Hot time for Pack, Eagles
Chip Alexander, Staff Writer
It's too early to be feeling a little heat, isn't it?
The ACC season is young. There are so many games still to be played. Why fret now?
Here's why if you're Boston College coach Al Skinner: the Eagles are 0-2 in their first year in the ACC and face No. 18 N.C. State tonight at Conte Forum with just one day of preparation.
Here's why if you're State coach Herb Sendek: the Pack was beaten 82-69 at North Carolina on Saturday and two of its next three ACC games are on the road, with a trip to top-ranked Duke coming up Jan. 18.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
WHO: N.C. State at Boston College
WHEN: 9 p.m.
TV: WRAL, WCTI
Both coaches predictably tried to downplay such things Monday. Both talked about the need of using their time wisely in a tight turnaround after weekend road losses.
"The less time you have, the quicker you have to move forward," Sendek said.
State had two days to prepare for BC. But two days might seem like an eternity to Skinner after the Eagles' 60-58 loss Sunday at Georgia Tech.
"I can't overly concern myself with it," Skinner said. "We don't make the schedule, we just play the games. But N.C. State is a very difficult team to prepare for. It'll take a lot of concentration."
For BC, tonight's matchup will mark the school's first ACC men's game at home. The last thing Skinner and the Eagles (11-3) want is to be on the wrong side of such history while falling to 0-3 in the league.
The Pack (12-2, 1-1) has been through this kind of thing before. A year ago, NCSU played at Miami in the Hurricanes' first ACC home game, losing 67-66.
BC features senior forward Craig Smith, who made nearly everyone's preseason All-America lists, and Jared Dudley, a 6-foot-7 junior who also was first-team All-Big East last year. The Eagles have experienced, savvy guards in Louis Hinnant and Sean Marshall.
Yet, Skinner said his team still is "searching and trying to get a better feel for who are we."
Sean Williams, a 6-10 sophomore center, has rejoined the team after being suspended by the school in the fall semester for unannounced reasons. Sophomore Akida McLain and freshmen Tyrese Rice and Marquez Haynes are also being mixed into the rotation.
BC lost its first ACC game at Maryland, 73-71, on Dec. 11.
"We just need to stay patient," Skinner said. "We can't get too disappointed if we take a step backward because of a loss on the road. We've finally got our full team together. Now we have to figure out a way to win."
Skinner noted the Pack employs an intricate motion offense that the Eagles don't see against the likes of a Rhode Island or Massachusetts. But Boston College did have N.C. State on its schedule in 2003 and 2004 before making the jump from the Big East to the ACC.
The Eagles outlasted State 66-65 in overtime in the January 2004 game at Conte Forum behind Smith's 20 points and 10 rebounds. The year before, the Eagles came to the RBC Center and beat the Pack 93-81 -- a rare nonconference loss at home for Sendek.
"We're a little familiar with what they do," Skinner said. "They do have a different cast of characters. They have four individuals scoring in double figures. They move the ball well. They just play great team basketball."
Both teams came away from the weekend losses intent on improving their end-of-game efficiency.
Against Georgia Tech, the Eagles went 10-of-19 at the foul line and missed 12 of 16 shots from 3-point range.
State was outscored 13-0 in the final three minutes in Chapel Hill.
"Obviously, we wanted to handle the situation better," Sendek said. "We had a couple of shots we needed to make -- two corner 3s where we did execute but just did not make the shots. On some possessions we did not execute ...
"Was it a function of poise? I don't think we came unglued. We just did not execute as well as we need to."
Chip Alexander, Staff Writer
It's too early to be feeling a little heat, isn't it?
The ACC season is young. There are so many games still to be played. Why fret now?
Here's why if you're Boston College coach Al Skinner: the Eagles are 0-2 in their first year in the ACC and face No. 18 N.C. State tonight at Conte Forum with just one day of preparation.
Here's why if you're State coach Herb Sendek: the Pack was beaten 82-69 at North Carolina on Saturday and two of its next three ACC games are on the road, with a trip to top-ranked Duke coming up Jan. 18.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
WHO: N.C. State at Boston College
WHEN: 9 p.m.
TV: WRAL, WCTI
Both coaches predictably tried to downplay such things Monday. Both talked about the need of using their time wisely in a tight turnaround after weekend road losses.
"The less time you have, the quicker you have to move forward," Sendek said.
State had two days to prepare for BC. But two days might seem like an eternity to Skinner after the Eagles' 60-58 loss Sunday at Georgia Tech.
"I can't overly concern myself with it," Skinner said. "We don't make the schedule, we just play the games. But N.C. State is a very difficult team to prepare for. It'll take a lot of concentration."
For BC, tonight's matchup will mark the school's first ACC men's game at home. The last thing Skinner and the Eagles (11-3) want is to be on the wrong side of such history while falling to 0-3 in the league.
The Pack (12-2, 1-1) has been through this kind of thing before. A year ago, NCSU played at Miami in the Hurricanes' first ACC home game, losing 67-66.
BC features senior forward Craig Smith, who made nearly everyone's preseason All-America lists, and Jared Dudley, a 6-foot-7 junior who also was first-team All-Big East last year. The Eagles have experienced, savvy guards in Louis Hinnant and Sean Marshall.
Yet, Skinner said his team still is "searching and trying to get a better feel for who are we."
Sean Williams, a 6-10 sophomore center, has rejoined the team after being suspended by the school in the fall semester for unannounced reasons. Sophomore Akida McLain and freshmen Tyrese Rice and Marquez Haynes are also being mixed into the rotation.
BC lost its first ACC game at Maryland, 73-71, on Dec. 11.
"We just need to stay patient," Skinner said. "We can't get too disappointed if we take a step backward because of a loss on the road. We've finally got our full team together. Now we have to figure out a way to win."
Skinner noted the Pack employs an intricate motion offense that the Eagles don't see against the likes of a Rhode Island or Massachusetts. But Boston College did have N.C. State on its schedule in 2003 and 2004 before making the jump from the Big East to the ACC.
The Eagles outlasted State 66-65 in overtime in the January 2004 game at Conte Forum behind Smith's 20 points and 10 rebounds. The year before, the Eagles came to the RBC Center and beat the Pack 93-81 -- a rare nonconference loss at home for Sendek.
"We're a little familiar with what they do," Skinner said. "They do have a different cast of characters. They have four individuals scoring in double figures. They move the ball well. They just play great team basketball."
Both teams came away from the weekend losses intent on improving their end-of-game efficiency.
Against Georgia Tech, the Eagles went 10-of-19 at the foul line and missed 12 of 16 shots from 3-point range.
State was outscored 13-0 in the final three minutes in Chapel Hill.
"Obviously, we wanted to handle the situation better," Sendek said. "We had a couple of shots we needed to make -- two corner 3s where we did execute but just did not make the shots. On some possessions we did not execute ...
"Was it a function of poise? I don't think we came unglued. We just did not execute as well as we need to."