Bleacher Report - Articles by Jared Reback

Jolonn Dunbar: Boston College Linebacker Ready for NFL

Jared Reback — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:23:06 -0400

Author's Note: This article was written in the week preceding the NFL Combine.

The Scouting Combine is the make-or-break moment of the NFL offseason. College players from coast to coast congregate in Indianapolis every February to determine their professional fates.

It is, in short, a pretty big deal for a 22-year old fresh out of school.

Former Boston College linebacker Jolonn Dunbar is one such athlete. The second-team All ACC honoree has been preparing for the Combine for weeks, and is anxiously awaiting his trip to Indy.

“I am definitely nervous,” Dunbar said. “It feels like a big audition. It weighs heavy on the heart, and can make it difficult to sleep at night.”

The Combine will do that to a player. It provides a stark contrast from college gamedays, with 70,000 screaming fans turning into a few hundred tight-lipped scouts.

But while Dunbar may be full of nerves, his college career proved he isn’t one to crack under pressure.

When asked about his most memorable games at Boston College, Dunbar identifies 2007’s Thursday night clash against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Most fans remember Matt Ryan's late heroics in the Eagles’ win, but the defense played a major role.

BC held the Hokies to 265 yards, and Dunbar made 12 tackles.

“It was a total team effort,” Dunbar said of the game. “Guys on both sides of the ball made big plays. I was very proud of our defense that night, only giving up 10 points.”

Recruited as both a running back and linebacker out of high school, Dunbar felt his best chance to make a contribution in college was on defense. And in his four years at BC, Dunbar did it all for the Eagles D.

Twice he registered over 90 tackles in a season, en route to 269 for his career. He also added 19.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two picks, and four fumble recoveries.

Two of the recoveries came in what Dunbar would call his best game at Boston College. In a November 2006 matchup against Maryland, Dunbar scooped two fumbles and returned them both for touchdowns—in the first five minutes of the game.

“I couldn't believe it. I felt like the luckiest guy on earth,” Dunbar said of his day, which also included 14 tackles. “It showed that if you work hard, and put yourself in the right place at the right time, good things will happen.”

Dunbar has a team-first attitude that will be contagious wherever he ends up. He knows his strengths and trusts his abilities.

“My biggest strength is just my ability. I have good instincts and I play with heart. In the end, I just love to play football.” He also knows where he needs to improve, and readily admits it. “I need to work on my pass rush abilities, and hand placement,” he went on to say. “Every player has some weaknesses they need to work on. I am no different.”

Dunbar is confident in his abilities, but not arrogant. He expressed a bittersweet sentiment at being named second-team All ACC. While certainly pleased to be honored, he felt he could have been first-team.

He also knows that wherever he goes in the draft, he will be ready to play for that team. He has been projected to get picked somewhere between the fourth and sixth rounds, depending on the source. That still does not deter Dunbar from his beliefs.

“Wherever I get drafted, I still think I am a good player. I don’t look too much into the projections. Whatever comes your way, you have to go with it. Once the draft is over, it’s all water under the bridge.”

Once in his destination, Dunbar’s only concern is helping that team win. He also knows a rookie’s place on the team. “My number one goal is to make the playoffs. If special teams is how I can contribute, than that’s what I’ll do. In the NFL you have to earn your right to play.”

With a career at Boston College that included four bowl wins, Dunbar has been accustomed to winning in his playing career. If he has anything to say about it, that trend will continue.

NCAA Tournament: Duke Survives...But for How Long?

Jared Reback — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:36:12 -0400

First off, let me just say that I give the Belmont Bruins all the credit in the world. They played their hearts out and were the better team. That said, the score at the end did not favor them, and they will now spend the rest of the lives wondering, "What if?"

Belmont played the Duke Blue Devils for 40 minutes. Whenever Duke went on a run, the Bruins maintained their composure and hit the Devils back with a run of their own.

Alex Renfroe had his way with each Duke defender, consistently blowing by his man and finishing at the rim. Renfroe finished with 15 points on 7-11 shooting.

Andy Wicke came off the bench to hit five out of seven three pointers, including some huge ones down the stretch.

On the Duke end, Gerald Henderson saved their season, scoring 21 points, including the game winner.

