Boston College Eagles men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Boston College Eagles
are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College
in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC
since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum
since 1988, having previously been played at the Roberts Center. The Eagles are coached by Steve Donahue
.
. The team won its first-ever game that season against Tufts
, 23–17, in Medford
. Basketball, not a popular sport at the turn of the 20th century, suffered through years of weak fan support and only lasted three initial seasons before being dropped. A brief revival in the early 1920s brought the men's team back, but it was dropped again following the 1924–25 season. Finally, following World War II
when the sport began to gain popularity in the United States, the basketball team became a permanent part of the Boston College athletics program in the 1945–46 season. Through 2010-11, there have been 73 seasons of BC basketball.
In 1963, BC hired Boston Celtics
legend Bob Cousy
as head coach, and earned postseason berths in five of his six years as coach, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1967. Boston College has hired several other notable coaches through the years, including Chuck Daly
, Dr. Tom Davis
, Gary Williams
and former Eagle
, Jim O'Brien '71.
In one of the darkest stories in BC history, several members of the 1978-79 basketball team were accused of being involved in a point-shaving scandal that drew national attention due to the involvement of the infamous Mafia
associate Henry Hill
. One player, Rick Kuhn
, was found guilty and served time in jail for his efforts in the fix.
Boston College basketball became a charter member of the Big East Conference
, which formed in time for the 1979–80 season. With more national exposure and better competition — leading to improved and more expansive recruiting — BC ensured itself of an opportunity to compete at the highest level of NCAA
Division I basketball
every year.
From the time the seven original Northeastern schools formed the Big East, the BC men's basketball team achieved several high points: Advancing to the Elite Eight in the 1982 NCAA Tournament
; winning the Big East Tournament
in 1997 and 2001; four Big East Coach of the Year awards; three Big East Player of the Year awards and a memorable win over No. 1-ranked North Carolina
in the 1994 NCAA tourney
.
Among Boston College's biggest non-conference rivals in basketball is the University of Massachusetts. First played in 1905 and held annually since 1995, BC's basketball rivalry with UMass is called the "Commonwealth Classic
" and was played on several occasions at what is now known as TD Garden in the 1990s. The Eagles are 22–17 against its cross-state rival. The Boston College men's basketball team has made 18 overall appearances in the NCAA tournament, including three trips to the Elite Eight. The team has played in the NIT
10 times. BC has produced four conference players of the year:
Notable BC student-athletes who have gone onto a career in the NBA include: Michael Adams
'85, John Bagley '83, Dana Barros
'89, Troy Bell
'03, Bill Curley
'94, Howard Eisley
'94, Jay Murphy
'84, Gerry Ward
'63, Sean Williams '07, Craig Smith
'06 and Jared Dudley
'07.
, in 1988, (fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities); the Big East had reached its zenith when O'Brien took the reins with conference teams winning national championships in 1984 and 1985; and O'Brien and BC, at the time, were still feeling the positive effects of the Flutie factor with Boston College athletics increasing in national exposure.
Boston College played its final season in the Roberts Center
in the 1987–88 season and were invited to the NIT, advancing to the semi-finals before being knocked-off by regional rival UConn
, 73–67. BC returned to the NIT in 1992
and 1993
.
In 1994, the Eagles were beaten by Georgetown 81–58 in the first round of the Big East tournament. But, following its invitation to the NCAA's, the men's basketball team went on one of its most historic runs. Boston College defeated Washington State
in the opening round of the tourney. In the second round, BC had its memorable upset of defending national champion North Carolina, 75–72, pushing them to the Sweet Sixteen. After a victory over Bobby Knight and Indiana
, the team went back to the Elite Eight where it fell to Florida
, 74–66.
In 1996, the Eagles also made it to the Big Dance
. BC finished the year at 19–11, and bowed out in the second round after losing to Georgia Tech
by a score of 103–89.
Led by All-Big East forward Danya Abrams
and sophomore point guard James "Scoonie" Penn
, Boston College won the 1997 Big East Tournament with victories over Pitt
, Georgetown and Villanova
. For its Big East Tournament championship, BC received an automatic bid to The Dance
and met Valparaiso
. The Eagles knocked off its first-round opponent 73-66, but fell in the second round to St. Joe's
when the Hawks eked out an 81-77 win.
Controversy erupted after the 1997 season as Jim O'Brien and the Boston College administration sparred over academic standards in recruiting athletes. O'Brien filed a lawsuit against BC on the grounds of breach of contract and slander. The case was settled out of court. Following a bitter end to his tenure, the BC alumnus moved to Ohio State
, and brought his star playmaker Scoonie Penn with him. At Ohio State, O'Brien took the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1999. Unfortunately, his tenure at Ohio State also ended on bitter terms and litigation by O'Brien against his former employer.
head coach and ABA star, Al Skinner
came to The Heights to coach the men's team. Following three sub-.500 seasons, Skinner lead the Eagles to a Big East-best 27–5 mark in 2000–01 (setting a then-school record for wins in a season), the Big East tournament
title and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament
. BC defeated Southern Utah
in the opening round of the tourney, but was upset by USC 74–71 in the second round. Skinner went on to win Big East Coach of the Year honors and star sophomore Troy Bell
was named Big East Co-Player of the Year.
Since the inception of the Skinner era, Boston College has seen increased success on the basketball court and has garnered growing national media attention, receiving seven bids to the NCAA tournament in the last ten years as of 2010. In its first season in ACC, BC advanced to the finals of the league tournament losing by two points to Duke
and returned to the semifinal round in 2007
.
