Packer picks apart matchup
CBS analyst Billy Packer was courtside when the Boston College men's basketball team played host to North Carolina State in early January. He wasn't impressed as BC lost by 18 and fell to 0-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
''If you saw the game that night, you couldn't believe those fellas, from the standpoint of effort, were playing that way," Packer said. ''You could envision, 'Is it possible this team could disintegrate?' "
Packer saw a reenergized BC team later in the season, and tonight he'll be in Minneapolis working with Jim Nantz for the Eagles' Sweet 16 contest against Villanova (Channel 4, 7:10 p.m.). He's anticipating a slugfest.
''I've had both of these teams on multiple occasions this year and I think this will be one of the most brutally contested games -- from a standpoint of the competitive nature of these two teams -- that I've ever seen in an NCAA Tournament game," said Packer, who is working the tournament for the 32d year.
''They know each other, obviously, they were in the same conference last year [Big East] and there is a lot of junior-senior orientation from a standpoint of players who know what to expect from each other."
Packer sees two well-coached teams that have clashing styles.
''Villanova is perimeter oriented, a team that is great at penetration and kicking out [the ball], and they do an incredible job on the defensive end of the floor with smaller people being caught on switches -- you can have a 6-foot-2 guy on a 6-foot-8 guy and hold his own on the inside defensively," he said.
''Boston College, they do a great job with interior passing in their [halfcourt] offense. They're probably the best interior passing team in the country because they have guys with great hands. In [Craig] Smith, they have a post man who understands how to play basketball. He knows how to position himself, he never gets frustrated when the ball comes in, and if he doesn't have what he wants, it can be sent back out. They're patient with the shot clock.
''It will be very interesting to see which team gets control and makes the other guy play his game. When Villanova beat Connecticut, knocking them out of No. 1, Villanova made Connecticut play Villanova's game. We had a game, Texas against Villanova, and Texas made Villanova play Texas's game. That's what this will be about."
''They were looking to develop their high school coverage and it seemed like a fit for us," said Bill Gaine, deputy director of the MIAA. ''It provides great exposure across the state, giving us a chance to promote the positive educational experience in interscholastic athletics."
This winter, CN8 broadcast title games in the Division 1 boys' and girls' basketball tournaments, as well as the Super 8 hockey championship. The station also aired the Division 1 and Division 2 dual meet wrestling championships.
According to Gaine, the last time the MIAA had such an arrangement was about 15 years ago, with NESN.
CN8 director of sports programming Bill McColgan said no money was exchanged as part of the agreement. He added the station approaches its commitment to high school athletics as a public service.
''There are so many stories of unheralded kids that we think we can really serve a unique niche in the market," McColgan said. ''We treat it as a partnership, and with that, we produce public service announcements on important issues like sportsmanship and scholastic athletic development on [our nightly show] 'Sports Pulse.' We like working with the MIAA because their focus on sportsmanship and the spirit of healthy competition is sending the right message."
