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Boston College Q&A with Eric Hoffses

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I was excited to have a Q&A with Rivals’ Eric Hoffses as we look ahead to the season opener against Boston College. Eric does a terrific job covering the Eagles for Rivals.com and he shared his insight on how BC is shaping up this year, the perception of Steve Donahue as he enters his fourth season and the expectations of the fan base this year and beyond. Follow Eric on Twitter: @EAHoffses

Q. Just how much did the strong end to last season change BC fans’ feelings on the direction of the program under Steve Donahue? 

A. BC’s late season surge went a long way in helping fans feel better about the future of the program. In early February the team got blown out in Miami by 22 points which dropped them to 2-7 in the ACC, and 10-12 overall. The loss was the 7th in the last 8 games at the time.

After coming home from Coral Gables the Eagles hosted Duke, and everyone expected a blowout loss. Instead it was one of those games on Twitter that everyone is telling you to change the channel to. The Blue Devils ended up winning the game by one, but the loss gave the team confidence that it could hang with any team in the country.

The Eagles ended the year winning 6-of-10 and gave everyone hope that the team is a legitimate NCAA Tournament team this year.

Q. What’s the ceiling for BC this season, and what is the expectation heading into 2013-14?

A. Expectations are that the team will return to the NCAA Tournament this year. Anything above winning a game in the tournament would be beyond anyone’s expectations.

This is year four for Steve Donahue, so the fans are getting a little restless for a NCAA Tournament appearance. At a minimum, the Eagles have to be a bubble team that just misses making the tournament, or Donahue is going to start feeling a lot of heat.

Q. Clearly, Olivier Hanlan and Ryan Anderson are two terrific pieces, but if BC is to make a leap this year which players will put them over the top?

A. One player that could make a huge difference is center Dennis Clifford, who won’t be ready to play until a few weeks into the season. Clifford had minor surgery in the off-season on his knees to try and help an issue that lingered with him all of last year. When Clifford is healthy, he is a legitimate high-major center that can do a little bit of everything. He would definitely be that 3rd scorer the team is looking for, and he provides a presence in the paint.

The other wildcard is Notre Dame transfer Alex Dragicevich, a 6’8” forward. In ’12 at ND, Drag chipped in with 6.6 points per game and had a couple of big time scoring games for the ‘Irish. The forward sat out last season but impressed during practices. Coaches and players both said he was one of the best players on the team last year. The key for Drag is good shot selection. Sometimes he takes difficult shots and when the shots aren’t falling they turn into transition hoops for the other team.

Q. If BC were to win on Friday night how do they do it? If they fall, what do you think would be the biggest reasons why?

A. The Eagles have to play like they did last year against the Friars. On offense the team has to take good shots and not let the Friars jump out into transition. That means Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon have to be taking the ball to the hoop looking to score. Last year, the Friars had a tough time slowing down the penetration of the two guards (especially Hanlan) and it helped lead to a 27-19 free throw advantage.

The area where the Friars hold a big edge is on the boards. Last year PC was one of the best rebounding teams in the Big East while BC was one of the worst in the ACC. When the two teams squared off last year PC didn’t take advantage inside and were actually out rebounded both in offensive and defensive rebounds. With Clifford out of the lineup the Friars have a real chance to score a lot of second chance points and control the glass inside.

Q. What matchup are you most looking forward to watching on Friday night?

A. Originally I was going to say Olivier Hanlan vs. Kris Dunn because I think they are two of the best point guards in the country. It doesn’t sound like Dunn will be close to 100% though.

Ryan Anderson vs. Kadeem Batts should be a great match-up to watch inside. I think whichever player controls the boards more and provides more scoring punch could be the difference in the game.

Q. Do you think BC can consistently compete for NCAA Tournament bids going forward with all of the depth the league will have in the future?

A. There’s no doubt that the ACC is going to be an extremely tough league to navigate through going forward. Duke, North Carolina, and Syracuse should be powerhouses every year, and then you have Louisville entering the conference next year. On top of that you have to figure that there’s going to be another program in an upward cycle that is going to be dominant for 3-4 year stretches. Pitt, Georgia Tech,  and Wake Forest have all shown over the last 10-15 years that they can put together a dominant cycle like that.

What that leaves you with is 5 teams every year that you pretty much know are going to the tournament and the other 10 teams are competing for 2-4 spots in the Big Dance depending on the year.

Steve Donahue had an interesting quote about the mega-conferences recently where he stated, “I said something in a magazine (recently) in that I believe that a team with an overall losing record can make the NCAA Tournament. It sounds crazy but with these mega-conferences now it’s possible. If we can be competitive with our tough non-conference schedule and be competitive in our league, then our RPI has a chance to be really high even with a losing record. That’s not what we are planning. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing either that it can happen either.”

Realistic expectations for BC in a 5 year cycle should be:

  • 2 Years-Make the NCAA Tournament and win a game or more
  • 1 Year-Make the NCAA Tournament
  • 1 Year-Contend for NCAA Tournament and if miss make NIT
  • 1 Year-Rebuild with Losing Record

Obviously, the goal should be to make the Big Dance every year, but that’s not realistic with the budget that BC spends on its hoops program.

 

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