Boston College
(2005-06 season: 11-5 ACC, 28-8 overall; lost in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament to Villanova 60-59 (ot))

Jared Dudley isn’t shy. At the recent ACC Operation Basketball, the Boston College senior was asked what his goals were this season. There was no politically correct answer coming from Dudley.

“I’m trying to be the best player in this conference,” he said. “It might sound selfish, but if you play this game you want to be the best you can be.”

After coming off a season where he averaged 16.7 points and 6.6 rebounds a game, Dudley has already been named to the preseason All-ACC first team. Last year he teamed with Craig Smith to form one of the best frontcourts in the conference, but, with Smith gone this year, more pressure will fall on Dudley’s shoulders to carry the Eagles.

His coach, though, doesn’t expect more. Just the same.

“If he can give us the same type of play and numbers that he gave us last year I’d be very happy with that,” said Al Skinner, who emphasized more opponents will be focusing on stopping the 6-7 Dudley. “It’s up to everyone else to kind of step up and improve their roles some.”

Among those that may step up to help Dudley in the frontcourt are junior John Oates and freshman Shamari Spears, who both started in BC’s opener Friday night. Spears led the team with 23 points in an 86-47 win over New Hampshire.

Sean Williams and Akida McLain should also help up front, although both will be absent early in the season. Williams will miss two games and McLain nine games for academic reasons, according to the Boston Herald. Both players also missed games early last season because of off-court problems.

Outside of Dudley, the most important player may be sophomore point guard Tyrese Rice. Last year, backing up Louis Hinnant, Rice scored 9.3 points a game while dishing out 91 assists. But Hinnant is gone and Rice will take over the point on a full-time basis this season.

“If he doesn’t play well we won’t be very good,” Skinner said of Rice, a member of the ACC’s all-rookie team last season. “It’s just that simple. Last year he was able to play when he played well and when he didn’t he was able to sit down. He won’t have that this year.”

In its first trip around the ACC, Boston College finished third in the regular-season last year and played for the conference title where the Eagles lost to Duke in the championship of the ACC Tournament.

But Skinner is cautious to give too much credit for last year’s success to his team’s move from the Big East to the ACC. BC has had 20 wins or more every year except once since 2000 and, the year before entering the ACC, the Eagles started the season 20-0. They’ve also advanced to the NCAA Tournament the past three years.

“There’s no question that the amount of exposure we receive in the ACC obviously helps, because the television package is so strong and the amount of coverage it receives helps,” Skinner said. “But at the end of the day I like to believe it’s because we have been competitive and we have been pretty successful over the last few years.”

This year should be no exception.

Copyright 2007 - MOP Squad Sports

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