I was fortunate enough to chat over text with Troy Bell, the former BC stud. For those who don’t recognize the name, you either don’t know your basketball, and/or should be googling it right now.
Bell, a 4-year BC Eagle from 1999-00 to 2002-03 was a flat out scoring machine. He averaged 21.6 PPG in his entire career, including 25.2 his senior year. He also dished out 3.5 assists a game and brought down 4 rebounds a contest. Bell was a very reliable deep threat, with a nearly 40% clip, and good guard the opponents best player on any given night, forcing over 2 turnovers per game.
In other words, Bell was a college legend who played all sides of the ball at a high level. There aren’t many more Troy Bells in today’s college basketball landscape.
ME: What did you enjoy most about playing at BC?
TROY: Really got along with my teammates. Most of us are in group chats to this day. Friendships with them will last a lifetime. Also, coaches were straight forward. Looking back on that, I appreciate it.
ME: Who was the best player you were fortunate to go up against in college?
TROY: Best players I played against were Carmelo Anthony, Jay Williams, and TJ Ford.
ME: What is your favorite moment as a college athlete?
TROY: Favorite moment was a combo of winning the Big East tournament my sophomore year and then splitting the conference with UConn my senior year after a terrible, terrible start.
ME: When you look back at your college career, what advice can you give to players trying to make it to the next level?
TROY: Keep your goals in mind. Also, the importance of practice is key and make sure off the court activities are aligned with on court activities. What I mean by that is don’t stay up late partying all the time, because it will affect your game. Sacrifice and discipline off the court are just as important as they are on the court.