How Far Can the Eagles Fly?

The bracket for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was released today, with Louisville, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and North Carolina earning top seeds in their respective regions. What is interesting with this tournament, like all past tournaments, is not the top seven or eight teams, but the lesser teams who have a chance to make some noise. In my opinion, Boston College has a great oppurtunity to surprise most people. The Eagles are matched up against USC in the first round.

Obviously, when talking about these Eagles, you have to start with their point guard, Tyrese Rice. In his senior year, Rice is determined to go out with a bang. This year, with averages of 17.4 PPG and 5.4 APG, he has once again shown that he is not only one of the best scoring point guards in the ACC, but in the entire country. What is encouraging for Boston College is not that Rice is an explosive scorer, but that he has solid pieces around him to make a run. Rakim Sanders is an athletic forward who can score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds with ease and Joe Trapani is a skilled forward who can knock down the three. Also, Corey Raji and Reggie Jackson give the Eagles more depth at the wing positions.

Perimeter-oriented teams are always dangerous in college basketball, especially if they have a good shooting night. While the lack of a post presence is why I don’t think BC will reach the Elite Eight or Final Four, but I do have them advancing in the first and second rounds. Do not forget that BC has the ability to beat quality opponents, which was in display when they defeated UNC in North Carolina at the start of ACC play. This is just another reason why I think the BC Eagles will fly high in the 2009 NCAA Tourney.