Friday, Oct. 12 Boston College won last year with experienced players that were mad as hell and were not going to take it anymore. The Eagles couldn't really rebound or outscore you, but could force turnovers by attacking the ball, and won by the sheer force of will on the court. Troy Bell, the quirky but incredibly effective scorer, is very difficult to guard and has a great knack for getting to the free throw line, and when he's there, he hits them. Al Skinner will need consistent performances out of three guys: Kenny Walls, the athletic wing that can spot up and point the press; Ryan Sidney, the hustling, scrapping, energetic guard that rebounds his position and can drive the ball; and Uka Agbai, a warrior who plays hard and physical, and attacks the basket hard.

17
Boston College
LAST SEASON: 27-5
2001 FINAL RANKING
ESPN/USA Today: No. 11

Why No. 17?
A little low, perhaps? But the Eagles aren't any higher on this list because of the loss of Jonathan Bierbohm, Kenny Harley and Xavier Singletary. This team will miss their experience and the leadership they provided in the locker room, on the offensive backboard and from the perimeter, especially defensively. But the talent is still in place to win the Big East, especially with Troy Bell and Ryan Sidney. They're as talented a pair of guards in the Big East. Bell simply makes big shots and that should carry the Eagles back to the NCAA Tournament.

Will Rise If ...
The Eagles can get Nate Doornekamp to stay on the court and be effective in the post. He has to be the starter to allow Uka Agbai to be a power forward threat. If he can rebound and be a presence on the defensive end then they've got a chance to repeat last season's run. Kenny Walls can be the top defender on a small forward, and the trio of Troy Bell, Ryan Sidney and Jermaine Watson won't struggle to score.

Will Fall If ...
The inside game struggles to finish and they can't stop anyone in the post. They'll also struggle if Bell is taken out of the offense. He has to play 38-40 minutes. If he's kept out of reach then the Eagles can easily self-destruct. They need to learn how to win without Bell always touching the ball.

-- Andy Katz, ESPN.com

SCOUTING REPORT: One Big East coach's take on the Eagles

“

You've got to shut down Troy Bell. He's their only, main threat. If you can shut him down you're in good shape. They're inside game is weak, too. I would try to deny Troy Bell the ball as much as possible and force the other four guys on the court to beat you as much as possible. If you get them into a halfcourt game then they're susceptible to being beat. They like to be in a fullcourt game. ”

2001-02 BOSTON COLLEGE ROSTER
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Key 2000-01 Stats
(00) Aka Agbai	Jr.	F/C	6-8/245	PTS: 9.1 | REB: 3.9 | FG%: 53.1
(2) Troy Bell	Jr.	G	6-1/180	PTS: 20.4 | AST: 4.2 | 3PT%: 39.1
(34) Andrew Bryant	So.	F	6-7/232	Sat out last season as a redshirt
(40) Adam DeMong	Jr.	G	6-2/175	PTS: 0.6 | REB: 0.4
(13) Nate Doornekamp	Fr.	F	6-11/250	Will be asked to play major minutes right away; should be able to hold his own
(3) Ludmil Hadjisotirov	So.	G	6-2/193	PTS: 2.3 | AST: 0.8 | FG%: 39.4
(45) Brian Ross	Sr.	F	6-8/235	PTS: 2.9 | REB: 1.7 | FG%: 52.5
(5) Ryan Sidney	So.	G	6-2/195	PTS: 9.4 | REB: 4.7 | FG%: 49.0
(21) Kenny Walls	Sr.	G/F	6-5/194	PTS: 7.3 | AST: 3.3 | 3PT%: 30.7
(4) Jermaine Watson	Fr.	G	6-3/198	Has ability to score points in bunches ... reminds you of another BC freshman
(12) Kirsten Zollner	Fr.	F	7-1/260	Banger down low brings European style to Eagles from Hanover, Germany
Head Coach: Al Skinner (59-61, 4 years; Overall: 197-187, 13 years) Assistant Coaches: Bill Coen, Ed Cooley, Pat Duquette Home Court: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606); Chesnut Hill, Mass.

2001-02 BOSTON COLLEGE SCHEDULE

November 18: Boston 21: New Hampshire 24: Penn State 28: St. Bonaventure (a)

December 1: at Michigan 4: Morris Brown 8: UMass 11: Iowa State 16: Holy Cross 20: Miami, Ohio (b) 22: Iona/Holy Cross (c) 31: at Seton Hall

January 5: Pittsburgh 9: at Villanova 12: Georgetown 17: St. John's 20: Virginia Tech 24: Duke 29: at Miami, Fla.

February 2: at Providence 6: at Virginia Tech 10: Miami, Fla. 13: Providence 16: at Connecticut 18: at St. John's 23: Villanova 25: Connecticut

March 3: at Syracuse 6: Big East Tournament