Loss to Kansas Revealing for Boston College

DANA SPIGELMAN '08

Kansas’ post players produced 55 points including 25 from junkyard dog Darnell Jackson, who rarely scores far away from the basket. Kansas exposed BC all the way around. They were simply too weak and too slow in their defensive rotations to stop the tough Jackson and the polished Darrell Arthur. Kansas point guards routinely stood beyond the three-point line and lobbed alley-oops over the unaware BC defenders to their dominating big man. Al Skinner was simply out coached as Bill Self was able to time and again find the flaws in BC’s game plan. However, Skinner can only be blamed to a certain extent. BC showed their youth, committing 14 turnovers and making horrible decisions at every turn. Tyrese Rice committed six turnovers, unusual for the smart and instinctive point guard. Rakim Sanders was caught taking awful fade-away three pointers and Corey Raji seemed overly passive. It certainly got ugly in Conte Forum.

The young BC squad also showed their youth. Biko Paris was not bothered at all by the most intense pressure he will ever have to face, reversing his dribble and easing his way up the court against the intense Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers. Rakim Sanders, while at first showing his youth, scored 14 points and led a minor second half surge with a barrage of threes and an electric put-back dunk. Through the first half Tyrese Rice also showed just how good he can be, dominating Kansas and keeping BC in the game as long as he could. Rice has a history of stepping up in big games against quality point guards, dating back to games against UNC, Georgetown and others over the past two years. Those strong spotlight performances can only be an indication of further success to come for the BC star.

With only a match up against a weak Robert Morris squad left, BC has just about finished off their non-conference schedule. In somewhat of a rebuilding year, the realistic goal for BC has become a NCAA tournament bid and they will have to play well now to achieve it. With a win over Robert Morris, BC will go into ACC play at 11-3 (1-0 inside the conference). With only the fifteen conference games left BC has a pretty easy conference schedule, facing Duke and Clemson each only once. The remaining games are against beatable teams and a 9-6 mark against the remaining schedule appears attainable. That would leave BC 20-9 with a 10-6 record in the ACC and a lock for the NCAA tournament. While this is attainable, it is still highly unlikely that the inconsistent, young Eagles could pull it off. They will need Rakim Sanders and Corey Raji to mature quickly, continued solid play from Biko Paris, Shamari Spears and Tyrelle Blair. Despite what anyone says, this is a solid BC team and one that nobody in the ACC is looking forward to playing. Although this year has the potential to turn for the worse, the future in Conte Forum is bright.

Image from: ESPN

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Beaver Basketball Starts Season With Big Road Win

DANA SPIGELMAN '08

In a season where Beaver returns only one starter and two rotation players from the previous year Beaver answered a lot of questions with a big win on Friday night at Concord Academy. With an 8-0 run right out of the gate Beaver set the tone from what would be an up and down game. Due to a barrage of three pointers from star guards Ephraim Herskovitz and Logan Furr and commanding point guard play from Chris Quinn Beaver jumped out to a 20 point lead early versus Concord. However, the game settled down at the end of the half, with Concord shaving the lead to 15 points.

In the second half the shooting touch went cold and Beaver started to play sloppy, committing six fouls in less than five minutes of play to open the half. The mistakes resulted in foul trouble, forcing backups Cam Bloy, Arian Fararooy and later Jahrad Delossantos into big minutes. With Concord cutting the lead to nine Beaver was never rattled and fought back. Among other big plays Logan Furr was fouled twice beyond the arc, making 5 of 6 free throws to help secure the victory. In a 74-62 victory, Beaver showed a lot on opening night, not only getting 38 points from Ephraim Herskovitz and 19 points from Logan Furr but also getting key contributions from starters Deon Bragg, Justin Conway and Chris Quinn to supplement the two scorers and put away a scrappy Concord Academy team.

Image: Boys Varsity's third game
Image credit: Toph Tucker

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Week 8 Fantasy Football Blog

DANA SPIGELMAN '08

*If you don’t have Marvin Harrison go get him. Yes he only has 247 receiving yards but he is still Marvin Harrison. After a poor Monday night game where he was shuttled in and out due to his hip he followed it up with a DNP due to injury. Reggie Wayne is starting to get the attention he deserves as is Dallas Clark. Defenses are hemming up the middle of the field, leaving some big opportunities down the sidelines for Harrison. Harrison will be back and fully healthy at some point in the next three weeks and he is likely to regain his post as Peyton Manning’s favorite receiver and a top 5 fantasy WR.

