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"Right now it’s all about keeping your focus on this first phase. Don’t even worry about..."

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:01:00 -0500

“Right now it’s all about keeping your focus on this first phase. Don’t even worry about phases two or phase three. Forget all of that. Forget about plays. Forget about offenses. Forget about defenses. Forget about schemes right now. Just be completely submerged and locked into what’s at hand right now. Which is having a tremendous work ethic, pushing yourself beyond what you’ve done before, being accountable, and pushing your teammates. That’s what’s important right now.”

- Head football coach Steve Addazio told his players to only focus on phase one right now, which is winter conditioning that started today.

"It won’t be measured in one day. It will be measured over time. Will today be hard in..."

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:56:00 -0500

“It won’t be measured in one day. It will be measured over time. Will today be hard in [workouts]? Well, yeah. Their strength coach is working them and it’s new, it’s different. It’s not just about moving weight right now. It’s about accountability. It’s about detail. It’s about the exactness of everything. That’s our style. It’s exact instructions and exact everything, because you’re not just developing conditioning and strength right now, you’re developing accountability and mental toughness. That’s just not something you do by yelling at somebody, that’s something you do every day.
It’ll be a process. It won’t be measured on one day. It won’t be like ‘This is the most physically demanding day I’ve ever had’. No, no, no, no, no. It’ll be like ‘This is the most physically and mentally demanding offseason I’ve had,’ and that’s going to be measured over time. It’ll be a series of days and weeks and different things we’ll do over time that will make it very, very challenging.”

- Head football coach Steve Addazio on preparing for what he calls the toughest offseason his players will have ever had.

Gallery by Photo Editor Graham Beck of BC Hockey’s 5-2 win...

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 09:03:56 -0500

Gallery by Photo Editor Graham Beck of BC Hockey’s 5-2 win over New Hampshire.

Breakdown: Mark Gottfried Bests Donahue On Two Key Plays

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:30:00 -0500

By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Two back-to-back possessions decided the outcome of Boston College men’s basketball’s 78-73 loss to No. 23 North Carolina State yesterday. Both head coaches, BC’s Steve Donahue and NC State’s Mark Gottfried, had the opportunity to draw up plays coming out of timeouts. With under two minutes left and BC down by one, the Eagles tried to pull ahead but couldn’t find a good look. Scott Wood then drained a dagger for the Wolfpack on the next possession off of a perfectly designed play which would all but seal a victory for his team. Here’s a breakdown showing how both plays developed and what BC could have done differently. Lonnie Jackson inbounds to Olivier Hanlan with 1:27 left and the Eagles down 69-68. BC has a great opportunity coming out of a timeout to run a play and take a lead, putting the pressure back on the Wolfpack. Hanlan swings the ball around to Patrick Heckmann who then hits Joe Rahon. Hanlan exchanges spots with Lonnie Jackson. Rahon quickly hits Heckmann who swings it back to Jackson. Ryan Anderson remains isolated on the block, but does not post up while this action takes place on the perimeter. Then Rahon sets a screen on the man guarding Heckmann, forward C.J. Leslie, and Jackson kicks it back to the other side of the court. When Heckmann catches the pass, he has guard Lorenzo Brown on him because the Wolfpack were forced to switch on Rahon’s screen. Heckmann dribbles to the corner, but doesn’t attack Brown. Anderson then moves ball-side to post up as Heckmann passes back up to Rahon. Rather than feed Anderson inside letting the big man go to work for a basket or a trip to the line, Donahue calls for Anderson to set a screen for Rahon. With Leslie on Rahon and another forward, Richard Howell, checking Anderson, BC should have the advantage running a guard/forward pick-and-roll against two forwards. If Donahue’s goal with all of that extra action was to get this matchup, then it worked. It makes sense to put the ball in Rahon’s reliable hands, and to have the versatile Anderson as the screener. Howell steps out to check Rahon who starts driving to the lane. As Rahon attacks he’ll have very good shooters spotting up around the arc, a smart and effective big man rolling to the rim, and the ability to drive on one of the forwards defending him with the potential to draw a foul. Howell plays good defense on Rahon, but Rahon gets into the lane and has a few options here. He can lob the ball up to Anderson who looks like he has Leslie sealed, he can try to kick it out to Hanlan in the corner or Jackson up top and either one can launch a three or drive on a close-out, or Rahon can continue going to the rim. Rahon makes the unwise decision to try and score on his own and as Howell switches over to Anderson, the long and athletic Leslie comes over to challenge a tough fade-away runner by Rahon. Hanlan is open in the corner and Anderson now has Howell sealed, but Rahon is too far into his shooting motion to pass. He puts up a tough shot that falls short. NC State gets the rebound and dribbles it up the court. Gottfried calls a timeout and takes his own chance to set up a play. Wood, the Wolfpack’s deadly shooter, inbounds the ball to Brown and then runs to the block. Donahue has Jackson, who has not been very good chasing offensive players around screens, covering Wood. Then Wood comes off the block and catches on the perimeter. Brown comes back to get the ball and Wood takes off on a curl to the rim as Jackson chases him with a screen from Howell waiting. Brown could probably safely throw a lob up to Wood right here for an easy two points given how well Howell set the pick on Jackson, but he doesn’t need to. As Jackson sprints to catch up to Wood, Howell turns around to set another screen and Wood changes course. He then heads back up to the top of the key and Jackson gets caught up with Howell for long enough to give Wood space to launch a three. This is more than enough space for Wood, who drains the shot and puts the Wolfpack too far out of reach for the Eagles. BC would have another chance later in the game, but NC State won these two pivotal possessions that mattered the most. If BC could’ve found success on either one the game might have ended differently. On first viewing, it didn’t look like Donahue designed much of a play for his team, but after watching it a few times that wasn’t the case. He put Rahon in a position to create and got the pick-and-roll mismatch he wanted. Rahon decided to pursue the one option that definitely was not going to work, but his aggression is difficult to condemn. Gottfried went with a much more simple approach. Donahue’s play had four different scoring options, while Gottfried’s really only had one, Wood’s 3-pointer. With Jackson covering Wood, the result of the play was almost a foregone conclusion. Rahon or Hanlan probably could’ve stuck with Wood a little better, but that would’ve meant putting Jackson on Purvis or Brown which would’ve been a liability to get beat off the dribble.

