Brian: On Sunday, Boston College basketball hosts the Bryant Bulldogs and yet another former BC staffer, former Skinner assistant Tim O'Shea. O'Shea enters his fourth season as head coach of the Bryant, a program that is making the transition to Division I. In the three seasons at the Division I-A level, Bryant has compiled seasons of 8-21, 1-29 (!) and 9-21. This season, Bryant is just 1-9 with the Bulldogs' lone win a 70-63 victory over UC Davis in the Basketball Travelers Classic in San Diego, and losses to San Diego State, Southern Utah, Dartmouth, Army, Notre Dame, Central Connecticut State, Quinnipiac, Yale and Providence.
Against the one shared opponent on the year, Providence, the Eagles lost 64-57 while the Bulldogs lost 72-61.
Bryant ranks 318 in Ken Pomeroy's rankings, while BC isn't that far ahead at No. 252.
Extremely winnable game for the Eagles, but is it a must-win? Or have you given up on evaluating this extremely young Eagles team on mere wins and losses? Your thoughts?
Jeff: Is it a must win for what? BC is pretty much eliminated from the postseason discussion already. We're just looking for improvement at this point. Then maybe, just maybe, the young team can start clicking for the ACC Tournament and win some games to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, this team will not qualify for any other postseason.
I will judge this team on wins and losses come conference play time though. The ACC has plenty of teams that this team should be able to compete with, and since this is their first year playing together, the learning curve should be steeper than it is for other schools. I expect the team to start slow in league play and probably only win one of its first eight but will hope to see two or three wins out of the second 8 conference games. At this point that would be a mild success this year and would mean we are headed in the right direction with this young group.
Big Finish
Brian: Luke Kuechly will sit down with his family over the winter break and make a decision about his future. What will that decision be?
Jeff: I think the more time it takes, the better for BC. I don't think he can make a bad decision though.
Jeff: The hockey team lost five of nine entering winter break. Will things get better after Christmas?
Brian: Easily. The schedule lightens up considerably and BC's best hockey is yet to come.
Brian: Both Virginia Tech and Clemson are struggling to sell tickets each program's BCS bowl games this season. What's up with that?
Jeff: Clemson sent me an email for me to buy tickets so I knew it was a problem. But seriously, people just can't afford to go to a conference championship game and then a BCS bowl game.
Jeff: San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette begins at 9:00pm Saturday. Over/under 100 people fall asleep in the stands?
Brian: That's a bowl game? Better question is over/under 100 people in the stands.
Brian: Clemson OC Chad Morris now makes more than BC's head coach. That cool with you?
Jeff: Nope.
Jeff: Do you think Pitt might have interest in Spaz for their opening? He has Pennsylvania ties.
Brian: Not when they can get a younger, better version of Spaz in Bud Foster.
Brian: Last one. Looks like Navy may join the Big East for football after all. You like the move?
Jeff: That's the best move the Big East has made yet. Logical geographically, logical its just football.