Some have argued Skinner's success is predicated on his ability to recruit student-athletes that other schools never bother to look at, so-called "diamonds in the rough." Bell, who grew up in Minneapolis, who won two Big East Player of the Year awards and is currently the BC all-time leading scorer, fits that description in addition to Jared Dudley
, Sean Williams, Sean Marshall and All-American forward Craig Smith
, a Los Angeles native, who was overlooked by most Pac-10
schools.
On an interesting note, the Eagles defeated the defending national champions in three consecutive seasons from the 2003–04 season through the 2005-06 season: Syracuse
57–54 (on 2004-03-11), UConn
75-70 (on 2005-01-05) and UNC 81–74 (on 2006-01-25 and 2006-03-11).
The team's first loss occurred at Notre Dame
on February 8, 2005. Following its setback, BC beat unranked Rutgers
and then No. 9 Syracuse
on February 19, vaulting them in the polls to No. 3 in both the AP and coaches' polls — the highest any Boston College basketball team has ever been ranked. Finishing the regular season with a 24–3 mark, West Virginia
bounced BC from the Big East tournament
, 78–72, in the second round after the Eagles had drawn a bye in the first due to being the No. 1 overall seed with the league's best record (13–3). Boston College earned an invitation to the 2005 NCAA tournament
and received a No. 4 seed, with an opening-round game against Penn. The Eagles took care of the Quakers with an 85–65 thrashing and then took on Milwaukee
, who had upset Alabama
. UWM pulled another upset with an 83–75 win over Boston College and sent the Eagles home before the Sweet Sixteen.
Coming into 2005–06, the offseason produced some change to the team as center Nate Doornekamp and sixth man Jermaine Watson graduated. Doornekamp, though not a prolific scorer, was a leader and, with his 7 feet of height, could see the court well and pass the ball with good precision. Watson averaged 9.6 points-per-game off the bench and was a clutch free throw
shooter, averaging 83 percent to lead the team.
An offseason incident concerning drug use in May involving center Sean Williams lead to his suspension for the first semester from BC campus and from the team, and his playing status for the entire season was in doubt up until a court hearing in December. Williams set the BC single-season record for blocked shots in 2004–05 with 63. Although not allowed back to Chestnut Hill until the end of the first semester and contingent upon a court hearing, Williams took courses and worked out at the University of Houston
in the fall of 2005. He was allowed to return after a Boston judge decided he had fulfilled his commitment and the school gave their approval because he met his academic requirements. Also in trouble was sophomore forward Akida McLain who was suspended from the team for the first seven games of the year for an off-court incident.
Prior to the season, senior forward Craig Smith was voted a first-team All-American, the first BC player to be so honored, and named to the All-ACC preseason team — before even playing one game in the league. Boston College entered its first season in the ACC ranked No. 11 in both major polls and started the year 6-0 and reached as high as No. 6 on December 5. On December 11 McLain was reinstated and on December 22, Williams returned to the team and registered two blocks in his first game back against Harvard.
After starting ACC play with three straight losses (Maryland
, Georgia Tech, NC State), senior point guard Louis Hinnant called a players-only meeting which helped to inspire the team to bounce back from a poor conference start. The Eagles rebounded to win four consecutive league wins — winning its first ACC game against Florida State
on January 14. After its four straight league wins, BC dropped one to No. 3-ranked Duke on February 1.
Boston College then beat Virginia Tech
and Wake Forest
both on the road, followed by a home win over Clemson
. On February 13, BC downed Stony Brook
to reach the 20-win mark for the fifth time in six years. On February 25, Skinner earned his 169th Boston College win when the Eagles downed NC State 74–72 in double overtime, making the former ABA star the winningest coach in BC history. The Eagles finished the 2005–06 regular season with a 24–6 record and ended conference play at 11–5.
Boston College trounced Maryland (after receiving a bye) in the second round of the ACC Tournament
on March 10, 80–66, and then edged No. 10 North Carolina 85–82 the next afternoon to advance to the ACC Championship Game in its first year in the league. No. 3 Duke squeaked out a 78–76 win in a thrilling ACC championship game on March 12.
BC earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament
playing in the Minneapolis
bracket, and defeated Pacific on March 16 in a thrilling 88-76 double-OT game. The Eagles trailed by six points with just over two minutes remaining in the initial overtime. Following key three pointers by Dudley and Hinnant, BC went to Smith with only seconds remaining and, after being fouled, the All-ACC forward hit two free throws with four seconds left to tie the game at 74–74. Forcing a second overtime, BC went on a 14–2 run in the second OT to win the game. Against 12th-seeded Montana, Boston College won 69–56, advancing to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1994.
In its Sweet Sixteen matchup against Villanova
, BC lost a heartbreaker, 60–59, in overtime. The Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the first half and controlled much of the initial 35 minutes of the game. But the Wildcats captured their first lead with 2:18 remaining in the second half when Randy Foye hit two free throws to give 'Nova a 49–48 lead, and his layup expanded it to 51–48. With 28 seconds left Dudley dropped a 3-pointer to tie the score.
In an exciting overtime session, a Smith basket gave BC a 59–58 lead. It was later learned that Smith played the entire overtime period with a broken hand. With only seconds remaining, Wildcat forward Will Sheridan slipped past his defender and scored the winning two points on a goaltending call against Sean Williams with 2.3 seconds left. Hinnant's desperation 3 missed at the buzzer — as Nova moved on to the Elite Eight.
Boston College had quite a successful 2006–2007 season
, but did slip from the year before. They were led by seniors, Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall. Dudley led the Eagles to 4th in the ACC and a return to the ACC semifinal
, but lost to North Carolina. They then got a bid to the NCAA tournament
and received a #7 and a first round game against Texas Tech
in which they won, but then faced a tough Georgetown team in the second round. They lost, but gave the Hoyas a run for their money. BC also lost Dudley and Marshall to the pros and had to rely on junior, Tyrese Rice, in the 2007–2008 season
.