From The Locker Room: Freshman Walk-On Drew Jacobs Gives An Inside Look Into BC Basketball

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 09:59:09 -0500

Editor’s Note: Drew Jacobs is a freshman walk-on from New Jersey playing guard for the Boston College men’s basketball team. He will be blogging periodically for The Heights during conference play. In his first entry, Jacobs looks back at a turning point in the season as the Eagles get ready for No. 23 NC State on Saturday.

Over the last few weeks, I think that our team has really begun to come together as a unit and realize what it takes to achieve our goals to be competitive in the ACC. Throughout the preseason and the first couple games in the season, our team worked so hard to get in great shape and perfect our offense and defense for the tough schedule ahead. However, we hit a rough patch and took longer than expected to develop, and realize the importance of what our coaches were teaching with regards to offensive and defensive philosophies. On December 4, our squad suffered a loss to one of our local opponents, Harvard, in a game that we really wanted to win.

The day after the game, our team was searching for answers. We were 3-5 and nowhere near where we wanted and needed to be as a team. Coach Donahue and his staff pulled us aside before practice. They could’ve easily yelled at us and radiated negative energy towards us. However, the coaches told us that we had come such a long way as a team and encouraged us to keep our heads up. We were right there, but we needed to make some key changes in order to have success. It was a pivotal point in our year, but the coaches made sure we recognized that becoming a winning team and successful program was not completely out of grasp despite a tough start to the season. He told us to keep the faith in each other and told us that we would be doing some things differently from then on.

Coach Donahue told us that we needed to preach competitiveness and hard work each and every day. We could no longer afford to play selfishly and not hustle for every ball. Since that point, our practices have become intense and extremely focused on winning each possession and drill. Our team really embraced this new mindset and I think that there couldn’t have been a bigger wake-up call to the squad. Nobody on the team complains about the ratcheted up intensity. Every single guy in the locker room is excited to go out and improve as an individual and a team daily. To top it off, our team has seen some encouraging early returns on our hard work and perseverance. We have won our last five non-conference games and all continue to improve each day in practice.

The team knows that being complacent with the success of the past couple games will not lead us to be successful in the future. Our schedule upcoming is tough, as every team in the ACC is extremely dangerous, but our team is more focused on the aspects that we can control as a team. We will continue to go our hardest each day in practice, share the ball on offense and help one another on defense. The coaches always tell us that it’s the little things each and every day, coupled with having a mindset of winning in everything we do, that will lead to building a successful program. The thing I love about our team is that everyone has a vision for the future, and we won’t be happy until our goals are reached.

Team USA Advances To Gold Medal Game Behind Two Goals From Gaudreau

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:42:22 -0500

(Alex Trautwig / Heights Senior Staff)
By Marly Morgus, Heights Staff

Team USA faced one of the most daunting tasks in the sport of hockey in the early hours of Thursday morning. Going up against an unbeaten Canadian squad to whom they had suffered a 2-1 loss only four days, the U.S. team was fighting for a spot in the gold medal game of the World Junior Championship.

