Boston Could Send 3 Teams to Tournament

It's the one month of the year that I actually follow basketball and can't get enough of it. And the city of Boston might send three representatives to the big tournament. BU, Harvard, and BC all have very good chances of earning bids.

BU will host Stony Brook Saturday afternoon at Agganis Arena to determine the America East Championship. The Terriers beat Stony Brook twice this season, boast a 12-4 conference record, have won 10 straight, and haven't lost at home since December. BU haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2002.

Harvard (yes they play in Boston, their court is in Brighton) is in one of the more interesting situations in college basketball. The Ivy League doesn't hold a tournament, and sends its regular season champ to the NCAAs. The Crimson beat 1st place Princeton 79-67 over the weekend. Princeton plays Penn tonight. If Princeton loses, then Harvard wins the Ivy League outright. If Princeton wins, then they and Harvard will meet in a playoff game at a neutral site (Yale). That game would be played on Saturday. Harvard hasn't been in the NCAA tournament since 1946. That tournament featured a field of 8 teams, including NYU and Oklahoma A&M.

By the way, Harvard beat both BU and BC this season.

BC have been popping in and out of the at-large bubble all season. They finished 5th in a lackluster ACC, don't have an overly impressive resume, and if a few upsets occur in the mid-major tournaments, BC might have to do work in the ACC Tournament.

The good news is that BC faces Wake Forest in the opening round of the ACC tourney. They trounced Wake a few days ago, 84-68. But they need to win this game. With losses against Harvard, Yale and URI already marring their schedule, they can't afford to add 8-23 Wake Forest to that list.

After Wake, the Eagles would face Clemson, who they lost to in February. Although it's easier to beat Clemson than it is to beat UNC or Duke. With both teams on the bubble, BC vs. Clemson might essentially be a play-in game into the NCAA tournament. BC last appeared in the NCAAs in 2009.

So come Selection Sunday, there may be three Boston representatives in the 68 team field. Or none.

-The Commodore

PS: Can we retire the phrase "punch their ticket?" It's just so antiquated, overused, and stupid.

Does BC Belong in the Tournament?

Yes. No. Maybe. Most people have them on the bubble, with their blowout win over Virginia Tech temporarily putting them in. But this post isn't about BC, or whether or not they should be in the tournament. To be honest, I don't follow college basketball closely enough to have an informed opinion on that.

This post is about the NCAA Tournament in general, and why it shouldn't expand. BC will help me demonstrate that point. Because they're not very good.

The Eagles occupy the middle of a very top-heavy and shallow ACC. Only 2 ACC teams are ranked. BC's 8-7 conference record is loaded with wins against Virginia and NC State. They did beat Virginia Tech twice, although they also lost to 9th place Miami. Twice.

Before that, they lost to Harvard and Yale. Thankfully, they didn't have to face Princeton, the top Ivy team. Princeton, by the way, only has one loss against Ivy League opponents, compared to BC's two.

BC might not even be the 2nd best team in New England (UConn being the best). They lost to URI, and they barely beat UMass and Providence. Apart from an early season, neutral site win over Texas A&M, they haven't beaten anyone impressive in or out of their conference.

They've got some good players, but no depth. And those good players all go through lengthy cold streaks. They're not awful. They're not great. If they make the tournament, it's not a joke. It's also not an injustice if they don't make it.

Finally, here's my point. If the tournament were expanded to 96 teams, BC would be a lock. They along with a few dozen other painfully mediocre teams. The field would be overly saturated by 10th place teams with .500 conference records.

There are plenty of good arguments to keep the NCAA field close to 64 teams. To me, though, this is the most alarming and convincing. This year, BC has been the quintessential bubble team. What would the bubble teams be like with 96 slots to fill? Wisconsin-Milwaukee? Long Beach State? Maybe NC State with their 15-14 overall and 5-10 conference records. The Wolfpack are 104th in RPI, and 54th strength of schedule. Why not them in the 96 team field?

-The Commodore

Cory Raji's Dunk From Tuesday

-The Commodore

BC 75, #21 Clemson 69

Okay, BC isn't a contender this year. They're NIT material at best. They might not even be in the Top 5 teams in New England (UConn and URI are both good, BC lost to Harvard and Maine). But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a nice upset win over Clemson!

Clemson was off. No doubt about it. But BC took advantage. The Eagles went to the line 35 times, compared to just 12 trips for Clemson. Clemson's much bigger, but the teams tied in rebounds with 27.

What does BC need to do to earn an NCAA bid? Quite a bit. This victory was Step #1. Unfortunately, steps 2 thru 11 involve winning every single game left on the schedule, including home games against Duke (February 6th) and UNC (20th). Not likely.