The Eagles struggled in 2007–2008
going 14–17 and 4–12 in conference play. BC, however, got 3 good freshmen in Rakim Sanders, Josh Southern, and Corey Raji. Rice had many impressive performances such as his 48 point performance against North Carolina that ended up in an 90-80 loss. BC had trouble finishing off teams and going into 2008-2009 had 1 senior, 1 junior, and the rest freshmen and sophomores.
BC had a solid 8–2 start to the 2008–2009 season with the addition of Vermont-transfer forward Joe Trapani. BC went 3–1 in the NIT tip-off, losing only to a tough Purdue team 71–64 and coming in 3rd in the whole tournament.
To start the 2008–09 ACC Season, the Eagles stunned the then-undefeated #1-ranked North Carolina
Tar Heels in the Dean Dome
85–78, behind great play by Rice, Sanders, and freshman Reggie Jackson. Despite the enormity of the win and the national attention that came with it, the Eagles promptly lost at home to Harvard 82–70 in the following game. In all, they suffered 4 consecutive losses after the North Carolina victory including Miami, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech
. The slump ended with a win in overtime against Georgia Tech. BC then got 3 more key ACC wins against NC State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. In the Virginia Tech game, BC won in exciting fashion via a put-back shot with less than a second remaining. That made BC 5-3 in the ACC and 17–6 overall. After a win at Virginia, the Eagles were just a half game out of first place in the conference. The Eagles went on a two game losing streak, after losing halftime leads against No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 11 Clemson. On February 15 Boston College Defeated #6 Duke 80–74 at home. Tyrese Rice scored 21 points, including his 2,000th career point at BC. It was the Eagles' first win over the Blue Devils in 24 years, and BC was the only team to beat both Duke and UNC that season. After the victory against Duke, the Eagles lost their next game to Miami (Fla.) for the second time in the same year. After this setback, BC went 2–1 down the stretch with home victories over #25 Florida State and a Rakim Sanders buzzer beater over Georgia Tech. They finished the regular season 21–10 and sixth in the ACC. In the first round of the conference tournament the Eagles beat Virginia 76–63 and moved on to play #8 Duke in the second round. BC lost to the Blue Devils 66–65 on a last minute heart-breaker and were bounced from the tournament. The Eagles finished the season 22–11 (9–7). Senior Tyrese Rice was named to the 2nd team All-ACC after being on the 1st team All-ACC the previous year.
BC received a #7 seed and a date with a USC team led by future first-round draft pick Taj Gibson on March 20, 2009. However, that was the last game Tyrese Rice ever played in a BC uniform. The Eagles led by 4 at the half, but ultimately lost 72–55. Although the team lost Rice to graduation, all other players would return for the 2009-10 season.
The Eagles had a disappointing 2009-2010 season, finishing 15-16 (6-10 in the ACC). The team's most notable games were losses to struggling programs, including Maine, Saint Joseph's, and (for the second straight year) Harvard. They ended the season with a loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament, bringing the Eagles' all-time record in the tournament to .500 (5-5).
On March 30, 2010, head coach Al Skinner was fired and soon replaced by former Cornell coach Steve Donahue, who had just completed guiding the Big Red to the Sweet Sixteen and the Ivy League's best performance in the tournament since 1979.
With the loss of Skinner, Boston Colleege junior forward Rakim Sanders decided to transfer, landing at Fairfield where former BC Assistant Ed Cooley is head coach. Recruits Brady Heslip and Kevin Noreen also asked to be released form their letters of intent and never matriculated at BC. The team's lone senior, Tyler Roche, graduated after the 2009-2010 season.
In Steve Donahue's first season as head coach, the Eagles roster featured seven seniors but was led by star junior guard Reggie Jackson, who was named to the first team All-ACC. BC finished the regular season at 19-11, 9-7 in the ACC. That conference record earned them a 5-seed in the ACC tournament, where they beat 12-seeded Wake Forest. However they lost a tough game to 4-seed Clemson. Boston College was one of multiple ACC teams on the NCAA tournament bubble. The Eagles were expected to be on of the "first four" teams. However they missed out on a seed to rival Clemson and surprisingly VCU and UAB. They received a 1 seed in the NIT. They won in the first round. However, they lost by double figures to 4-seed Northwestern. Their final record was 20-12. The season was highlighted by a marquee win over Texas A&M, and sweeps of Maryland and Virginia Tech. On the other hand, the team was swept by the Ivy League, losing to Yale and Harvard at home; it was the third straight year that the Eagles lost to the Crimson, despite Harvard losing its star guard, Jeremy Lin, to graduation the previous year.
Big East Rookie of the Year
Big East Player of the Year
ACC Player of the Year
National Coach of the Year
Big East Coach of the Year
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum
Conte Forum
The Silvio O. Conte Forum, commonly known as Conte Forum, Kelley Rink , or simply Conte, is an 8,606-seat multi-purpose arena which opened in 1988 on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that lies within the Brighton neighborhood of Boston...
since 1988, having previously been played at the Roberts Center. The Eagles are coached by Steve Donahue
Steve Donahue
Steve Donahue is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Boston College.A native of Springfield Township, Pennsylvania and a former player at Ursinus College, Donahue previously served as head coach at Cornell University, an assistant coach at Penn,...
.
History
In 1904, a men's varsity team was sanctioned and on December 26 of that year, BC played its first-ever game, losing 8–6 to Battery H of NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The team won its first-ever game that season against Tufts
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, 23–17, in Medford
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
. Basketball, not a popular sport at the turn of the 20th century, suffered through years of weak fan support and only lasted three initial seasons before being dropped. A brief revival in the early 1920s brought the men's team back, but it was dropped again following the 1924–25 season. Finally, following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the sport began to gain popularity in the United States, the basketball team became a permanent part of the Boston College athletics program in the 1945–46 season. Through 2010-11, there have been 73 seasons of BC basketball.