With arguably the biggest powerhouse in the world standing between them and the final, the American team did not seem likely to advance, but Boston College forward Johnny Gaudreau stepped up and had a standout performance. He notched two goals and assisted on a third to aid his team in a statement-making 5-1 win over Canada.

Gaudreau started off strong just four minutes into the game, getting an early backhand chance that went just high of the crossbar. The U.S. did not stop pressuring, though, and just three minutes later Jake McCabe of the University of Wisconsin put Team USA on the board. The Canadian defense struggled throughout the first period, showing an inability to clear the puck. A second goal by McCabe with just four minutes remaining gave the Americans a 2-0 lead going into the first break.

Gaudreau came out firing in the second period. After an impressive Canadian chance and a save by American goalie John Gibson sent Team USA back up the ice, a toe drag and quick forehand shot from Gaudreau netted his first goal of the game. His scoring did not end there, as ten minutes later he earned another point with an assist on Harvard freshman Jim Vesey’s 4-0 goal.

With Team USA ahead by four, the Canadians made a goaltending switch and held off the Americans for the rest of the period. Early in the third, a goal by Canadian Ty Rattie of the Western Hockey League cut the American lead to three, but Gibson didn’t relent in net, stalling any sort of Canadian comeback. With just over four minutes remaining, Gaudreau scored his seventh goal of the tournament and second of the game to ice the cake on a significant American victory.

Gaudreau’s seven goals and two assists in the tournament give him the most goals and points for the Americans as they head into the gold medal game, set to play Saturday against Sweden, another unbeaten foe. The Americans are riding a strong wave, however, as dominant victories in their last three games have led them to outscore their opponents 21-4. Sweden has had slightly closer victories, edging out Russia 3-2 in the semifinal, but high save percentages from Swedish goaltenders Niklas Lundstrom and Joel Lassinantti forecast a challenge for Team USA. Despite Sweden’s talented goalies, another strong performance from Gaudreau could lead the Americans to their second gold medal in four years.

How To Beat BC: A Scouting Report Heading Into ACC Play

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 22:28:00 -0500

(Graham Beck/ Photo Editor)

By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

The Boston College men’s basketball team is heading into conference play with an 8-5 record and a five-game winning streak. A lot more preparation goes into ACC matchups than non-conference games, and these are the main areas that the Eagles’ opponents should focus on in their scouting reports.

Defense

Containing Ryan Anderson

The sophomore forward is leading the Eagles in scoring, but that number is misleading. Rather than the offense running through him, he constantly uses his high basketball I.Q. to find his spots in the flow of the motion system. The competition so far has had trouble slowing him down, but a strong ACC forward should fare better by zoning in on Anderson and ignoring his help duties. Anderson doesn’t respond well to being pushed off his spots with physical play. After a few possessions where he is fully denied and not allowed to make an impact, he’ll get frustrated and a major weapon in the Eagle offense will be shut down. There should always be one athletic forward on the court whose only goal defensively is to frustrate Anderson by not allowing him to catch the ball or make plays.

Handling the Guards

If the man guarding Anderson is in full deny and not focused on help defense, the pressure will shift to the freshman backcourt to create plays. Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon both have solid all-around games and it will be a challenge to check them defensively. When either one blows past his man, it’s important that the perimter defenders bluff and recover instead of sliding in all the way to help. Hanlan and Rahon will hit the open shooter, and if shots start falling from beyond the arc, the BC offense gets dangerous. It’s better to force the guards to try to finish around the rim against bigger and stronger ACC frontcourts, rather than give up open threes to strong shooters.

Trap the Post Until The Risk Outweights the Reward

If BC tries to establish Anderson or center Dennis Clifford in the post, throw a double team their way. Neither big has proven to have the ability to punish defenses by hitting the open man when the extra defender comes. Even if Clifford or Anderson swing it out to the right man, the perimeter players are slow to make the extra pass and find the best shot. This strategy is more to get BC out of rhythm rather than prevent low-post buckets, as the big men haven’t been all that effective one-on-one down low.

Offense

Push the Ball in Transition and Crash the Boards

BC is no longer horrific in transition defense, but the team is still not good. The most effective shots against the Eagles come on either the primary or the secondary break. If the lane isn’t open immediately on the fast break, look for a trailing player on the perimeter. A BC defender should be late picking him up and an open shot will probably be there.
This will also lead to good opportunities for second-chance points. The Eagles do not box out consistently and struggle to take advantage of teams that attack the glass on offense. BC’s transition offense is not that effective yet, and there isn’t a significant risk in not getting back quickly on defense.

