Trapani Interview

[Wall Street Eagle]

Good article from TOS.

http://bostoncollege.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1075346

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With the recent rumors circulating that Rakim Sanders and Brady Heslip are as good as gone and transferring from BC, the rest of the team is just looking to move on from last season's disappointment. So far, Joe Trapani likes what he's seeing from the players that are still there. When you hear the excited tone of Trapani's voice you know it isn't just a player saying the right thing either, he means it.

"Guys have been really working hard-even more than we have in the past. I don't know if it's a sense of urgency with five seniors and it's our last year. I guess that has something to do with it. But I think guys are realizing we don't want to have a season like last year. We're better than that and we all know it. It takes hard work though and I think guys are realizing that we have to work harder. The last couple of weeks have been really uplifting because we've been working so hard," said Trapani.

The motivating factor for the players is last year's ugly 15-16 record that saw the team sink into the lower echelon of the ACC. The season was a far cry from the NCAA Tournament bound team that some experts saw on paper at the start of the year. Trapani says that there were many factors that led to the sub .500 record.

"Obviously we were disappointed with our record and how we played in some games. I thought we were a couple minutes away from having a completely different record. We let a lot of games slip away," explained Trapani. "I forget how bad our losing streak was. I think maybe we lost 9 of 12 games during one point in ACC play. Of course that's going to put a drain on a team. It started getting into our heads and I think some guys got really hesitant. I feel like we were thinking too much on the court and trying too hard not to turn the ball over and focus on ourselves instead just going out and playing the game," said Trapani.

The players thought that the embarrassing loss to Virginia in the first round of the ACC Tournament marked the final chapter in the tumultuous 2009-2010 season. Little did they know that weeks later that coach Al Skinner would be fired. Not surprisingly, the players didn't see the change coming.

"I heard about it on Twitter and I heard in the papers, so a lot of people were asking me about it, but I hadn't heard it from the coaches. The assistant coaches were telling us not to believe everything we read and that they'd keep us updated. When it finally hit that Coach Skinner got fired everyone was shocked and blindsided a little because I think his contract went through 2013. We were all in a state of shock and had a feeling of uncertainty," said Trapani.

Immediately after the news, emotions were running high within the team. Trapani said that he and Biko Paris got the team together so everyone could talk about how they were feeling and get their thoughts out there. Trapani also says that coach Pat Duquette was a big help in keeping everyone relaxed.

"Coach Duquette was definitely a big part in keeping us calm and level headed and not doing anything stupid. He made sure we were going to class and really trying to do everything normal which is obviously tough in a time like that," said Trapani.

Now, Steve Donahue has taken the reins of the BC hoops program. Trapani says that the BC players were familiar with Donahue's team from their hot run in March Madness calling it "hard to miss".

Coach Donahue certainly hasn't left his hard work ethic at Cornell, as he's been hitting the recruiting trail hard in the past week. Despite being on the road, Trapani says that the new coach is working hard with his current crop of players as well.

"He's been very active about getting to know us and meeting with us. He's been really honest with all of us and he is really looking out for our best interest. He's out recruiting but at the same time he's very active in our everyday stuff and it has been good. He's trying to keep the recruits that we have coming in and he flew out to talk to them as a courtesy," said Trapani.

Trapani also has had a change to work with associate head coach Joe Jones.

"He's been around and working us out. He's a really nice guy. He was very welcoming and offers to rebound for us if we want to shoot. That's all you can ask from a coach," said Trapani.

In the offseason, Trapani is working on all aspects of his game. Some have questioned whether or not the extra weight he played with last year was a good thing, especially considering that his three point shooting percentage was down. Trapani doesn't think it had much to do with the extra muscle.

"Having a little more weight on me and keeping it on me consistently was good for me playing down low with the bigger guys in the ACC. I don't think it affected my shot too much. In the first two games I don't think I hit a three pointer. I don't know if it was mental or if I was putting unneeded pressure on myself early in the year. Then we went down to the Virgin Islands and I think I shot 10-of-15 from three in three games so my shot got a lot better. Then it dipped back, and then it kind of leveled out late in the year. I just wasn't as consistent as Id like to be," said Trapani.

Trapani says that the talk of Coach Skinner's departure is now in the back of everyone's mind and the players are moving forward…and really they have no choice.

"We are all excited for next year. We have to buy into the new coach if we want to be successful," said Trapani.

[BCEagle74]

GDF gets a score of eleventy billion out of 10.

I read that and want to fly to Vegas and bet these new Eagles to make sure "The Butler Did It!" is our BC Eagles in 2011.

We got 8 or 9...we got plenty..we got Stevie D., We will out run, out hustle, out play, defend and wear them down...how many teams go more than 8 or 9 deep anyway?

I go Football first, but if these guys dedicate themselves this summer...I don't think now I will be shocked to see BC go 7-0 and win a NCAA title. We got experience, we got guys who wanna play, we got guys who know drug testing is coming and who knows what a full spring and summer of brutal running and Stevie D. boot camp will bring next March.

I am ready for March Madness 2011...hell, I am halfway home on any given morning?

SDBC....Stevie D Boot Camp...admission is free...expect to puke and not have any fun.