In 1963, BC hired Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
legend Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
as head coach, and earned postseason berths in five of his six years as coach, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1967. Boston College has hired several other notable coaches through the years, including Chuck Daly
Chuck Daly
Charles Jerome "Chuck" Daly was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive National Basketball Association Championships in 1989 and 1990, and the Dream Team to the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He had a 14-year NBA coaching...
, Dr. Tom Davis
Tom Davis (basketball)
Dr. Thomas "Dr. Tom" Davis is an American former college men's basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Lafayette College, Boston College, Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University from 1971 to 2007....
, Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
and former Eagle
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
, Jim O'Brien '71.
In one of the darkest stories in BC history, several members of the 1978-79 basketball team were accused of being involved in a point-shaving scandal that drew national attention due to the involvement of the infamous Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
associate Henry Hill
Henry Hill (mobster)
Henry Hill is a former American mobster, Lucchese crime family associate, and FBI informant whose life story was documented in the book Wiseguy, written by crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi, and in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, Goodfellas, in which Hill was played by Ray Liotta.-Early life:Henry...
. One player, Rick Kuhn
Rick Kuhn
Rick Kuhn is an Australian Marxist economist, political analyst and reader at the Australian National University in Canberra. He is best known for his biographical study on Henryk Grossman, for which he won the Deutscher Memorial Prize in 2007...
, was found guilty and served time in jail for his efforts in the fix.
Boston College basketball became a charter member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, which formed in time for the 1979–80 season. With more national exposure and better competition — leading to improved and more expansive recruiting — BC ensured itself of an opportunity to compete at the highest level of NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
every year.
From the time the seven original Northeastern schools formed the Big East, the BC men's basketball team achieved several high points: Advancing to the Elite Eight in the 1982 NCAA Tournament
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
; winning the Big East Tournament
Big East Tournament
Big East Tournament or Big East Championship may refer to:*Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, the men's basketball championship*Big East Women's Basketball Tournament, the women's basketball championship...
in 1997 and 2001; four Big East Coach of the Year awards; three Big East Player of the Year awards and a memorable win over No. 1-ranked North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
in the 1994 NCAA tourney
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...
.
Among Boston College's biggest non-conference rivals in basketball is the University of Massachusetts. First played in 1905 and held annually since 1995, BC's basketball rivalry with UMass is called the "Commonwealth Classic
Commonwealth Classic
The Commonwealth Classic, also known as Commonwealth Cup or Governor's Cup , is the title of the basketball rivalry between Boston College and the University of Massachusetts. The name refers to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the New England state in which both universities are located...
" and was played on several occasions at what is now known as TD Garden in the 1990s. The Eagles are 22–17 against its cross-state rival. The Boston College men's basketball team has made 18 overall appearances in the NCAA tournament, including three trips to the Elite Eight. The team has played in the NIT
Nit
* The egg of a louse* Head lice * A trivial detail; the object of nitpicking* Nit , a unit of luminance equivalent to one candela per square metre...
10 times. BC has produced four conference players of the year:
- John Bagley '83, was the Big East Player of the Year in 1980–1981
- Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
'03 was co-Big East Player of the Year in 2000–2001, and won the title outright in 2002–2003 - Jared DudleyJared DudleyJared Dudley is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. During his college years he played with the Boston College Eagles. Along with fellow senior Sean Marshall, he was one of the team's two captains, and was the leading scorer and rebounder on the...
'07 was the ACC Player of the Year in 2006–07.
Notable BC student-athletes who have gone onto a career in the NBA include: Michael Adams
Michael Adams (basketball)
Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
'85, John Bagley '83, Dana Barros
Dana Barros
Dana Bruce Barros is a retired American professional basketball player from the NBA. Before the NBA he played at Boston College, finishing as one of the school's all-time leading scorers....
'89, Troy Bell
Troy Bell
Troy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
'03, Bill Curley
Bill Curley
William Michael 'Bill' Curley is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association.-High school/college career:...
'94, Howard Eisley
Howard Eisley
Howard Jonathan Eisley is a retired American professional basketball point guard and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Born in Detroit, Eisley played college basketball at Boston College and was drafted in 1994 by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
'94, Jay Murphy
Jay Murphy
Jay Dennis Murphy is a former American professional basketball player. He attended high school at Francis T Maloney High School in Meriden, Connecticut. A 6'9" and 220 lbs. power forward, Murphy attended Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He averaged 14.6 points per game in his four...
'84, Gerry Ward
Gerry Ward (basketball)
Gerald W. Ward is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard, Ward starred at Boston College from 1960 to 1963. He scored 1,112 points over the course of his collegiate career, and grabbed 947 rebounds...
'63, Sean Williams '07, Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
'06 and Jared Dudley
Jared Dudley
Jared Dudley is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. During his college years he played with the Boston College Eagles. Along with fellow senior Sean Marshall, he was one of the team's two captains, and was the leading scorer and rebounder on the...
'07.
O'Brien returns to The Heights
On March 26, 1986, Jim O'Brien '71 returned to coach the Boston College Eagles basketball team. Despite a bitter end to his tenure as head coach, O'Brien has been credited with resuscitating the BC basketball team, which — aside from some success in the early 80s — had not been a consistent NCAA tournament contender since the 1960s. Although O'Brien did build a solid program, his timing was excellent: Boston College opened its new hockey and basketball arena, Conte ForumConte Forum
The Silvio O. Conte Forum, commonly known as Conte Forum, Kelley Rink , or simply Conte, is an 8,606-seat multi-purpose arena which opened in 1988 on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that lies within the Brighton neighborhood of Boston...
