Friday, August 20, 2004
flying high
The Boston College Eagles scored another late-summer pickup, inking 6-foot-10 John Oates to commit to play for them this fall. I don't expect Al Skinner to duplicate last season's success -- August 2003 signee Jared Dudley averaged 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds for BC -- but I do believe Oates will strengthen the team's frontcourt and enable Craig Smith to be more aggressive down low.Al Skinner is as solid a coach as they come. He's one of the few coaches whose judgment on players I trust, almost without a fault. If another Big East coach signed a player in late August, I'd chalk one up for desperation. But when Skinner signs 'em, I give him more than the benefit of the doubt. I give him credit for a strategic pre-season addition.
