I Accept Your Challenge BIg 10

As seen (sort of) in "Top of the Heights," sports blog for The Heights online

The Big 10 used some surprising upsets (Wisconsin over Duke, Illinois over Clemson) to take its first Big 10/ACC Challenge in the 11-year history of the event. To be honest, I’m pretty sure that the good people of Bristol, CT who have been trying to make this event happen are the only ones in New England who care about that little fact.

The rest of us further up north? Well I’d say we’re just happy Boston College could go out to Michigan, formerly of the top 15, and grab a much-needed victory. Apparently the Wolverines were no match for Northern Iowa’s output against the BC defense. Player of the year candidate Manny Harris? He’s no Kwadzo Ahelegbe. Sorry Coach Beilein, you’ve done a nice job turning around that program, but Kevin Pittsnogle is just not walking through that door.

After watching the Wolverines struggle against Marquette and Creighton, I spoke my piece of wisdom about how to beat Harris, DeShawn Sims and company. What those two teams did was spread the floor and make their outside jumpers. By stretching the defense the backdoor and inside cuts looked very, very open. But I guess that’s why Al Skinner has his Eastern Clothing endorsement deal and I don’t. Skinner took the ball to the teeth of the Michigan defense to the tune of 34 points in the paint. BC made just three three-pointers in the game and only one in the first half, just 40 seconds from the break.

Sure, Beilen had his team firing up 34 threes, but you don’t have to outshoot them to beat them. They made nine from deep to make it look close in the end but the 20-7 run to end the game was mostly cosmetic aside from one or two scary possessions with the difference just six. In the end you still ended up with a BC victory and the all too familiar Big 10 scoreline of 62-58. The four-point difference in the end really doesn’t do justice to the domination of the Eagles.

The patented flex offense didn’t look all that effective but plenty of other tight-motion plays that find themselves into Skinners playbook did and Corey Raji was just eating it up.

Raji has always been a threat on the offensive glass despite being just 6-foot-6 because of his nose for the ball and superior positioning underneath. In his first two years the biggest problem was his sometimes-strange inability to finish the easy ones (or bunnies as Steve Lavin would say). Sure he’s had flashes. A career high 26 against Maine. Single-handedly keeping the Eagles in the game against USC last March with his first half heroics. Even this year against Providence he went off for 12 points and nine rebounds in the first eight minutes. Problem was, after the first half, the defense keys in and suddenly his production doesn’t just drop, it disappears.

Maybe he turned the corner against Michigan. It wasn’t the same killer output he had in the first half, but he was still able to find the holes and most importantly, finish the easy ones in the second. His cuts on inbounds plays have lead to a handful of quick scores this year, something Skinner’s last few teams were often criticized for.

Sure he still shooting 33 percent from the free-throw line but nobody save Biko Paris and Josh Southern (85 percent Josh? Really? It has to be the beard, hell it works for Baron Davis and Randy Moss) is having much success there right now for the Eagles.

The key for Raji will be what can he do when teams realize he’s on the court before halftime? Will he still be able to produce?

Following the game Wednesday, Skinner compared Raji to BC great Jared Dudley for his ability to feel the game on offense without having the play called for him. Raji may never be the player Dudley is, but if he can take the next step toward that, he could be a very dangerous weapon for the Eagles.

Following his freshman season there was the debate. Who was the next BC star, Raji or Rakim Sanders? It was split surprisingly more even than you might think. Then last year Sanders took that next step, making two buzzer beaters and generally being the team’s second option, while Raji was just there to mop up the offensive glass. Now with Sanders out, Raji may be taking that step himself. It just took him that one extra year.