Boston College men’s basketball will take on No. 9 University of Virginia Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. The Eagles (7-14, 0-8 Atlantic Coast) arrive in Charlottesville fresh off of a loss to the University of North Carolina that extended their losing streak to eight games. BC is also still looking to notch its first conference win of the season, and hopes to pick it up amid a tough road trip that includes powerhouses North Carolina, Virginia, and Louisville.
A win in Charlottesville won’t come easy, as the Eagles are winless on the road this season, and are taking on a Virginia team that hasn’t lost at home yet. The Cavaliers (17-4, 6-3), on the other hand, are among the best teams in the conference and have won their last four games. UVA looks to pad its impressive conference record as the season begins to near its end with another home win.
After some close calls against Wake Forest and Clemson, where the Cavaliers won by one and seven points, respectively, expect a more focused Virginia team. Led by upperclassmen and leading scorers Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill, UVA will likely try to use its experienced roster to overwhelm a young BC team. But in a season like this, where Duke has fallen out of the top 25 for the first time in 8 years, anything is possible, and so BC will look to add to the madness and deal Virginia its first home loss of the season.
Last Time they Played: These two teams last played Jan. 17., 2015, when the Cavaliers came out on top 66-51 at Conte Forum. Last season, BC played UVA tough, using its experience, and only trailed 27-24 at halftime, but proceeded to let the game slip away in the second half. This loss came despite solid contributions from Olivier Hanlon and Patrick Heckmann, who scored 18 and 15 points, respectively. For UVA, Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill scored 20 and 11 points, respectively. Their bench also contributed with 11 points, and with the Cavaliers scoring 18 points on second-chance opportunities, Virginia cruised to victory.
Three Keys to the Game:
- Create Second-Chance Opportunities: If the Eagles hope to win this game, they need to play smart and make sure that they crash the boards after their shots. BC is one of the worst teams at managing offensive rebounds (345th in the country), and will need to make something happen once the ball is in the air if it hopes to put pressure on a UVA defense that ranks 22nd in the country in defensive rebounds. If BC losses this battle, it will have a very tough time scoring, especially with an offense that shoots a mere 48.3 percent from the field.
- Hot Hands: Who will have the hot hands in this matchup? For BC, Eli Carter is the go-to man for the job. Leading the team in points this season, Carter will need to continue to produce if the Eagles want to leave Charlottesville with a win. In BC’s most recent loss to UNC, Carter shot .467 from the field, which marked the first time in four games that he had a shooting percentage above .400. In order to threaten the Cavalier defense, Carter will need to put up a similar shooting percentage. For Virginia, all eyes will be on Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill, who have each had tremendous seasons thus far. Brogdon and Gill are the main scorers for UVA, and have put up shooting percentages of .447 and .604 on the season, respectively. They’re good shots, and BC will need to play very tight defense on these two so as to limit the number of shots they put up.
- Defense: BC will need to play excellent defense if it wants to stay competitive in this game. As mentioned, the defense will need to shut down Brogdon and Gill, but will also have to put pressure on the perimeter, as the Cavaliers’ 39.7 percent shooting from the 3-point line poses a dangerous threat. Defensive rebounding will also be very important for the outcome of the game. UVA ranks 143rd in the nation in offensive rebounding, which gives the Eagles an opportunity to capitalize. BC cannot give the Cavaliers too many second-chance opportunities, or else it will feel the true wrath of UVA’s 55.3 percent field-goal shooting percentage. All in all, BC defense needs to play well and be patient so that the offense can focus and make the necessary plays.
Featured Image by Timothy D. Easley / AP Photo