, in 1988, (fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities); the Big East had reached its zenith when O'Brien took the reins with conference teams winning national championships in 1984 and 1985; and O'Brien and BC, at the time, were still feeling the positive effects of the Flutie factor with Boston College athletics increasing in national exposure.
Boston College played its final season in the Roberts Center
Roberts Center
Roberts Center was a 4,400 seat multi-purpose arena in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It opened in 1958. It was home to the Boston College Eagles basketball teams until the Conte Forum opened in 1988....
in the 1987–88 season and were invited to the NIT, advancing to the semi-finals before being knocked-off by regional rival UConn
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, 73–67. BC returned to the NIT in 1992
1992 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Utah 81, Florida 78...
and 1993
1993 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - UAB 55, Providence 52...
.
In 1994, the Eagles were beaten by Georgetown 81–58 in the first round of the Big East tournament. But, following its invitation to the NCAA's, the men's basketball team went on one of its most historic runs. Boston College defeated Washington State
Washington State Cougars men's basketball
The Washington State Cougars Men's Basketball team represents Washington State University and competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I...
in the opening round of the tourney. In the second round, BC had its memorable upset of defending national champion North Carolina, 75–72, pushing them to the Sweet Sixteen. After a victory over Bobby Knight and Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
, the team went back to the Elite Eight where it fell to Florida
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
, 74–66.
In 1996, the Eagles also made it to the Big Dance
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
. BC finished the year at 19–11, and bowed out in the second round after losing to Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball...
by a score of 103–89.
Led by All-Big East forward Danya Abrams
Danya Abrams
Danya Abrams is a former college basketball player who played for the Boston College Eagles. He is from Greenburgh, New York. He starred with the Eagles from 1993–97, getting selected first-team all Big East Conference three times...
and sophomore point guard James "Scoonie" Penn
Scoonie Penn
James "Scoonie" Donell Penn is an American professional basketball player. He plays at the point guard position. His height is 5 ft 11 in and he weighs 180 pounds.-Amateur career:...
, Boston College won the 1997 Big East Tournament with victories over Pitt
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
, Georgetown and Villanova
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA...
. For its Big East Tournament championship, BC received an automatic bid to The Dance
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
and met Valparaiso
Valparaiso Crusaders
The Valparaiso University Crusaders compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I .Valparaiso competes in the Horizon League in all sports except for football, which is not sponsored by the conference. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League. On May 27,...
. The Eagles knocked off its first-round opponent 73-66, but fell in the second round to St. Joe's
Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball
The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through...
when the Hawks eked out an 81-77 win.
Controversy erupted after the 1997 season as Jim O'Brien and the Boston College administration sparred over academic standards in recruiting athletes. O'Brien filed a lawsuit against BC on the grounds of breach of contract and slander. The case was settled out of court. Following a bitter end to his tenure, the BC alumnus moved to Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, and brought his star playmaker Scoonie Penn with him. At Ohio State, O'Brien took the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1999. Unfortunately, his tenure at Ohio State also ended on bitter terms and litigation by O'Brien against his former employer.
Skinner era begins
In 1997, former Rhode IslandRhode Island Rams men's basketball
The Rhode Island Rams men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Rhode Island. The team is currently coached by Jim Baron, who is in his 10th year...
head coach and ABA star, Al Skinner
Al Skinner
Albert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
came to The Heights to coach the men's team. Following three sub-.500 seasons, Skinner lead the Eagles to a Big East-best 27–5 mark in 2000–01 (setting a then-school record for wins in a season), the Big East tournament
2001 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2001 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Its winner received the Big East Conference's automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA Tournament. It is a single-elimination tournament with four rounds and the two highest seeds in each division received...
title and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
. BC defeated Southern Utah
Southern Utah Thunderbirds men's basketball
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. The school's team currently competes in The Summit League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2001...
in the opening round of the tourney, but was upset by USC 74–71 in the second round. Skinner went on to win Big East Coach of the Year honors and star sophomore Troy Bell
Troy Bell
Troy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
was named Big East Co-Player of the Year.
Since the inception of the Skinner era, Boston College has seen increased success on the basketball court and has garnered growing national media attention, receiving seven bids to the NCAA tournament in the last ten years as of 2010. In its first season in ACC, BC advanced to the finals of the league tournament losing by two points to Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
and returned to the semifinal round in 2007
2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 8-11, 2007, in Tampa, Florida at the St. Pete Times Forum. The tournament was held in the state of Florida for the first time in its 54-year history. The quarterfinal games were televised nationwide on ESPN2....
.
Some have argued Skinner's success is predicated on his ability to recruit student-athletes that other schools never bother to look at, so-called "diamonds in the rough." Bell, who grew up in Minneapolis, who won two Big East Player of the Year awards and is currently the BC all-time leading scorer, fits that description in addition to Jared Dudley
Jared Dudley
Jared Dudley is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. During his college years he played with the Boston College Eagles. Along with fellow senior Sean Marshall, he was one of the team's two captains, and was the leading scorer and rebounder on the...
, Sean Williams, Sean Marshall and All-American forward Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
, a Los Angeles native, who was overlooked by most Pac-10
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
schools.
On an interesting note, the Eagles defeated the defending national champions in three consecutive seasons from the 2003–04 season through the 2005-06 season: Syracuse
2003-04 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team
The 2003–04 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team represented Syracuse University in NCAA men's basketball competition in the 2003–04 Division I season. The Head Coach was Jim Boeheim, serving for his 28th year. The team played its home games at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The team...
57–54 (on 2004-03-11), UConn
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
75-70 (on 2005-01-05) and UNC 81–74 (on 2006-01-25 and 2006-03-11).