If Possible, Run Everything Through the Post

The Eagles’ biggest weakness so far has been post-defense against mediocre big men. Entry passes deep on the block come very easily, and both Anderson and Clifford allow offensive players to take easy shots near the rim. The perimeter defenders are aware of this and start ball-watching, which leads to open shooters or good driving opportunities. A decent power forward or center should have a good game against BC and the better ACC bigs have the potential for career days.

Force BC to Make Rotations

Rahon is a smart and reliable defender, but everyone else is a liability due to inconsistent play on the defensive end. Try to get Heckmann or Jackson caught defending pick-and-rolls or chasing guys around the court with screens off the ball. This will lead to mistakes during these plays, or it will wear them down, making it easier to beat them off the dribble late in the shot clock.

Click on the issue above to download a special PDF version of...

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:26:00 -0500

Click on the issue above to download a special PDF version of The Heights commemorating men’s hockey coach Jerry York’s 925th win.

By DJ Adams, Heights Senior Staff

MINNEAPOLIS—From start to finish, it couldn’t have been more fitting. How Jerry York, the head coach of Boston College, recorded the 925th win of his 41-year career and acquired the record for most victories by a coach in NCAA Division I men’s hockey was perfect.

No. 925 couldn’t have been more representative of York’s persona. It was as if the entire series of events was another one of the menacing defensive schemes or clever offensive strategies he draws up daily in his notebook.

The match-up could have been legendary – but it wasn’t. Had the Eagles swept Boston University in a home-and-home series a few weeks prior, the record would have been set in Conte Forum against BC’s biggest rival and another hockey mastermind of York’s caliber in Terriers head coach Jack Parker.

Instead, a few hiccup games interrupted the storybook ending, and a routine 5-2 victory over the University of Alabama-Huntsville in the opening game of the Mariucci Classic lifted York past Ron Mason’s record. The Chargers have won just three games this season and the game took place more than 1350 miles from Chestnut Hill, but the Eagles’ mindset regarding the potentially historic day was standard.

“I never thought of getting it out of the way,” York said. “Coaches coach, and we play to win trophies. And I thought despite all the hoopla, it never really entered my mind. We want to coach and we want to win hockey games. It wasn’t a big concern of ours, and we never talked to the players about it.”

While senior captain Pat Mullane acknowledged that the record was in the mind of every player, he didn’t find it distracting.

“It wasn’t a distraction, it was something almost the opposite,” Mullane said. “It motivated us, and he’s given us a great opportunity to play for Boston College and wear the maroon and gold. I think everyone in the room understood that we owed it to him to get the win as soon as possible.”

Although the Eagles stood thin defensively, without veterans Isaac MacLeod and Patch Alber to anchor the blue-line, York orchestrated a victory in typical collective fashion. New defensive pairings withstood a physical Chargers team. Even without leading goal-scorer Johnny Gaudreau, the offense thrived as Cam Spiro recorded his first career goal and Danny Linell tallied his second score of the season.

“Coach has made it clear that whether you are a first-line guy, or you are not in the lineup you should be expected to produce and be ready to go whenever your name is called,” Mullane said. “Guys practice and get ready for this opportunity, and Coach makes sure they are ready when their name is called.”

The game was just the latest example of York’s ability to redirect individual skill into a thriving team.

Recognition of the big victory could have been explosive and immediate – but it wasn’t. The screen above the ice flashed simple congratulations, the less than 100 Superfans in attendance gave a warm round of applause, and York lifted his notebook in quiet, composed acknowledgement.

Even the post-game celebration was brief, as an important match-up against No. 4 Minnesota loomed the following night. The dinner plans were Campus Pizza. The friendly Dinkytown establishment didn’t even have champagne for popping. Although, York joked, “maybe some pepperoni” would have to be ordered.

Even without a grand celebration, the coach’s importance to the Eagles was evident.

“Words can’t describe what it’s like to play for a coach who is approaching 1000 career wins,” said goaltender Parker Milner. “It’s a special thing every day playing for a living legend. You know, being with him day in and day out you see how he’s gotten to where he is.”

“It’s very special to be a part of,” Mullane said. “I think everyone in the locker room understands how important this win is, and how great it is to be a part of and experience. I don’t know how many other coaches will get that number, so I think I’ll look back in 10, 15, 20 years and be like, ‘I was there for that,’ so it was definitely exciting.”
 For York, though, the moment for self-appreciation is still years away.

