When Boston College arrived in the Atlantic Coast Conference two years ago, Al Skinner relied upon the likes of Craig Smith and Louis Hinnant to carry the banner for the Eagles. Last season, it was up to Jared Dudley, the conference player of the year, and Sean Marshall to plant them in ACC soil.
Now the Eagles will rely on a new cast, led by the familiar faces of junior guard Tyrese Rice (17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assist per game), senior forward John Oates, and senior center Tyrell Blair, to make sure they don't fade from view in the powerhouse conference.
BC will incorporate six new faces into the mix - including five freshmen - when it opens the season by hosting New Hampshire tomorrow at Conte Forum.
"The nice thing is that they're trying to learn and trying to do the right thing," Skinner said. "Like most young teams, there's been some inconsistency, but it's just a matter of time before they all get on the same page."
The Eagles will need immediate contributions from 6-foot-1-inch freshman guard Biko Paris and a pair of talented freshmen on the perimeter: 6-5 Rakim Sanders of Pawtucket, R.I., who earned Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year honors after averaging 21.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg as a senior at St. Andrew's, and 6-5 Corey Raji of Washington Township, N.J., a Newark Star-Ledger All-State first-team selection who averaged 28.7 ppg, 16.7 rpg, 4.4 blocked shots, and 3.4 assists as a senior at Westwood High.
"All of them have contributed in their own way, and I'm satisfied with the progress they're making," Skinner said. "Now we'll see if that progress translates out onto the game floor."
They will be expected to step up in the opener to make up for the absence of Rice and sophomore forward Shamari Spears, both of whom will be sitting out against UNH for playing in an unsanctioned summer game in Lynn in July.
Inside the numbers: Eagles will have to replace 33.8 ppg and 12.8 rpg with losses of Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall. Tyrese Rice took 183 3-pointers last season, hitting 32 percent. Center Tyrelle Blair blocked 62 shots.
Five key games: Dec. 1 Providence, Dec. 12 UMass, Jan. 5 Kansas, Feb. 14 N.C. State, March 1 North Carolina
MICHAEL VEGA
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