But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

-The Commodore

Jeremy Lin is a Badass Motherfucker

Harvard beat BC in basketball for the second straight year. And this time there was no readily available "hangover" excuse for the Eagles. How did Harvard beat BC? Three words: Jeremy fucking Lin. Last year at BC he had 27 points and 8 assists. This year he had 25 points, but the senior point guard from Palo Alto ran the offense that put 74 points on BC.

He's not going to the NBA, but if you love token college basketball players, you've got to check out Jeremy Lin. He dropped 30 on UConn (in Storrs) on Sunday in a game Harvard just barely lost 79-73.

-The Commodore

BC 62, Michigan 58

I know, Michigan isn't a basketball powerhouse. And I know that BC allowed the Wolverines to stick around and make this game far too interesting (BC led by 10 at halftime and 15 early in the 2nd). But look at what BC's conference-mates did in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Duke lost. Wake Forest lost. Clemson lost. The ACC lost by 6 games to 5.

BC is now 4-0 in the Challenge. And after a lackluster effort down at the Paradise Jam, the Eagles rebounded with two nice road wins over Providence and Michigan before starting their ACC season on Sunday when they host 8-0 Miami.

-The Commodore

BC Gets a 7 Seed

I was expecting Boston College to get an 8 or 9 seed, so this is a nice little surprise. BC will travel to Minneapolis for the opening round, and will face 10th seeded Southern Cal. BC is in the Midwest Region (Indianapolis), and if they can beat USC, will play either Michigan State or Robert Morris.

USC was 21-12, and surprisingly won the Pac-10 tournament. They were 5th in their Conference, so this is a solid 1st round selection for BC. They should beat this team. Michigan State is tough, but BC is fortunate not to have to face a 1 seed in the 2nd round.

The only other "New England" school to get into the tourney was UConn. The Huskies got a 1 seed, despite losing their opening game in the Big East Tournament. UConn gets to start off in Philadelphia, but they're part of the West region, so they'll have to go to Arizona to make the Final Four.

The TD BankNorth Garden will host the East Regionals. Pittsburgh is the #1 seed in the East bracket, and Duke is the #2. Here are the 14 other schools who might invade The Hub:

#3 Villanova
#4 Xavier
#5 Florida State
#6 UCLA
#7 Texas
#8 Oklahoma State
#9 Tennessee
#10 Minnesota
#11 Virginia Commonwealth
#12 Wisconsin
#13 Portland State
#14 American
#15 Binghamton
#16 East Tennessee

Boston College was one of 7 ACC teams to get in. The Big East and Big Ten were the other Conferences with 7 teams in. Here are the other teams to get in:

#1 North Carolina
#2 Duke
#4 Wake Forest
#5 Florida State
#7 Boston College
#7 Clemson
#10 Maryland

The tournament starts Thursday, and BC plays Friday.

-The Commodore

ACC Tournament Preview

It's that time of year again. The appetizer to March Madness' main course: Conference Tournaments...

Boston College fell short of securing a 1st round bye in the ACC tourney, although they do have a cupcake first round opponent in Virginia. Here are the games and my guaranteed to be wrong predictions...

ROUND 1:
#8 Virginia Tech vs. #9 Miami
Both these teams have something to prove to the Selection Committee. Virginia Tech beat Miami in OT during the regular season, but the Hokies have been ice cold since then, losing 6 of their last 7, and 8 of 11. Give this one to the Hurricanes.

#5 Clemson vs. #12 Georgia Tech
Clemson is ranked 18th in the country, and should demolish the Yellow Jackets, who were a dismal 2-14 in the ACC.



#7 Maryland vs. #10 NC State
Maryland was an NCAA bubble team until losing 4 of their last 6, but one of those 2 that they won was against NC State. The Terps might be playing with the illusion that they have a shot at the Dance, the Wolfpack would have to be blind to think that. Maryland wins this one.

ROUND 2:
#9 Miami vs. #1 North Carolina
UNC is the best team in the country. It's a fact. They'll be challenged by the national powerhouses in the NCAAs, but the ACC tournament is theirs to lose. They'll destroy Miami, who they beat twice in the regular season.



#5 Clemson vs. #4 Florida State
FSU has been a Jekyl & Hyde team this year. They beat Clemson twice, yet lost to Boston College and Northwestern. Despite sweeping the season series, I think the Seminoles lose to Clemson in a close game. But here's a picture of FSU alum Jenn Sterger anyway:



#7 Maryland vs. #2 Wake Forest
I'm feeling an upset here. Wake Forest is ranked 9th in the country, and they beat Maryland in their sole meeting. But that was a 65-63 contest. And if NC State, Georgia Tech, and Miami can upset the Demon Deacons, why not Maryland?

#6 Boston College vs. #3 Duke
BC can blame themselves for the 6 seed and a date with Duke instead of Florida State or a bye. Two losses to Miami, and a recent loss to NC State pushed the Eagles down to 6th in the ACC. Duke fell to BC in February, but this is March, the game is in Atlanta, and this is Duke. Blue Devils pull away after a closely fought game.

