But this is not about wins and losses. It is about the superb job of coaching that Donahue has done.
He has mixed and matched lineups, he has broken down the weaknesses of opponents, he has identified the main problem facing his team - which is the inability to play competitively for 40 minutes - and addressed it by trying to shrink the game with a deliberate style of play that he does not normally espouse.
Donahue said the losing streak did not really bother him.
“I don’t put a great deal on wins and losses with this group,’’ said Donahue. “They are working their tails off. I have been really happy the last two weeks.
“That being said, you want to win. We’re here to build a championship program. I want those guys to get rewarded for their hard work.’’
His latest entry is Deirunas Visockas, a 6-foot-4-inch guard who came to BC from Lafayette. He received his undergraduate degree but was able to take advantage of an NCAA rule that allows graduate students to take courses at another school and compete in a fifth year of eligibility. Visockas, like walk-on John Cahill last season, is an example of Donahue’s skill at extracting the best from his players.
Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon is Donahue’s closest friend in the coaching fraternity and recommended Visockas, who is from Lithuania and has had injury problems. He missed the Eagles’ first 17 games this season, but in the win over Florida State, he contributed 11 valuable minutes and came up with three assists.
When Donahue arrived at BC, his coaching credentials were not in question. The issue was whether, after a decade in the Ivy League, he could recruit at the ACC level. We still don’t know the answer to that, and probably won’t know for at least another year.
But in terms of what he has done with what he has, he has been an unquestioned success.
