Boston College at Virginia Basketball Preview
Teams trying to climb their way out of the ACC basement will meet on Tuesday when the Virginia Cavaliers host the Boston College Eagles. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM Eastern, televised on ACC Network.
Virginia enters with an 8-10 overall record, while Boston College carries a 9-9 mark. Both teams are 1-6 in ACC play.
About Boston College
Boston College is led by fourth-year head coach Earl Grant. The Eagles increased their win total in each of his first three years, capped last season by the program’s first 20-win season in over a decade. Things were headed in a great direction, Then, they were hit very hard by transfer departures in the offseason. This year’s revamped Eagles feature a mix of transfer additions along with a few promising young players who’ve moved into bigger roles.
The Eagles come in at 9-9 overall. They do have a really good win over Boise State to their credit, but also suffered a bad loss to Dartmouth. Tied with UVA at 1-6 in the conference play, their lone victory came against winless Miami. Last time out on Saturday, Duke handled them 88-63. Boston College currently sits at 226 in the NCAA's NET rankings.
Boston College’s Personnel
Virginia fans will recognize the name Donald Hand Jr, son of the former Wahoo standout. He’s having a breakout sophomore season. And starting forward Elijah Strong missed Saturday’s game due to illness, a situation to monitor.
G - Joshua Beadle (6’3” Junior, Clemson transfer, 6.8 points per game)
G - Dion Brown (6’3” Junior, UMBC transfer, 6.2 points per game)
G - Donald Hand Jr. (6’5” Sophomore, 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game)
F - Elijah Strong (6’8” Sophomore, 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game)
C - Chad Venning (6’9” Graduate, St. Bonaventure transfer, 12. 7 points and 1.5 blocks per game)
SE Louisiana transfer wing Roger McFarlane (5.3 PPG) filled in as a starter Saturday. Junior guard Chas Kelley (4.4 PPG) leads the team in assists. And sophomore guard Fred Payne (6.0 PPG) shoots 42% from three.
Key Stretch
Virginia has had a disappointing season up until this point by any reasonable measure. Sitting at 1-6 in conference play is a very unfamiliar place for Wahoo fans, accustomed to competing for championships during the Bennett years. The upcoming four-game stretch will go a long way in determining if there’s hope for this team to have a respectable finish or if they’ll be fighting the rest of the way to avoid the indignity of failing to qualify for the ACC Tournament.
The Wahoos have three of their next four at home, all against teams in the bottom half of the conference standings. They’ll host Notre Dame on Saturday, followed by a trip to Miami, then the Hokies come to town on February 1st. It’s an opportunity to find their footing a bit, build momentum going into the back half of the ACC schedule, or potentially fall further into hopelessness.
What’s Next
As mentioned, UVA will be at home again on Saturday to take on Notre Dame for a 6:30 PM tipoff. We’re having our annual LRA gathering before the game. If you’d like to join us, check the forum for details.
Be sure to tune in for the pregame show, starting 30 minutes before tip as always, available on the Locker Room Access Facebook page and YouTube channel.
(Featured Image Credit: Getty)