“To me, maybe when I sit down on some porch in 10 years and think about it, [but] I’ve always been about the team,” York said. “As a player I was like that, as a coach I’ve been like that. I haven’t really sought individual goals.”

Perhaps most telling, then, was how the coach handled the spotlight when it finally shone on his infectious smile. The press conference could have dragged on with once-in-a-lifetime egotistical quotations of perseverance and hard work, but it didn’t.

Even in the defining moment of his illustrious career, York was the same cool, reflective, and passionate person as always. He cited the greatness of the players around him and the importance of team mentality as the biggest contributors to the record.

“We always talk in our program about how, there’s no personal goals,” York said. “We aren’t trying to become Hobey Bakers and All-Americans, we just want our team. We discourage people from being selfish and trying to score, because that will help me.

“That’s not what we are about on the Eagles. I want to win major trophies for the team.”

That feat continues to be accomplished. York has led BC to four NCAA championships in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. The Eagles have reached 10 Frozen Fours during York’s tenure, including eight in the last 13 years. Nine Hockey East titles, and three straight Beanpots are just additional hardware for York’s impressive resume.

Even with the numerous accolades in his grasp, York’s unselfishness never wavered.

“It’s just so blatantly obvious that he genuinely wants to deflect [recognition],” Milner said. “He feels that what we accomplish is much bigger than him. For him to be that sincere is pretty impressive.”

That authenticity can be heard in all of York’s quotes and seen whenever he allows that infectious smirk to emerge. Winning is important to York, but so is maintaining a passion for his work.

“You can tell he loves hockey,” Milner said. “Just the smile that he has going out there everyday, it’s impressive. Forty-plus years, and that shows the dedication he has to this sport. With that dedication he has been able to influence the game in a pretty incredible way.”

Gaudreau Competes With U.S. Squad At World Junior Championships

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:19:11 -0500

By Marly Morgus, Heights Staff

With negotiations stretching on and on, the players and owners of the NHL are on the verge of reaching their own fiscal cliff. Over the past few months, hockey fans have struggled to get their dose of action as the NHL lockout has cancelled more than half of its regular season. If an agreement isn’t reached in the next three weeks, fans, players, coaches and owners can all say goodbye to the second season in nine years. Boston College fans have had slight relief, but with winter break comes a gap in the schedule only filled by BC forward Johnny Gaudreau as he heads off to Ufa, Russia.

Every year, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) holds a tournament for the most promising under-20 hockey players from around the world, giving the Canadians two national holidays on December 26: Boxing Day and the beginning of the IIHF World Junior Championships. Wednesday brought a much-needed hockey fix for those missing the regular season action and gave an opportunity to glimpse into the league’s future.

After being cut at the U.S. camp in 2012, Gaudreau made the American roster for 2013 as the squad competes for a world title in Ufa. The tournament is played out over the course of 10 days, starting with group play then leading into a four round tournament.

The U.S. has traditionally performed strongly in the tournament with its main competitors being Canada, Russia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. The past three years have shown a tournament win in 2010, a third place finish in 2011, but a disappointing 7th place finish in 2012 that leaves the team ready for redemption.

The team started off strong with an 8-0 shutout over Germany, setting a strong foundation and earning three points in group play. Despite the strong performance, the U.S. fell to Russia 2-1 today. Gaudreau has yet to earn a point in tournament play, something that will have to change if the team hopes to compete in the next few days.

Starved hockey fans can tune into the NHL Network at slightly odd hours in order to find coverage of each of the U.S. games and watch Gaudreau and the other Americans fight their way towards the title game on Jan. 5th.

The Year In Photos: 2012 Part Two, by Photo Editor Graham...

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 10:50:00 -0500

The Year In Photos: 2012 Part Two, by Photo Editor Graham Beck.

The Year In Photos: 2012 Part One, by Photo Editor Graham Beck.

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 10:41:00 -0500

The Year In Photos: 2012 Part One, by Photo Editor Graham Beck.

Gritty BC Effort Downs Providence

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 18:11:47 -0500

By Greg Joyce, Heights Senior Staff

On a day when Boston College was hurting in size, the battle in the paint is what earned the Eagles the win. Ryan Anderson turned in a gutsy performance with 17 second-half points to give BC a 71-68 win over Providence at Conte Forum.

Freshmen Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon both played the entire game and contributed in major ways, as Hanlan recorded his first collegiate double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Rahon shut down the Friars on the defensive end.

The game featured 14 lead changes throughout the 40 minutes, and in the end, the Eagles came out on top.

“I thought it was a well-played game,” said head coach Steve Donahue. “Neither team could shake the other team.”

