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Boston College
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Boston College built a case for itself in its early non-conference schedule, rolling to an 11-0 record, but the best victories in that bunch came against Massachusetts, Holy Cross and Vanderbilt -- not exactly a murderer's row. It wasn't until the heart of the Big East schedule that the Eagles showed they truly were worthy of an NCAA tournament bid -- and a high seed, at that. With sophomore point guard Troy Bell emerging as one of the best players in the country, Boston College ripped off victories against Connecticut, Villanova (twice) and Syracuse to stay in first place in the division most of the season. The Eagles also had a chance to pick up an eye-opening non-conference victory but let the chance get away. It was at Duke, and Boston College got popped 97-75, though the NCAA tournament selection committee would have done well to note the game was much closer than that. Boston College's biggest victory of the season might have come Feb. 17 in a showdown with Providence, an 81-73 victory on ESPN. Player to Watch Troy Bell was a splendid freshman, but at times he was a bit out of control, and not capable of leading the Eagles to the postseason. This season, surrounded by a more veteran cast, Bell has been a floor leader as well as a top scorer, and emerged as a legitimate threat to Notre Dame's Troy Murphy as Big East player of the year. Along with scoring at a roughly 21-point clip, Bell protected the ball -- he committed two or less turnovers in 15 of Boston College's first 21 games -- while handing out 4.8 assists and grabbing four rebounds. With the Ball Boston College averages 81 points per game, and the potent offense begins with Bell up top, hunting three-pointers but also penetrating into the lane for finishes or assists. He often kicks it back outside, where the Eagles hit 37 percent on three-pointers and rely mainly on junk for their points down low. The primary garbage men are Uka Agbai (almost nine points per game) and Kenny Harley (roughly 12 points per game). Freshman Ryan Sidney (9.6 points, 53.5 percent on field goals) has been a catalyst off the bench. Defending the Ball The Eagles thrive on high-pressure, man-to-man defense to capitalize on two of their biggest assets: speed and athletic ability. Relatively small on the interior, the Eagles try to create havoc along the perimeter and force teams into bad shots, or no shots. Bell leads the team with 59 steals, and Boston College forces almost 20 turnovers per game. Sidney is a versatile stopper, big enough to guard forwards and quick enough to stay with guards. The Eagles allow 67 points per game. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short None BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 2.200 (1,000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: When B.C. makes the tournament?this is only the Eagles' fifth trip in 16 years?they are a very good bet to overachieve. Boston College has exceeded its seed on three of its last four visits to the Big Dance, and it has never fallen short of expectations in the 64-team era. The 1994 Eagles upset No. 1 North Carolina on the way to the Elite Eight, and the 1985 team was only two victories from giving the Big East all four Final Four teams that year. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Coach Al Skinner defends his team's shot selection at the end of the game (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