20 straight to start: 2004–05 season
Though the 2000–01 season was a memorable one for BC and its fans as it re-vamped local interest in the Chestnut Hill men's hoops team, it paled to the national exposure and media attention the Eagles garnered in 2004–05. Starting the year unranked and without one vote in the coaches' poll, Boston College accomplished something no Big East team had done before: it started a season 20–0. In the 20 straight victories, the Eagles beat two ranked opponents and, when they reached the 20–0 mark, were one of only two teams to be undefeated at the time (Illinois was the other).The team's first loss occurred at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
on February 8, 2005. Following its setback, BC beat unranked Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men's Basketball team represents Rutgers University and is a NCAA Division I college basketball team, which competes in the Big East Conference...
and then No. 9 Syracuse
2004-05 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team
The 2004–05 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team represented Syracuse University in the 2004–05 NCAA Division I season. This was the first season in which Syracuse used its current nickname of "Orange"; previously, Syracuse teams had been known as "Orangemen" and "Orangewomen", depending on sex....
on February 19, vaulting them in the polls to No. 3 in both the AP and coaches' polls — the highest any Boston College basketball team has ever been ranked. Finishing the regular season with a 24–3 mark, West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
bounced BC from the Big East tournament
2005 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
-Games:*1st round: Wednesday, March 9Noon2PM7PM*Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 10Noon2 PM7 PM9 PM*Semifinals: Friday, March 117 PM9 PM*Finals: Saturday, March 12...
, 78–72, in the second round after the Eagles had drawn a bye in the first due to being the No. 1 overall seed with the league's best record (13–3). Boston College earned an invitation to the 2005 NCAA tournament
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
and received a No. 4 seed, with an opening-round game against Penn. The Eagles took care of the Quakers with an 85–65 thrashing and then took on Milwaukee
Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball
The Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Horizon League for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The current head coach is Rob Jeter.-History:...
, who had upset Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball
The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,...
. UWM pulled another upset with an 83–75 win over Boston College and sent the Eagles home before the Sweet Sixteen.
Back to the Sweet Sixteen: 2005–06 season
The men's basketball team played its way to a school-record 28 wins and back to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 12 years. Boston College also established itself in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11 league wins in its first year in the conference, and advanced to the league tournament title game against Duke following wins over Maryland and North Carolina. BC would finish the season ranked No. 7 in the AP poll, which tallies its final poll before the NCAA tournament begins.Coming into 2005–06, the offseason produced some change to the team as center Nate Doornekamp and sixth man Jermaine Watson graduated. Doornekamp, though not a prolific scorer, was a leader and, with his 7 feet of height, could see the court well and pass the ball with good precision. Watson averaged 9.6 points-per-game off the bench and was a clutch free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
shooter, averaging 83 percent to lead the team.
An offseason incident concerning drug use in May involving center Sean Williams lead to his suspension for the first semester from BC campus and from the team, and his playing status for the entire season was in doubt up until a court hearing in December. Williams set the BC single-season record for blocked shots in 2004–05 with 63. Although not allowed back to Chestnut Hill until the end of the first semester and contingent upon a court hearing, Williams took courses and worked out at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
in the fall of 2005. He was allowed to return after a Boston judge decided he had fulfilled his commitment and the school gave their approval because he met his academic requirements. Also in trouble was sophomore forward Akida McLain who was suspended from the team for the first seven games of the year for an off-court incident.
Prior to the season, senior forward Craig Smith was voted a first-team All-American, the first BC player to be so honored, and named to the All-ACC preseason team — before even playing one game in the league. Boston College entered its first season in the ACC ranked No. 11 in both major polls and started the year 6-0 and reached as high as No. 6 on December 5. On December 11 McLain was reinstated and on December 22, Williams returned to the team and registered two blocks in his first game back against Harvard.
After starting ACC play with three straight losses (Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, Georgia Tech, NC State), senior point guard Louis Hinnant called a players-only meeting which helped to inspire the team to bounce back from a poor conference start. The Eagles rebounded to win four consecutive league wins — winning its first ACC game against Florida State
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
on January 14. After its four straight league wins, BC dropped one to No. 3-ranked Duke on February 1.
Boston College then beat Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
and Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
both on the road, followed by a home win over Clemson
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
. On February 13, BC downed Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
to reach the 20-win mark for the fifth time in six years. On February 25, Skinner earned his 169th Boston College win when the Eagles downed NC State 74–72 in double overtime, making the former ABA star the winningest coach in BC history. The Eagles finished the 2005–06 regular season with a 24–6 record and ended conference play at 11–5.
Boston College trounced Maryland (after receiving a bye) in the second round of the ACC Tournament
2006 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 9-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum. The 2006 edition was the 53rd edition of the ACC Tournament. Duke won the tournament for the 16th time in school history. Duke's J.J...
on March 10, 80–66, and then edged No. 10 North Carolina 85–82 the next afternoon to advance to the ACC Championship Game in its first year in the league. No. 3 Duke squeaked out a 78–76 win in a thrilling ACC championship game on March 12.
BC earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
playing in the Minneapolis
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
bracket, and defeated Pacific on March 16 in a thrilling 88-76 double-OT game. The Eagles trailed by six points with just over two minutes remaining in the initial overtime. Following key three pointers by Dudley and Hinnant, BC went to Smith with only seconds remaining and, after being fouled, the All-ACC forward hit two free throws with four seconds left to tie the game at 74–74. Forcing a second overtime, BC went on a 14–2 run in the second OT to win the game. Against 12th-seeded Montana, Boston College won 69–56, advancing to the regional semifinals for the first time since 1994.
In its Sweet Sixteen matchup against Villanova
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA...