In the end, the upset was not to be. Although some will say the result was a fluke, I don't see it that way. Now, if the two teams met again tomorrow, I am not saying that Duke wouldn't win that game by 15 points. They might.

However, in many of the bigger upsets that the NCAA Tournament has seen, the result has been a case of the Cinderella playing way above their heads while the favorite was having an off night.

That didn't happen on Thursday night. Both teams shot nearly identical percentages from the field, and Wicke aside, no player on the court was on target from beyond the arc. Duke actually out-rebounded Belmont by eight, and had 13 offensive rebounds.

Belmont continuously hurt themselves with ill-advised shots in transition, and a reluctance to bomb away from the three when their offense did not get anything going quickly. After Kyle Singler picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half, the Bruins never really attacked him while he was in the game.

Duke certainly didn't play it's finest basketball of the season, but played far from it's worst. They only shot 6-21 from the three, but they have had plenty of other games this season with similar numbers.

The fact of the matter is that this Duke team just isn't very good. Last night was not a fluke or an aberration. Coach Krzyzewski is going to do his very best to keep his team from going home early.

West Virginia is a dangerous team that beat many of the Big East's top teams over the course of the season. Beyond that waits either Xavier or Purdue, who both look capable of beating the Blue Devils.

More importantly, Duke itself has done very little to convince the college basketball world that they are ready to make a deep run in 2008.

Coach K plays his starters more than most teams, especially at this time of year. Against Belmont, Duke's bench only played 55 minutes, as opposed to the 83 by the Bruins' substitutes.

After 33 games, fatigue starts to become a factor. In the last five minutes, Duke's five on the court looked sluggish and tired, while Belmont's five looked to be the better conditioned and fresher squad.

Regardless, the Blue Devils lived to fight another day, and while this game may serve to be the wake-up call they so desperately need, I see it as no more than a temporary reprieve.

Wide A-Wake: Deacons in the Hunt for a Tournament Berth

Jared Reback — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:54:27 -0500

Some games are worth more than one win in the standings. There are some nights that fans of a team will remember forever.

It was such a night in Winston-Salem after Wake Forest upset Duke 86-73. The thrilling upset left Deacon fans delirious, and the team all alone in fifth place in the hotly-contested ACC race.

Shortly after the game ended, the Fox Sports broadcast showed the Wake Forest faithful rushing the court, then cut to the banner hanging above the court bearing the name and image of Skip Prosser. Coach Prosser's message for the team this season was "One Team, One Fight," and the team followed that message tonight.

The Deacons, who struggled early in conference play, seem to be peaking at the right time, and are doing so behind corps of young budding stars who play with confidence and without fear.

Freshmen James Johnson and Jeff Teague combined to drop half a hundred against the favored Blue Devils. Johnson added 16 rebounds, and abused any Duke defender that dared to get in his way.

On the defensive end, Wake pressured Duke in the half-court game, perhaps conceding more open lay-ups then they would have liked, but preventing Duke from getting in a rhythm from long range.

The win should give the Demon Deacons a great deal of confidence moving forward. Coach Dino Gaudio got his first signature win as head coach, and the team realized that it belonged on the same court as the number two team in the country. A trip to Chapel Hill is next for the Deacons, but they are more prepared for that test right now than they have been at any other point in the season.

On the other hand, Duke had some glaring flaws exposed. Kyle Singler was dominated by Johnson in the paint, often having no answer. Teague was able to get up and down the court and penetrate, scoring from all over the court. Duke also realized the struggle it will face when they don't shoot particularly well.

Perhaps most importantly, Duke found out what happens if the calls don't necessarily go their way. All five Duke starters fouled out (and deservedly so).

In the past, Duke has been hurt come tourney time by officiating crews who were not intimidated by Coach K's sideline antics. This was a rare ACC game example of what happens when a game is called a little more closely.

Still, on this night the credit has to go to the Deacons. They outplayed the Devils throughout, and deserved the win. If the Deacons can use the confidence from this game down the road, they will be a threat to win every game they play. Twenty wins is a good possibility, and with it could come a NCAA Tournament berth.

Win or lose, Wake will move ahead as one team, fighting one fight. This team has already exceeded the expectations of many, and will continue to do so with each win they mount. The Deacons are writing quite the story, and I can't wait to see how it ends.