Harvard 67, Boston College 46: Post-Game Observations

[Ed. note -- Formatted, Front Page'd]

Disappointing game.

Second biggest home game of the year and a chance to play above your head and embarrass a cross-town Harvard team that is a creation of recruiting, not coaching. I don't want to have doubts about Donahue but for the first time I do. He made some really questionable moves and non-moves last night. He should have outcoached the heck out of Amaker.

Not impressed by Amaker, they will go nowhere in the NCAA tournament, they don't play defense. It's nice to have that "we're better than everyone else" by stubbornly playing 100% man-to-man like Bobby Knight and (for the most part) Coach K, but it's not enough to just say you play man-to-man, you have to be a real hard-*** as a coach to enforce it relentlessly. That's not Amaker's style, they have alot of skilled finesse offensive guys and one tough guy who is willing to pound and take a beating inside, that #44. Without another tough big man Harvard wil roll up an incredible record on their schedule but one or maybe two and done in the tourney. Soft. Playing soft man-to-man is worse than not playing it at all. Give it up, play some zone Harvard.

As a result, several BC guys looked comfortable for the first time, Heckmann went euro and abused his guy several times, they must play alot of man in europe, he was very creative but against a zone he's just a gunner.

That said, a glimmer of optimism for the first time this year for me, I do not buy into this is just a "young" team, this is a bad team that happens to be young, the only players in my opinion that have show flashes of something to build around as a core are Clifford (offensively), Daniels, Heckmann, and maybe Jackson but being this inconsistent according to matchups doesn't really help a team much.

1. Inexcusable for Donahue to leave Daniels on the bench for the last 20 minutes of the game while Harvard took it from an 8 point lead to over 20 and turn out the lights. Harvard does not have quick defensive guards, Daniels could take his man at will and then drive and kick for ball movement, I thought that's the fundamental Donahue system. He's the only player that gives me any optimism. Instead used Moton and Jackson more, both completely ineffective. Moton was a warm body for last year, but time to ride the pine. Not only that Daniels smoothly drained 2 3-pointers in the first half as well then virtually vanished in the second half. That's on Donahue.

2. The Matt Humphrey green-light time is over, this guy is a combo some of the worst on-court qualities of Kenny Walls and Rakim Sanders. single handedly blew BC's last chance. BC was on a late run, pulled to 7-8, then Humphrey took an appalling, driving heave miss, could not get back and Harvard knocked down a transition wide open 3. T.O. BC, Humphrey to the bench, that was it, momentum gone. His shooting pct is a joke and we're not even into the ACC where his 25% shots will be contested every night. 25% on the soft schedule, that's only going down. this experiment of letting him do what he wants as an upperclassmen better be coming to and end.

3. Clifford was impressive offensively, soft hands, can catch the ball, pass it, and finish bunnies (but not create shots for himself) but just does not have leverage to body anyone physically on defense.

4. Shocking that it was a sellout, people looking for tickets outside Conte. Low level noise though and not even sure if it was BC or Harvard fans.

5. Gene the meddler and unofficial scout and assistant coach for Donahue was there. Push out Heslip so you can bring in Moton and Rubin, really?.

6. More hustle and intensity than usual from BC which is sad since if nothing else you should get kids playing their guts out as freshman even if limited skills.

7. Anderson was way off, lost and making mental errors. This "young" team excuse is nonsense, this is a bad team that will not get appreciably better without a serious infusion of 2-3 immediate impact guys (not projects or role players) over the next 2 years. They may rise a couple of notches in the ACC the next 3 years with this core but that's it. Hoops you can for the most part tell what you have early, not like football.