Boston College Eagles
Atlantic Coast Conference (15-16, 6-10)
Seed: #
Big Wins: 1/26 Clemson (75-69), 2/20 North Carolina (71-67), 2/24 Virginia Tech (80-60)
Bad Losses: 11/20 vs St. Joseph’s (80-84), 1/2 Maine (51-52), 3/11 vs Virginia (62-68)
Coach: Al Skinner
Why They Can Surprise:
Most of Boston College’s big guys are not traditional back to the basket players, but it is their diversity that makes the Eagles so difficult to defend. Joe Trapani is the team’s top scorer and rebounder. The 6-8 junior is also the most prolific outside shooter on the team and his ability to shoot over opposing defenders and stretch out the defense makes him invaluable. Senior Tyler Roche is much like Trapani. He can come in off the bench and hit some three-pointers and provide an immediate spark to the offense. Roche will not hit the glass as effectively, but this is a good rebounding team thanks to Trapani, Corey Raji and Josh Southern.
Raji is shorter than Trapani, but he is an efficient interior scorer and averages 11.4 points per game. He is also a very tough rebounder and will use his 6-6, 218 pound frame to create space for himself to get those rebounds. At 6-10 and 248 pounds, Josh Southern is the typical big man on the team. He plays less than 20 minutes per game and is not much of a threat to score, but even without blocking many shots, Southern is a difference maker on the defensive end.
Why They Can Disappoint:
It is nice to have forwards like Trapani and Roche who can shoot the ball, but it would even be nicer if there was a shooting guard on this team who could actually shoot. Reggie Jackson does plenty of scoring and does a lot for this team, but he is not a consistent outside shooter. Jackson does do a great job on the glass and is a superb passer and overall athlete, but somebody in the backcourt has to hit the long ball. The only other option is Rakim Sanders and he connects on less than 32 percent of his attempts from long range. While Sanders is another double-digit scorer, Boston College does have trouble sparking their offense and coming from behind quickly due to their lack of outside shooting and inability to create turnovers.
Who To Watch:
Biko Paris’ playing time has dwindled as the year has progressed. The junior point guard has done a good job finding his teammates, but his turnover numbers are a little high. For the most part Boston College has opted to move Jackson to the point and that allows room for Trapani, Raji and Southern in the starting lineup and that makes the Eagles a big team. And the great thing for BC is that they can bring in Paris alongside Jackson and have two quality ballhandlers on the floor whenever they need it. But for a team looking for a leader, changing point guards is tough to do.
Probable Starters:
Reggie Jackson, Sophomore, Guard, 12.9 ppg, 4.5 apg, 5.7 rpg
Rakim Sanders, Junior, Guard, 11.3 ppg, 2.1 apg
Joe Trapani, Junior, Forward, 14.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Corey Raji, Junior, Forward, 11.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Josh Southern, Junior, Center, 4.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Cortney Dunn, Junior, Forward, 0.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Dallas Elmore, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Biko Paris, Junior, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 4.1 apg
Evan Ravenel, Sophomore, Forward, 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Tyler Roche, Senior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.4 (160th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.0 (112, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.8 (103, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.6 (198. 11)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (266, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.8 (217, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.3 (92, 5)
Rebound Margin: 4.9 (35, 4)
Assists Per Game: 15.2 (38, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (97, 5)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