*If you have Hines Ward, look to capitalize on his big game in the form of a trade. Ward faced a terribly weak pass defense in Cincinnati and is not likely to repeat his performance in yards or touchdowns too often. In his last eight games prior to this he has averaged just 51 yards per game while only recording one touchdown. He is no longer a #2 fantasy wide out and if you can get that value for him or improve another position, that is a deal you should make.

*Michael Bennett looked good scoring a 19 yard touchdown today, but Earnest Graham still carried the ball fourteen times to Bennett’s two. In a deeper league Bennett is worth a flyer but he is not a viable fantasy option yet and that is not likely to change without an injury to Graham.

*Drew Brees threw for 4 touchdowns against a pretty good pass defense that features two fantastic corners. He now has put two good games together and seems to be back as a top 10 fantasy quarterback. If you were lucky enough to hold on to him or trade for him, now would be the time to make him a weekly start.

*Marc Bulger threw for a touchdown and 300 yards against one of the worst pass defenses in football. He’s not back yet. Steven Jackson got hurt again and his status is unknown for week 9. Bulger is worth a roster spot in any format, but he is not a good fantasy starter at this point.

*Adrian Peterson really is not a top 5 fantasy back. If you can get that trade value, take it. That offense is just not consistent enough. On the other hand Ladanian Tomlinson owners may have to be reminded that a game without a touchdown does not mean he is no longer the best fantasy player in the league. Don’t go crazy and trade him for Joseph Addai or Tom Brady.

*Vernon Davis returned to fantasy relevance with a touchdown and 71 yards this week. Although he may not be a top 12 fantasy TE he is worth a roster spot in any format.

*You should not draw any assumptions from the London Bowl. Do not judge Eli Manning, Jesse Chatman, Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey, Cleo Lemon, Derek Hagan, Ted Ginn Jr., Amani Toomer or Brandon Jacobs by that game. The situation was just so bizarre due to the overseas travel, the horrible field condition and the weather. Throw that one out.

*Kevin Jones scored a touchdown and gained 100 total yards. You can now consider him a top 20 running back and a viable #2 RB and good flex option.

*Kellen Clemens is going to get his shot, and based just on what he did against Baltimore he is worth a shot in 2 QB leagues or any 14 team format.

*No, Ryan Grant is not a fantasy starter. He ran wild on a Denver team that cannot tackle when healthy, let alone without John Lynch and with an injured DJ Williams playing. Even if Grant can hold onto the starting spot for the rest of the year, which is a terrific stretch, he is at best a poor flex option in most any league.

*Tony Scheffler should be on your radar in any format as a backup tight end. The Broncos tight end came in as a second round pick last year and developed terrific chemistry with Jay Cutler. He is their only legitimate option in Shanahan’s favorite goal line pass play (in the jumbo package he rolls Cutler to the right, releasing a deep tight end running across the back and a short tight end cutting in front. Scheffler has scored two touchdowns in two weeks off this play) and that alone makes him a threat for a TD every week.

*David Martin, Vishante Shiancoe and almost all other flash in the pan tight ends simply… are awful options. These guys are not legitimate fantasy options. In a deep 12-team league I play in Vishante was not only picked up but is now starting. How in the world does the 5^th option on the worst passing team in football make a fantasy roster? His touchdown and 50 yard performance will be his only of the year and possibly his best career game. Don’t get foolish. You’re far better off with Kyle Brady who we know will get some goal line plays every week.

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Red Sox Surprises and Disappointments: Lowell, Francona pass with flying colors.

DANA SPIGELMAN '08

The Red Sox certainly went through their ups and downs this year, nearly squandering a once 14.5 game lead over the vaunted Evil Empire, only to claim the division crown for the first time since 1995. While some players have more than earned their keep this season, others did not do as much to ingratiate themselves with the sox fans. Those players and front office members are highlighted below.

Surprises:

Hideki Okajima: Okajima was undoubtedly the key to the first half of the season, becoming the only setup man in baseball to make the All-Star team. It is unfathomable to think that prior to the season the Red Sox envisioned Devern Hansack, J.C. Romero and Joel Piniero as the core of their bullpen while Okajima was left to fend off Craig Hansen for a roster spot. Okajima wore down towards the end of the season and saw his once eye-popping Earned Run Average drop to 2.22. However, Okajima still held the bullpen up while the Sox were patiently waiting on Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen to play key roles in the bullpen. Okajima led the team in games pitched (66) and was one of the pleasant surprises of the season.

