The Sean Marshall Show

Boston College recorded a much-needed conference victory at home last night in Al Skinner's 300th game as head coach of the Eagles. The W moved BC to 5-0 in conference and kept the squad positioned atop the ACC.

Sean Marshall led the charge, scoring the teams first nine points and entering the spotlight whenever the Eagles needed a spark. Long past are the days of reckless play and unfounded celebrations. Sean has matured into a dynamic player and an on-the-court leader (though I still cannot help but laugh at some of his antics). His maturity is exhibited by his refusal to turn the ball over and his relentless off-the-ball defense. Sean is typically the guy responsible for limiting talk of oppossing superstars to a murmer.

Tyrese Rice also bounced back from a tough game to score sixteen points and deliver a career-high 12 assists in 37 minutes. When this kid wants to play, he can change the dynamic of the game.

Dudley is my chief concern. Despite playing all forty minutes, delivering 18 points, and pimping his body out to draw numerous charges, all is not well for the California native. He is visibly struggling to run up and down the floor, which suggests that his foot injury will nag him for the remainder of the season.

I am very thankful for the win, but BC has a lot to improve on:

1. Transition defense was piss-poor. Miami ran all over us in the second half, particularly when the speedy Clemente was in the game. Granted, Jared is having a tough time running, and guys like Tyrell Blair are still trying to understand how legs function, but this was a joke. The inability of Tyrese Rice and John Oates (who generally hangs out way behind the arc to be ready for his momentum-draining three pointer) to get back is inexcusable. I attribute the struggles to pure laziness, and it allowed Miami to stay within striking distance.

2. Defensive rebounding was non-existant. I don't want to dwell on Oates, but he and others need to get more involved. Sean Williams was so preoccupied with trying to block shots or get out on the break yesterday that he constantly was out of position. When shots went up, nobody bumped bodies with the Hurricanes. As a result, a freshman (Collins) tallied 11 offensive rebounds! BC cannot afford to give up those second chance points. We work too hard to force bad shots.

3. We, the fans, (particularly the non-students) need to be more active. At certain points of the game, Conte resembled a morgue. The team has been playing well. When BC is up by 20, feel free to yell, clap, or at least breath audibly. The team is working hard for the school. Embrace them like family, and let's bring Conte up to par with the other ACC arenas. There is a lot to criticize on the floor, but this one is on us.

Down to Clemson on Saturday. The Tigers are out to a quick start, but BC is poised to turn some heads in South Carolina.