It was BC that finally shook off the Friars, as a 3-pointer from Patrick Heckmann with 5:59 remaining gave the Eagles a 59-56 lead that they would never relinquish.

BC hit seven 3-pointers on the day, but it was the play in the key that gave the Eagles the edge over Providence. With time winding down and the Friars hanging around, Rahon found Anderson underneath the basket twice in the final minutes to keep BC ahead.

“[Providence] had a lot of size on their team and with Dennis being hurt and Andrew Van Nest being out with a concussion, I just took it upon myself to be the force in the paint for us tonight,” Anderson said.

The second play from Rahon to Anderson came with the shot clock in its final seconds, as Rahon made something out of a broken play to find his big man for two points.

“I thought it was incredible—end of the shot clock, staying poised, finding [Anderson] in a tight spot and Ryan’s so good at finishing those with his hands,” Donahue said.

Donahue said he trusted Rahon more than anyone else in that situation to handle the ball, and his guard came through for him.

“I just have so much respect for Joe and his understanding of the game,” Donahue said. “He’s just a winner. You gotta make game-winning plays. Someone’s going to have to step up and stop him because he doesn’t lose his poise. He stays with it.”

The Eagles committed a season-low eight turnovers, as taking care of the ball down the stretch allowed them to hold off Providence in the waning minutes.

“It’s huge for us every game,” Donahue said of the low turnovers. “We’re not necessarily going to be the most athletic and physical team, so we got to be great with the basketball. We were great with the ball today. I don’t think there was any bad decision.

“We have to get less than 10 turnovers [per game] in this league if we’re going to be competitive this year.”

Dennis Clifford returned to action for the first time since Nov. 28 in limited playing minutes, still battling an ankle injury and sore knees. But the big man contributed four points and five rebounds, and more importantly, was a force on the defensive end for BC.

“I think a big lift we got was from Dennis,” Donahue said. “I know it doesn’t show too much, but he hasn’t played basketball, literally—except for a couple of games—in two months. He’s not healthy. He’s hurting. His knees are killing him. And his ankle’s not good. But he thought he could help us bang some bodies and I thought he did a great job.”

Hanlan’s 12 rebounds were a career-high for him, and his effort in the paint helped Anderson control Providence’s forwards. Rahon guarded LaDontae Henton—who came in averaging 16.6 points per game—and held him to just four points on the day. The play of the guards helped Anderson slow down the Friars down low, especially when Clifford wasn’t in the game.

“I thought a lot of the guards came in and helped me out on the rebounds,” Anderson said. “I don’t know how many Olivier and Joe had but they were really in there battling for a lot of rebounds for us. I thought it was a team effort of combating their size and strength inside. That was the key to the game.”

The win got the Eagles above .500 going into their small Christmas break, and was a big step forward in the team’s progression. Providence resembles the kind of team that BC will be facing in a lot of its ACC competition, and a win against the Friars did a lot for the young squad’s confidence.

“To pull [the win] out,” Anderson said, “is just big for our program moving forward to continue to grow as a team.”

Brown and Day Announced As Defensive and Offensive Coordinators

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:00:00 -0500

By Greg Joyce, Sports Editor

Don Brown has been named the new defensive coordinator at Boston College, head coach Steve Addazio announced today.

“We’re very excited to have Don Brown joining our Boston College family,” Addazio said in a statement. “Don is a New England guy who has tremendous ties and relationships in the Northeast to go along with a great coaching resume. He has tremendous character and is a great family man who is a perfect fit here at Boston College.”

Brown most recently held the same position at the University of Connecticut from 2011-2012 and the University of Maryland from 2009-2010. Prior to that, he was the head coach at UMass from 2004-2008.

“Coach Addazio has presented me with a great challenge – one that I am very excited about,” Brown said in the release. “I’m excited to be back in the ACC. “The positive thing for me is that I’m a New England guy. I’m from Massachusetts. Coaching at Boston College has always been a wish of mine.”

In 2012, Brown’s defense at UConn was ranked 10th nationally in total defense, while BC placed 101st in the same category. Most notably, the Huskies’ defense allowed just 97.92 rushing yards per game this year (seventh in the FBS), as opposed to the 214.08 rushing yards per game that the Eagles allowed—112th in the FBS.

“I’m a firm believer that you play the game on the balls of your feet, not on your heels,” Brown said. “From day one, we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to attack the line of scrimmage. We’re going to get after the quarterback. We’re going to play with our hair on fire on defense. I’m a big believer in playing for tackles for loss and being disruptive and making life difficult for the quarterback. We’re going to attack. That’s the style of defense that I’ve employed. We’re going to fly around and attack the pass.”