, BC lost a heartbreaker, 60–59, in overtime. The Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the first half and controlled much of the initial 35 minutes of the game. But the Wildcats captured their first lead with 2:18 remaining in the second half when Randy Foye hit two free throws to give 'Nova a 49–48 lead, and his layup expanded it to 51–48. With 28 seconds left Dudley dropped a 3-pointer to tie the score.
In an exciting overtime session, a Smith basket gave BC a 59–58 lead. It was later learned that Smith played the entire overtime period with a broken hand. With only seconds remaining, Wildcat forward Will Sheridan slipped past his defender and scored the winning two points on a goaltending call against Sean Williams with 2.3 seconds left. Hinnant's desperation 3 missed at the buzzer — as Nova moved on to the Elite Eight.
2006–07 season
Boston College had quite a successful 2006–2007 season
2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2006–07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2006, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, but did slip from the year before. They were led by seniors, Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall. Dudley led the Eagles to 4th in the ACC and a return to the ACC semifinal
2006 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 9-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum. The 2006 edition was the 53rd edition of the ACC Tournament. Duke won the tournament for the 16th time in school history. Duke's J.J...
, but lost to North Carolina. They then got a bid to the NCAA tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
and received a #7 and a first round game against Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
in which they won, but then faced a tough Georgetown team in the second round. They lost, but gave the Hoyas a run for their money. BC also lost Dudley and Marshall to the pros and had to rely on junior, Tyrese Rice, in the 2007–2008 season
2007-08 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team plays basketball for the Boston College Eagles in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 2006–07, they went 14–17...
.
2007–08 season
The Eagles struggled in 2007–2008
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.-Season headlines:...
going 14–17 and 4–12 in conference play. BC, however, got 3 good freshmen in Rakim Sanders, Josh Southern, and Corey Raji. Rice had many impressive performances such as his 48 point performance against North Carolina that ended up in an 90-80 loss. BC had trouble finishing off teams and going into 2008-2009 had 1 senior, 1 junior, and the rest freshmen and sophomores.
2008–09 season
BC had a solid 8–2 start to the 2008–2009 season with the addition of Vermont-transfer forward Joe Trapani. BC went 3–1 in the NIT tip-off, losing only to a tough Purdue team 71–64 and coming in 3rd in the whole tournament.
To start the 2008–09 ACC Season, the Eagles stunned the then-undefeated #1-ranked North Carolina
2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 2008–09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Head Coach was Roy Williams. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
Tar Heels in the Dean Dome
Dean Smith Center
The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, usually called simply the Smith Center and popularly referred to as the Dean Dome is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The arena is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team, and temporary...
85–78, behind great play by Rice, Sanders, and freshman Reggie Jackson. Despite the enormity of the win and the national attention that came with it, the Eagles promptly lost at home to Harvard 82–70 in the following game. In all, they suffered 4 consecutive losses after the North Carolina victory including Miami, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech
2008-09 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hokies lost Deron Washington off of their 2007–08 team, which finished as the fourth place team in the conference and lost to in the NIT quarterfinals....
. The slump ended with a win in overtime against Georgia Tech. BC then got 3 more key ACC wins against NC State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. In the Virginia Tech game, BC won in exciting fashion via a put-back shot with less than a second remaining. That made BC 5-3 in the ACC and 17–6 overall. After a win at Virginia, the Eagles were just a half game out of first place in the conference. The Eagles went on a two game losing streak, after losing halftime leads against No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 11 Clemson. On February 15 Boston College Defeated #6 Duke 80–74 at home. Tyrese Rice scored 21 points, including his 2,000th career point at BC. It was the Eagles' first win over the Blue Devils in 24 years, and BC was the only team to beat both Duke and UNC that season. After the victory against Duke, the Eagles lost their next game to Miami (Fla.) for the second time in the same year. After this setback, BC went 2–1 down the stretch with home victories over #25 Florida State and a Rakim Sanders buzzer beater over Georgia Tech. They finished the regular season 21–10 and sixth in the ACC. In the first round of the conference tournament the Eagles beat Virginia 76–63 and moved on to play #8 Duke in the second round. BC lost to the Blue Devils 66–65 on a last minute heart-breaker and were bounced from the tournament. The Eagles finished the season 22–11 (9–7). Senior Tyrese Rice was named to the 2nd team All-ACC after being on the 1st team All-ACC the previous year.
BC received a #7 seed and a date with a USC team led by future first-round draft pick Taj Gibson on March 20, 2009. However, that was the last game Tyrese Rice ever played in a BC uniform. The Eagles led by 4 at the half, but ultimately lost 72–55. Although the team lost Rice to graduation, all other players would return for the 2009-10 season.
2009–10 season
The Eagles had a disappointing 2009-2010 season, finishing 15-16 (6-10 in the ACC). The team's most notable games were losses to struggling programs, including Maine, Saint Joseph's, and (for the second straight year) Harvard. They ended the season with a loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament, bringing the Eagles' all-time record in the tournament to .500 (5-5).
On March 30, 2010, head coach Al Skinner was fired and soon replaced by former Cornell coach Steve Donahue, who had just completed guiding the Big Red to the Sweet Sixteen and the Ivy League's best performance in the tournament since 1979.
With the loss of Skinner, Boston Colleege junior forward Rakim Sanders decided to transfer, landing at Fairfield where former BC Assistant Ed Cooley is head coach. Recruits Brady Heslip and Kevin Noreen also asked to be released form their letters of intent and never matriculated at BC. The team's lone senior, Tyler Roche, graduated after the 2009-2010 season.