SEMIFINALS:
#5 Clemson vs. #1 North Carolina
The Tar Heels ripped Clemson apart 94-70 in January. The same sad story will be told in March.



#3 Duke vs. #7 Maryland
Maryland's miraculous run comes to an end here. Duke beat the Terps 85-44, then 78-67. That's a combined margin of victory of 52. Maryland will be lucky to score that many in this game.

FINAL:
#1 North Carolina vs. #3 Duke
UNC beats Duke... again. Because Duke sucks and blows, defying the laws of physics.

-The Commodore

BC 72, Florida State 67

Boston College was a bubble team until last night. In my opinion, they're in the NCAA tournament, regardless of what happens in their remaining games.

Sophomore Joe Trapani led the Eagles with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Tyrese Rice was held to 11, but all 11 seemed to come at big times. With 0:23 on the clock, Rice nailed a 3 pointer to give BC a 71-67 lead

The Eagles now sit in the top 6 of the ACC, and have 20 wins. In little over a week they play NC State, then host Georgia Tech.

-The Commodore

BC 80, Duke 74

A classic contest that may have punched BC's entry ticket into the Big Dance. Or at the very least, put their destiny in their own hands.

This game was won in the 1st half. Duke dominated most of the first 20 minutes, leading by 11 with 5 minutes left in the 1st, and down by 13 with 2 and a half minutes left. Tyler Roche then Tyrese Rice each hit 3s, then Rice hit another field goal to make it a 5 point game going into halftime.

Duke had a chance to put BC away before the half, but they eased up a bit, and the Eagles clamped down on defense. BC gained some momentum, but more importantly, gave themselves a chance to keep it a close game.

The 2nd half saw some good defese, lots of turnovers, and some clutch shooting by BC. They didn't let Duke pull away, and eventually ground out a tie with 13:03 left, then a lead with 9:25 on the clock. Back and forth the two went, but BC made more clutch shots down the stretch, and played outstanding defense.

Reggie Jackson was huge, finishing with 15. Rice had 21, and all of them seemed to come in big moments. With 1:32 on the clock, down by 1, he hit a 3 pointer. That gave BC the lead they held until the final buzzer.



I was working on the floor at this game, and then had to help escort the Duke players off the court as the BC students charged. I had goosebumps, and it was hard to contain a smile.

BC has 4 games left, 2 of which are against good teams. They play in Miami Saturday afternoon, in a contest between two ACC bubble teams. FSU comes to Boston a week from Thursday. Tickets are on sale.

By the way, this was the first time BC has beaten Duke in 24 years.



-The Commodore

Eagles Show Solidarity With Jags, Lose to an Ivy League School

After a sensational win at Chapel Hill on Sunday, the Boston College Eagles took to the court to defend their new found top 25 position against the Crimson Tide of Harvard.  Easy win right?  

Not. So. Much.  Harvard took the lead with 7:30 to play in the first half and never looked back.  

Pretty sad really, just three days after beating a number one team for the first time ever, they allow Tommy Amaker's bunch to beat a ranked team for what I think was the first time ever.  I should probably stat check but no thanks.  Fitting that a Duke man is leading Harvard to places they've never been before.  

Oh and in related Duke news, the Blue Devils shut down Davidson for the majority of their match up before allowing streaky Stephen Curry to get hot down the stretch.  Things got a little uncomfortable when the Wildcats trimmed Duke's lead from somewhere in the 20's to just under 10.  Duke had some trouble generating offense but the D stepped up when it mattered.  Solid effort for the number two ranked Devils.  

Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and (fill in play by play) make a great combo.  They did a fantastic job calling the Duke/Davidson game.  ESPN should try these gimmicks more often.  Shit like this works.  Shit like rearranging your entire website does not.  Note to Norby.

Boston College 85, #1 North Carolina 78

The Bruins lost Saturday afternoon, the Celtics lost last night, and we're all going to here about how godlike people think Donovan McNabb is for the next week. That's all shitty news.

But the good news is that BC went down to Chapel Hill and beat the best basketball team in the country. They didn't win by hitting a ridiculous amount of threes, or with a buzzer beater, and it wasn't one of those back-and-forth type games. BC actually led for the final 23+ minutes of play.

In the long run, this victory doesn't mean much for BC unless they play solidly in the ACC. They were picked to finish 11th in the conference, but they've beaten the #1 team in the country, and did it on the road. They host Miami on Saturday, then #6 Wake Forest next Wednesday. Wake Forest is a tough one, but BC has to be able to consistently defeat the Miamis of the conference.

Come March, if BC is one of those borderline teams for the tournament, a win like this could put them into the dance.



-The Commodore