After back-to-back losses to Providence and Nebraska, Boston College men’s basketball looks to bounce back against a weak 3-5 Hartford team on Saturday night. Sitting at 5-3, this will be the Eagles’ last non-conference game before entering ACC play, and hosting No.1 Duke. BC will most likely be without graduate transfer Teddy Hawkins, who sustained a non-contact knee injury in the loss to the Huskers on Wednesday night. Not only was the 6-foot-8 power forward, the Eagles’ third-leading scorer, but he was also one of three players in the ACC averaging a double-double. It’ll be up to Steffon Mitchell and others to make up for the loss in production inside.
Who is BC playing?
Hartford
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Chase Family Arena, West Hartford, Conn.
TV, Radio, Stream?
The game can be viewed on ESPN3 or livestreamed via WatchESPN.
By the Numbers:
BC:
1) BC ranks 14th in the country in offensive rebounding, posting a total of 110 offensive boards in its first eight games of play.
2) Jerome Robinson is shooting 41 percent from deep (4.3 attempts per game).
3) The Eagles are scoring 75.8 points per game, and are allowing just about 68 per contest.
Hartford:
1) Hartford is averaging 71.4 points per game, but has struggled defensively, conceding 76.1 points per game—a negative 4.7 average point differential.
2) Jason Dunne, the 6-foot-4 guard from Matawan, N.J., is averaging 17 points per game so far this season.
3) John Carroll leads the Hawks with 17.8 points per game, not to mention that he’s averaging 6.8 rebounds per contest.
Last Meeting?
Last year, Hartford stunned BC, 65-63, behind Dunne’s 25 points, and a last second bucket from downtown. Robinson shot 2-of-13 from the floor, including 0-of-5 from 3-point land. But it’s important to note that Ky Bowman had yet to earn the starting role at that point in time. As a result, the star point guard spent most of the day watching Ty Graves run the offense, and only about nine minutes actually on the court.
BC wins if…
It can gain position inside, run a fast-paced offense, and force the turnover-prone Hawks to cough up the ball. Look for the Eagles to try to exploit Hartford’s relative lack of athleticism and lock the Hawks down from beyond the arc. After all, Hartford has only hit 31.7 percent of its shots from downtown this season.
BC loses if…
It commits sloppy turnovers, and fails to defend Dunne. The Eagles have had a problem protecting the ball all year averaging a whopping 12.9 turnovers a game. BC has also struggled to defend the perimeter shot, so if they let Dunne fire away from outside like last year, the Eagles could be on upset alert.
Featured Image by Jake Evans / Heights Staff
