Gameday: Getting to Know Boston College

Boston College stands 8-8 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. Their lone ACC win was over Syracuse, with their two losses at the hands of Wake Forest and Duke. Wednesday night they will host NC State where they will look to build upon a second half where they outscored Duke 48-40 at Cameron Indoor. What do you need to know about the Eagles?

Jerome Robinson leads the Eagles in scoring averaging 20.6 per game.

Robinson is having a great sophomore season for the Eagles. He has taken the responsibility of being the go-to guy for BC which has helped improve their fast-paced attack. Robinson has a well-rounded offensive game. He shoots well from the field and has a handle that allows him to get defenders leaning to beat them to the basket. The 6-5 guard is talented at taking smaller guards off the bounce, scoring over the top. Robinson also works hard off the ball, cutting backdoor, moving for spot up threes when teammates drive, and curling off of ball screens. His diverse skill set and constant movement make him a difficult cover for opposing teams.

Turnovers plague the Eagles averaging 15.8 per game.

Boston College plays fast and doesn’t mind challenging teams to a track meet. In their last game at Duke, they went back and forth with the Blue Devils; however, their 17 first half turnovers proved to be too much to overcome. A lot of these turnovers were unforced by the Blue Devils, results from poor decisions to rush or attack without numbers.

Boston College plays fast on offense and gives up points defensively.

The Eagles average 74.6 points per game on the season although they have improved that average to 81.3 per game in their three ACC games. BC’s fast-paced attack leads to lots of possessions offensively but it has also strained their defense. In conference play, they are allowing 84.2 PPG. Transition defense hasn’t been great for Boston College as they have been punished for live-ball turnovers. Duke converted 24 points off of Boston College turnovers in the first half. BC’s inability to control turnovers and stop opposing teams consequently slowing their success.

The Eagles can play with any team in the ACC; however, they have not secure a big win due to defense and turnovers. Rebounding has also been of concern as they have a negative rebounding margin in ACC play at -2.7. One thing is sure the Eagles are improving under Coach Jim Christian. Wednesday night Boston College will look to clean up turnovers as well as build upon their second half as they look to beat NC State.