Brown, 57, will take over at DC for Bill McGovern, becoming the second official hire by Addazio.

Last January, Brown was thought to be leaving UConn to be named the head coach at Yale, but pulled his name from consideration late in the process.

During his time at UMass, Brown coached a team that won 43 games, as he compiled a .694 winning percentage—the best in UMass history.

BC also officially announced that Addazio has named Ryan Day the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“He [Ryan Day] played for me and I coached with him,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said in the release. “He was a great kid and one of the bright minds as well as one of the best players I have ever coached. I think he is one of the best young coaches in the country and it was just a matter of time before he was running the show, offensively, somewhere.”

BC vs. UNH: Breaking Down The Final Play of Regulation

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 16:42:00 -0500

By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

With 17.5 seconds left in regulation today, the Boston College men’s basketball team had possession with the score tied at 52-52 against UNH. Head coach Steve Donahue called a timeout and drew up a potentially game-winning play for his team. The shot wouldn’t fall, but the Eagles went on to win in overtime. Here’s a breakdown of the last play of regulation and where it went wrong for BC:

After the inbound pass, freshman guard Olivier Hanlan hands the ball off to Joe Rahon who initiates the play on the left side of the court, as shown above. Hanlan runs through to the other side of the court while sophomore forward Ryan Anderson gets ready to run a pick-and-roll with Rahon. The intention here, Donahue said, is to use the ball screen as a misdirection hoping to catch the UNH defense ball-watching. Anderson is a good choice as the decoy screener given his offensive success during the game.

As Anderson sets the screen for Rahon, Hanlan and Heckmann get ready to set a stagger screen for sophomore Lonnie Jackson, who is in the corner. Donahue is trying to get Jackson an open 3-point look and the play is run early enough to allow for an offensive rebound if the shot is missed. Up to this point in the game, BC was 0-19 from behind the arc and was only three misses away from the NCAA record for most three-point attempts without a make. Despite that, Donahue said he had confidence in Jackson taking a three if it was open and if he could get his feet set.

Rahon uses the screen, and Heckmann’s man sags all the way into the paint to prevent a pass to Anderson off the roll without seeing Jackson. Jackson’s man is also watching the ball and is ready to help if Anderson rolls so he gets stuck on Hanlan’s screen. Anderson’s 23 points were a big reason this play almost worked. UNH’s main goal is to keep him from scoring. With Hanlan’s man playing tight as Hanlan sets the first of the two staggered screens and Heckmann’s man watching the ball, it looks like Jackson is about to be wide open.

If Rahon throws this pass now, Jackson would be able to get off a very good and very open shot and there would be enough time left for Anderson or Heckmann to grab an offensive board and get up a put back if Jackson misses. Instead, Rahon “fell asleep at the wheel” according to Donahue and hit Jackson late. Donahue said Rahon admitted that he should’ve passed it to Jackson earlier. Since Rahon waits too long, the UNH defenders already start to run out at Jackson before the ball has even left Rahon’s hands. Jackson is also further away from the line than he would’ve been if Rahon hit him earlier.

When Jackson finally does get the ball, the defense is already back in position and he’s forced to hand the ball off to Rahon who launches a deep, contested three that misses.

This was a good play design by Donahue that almost worked perfectly. He has been great designing plays out of timeouts during his time at BC, and this was no exception. BC was ice cold from three all game, but Jackson has proven that his confidence is always high and I don’t think Donahue would want anyone else taking that clutch shot. If the play was designed to hit Anderson in the post or to have Hanlan attack the rim, there would be too much risk for a mistake. This was an easily executable play that didn’t work because Rahon hit Jackson just a split-second too late.

Selects taken by Photos Editors Graham Beck and Alex Gaynor from...

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:06:00 -0500

Selects taken by Photos Editors Graham Beck and Alex Gaynor from today’s BC women’s basketball game against Arizona State today.

Selects by Photo Editor Graham Beck from BC basketball’s...

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 17:40:00 -0500

Selects by Photo Editor Graham Beck from BC basketball’s win over St. Francis today.

Inside The Issue: December 6th. 1. Addazio Introduced As Head...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:07:00 -0500

Inside The Issue: December 6th.

