CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- When Pat Duquette got the job at UMass-Lowell, the first phone call he made was to Biko Paris.

Duquette, who spent 13 years as an assistant under Al Skinner at Boston College, had known Paris since he recruited him out of high school.

At the time, Paris was serving as an assistant coach at Boston University under another former Eagles coach, Joe Jones, after spending a season playing professionally in Germany.

Paris was left with a difficult decision, but Jones graciously made it easier.

"Coach Jones was the first guy I talked to and he said, 'Go, you've got to go,'" Paris said. "When you have guys like that in your corner that call you and then that's willing to give you up for a better opportunity and not trying to hold you back from that, it's awesome."

Paris is now in his third season as Duquette's top assistant, but the two have already developed a lifelong bond.

Duquette discovered a 17-year-old Paris while recruiting at Cypress Christian School in Houston, Tx. Soon after, Paris committed to play for Duquette and legendary Eagles head coach Al Skinner at Boston College, where he averaged 6.1 points and 3.0 assists over four seasons.

Even then, Duquette realized Paris had the coaching gene.

"He always knew I wanted to coach one day," Paris said. "It means a lot to me to actually get an opportunity from a guy like him to learn and be around every day and watch how he kind of interacts with the kids and everything like that."

Paris' sideline persona isn't like that of the old school Skinner, who always seemed to wear a furrowed brow. Instead, he and Duquette choose take a more amiable approach.

"We don't yell at them, just kind of give them a couple things and let them react," Paris said. "(We) kind of just let those guys go out there and just play freely, and that's kind of how we coach and how we let those guys practice every day."

Paris' compassion comes from experience - not too long ago, he was in his players' shoes.

"It's just always reminding myself that, just like when I was in school, they need help," Paris said. "I know the game, I've been through it, so try to help those guys not go through and take some of the same lumps I took when I was in college."

"I know it's a different level, but still some kids are far away from just home like I was, miss your parents, or think basketball is not quite going the way you think it should be going or how you planned on it, so just helping those guys."

Some of his advice consists of X's and O's, but not as much as you'd think.

"A lot of it is not even basketball, to be honest," he said. "It's the things that can affect you on the court, and just when you're on the court, just to have an open mind and put all that stuff aside and just have fun and play."

On Sunday, his players did exactly that - against Paris' old team in his old home gym, no less. The Riverhawks earned a hard-fought 68-66 win over the Eagles, marking the first time ever that UMass-Lowell had beaten Boston College on the hardwood (albeit in their second meeting).

Deep down, it must have been a bittersweet moment for Paris.

Even if he won't admit it.

"It was fun," Paris said after the victory. "Boston College, they're a great team, have a lot of young pieces. You can definitely see the core for the team and where they're headed in the right direction. I think coach (Jim) Christian is doing a terrific job."

Paris saw a lot of similarities between his Riverhawks team and the youthful Eagles.

"Kind of going through the same thing we're going through, young, trying to build from the ground up, so you're going to go through lumps and take your hits, but our guys played well," Paris said.

Another old friend took notice of the milestone victory for Paris' team - Coach Skinner.

In the hallway after the game, Paris whipped out his phone with a smile on his face to reveal a text message from Skinner that read "congrats."

"I talk to him a lot," Paris said. "He's a mentor and I know whenever I need anything or need advice or anything like that, he's a guy I can pick up the phone and call."

Skinner, much like Paris, is going through his own process of building up a program at Kennesaw State, where he was hired to coach last April.

"I know he's going to do great things at Kennesaw State," Paris said. "Just like us, it's going to take some time for those guys to kind of build it up, get his own guys in, show those guys the process and the system that he wants to run."

Paris has stayed in touch with many of his old BC teammates, like Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, Tyler Roche, Josh Southern, and of course Reggie Jackson.

"We all talk and we're going to get together, especially when Reggie comes (and) they play the Celtics. We're going to all link up and get together, grab some drinks, and go out."

Together, those Eagles teams strung together some competitive seasons, culminating with NCAA Tournament and National Invitation Tournament appearances in Paris' final two years.

But ever since he's left, the program has crumbled - and that was evident by the sparse crowd at Sunday's game against UMass-Lowell.

Paris knows there's only one thing that will change that.

"Honestly, no one wants to hear it, but the truth is winning brings fans. I think these guys will win, but it's going to take time - it's not something that happens overnight. They have a lot of young kids and those guys are going to have to go through the process and kind of get beat some nights and give beatings some nights."

"Our games right now at UMass-Lowell, the fans, they're not pouring in, they're not waiting outside, but it's better than year one because they see what type of kids we're bringing in, they see the growth in our team. As you win and as you get out and do some things in the community, the fans will come. It sucks right now for those kids, I know, but I'm sure eventually with the guys that Coach Christian has in that fans will come."