transfers, who can bring roster balances and some experience.

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.

Congratulations Class of 2015

Boston College welcomed a new group of students to our family of Alumni. Congratulations to the graduates and to their families.

I question the role of BC sports in the current landscape and how it serves or distracts from the mission of the school. But I cannot question its value in connecting the community. I hope that most of today's graduates consider BC a special place. and as they watch BC sports far away from campus and not in a yellow SuperFan shirt, they will realize how lucky they were to attend CB and how special our community is.

Of course many of the graduates were BC student athletes. Congrats to them and their coaches for ensuring they crossed the ultimate finish line.

Corporate Dude

This might seem like another fawning Addazio post but at this point what's good for Steve Addazio is good for BC. While we still need a really good coach, having someone who is willingly the face of the program is still such a breath of fresh air that I have to note the change. Look at the past few weeks as Daz started working the corporate circuit. The visit to Under Armour was part of an overall BC event, but Addazio talking to Wheels Up at one of their corporate events was not.

This is the face of our school interacting with business leaders. Do the people in this room go out and buy BC football tickets? Probably not many. If they paid Addazio (I assume they did), does BC get any of the money? Highly unlikely. Yet even without the direct benefit, these sorts of experiences do help BC. It opens the door for future sponsorships. It keeps Addazio happy. Maybe there is a future BC parent in that crowd who was partly inspired by the coach. Maybe Addazio can make a connection that gets one of his players a post-football job. But there is a long-tail benefit to having our coach expand his network beyond football and beyond BC. 

As much as he likes to give speeches or make TV appearances, football comes first. That won't change. But it is refreshing to see our coach embrace the off-the-field aspects of the job. It shows he has a passion for people and is proud of what he's building. That sort of pride should translate to the team he coaches. 

Predictable TV times and other links

Since it is a Friday game, we knew BC-Florida State would be on ESPN. Friday the school announced the kickoff times and TV coverage for Maine and Howard. Predictably both will be on ESPN3. Both games start at 1 pm. At this point, the ESPN3 things shouldn't bother me. The production values have improved and you can stream it on a big screen, but the whole aspect still feels small time. The other kick times will be announced two weeks prior to the game. 

Now that Croke Park is off the table, Aviva Stadium is the likely host of a potential BC-Georgia Tech game in Ireland.

Hanlan generated good buzz at the NBA Combine. 

Baseball split their final games with Notre Dame and finished the season 27-27 (10-19 in ACC play). That buys Gambino another season and hopefully gives Bates enough momentum to get the much needed baseball facilities and funding moving.

BC will play Penn State in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. 

 

Tweets of the Week

This Jimbo Fisher quote perfectly sums up (inadvertently) why the CFP will inevitably expand. http://t.co/ePj5v4nEOn pic.twitter.com/uMWoPpC2SM

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) May 13, 2015

Says the AD at the school with 187 coaches in 6 years. https://t.co/O6gF5i4VXa

— Mark Ennis (@MarkEnnis) May 12, 2015

College football offseason solstice is today. Halfway to feeling almost human again.

— Ramzy Nasrallah (@ramzy) May 9, 2015

So many coffee shops, so little time. Meet the @BCFootballNews coffee crew: http://t.co/URjv2UKDlM pic.twitter.com/F2n0Q2A9nB

— Boston College (@BostonCollege) May 12, 2015

I got a chance to give a toast to the seniors at Boston College yesterday. They remembered "Someday you will be 30 and still go to MA's."

— Dave Levy (@levydr) May 15, 2015

Throwback Thursday with Luke Kuechly

This current video of Luke Kuechly is making the rounds.


Since it is Thursday, it is a great time to look back on some of Luke's highlights at BC. He's also set to graduate in a few days.

Luke's years might not have been the most fun time to follow BC Football, but we were and are lucky to have him.

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.