1. Addazio Introduced As Head Football Coach - By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

2. Living Like An Eagle: York Still Hasn’t Changed, Even With The Ultimate Record In Sight - By Greg Joyce, Sports Editor

3. Alumni Call For The Return Of Varsity Lacrosse - By Rosemary Chandler, Adam Parshall, Katharine Rooney, and Austin Tedesco, For The Heights

4. Column: Bates Has His Man In Addazio - By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

5. Players Energized By Addazio’s Enthusiasm - By Greg Joyce, Sports Editor

6.Men’s Basketball: Harvard Takes Fifth Straight - By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

7. Column: After 924 Wins, York Personifies ‘Ever To Excel’ On And Off The Ice - By Chris Grimaldi, Heights Editor

8. Women’s Hockey Heads Into The Holidays On A High Note At UNH - By Emily Malcynsky, Heights Staff

9. Men’s Basketball: Inability To Stop Runs Hurts Eagles - By Matty Pierce, Heights Staff

From The News Section: Athletes Walk Thin Line When On The Internet - By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

Eagles Allow Second Half To Snowball Out Of Control In Fifth-Straight Loss To Harvard

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:07:00 -0500

(Graham Beck/Photo Editor)

By Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor

When head coach Steve Donahue sees his team shoot almost 60 percent from the field, he expects them to win. Despite the apparent offensive efficiency on Tuesday night, the Boston College men’s basketball fell to Harvard 79-63 in the program’s fifth straight loss to the Crimson.

“It’s hard to imagine you shoot 58 percent and lose by 16 pretty handedly,” Donahue said. “There’s a mental toughness side on both sides of the ball that they had and we didn’t. That was, I’m sure, apparent to everybody. In particular, when they pressured us – even though we were scoring we were never understanding and staying poised and confident in our offense. But when we pressured them they just moved like clockwork to the next thing. And like I said it’s kind of mind-boggling to put up those kinds of numbers and lose pretty handedly.”

Ryan Anderson opened the game by scoring 11 of the Eagles first 13 points and it looked as though the Crimson didn’t have an answer for the BC forward, but after the first five minutes his offense began to fade.

“Part of our offense is everyone moves and everyone touches the ball,” said freshman guard Joe Rahon. “Looking back we probably should’ve tried to make more of an effort on the court to try to get it to him when he was hot, but they did do a good job of keying on him. When we were driving they were shading him a little bit more than they did at the start of the game, but looking back we probably should’ve tried to ride him a little more there.”

BC kept the game in reach until the second half, when Harvard went on a run that the Eagles couldn’t match.

“The Achilles’ heel for us is that we allow a play that just happened to snowball to the next play, and it happens in all facets of basketball,” Donahue said. “It’s something that I can’t tell you how many times we talk about it, we harp on it, and we show it to them on film.”

The Harvard players methodically attacked the BC defense on their way to tying their highest point total of the season so far. They made BC defend for the whole shot-clock before finally finding a clean look that consistently fell through the net.

“That’s the two hardest things to do in basketball,” Donahue said. “Is to push it early on and stop them, and then to have the poise and toughness and confidence at the end of the shot clock, and they exploited both ends of that.”

On the offensive end, BC was flustered by the Harvard pressure which broke the rhythm of the motion offense.

“They did a great job of pressuring us and trying to deny easy swing passes,” Rahon said. “I think we didn’t handle it as well as we needed to. We knew they were going to do it. We knew it was coming and we were trying to just get backdoor cuts, get sharp cuts, and move the ball, but they did a good job of taking us out of our rhythm there for a little bit, and we were never really able to turn it around and get over the hump.”

Donahue wouldn’t chalk up the loss to experience, though.

“Can’t say experience anymore,” Donahue said. “I’m done with that. The defense was poor. It’s got to get better. We’ll work at it, but the defense was really poor.”

Although many of the Eagles looked out of sync and worn down during the second half, Donahue said it wasn’t an issue with effort.

“It’s not effort,” Donahue said. “It isn’t. We have to, my staff and myself, get them playing at a certain high level, consistently, all the time, and not missing a beat. It appears at time that it’s effort, but I just think it’s the mental toughness part of it that the guys don’t have the ability to fight through. These guys will continue to get better at it, we’ll continue to bring people into this program that understand it, and we’ll build a culture similar to what we did at Cornell and similar to what Harvard has – but to say they’re not trying? No, they try. They try really hard.”

His players need to be more mentally tough, and he says that will come through failures like this as he continues to build the program.

“I love these guys, as I say all the time,” Donahue said. “I have great confidence that they’ll get it and we’re going to work extremely hard to do it. Unfortunately, and I know I sound like a broken record, but we’re going to have failures here. We’re going to have some extreme frustration, but that to me is the only way you can be successful.”

Shots by Photo Editor Graham Beck from BC men’s...

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:58:00 -0500

Shots by Photo Editor Graham Beck from BC men’s basketball’s loss to Harvard tonight.