2010–11 season
In Steve Donahue's first season as head coach, the Eagles roster featured seven seniors but was led by star junior guard Reggie Jackson, who was named to the first team All-ACC. BC finished the regular season at 19-11, 9-7 in the ACC. That conference record earned them a 5-seed in the ACC tournament, where they beat 12-seeded Wake Forest. However they lost a tough game to 4-seed Clemson. Boston College was one of multiple ACC teams on the NCAA tournament bubble. The Eagles were expected to be on of the "first four" teams. However they missed out on a seed to rival Clemson and surprisingly VCU and UAB. They received a 1 seed in the NIT. They won in the first round. However, they lost by double figures to 4-seed Northwestern. Their final record was 20-12. The season was highlighted by a marquee win over Texas A&M, and sweeps of Maryland and Virginia Tech. On the other hand, the team was swept by the Ivy League, losing to Yale and Harvard at home; it was the third straight year that the Eagles lost to the Crimson, despite Harvard losing its star guard, Jeremy Lin, to graduation the previous year.
Awards
All-America- 1963: Gerry WardGerry Ward (basketball)Gerald W. Ward is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard, Ward starred at Boston College from 1960 to 1963. He scored 1,112 points over the course of his collegiate career, and grabbed 947 rebounds...
(Third Team) - 1965: John AustinJohn Austin (basketball)John W. "Johnny" Austin is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the Boston College.He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 4th round of the 1966 NBA Draft....
(Third Team) - 1966: John AustinJohn Austin (basketball)John W. "Johnny" Austin is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the Boston College.He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 4th round of the 1966 NBA Draft....
(Second Team) - 1969: Terry DriscollTerry DriscollEdward Cuthbert "Terry" Driscoll Jr. is an American former professional basketball player.A 6 ft 7 in forward, Driscoll played at Boston College in the late 1960s. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 1969 National Invitational Tournament after leading his school to the tournament final...
(Third Team) - 1982: John Bagley (Third Team)
- 1994: Bill CurleyBill CurleyWilliam Michael 'Bill' Curley is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association.-High school/college career:...
(Third Team) - 2001: Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
(Second Team) - 2003: Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
(Second Team) - 2005: Craig SmithCraig SmithCraig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
(Third Team) - 2006: Craig SmithCraig SmithCraig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
(Second Team) - 2007: Jared DudleyJared DudleyJared Dudley is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. During his college years he played with the Boston College Eagles. Along with fellow senior Sean Marshall, he was one of the team's two captains, and was the leading scorer and rebounder on the...
(Second Team)
Big East Rookie of the Year
- 1985-86: Dana BarrosDana BarrosDana Bruce Barros is a retired American professional basketball player from the NBA. Before the NBA he played at Boston College, finishing as one of the school's all-time leading scorers....
- 1990-91: Bill CurleyBill CurleyWilliam Michael 'Bill' Curley is a retired American professional basketball player, formerly in the National Basketball Association.-High school/college career:...
- 1995-96: James "Scoonie" PennScoonie PennJames "Scoonie" Donell Penn is an American professional basketball player. He plays at the point guard position. His height is 5 ft 11 in and he weighs 180 pounds.-Amateur career:...
- 1999-2000: Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
Big East Player of the Year
- 1980-81: John Bagley
- 2000-01: Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
- 2002-03: Troy BellTroy BellTroy Delvon Bell is an American professional basketball player formerly of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He played at Boston College and finished as one of the greatest players in the program's history....
ACC Player of the Year
- 2006-07: Jared DudleyJared DudleyJared Dudley is an American professional basketball player. He is a forward for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. During his college years he played with the Boston College Eagles. Along with fellow senior Sean Marshall, he was one of the team's two captains, and was the leading scorer and rebounder on the...
National Coach of the Year
- 2000-01: Al SkinnerAl SkinnerAlbert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
Big East Coach of the Year
- 1980-81: Tom DavisTom Davis (basketball)Dr. Thomas "Dr. Tom" Davis is an American former college men's basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Lafayette College, Boston College, Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University from 1971 to 2007....
- 1995-96: Jim O'Brien
- 2000-01: Al SkinnerAl SkinnerAlbert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
- 2004-05: Al SkinnerAl SkinnerAlbert L. Skinner is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team.-College:Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts...
Current roster
| Name | Number | Position | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown |
| Reggie Jackson | 0 | G | 6-3 | 208 | Jr. | Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
| Gabe Moton | 4 | G | 6-2 | 170 | Fr. | St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St... |
| Biko Paris | 5 | G | 6-1 | 194 | Sr. | New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population... |
| Corey Raji | 11 | F | 6-6 | 218 | Sr. | Township of Washington, Bergen County, New Jersey |
| Joe Trapani | 12 | F | 6-8 | 232 | Sr. | Madison, Connecticut Madison, Connecticut Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The population was 18,812 at the 2000 census.... |
| Nick Mosakowski | 14 | G | 6-1 | 187 | Sr. | Swampscott, Massachusetts Swampscott, Massachusetts Swampscott is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States located 15 miles up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population is 13,787... |
| Matt Humphrey | 15 | G | 6-5 | 185 | Jr. | Chicago, Illinois |
| John Cahill | 20 | G | 6-1 | 170 | Sr. | Albany, New York Albany, New York Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River... |
| Chris Kowalski | 24 | F | 6-6 | 240 | Sr. | Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large... |
| Peter Rehnquist | 25 | G-F | 6-4 | 210 | Jr. | Sharon, Massachusetts Sharon, Massachusetts Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,612 at the 2010 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about 17 miles southwest of downtown Boston.... |
| Dallas Elmore | 30 | G | 6-5 | 210 | Jr. | Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census... |
| Danny Rubin | 31 | G | 6-6 | 170 | Fr. | Chevy Chase, Maryland Chevy Chase, Maryland Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names... |
| Josh Southern | 52 | C | 6-10 | 263 | Sr. | Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan... |
| Courtney Dunn | 55 | F | 6-8 | 238 | Sr. | Dallas, Texas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... |