Season Preview

Steve Donahue

11. Boston College


2010-2011 record: 21-13 (9-7 ACC)


Games against NCAA Tournament teams: 6
Best non-conference game: 11/30 vs. Penn State








Projected Starting Five:


C - Kyle Caudill (Freshman)
F - Ryan Anderson (Freshman)
G - Danny Rubin (Sophomore)
G - Matt Humphrey (Junior)
G - Gabe Moton (Sophomore)




Steve Donahue arrived at Boston College last year with fairly low expectations, and I think did a really solid job.  The team started off playing very well in the Old Spice Classic, and continued that momentum into the ACC season.  They finished with a 9-7 conference record, and I think should have gotten into the NCAA Tournament.  Unfortunately for BC fans, last year is in the past.  And Donahue will have a whole new challenge this year.


Remember the year after Carolina won the national title the last time?  They lost almost their entire team.  The same thing happened this offseason with BC, except they don't have the talent of Carolina's backup players on their roster to pick up the slack.  It is a major rebuilding year coming up for BC.  The top 5 scorers from last year's team are all gone.  The big loss, of course, is Reggie Jackson, a do-it-all point guard who decided to leave early for the NBA. That leaves a lot of players you've never heard of.


So who is going to step up for Boston College this year?  The leader will probably be Matt Humphrey, a transfer from Oregon.  Humphrey only started seven games in his two years with the Ducks.  The two returning players who will start are Danny Rubin and Gabe Moton, who combined to average 6.7 points per game last year.  The team brings in an astonishing nine freshmen, who will have to have an impact right away.  The one who will probably do the most is Ryan Anderson, who comes across country from California.


What Donahue will need to do is find people who at least can run his system.  If you saw his teams at Cornell, they had a pretty heavy emphasis on shooting the 3.  If he can find some outside shooters, he can have success.  Just not this season.  The ACC media picked Boston College to finish last.  I put them above Wake Forest because I have more faith in Donahue than Jeff Bzdelik.  He will get them on the right track.  BC fans will just have to be patient and maybe go to hockey games this year.