By Jimmy Golen
The Associated Press

BOSTON - Agents started calling Troy Bell after his freshman year, when he was the top rookie in the Big East. As a sophomore, opposing coaches suggested that it might be time for him to try the NBA.

Bell stayed at Boston College, though, and on Saturday the senior guard has a chance to become the Big East's career leading scorer. He is the No. 4 scorer in the country this year, and he heads into his final regular-season game 38th on the NCAA career list.

"He is the best player in the nation," said teammate Craig Smith, "and everybody knows that."

Certainly no one at Boston College doubts it. Bell has led the Eagles (17-9, 10-5) to wins in nine of their last 10 games as they recovered from a poor start to clinch a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Overall, Bell averages 26.3 points, making him a favorite for a second Big East player of the year honor.

"His play exceeds his play from his sophomore year, when he won it," BC coach Al Skinner said. "If he doesn't get it, you need to check the water."

Skinner isn't alone in his admiration.

"There isn't any player I put above him," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after Bell scored 38 to beat the Wildcats on Tuesday. "For the sake of college basketball, I hope he finishes the year strong."

That's just what Bell has in mind.

Though he has a chance to join some impressive company in the record books, his No. 1 goal is a Big East title to match the one he won as a sophomore. He won't think about anything but the conference tournament until an NCAA bid is secure.

"All we want to do is win a championship for him," BC forward Andrew Bryant said. "He's done so much for us. Now we can do it for him."

Bell averaged 20.4 points two years ago as BC went from worst-to-first in the conference, and he shared the league's player of the year honors with Notre Dame's Troy Murphy. Bell was projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft if he chose to leave college early.

Bell said he "thought about it a couple of times," but he never really sat down and weighed the pros and cons of going pro. Still, he couldn't avoid the advice from family, friends and potential agents calling to tell him the latest projections of his draftability.

But he decided to stay.

"I knew I wouldn't regret it," Bell said. "After my freshman year, I felt like I went through everything. I felt like I could come back here and play with no pressure."

Bell assumed the Eagles would pick up where they left off the next year, but three seniors had graduated, and then he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the fall. He missed only two exhibition games, but then fellow guard Ryan Sidney broke his jaw and BC came to rely on Bell more and more.

He still had some big-scoring games - he averaged 21.6 points for the season - but when he didn't, it was a virtual cinch that Boston College would lose. And by the end of the year, his NBA stock had fallen.

The decision might have cost him millions. Instead, Bell came back for an even more impressive senior year.

"I like the way he handled the whole thing. Even through the years he struggled, he handled it with class," Wright said. "And he just got better every year."

Skinner said there's no comparison between Bell as a sophomore and Bell now.

"Before, I'd walk into a game and say, 'This might be my night,"' he said. "Now, I feel like every night's my night."

Bell has scored 1,373 points in league games over his career, and he needs 33 in the regular-season finale against Connecticut to pass Lawrence Moten of Syracuse on the career list. BC can win the East Division outright with a victory.

"The only thing on my mind is UConn and the Big East trophy," Bell said. "I'm not really an emotional guy. I'll think about it after the game. I'll go, 'Wow. This is my last game. Boo-hoo.'"