Mike Lowell: Lowell has certainly made a case for an extension with the Red Sox. Playing stellar defense, Lowell set career highs in batting average (.324) and RBI’s (120) to go along with 21 homeruns. Lowell picked up the slack for Manny Ramirez throughout the year and finished the season as the cleanup hitter for the Red Sox. Lowell was originally acquired as a salary dump from the Florida Marlins in the deal that acquired Josh Beckett. This ‘salary dump’ has proved to be one of the most valuable players on the pay role and more than worth his $9 million price tag.

Terry Francona: Francona should be credited with the complete success of this team. Fans were screaming for Alex Cora to start during a rough May stretch where Dustin Pedroia’s batting average dipped south of .200. However, Francona stuck with the rookie second baseman and in the end found the Red Sox sparkplug. Francona also handled the bullpen masterfully, giving the Red Sox a healthy and rested Jonathan Papelbon to go along with Manny Delcarmen, Mike Timlin, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima and Eric Gagne as a solid bullpen core for the playoffs. Francona’s positive attitude helped keep the team loose and confident as its lead dwindled and allowed them to regain control and finish the season on top of the AL East.

Young Guns: Home grown Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia and Manny Delcarmen were all key members of the team by the middle of September and proved that Theo Epstein was right to keep them through trading deadlines’ past. While Buchholz’ no-hit performance may have made him the most captivating rookie, he may have had the least impact of the young quartet. Delcarmen gave the bullpen terrific innings just as Okajima started to tire, Pedroia was the teams’ sparkplug and is on his way to earning rookie of the year while Jacoby Ellsbury gave offense and speed while playing in Manny Ramirez’s spot in left field as the Red Sox were sewing up their AL East title. Without these four, who earn about one third of Erik Hinske’s salary, the Red Sox would truly be lost and maybe even watching the playoffs instead of playing in them.

Disappointments:

Theo Epstein: It should be noted that the Red Sox are still paying for two monumental failures in the form of Edgar Renteria and Matt Clement. Theo has gotten too comfortable within the confines of a high payroll and has wasted millions on mediocre players such as Julio Lugo ($8.25 Million), J.D. Drew ($14.4 Million), Joel Piniero ($4 Million), Eric Hinske ($5.725 Million) and the aforementioned Clement. While spending over $100 million on Lugo and Drew alone, Epstein has developed holes that will be in the lineup for years to come, whereas Manny and Big Papi will not be here to compensate for those holes forever. Theo is truly getting saved by players he did not bring in. The most successful player on the team, Josh Beckett, was acquired while Theo was on his short vacation. While Theo did draft Buchholz, Pedroia, Ellsbury and current prospects Michael Bowdin, Daniel Bard and Jed Lowrie, draft picks are usually the result of systematic success. To justify his cult status in New England, Theo needs to come up with some gems in the near future via free agency or a big time trade.

Manny Ramirez: Whether due to injury or not Manny has simply not performed up to his normal benchmarks. While Manny is still the best RBI man of the last decade and one of the most formidable hitters in baseball, .296 and 20 HR just won’t cut it.

Kevin Youkilis: While Youkilis still finished with a very solid season and managed to contribute even when he was struggling, he has to be seen as a disappointment due to his hot start. With Lowell’s contract coming up this may be a time where the Red Sox have to decide whether to go with Youkilis for the future or not. While he has shown signs of greatness, his inability to put together a consistent season may be a sign that he is not the answer at first or third for the Red Sox.

Hired Guns: J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo were all out failures. Combined they collected $20.65 million while hitting 19 home runs. That’s over one million per home run. They also hit .270 and .237 respectively and failed miserably at filling the holes they were brought into fill. The leadoff position flipped between Coco and Pedroia at the end of the season. Although the fifth spot did go at times to Drew it settled in the hands of Youkilis and Lowell. Daisuke, was expectedly mediocre, although considering the cultural barrier he had to jump along with the major differences in the Japanese and American game he could not have been expected to contribute much more than he did. Eric Gagne, who earned almost $3 million in Red Sox paychecks, certainly did not justify his salary, ending up with as many blown saves as holds in a Red Sox uniform. And I won’t even discuss Hinske and Clement, making over $15 million combined this year.
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