Boston College Guestblogging

Eagle in Atlanta is an excellent Boston College sports blog, and even more interesting ... he lives in the ATL. With their first season in the ACC finally getting started, he thought it would be a good idea to do a bit of guestblogging and get a feel for the new kids on the block. As normal, you can check out my Georgia Tech related comments on his site right HERE.

Nathan:
This is BC's first ACC game, and your first exposure to the self proclaimed "Best Basketball League in the Country". Are you excited about the fact that you're in the ACC now, and that BC has a legitimate shot at winning the league in it's first year?

ATL_Eagle:
(This is actually BC's second ACC game. We lost a tight game to Maryland in December.) - I'm a doofus and totally forgot that

I am thrilled with the ACC move for a number of reasons, but the least of which is basketball. The Big East was a horrible mismatched football conference, but the core basketball group always provided great games and rivalries. Given the state of the current mega-Big East I am still glad we are in the ACC. I don't think BC will win the ACC this year. Duke is too tough and I think (hope) that the guys aren't going to put all their energy into the regular season this year. They played with an intensity during last year’s regular season run that is hard to maintain. I would love to have a strong ACC showing and enter the NCAA tournament as a 4 seed.


Nathan:
The Big East doesn't have many smaller on campus basketball facilities, the way the ACC does. Alexander Memorial is tiny, compact and loud - and the ACC is full of these ridiculous home court advantages. Are you looking forward to less of a "corporate" feel to games (to me, this has always been the best thing about the ACC, the arenas - even Littlejohn is a nasty place to visit).

ATL_Eagle:
Major upgrade on the arenas. Sure the Big East had some tough places to play, but there were plenty of good seats available for games at Seton Hall and even Georgetown. This is a good year to make the conference move too. We have an experienced team that won't get rattled in these new, smaller gyms. This group of guys seem to feed off of the away crowd's venom.


Nathan:
I can't put my finger on any one thing Dudley does tremendously, yet the guy is a terrific player. Other than him and Craig Smith, who should we be watching?

ATL_Eagle:
Sean Williams might be the key to the whole season. He is coming off a suspension and BC missed him while he was gone. He provides very little on the offensive end of the floor (and can look really off at times with the ball) yet he is a monster on the defensive side. His shot blocking changes the way teams play us and added a dynamic to last year's team that Al Skinner has never had. If he improves his whole game, he could be BC's Okafor.


Nathan:
You said you will be at the game, have you ever been to the Thriller Dome before? Tech fans have a reputation for being passionate, but very friendly - I hope you enjoy your time, just not too much.

ATL_Eagle:
I've lived in Atlanta for more than six years, yet I have never been to the Thriller Dome for a game. My wife got her Masters at Tech, so we've had plenty of chances...there was just always something or other the kept us from going. I was inside Alexander for her graduation. I imagine the environment will be a little different on Sunday.