A lot can happen in a week, and it did the past seven days for BC basketball players and fans. At the same time that power forward Craig Smith was receiving preseason accolades, Andrew Bryant was asked to leave the team with “academics” stated as the reason for his departure.
Previously, Bryant had to deal with the passing of his mother in-season and seemed to have knack for finding trouble. He was cited for violating an order of protection from his girlfriend while in a BC dining facility, but there did not appear to be malicious intent on his part, seeing as all BC students use the dining facilities. However, the reason for the restraining order in the first place was unknown.
Then, only a scant few days ago, Bryant was in the news again, as he was involved in an altercation with another man on campus, reportedly engaged in a heated dispute over a T-shirt. Bryant received a gash on the head from a gun the other man was carrying, and had to get stitched up at the hospital. Bryant’s subsequent departure from the team didn’t raise too many eyebrows considering the recent developments, but the official reason did, as he had no previous academic problems.
In a surprising move, Dan Coleman BC's lone power forward recruit from Minnesota, did not report with the rest of the team to the Heights at the beginning of August. Coleman committed to the Eagles all the way back in June of 2002, the first of his class, so there was little indication that he was uncertain of his decision. (I interviewed him last spring and he seemed quiet but rather excited about coming to BC. When I called a few days ago to talk to him regarding his failure to report with the rest of the team, he told me he did not wish to comment.)
Coleman was taking summer classes on the Heights and presumably took some time to return home before heading back to Boston and starting workouts. Apparently his bout of freshman homesickness was worse than most, because he decided to stay home, and on Wednesday announced- despite loyal alumnus Troy Bell’s efforts- that he would ask for release from his letter of intent.
Coach Al Skinner had little to say, as he his unable to comment on the status of an incoming player, but did say that “we’ll give him some time to think things out” according to the Boston Globe. Those words may or may not have deeper meaning if Coleman decides for certain that he won’t return to the Eagles. Skinner could let him go but would be perfectly within his bounds to let Coleman think about this for quite a while, as in the whole season, and not grant him a release. If Coleman does not obtain his release from the school, he cannot play at any other Division 1 school until the 2004-2005 season.
The old saying goes that bad things come in threes, and in this case, the third piece of bad news for the basketball program was the departure of Ryan Sidney. Sidney was a loud, brash player who was never afraid to speak his mind, but Wednesday’s announcement revealed little. The school stated that Sidney would leave for “personal reasons” that were not divulged.
Sidney found himself suspended for a game last year for unspecified team rules violations, but rumors swirled that he may have done more than that. Either way, Sidney is now off the team for good, and we may soon find out find out why. Then again, we never officially heard why he was suspended earlier, so don’t hold your breath.
Losing Sidney hurts, because although he only averaged just under 12 points a game in his BC career, he did grab 6.5 rebounds per contest, which is a lot for a 6’2" guard. More than the statistics, Sidney was a large part of the heart of this team, getting clutch rebounds in place of the injured Uka Agbai and finding ways to get to the basket for lay-ups. Most of all, he brought experience, which the team will be sorely lacking when it starts the 2003-2004 season. Sophomores Johnnie Jackson and Tavio Hobson and freshmen Sean Marshall and Devon Evertsen will all compete for time at guard and small forward to take up Sidney’s 30-plus minutes per game.
BC fans did get a dose of good medicine late in the day on Wednesday though, as San Diego player of the year Jared Dudley decided against prep school and will attend BC this year. Rarely does a recruit come so late, and rarely does a program need one as badly as the Eagles do.
Dudley seemed to fly under the recruiting radar despite averaging over 22 points a game and winning a state title. He apparently picked BC over Creighton and San Diego State, both solid programs, and was hearing from many more schools late in the summer after earning a place on the all-star team at the prestigious Adidas ABCD camp.
His Pump n’ Run team also defeated the Atlanta Celtics at the Adidas Big Time tournament, which has possibly the three top incoming seniors in the country. (Coincidentally, Sports Illustrated features those three- Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, and Randolph Morris- in this week’s magazine.) Dudley is another small forward, measuring 6’6, and may be able to step in a play some minutes this year as well alongside the other frosh. Hmm, an under-recruited player from Southern California. That doesn’t sound like anyone we know, does it?
The only thing that is certain right now is that the Boston College team that hits the floor for the start of the 2003-'04 season will be far different than previously expected.
Brian Smith is a staff writer for EagleInsider.com. He can be reached at EagleScribe3@yahoo.com.