2000-01 record: 27-5; 13-3 in Big East (1st) Final Ranking: No. 11 ESPN/USA Today; No. 7 AP Postseason: Lost to USC 74-71 in second round of NCAA Tournament RETURNING LEADERS Points: Bell 20.4 ppg | Rebounds: Sidney 4.7 rpg | Assists: Bell 3.8 apg | FG %: Agbai 53.2% | 3pt %: Bell 39.1% | FT %: Bell 85.7% 00-01 Stats: BC | Big East

		Monday, Oct. 29 The Eagles must keep Troy Bell injury free. The emergence of sophomore Ryan Sidney as a starter is key, but so is the development of some energy off the bench to replace what Sidney and the departed senior Jonathan Beerbohm gave them. Rebounding will be a challenge for the undersized Eagles who must compensate by playing big teams 94 feet, rather than in a half-court battle.

BC No. 17 in ESPN.com Top 25
Outlook
After a worst-to-first turnaround that took just two years under coach Al Skinner and came behind point guard Troy Bell, the Eagles have most of their best players back.

Bell, a second-team All-American last season, will make a bid for the first team this season as well as sole Big East player of the year honors (after sharing last season with NBA-bound Troy Murphy of Notre Dame). With 6-foot-2 sophomore Ryan Sidney at the off guard and the 6-1 Bell at the point, Boston College will have a small but sturdy backcourt. The more freshman Jermaine Watson can play the point, though, the better the backcourt will be. That would allow Bell to be a sniper from the outside, and also would let Sidney slide to the small forward spot on occasion, where he thrived last season as the sixth man.

Senior Kenny Walls is a tremendous athlete at 6-5 and will get most of the minutes at small forward for a second straight season. The Eagles also return 6-8 enforcer Uka Agbai, a junior who provided some scoring (9.1 ppg), some rebounding (3.9 rpg) and plenty of intimidation. The Eagles will need all of those three items Agbai can provide as they break in a pair of freshmen at center, 7-1 Kirsten Zoellmer and 6-11 Nate Doornekamp.

Thick senior Brian Ross was a bit starter as a freshman and sophomore before injuries slowed him down last season. The Eagles could really use him now.

What We Like: Any team with Bell can make some noise, and the supporting cast led by Sidney, Walls, Agbai and Watson should take some -- though not all -- of the pressure off the Eagles' star guard.

What we don't like: Typically, the hardest adjustment from high school to college comes for big men, and Boston College will be breaking in a new starter at center. Against some teams, that could be a fatal flaw. Against most foes, though, it won't matter.

The bottom line: Bell is back, which means the Eagles should be, too. However, last season (27-5 overall, 13-3 Big East, and the tournament championship) was the kind of dream season BC fans ought not to expect every season -- starting with this one.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Troy Bell	Jr.	F	6-8/240	PTS: 20.4 | REB: 4.3 | AST: 4.1
Uka Agbai	Jr.	F	6-8/240	PTS: 9.1 | REB: 3.9 | AST: 0.7
Ryan Sidney	So.	G	6-2/185	PTS: 9.4 | REB: 4.7 | AST: 1.6
Kenny Walls	Sr.	F	6-5/194	PTS: 7.3 | REB: 3.3 | AST: 1.7

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Xavier Singletary	G	6-6/216	PTS: 11.7 | REB: 5.2 | AST: 1.8
Jonathan Beerbohm	F	6-7/229	PTS: 6.4 | REB: 3.7 | AST: 1.1

Boston College Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Jermaine Watson	G	6-3	Dorceste/Tabor Academy (Ma.)
Kirsten Zoellmer	C	7-1	Hanover, Germany-Integrated School of Hanover
Nate Doornekamp	C	6-11	Odessa, Ontario-Ernstown