Typical BC

It seems rather fitting that my first real blog should come so easily, bump, set, spike, from one of my favorite traditions, major BC sports choking in big games that they simply need to win.
I will spare us all the comparisons between BC basketball's performance tonight against Villanova and BC football's performance against Syracuse a few months ago, but let there be no doubt, these are the work of the same program.

To be fair, there is little shame in losing to the number 23 team in the country, especially a team with a legitimate horse like Randy Foye (23 pts) and a history of knocking off big time Big East opponents, especially at home (they've already rushed the court 3 times). But there is a history here, and in my mind it cannot be ignored.

See for example the second round game of the '01 NCAA tournament against USC. After rolling through the regular season with an undefeated mark at home, and marching through the Big East tournament on the shoulders of Troy Bell, X-Singletary, and Uka Agbai BC entered the tournament with a 3 seed and met Southern Utah in the first round. After trying as hard as they possibly could to lose that game (they were saved in the end by Bell and snuck away with a 3 point victory) BC advanced to the round of 32 . Despite their weak performance in the first round and the title of "turnaround" team following them the Eagles still entered their second round matchup with USC as the favorite, but it was not long before the haze through which they seemed to play against Southern Utah enveloped and ultimately swallowed them.

Granted, they made a ferocious comeback after being down 11 with just 8 minutes to play, but with time winding down Kenny Harley cemented himself at the top of the BC, "What were they thinking?" list when he drove to the basket and missed a lay-up rather than attempting a potential game tying three point shot. Turnaround over, season over, another avoidable BC choke. "Shoot the ball Kenny!"

Of course tonight's loss was nowhere near as heart-breaking as that season ending debacle against a lesser opponent, but this team looks strikingly similar. Just in terms of tonight's game at one point Villanova was held without a field goal for 9 minutes and BC only managed to pull within 2, in the '01 USC game the Trojans suffered through a 17-2 BC run in the second half but stayed in control. Overall, there is one undeniable star on each roster, Craig Smith in '05, Troy Bell in '01. That one star is flanked by supporting players who likely wouldn't see the floor on any team in the ACC excluding Clemson. Jared Dudley hits big shots, but he also takes a lot of shots; Kenny Harley hit some big shots but he also took a lot of shots. X-Singletary was all heart and grit, in '05 Watson is all heart and grit (and wheels). The '01 team won a lot of games, but a lot of those wins came against mediocre competition during the Eagle's customary cupcake pre-conference schedule, this team is no different. The '01 team actually has the edge on this year's team in terms of margin of victory, it seems as though every time BC takes the floor they are just sneaking away with wins (16 games decided by 10 or less and TWO overtimes to beat Yale).

Yes I am aware that this year's BC squad has significant victories over Syracuse and Connecticut, and that this is certainly an "up" year for the Big East, at least in terms of likely NCAA bids, but I am not ready to coronate this year's BC squad just yet. This edition of the Eagles has only two losses, but they were tough avoidable losses. Notre Dame is a tough team and a legitimate rival but they are still an unranked underachieving squad. BC is a better team, even in South Bend. Villanova is a good team with good wins, but they are by no means great and while BC managed to split the season series their victory earlier in the year came by the slimmest of margins in Chestnut Hill. Neither of these losses were blowouts, the Eagles were in both games and had chances to win, chances they simply didn't take. Any team can have a bad night, but to be in the game and not make the plays is, to me, more distressing.

This team needs to run the table the rest of the way, which does not just mean they have to beat Pittsburgh, and they need to win the Big East tournament like the '01 team before they'll get big respect from me. Most importantly, if they do beat Pitt they need to make darn sure that they blow out Rutgers to end the regular season, if for no other reason than to rid me of the eerie feeling that if they are playing a mediocre team for a likely number 1 seed in the NCAA's following a big win at home that they will just find a way to lose.

Of course I'm rooting for them...I just know better...prove me wrong boys.