Boston College vs. Duke Blue Devils: Final Thoughts & Predictions
Boston College (9-13, 4-8 ACC) will look to shock the college basketball world on Saturday as they face off with the #7 Duke Blue Devils. The Eagles have been in a bit of a slump, losing four out of their last five. For Duke, they continue on their Mike Krzyzewski farewell tour, and have easily been the class of the ACC this season. Paolo Banchero, a five star recruit, has been electric averaging 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. But it hasn't just been the future NBA lottery pick, Wendell Moore and Trevor Keels have both been valuable contributors as well.
Time: Saturday, 5:00 pm
Where: Conte Forum
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WEEI 850
Current Line: Duke -15
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boston College has a 10.1 % chance of winning this game
Ken Pom Ratings: Boston College (159) Duke (8)
Tale of the Tape (Via BCEagles.com):
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, TJ Bickerstaff, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series History: The series has been lop sided with Duke dominating the series 25-3, and have won 16 out of the last 17. The last Boston College win came in 2017, a game the Eagles won 89-84. Last season the Eagles lost to Duke in a close one 84-83, but were trounced in the ACC tournament 86-51.
Injury Updates: There are no injuries to report at this time
Player to Watch:
Via SI.Com: "There are simply not many players of Banchero's size (6-10) who can do as many things as he can offensively: he can initiate offense with the ball in his hands, play as the handler or screen-setter in the two-man game, and operate comfortably at the elbows, the baseline and on the block. He’s a mismatch creator by nature, which will be exacerbated by the types of bigs he’ll face in college."
Three Storylines Entering The Game
1. Ride the Energy: Conte Forum is usually a very quiet atmosphere in comparison to other ACC schools. However, the Duke game is one of the marquee games that the students and fanbase usually are amped up for. The energy should be electric on Saturday, and if it can help with the momentum that could be a great sign for the Eagles.
2. Support Bickerstaff: Boston College wing TJ Bickerstaff most likely will draw the tough assignment of covering Banchero. Looking at the roster there isn't many other players that can match the size of agility of the Duke star, meaning it will be important to keep Bickerstaff out of foul trouble.
3. Get Offense Going Early: Against Syracuse, Boston College missed 10 of their first 11 shots. Against a team as lethal as Duke, the Eagles can ill afford to start so slow. Find your rhythm early, and get those easy buckets to get some momentum going.
AJ's Fearless Prediction: There are a few intriguing factors here that could lean more towards an upset. Duke had a very quick turnaround after just playing Clemson on Thursday, this is the Super Bowl for many Boston College basketball fans, and the players most certainly will feed off that energy. That being said, Duke is the best team overall that the Eagles have faced all season. Against the spread, go with the Eagles, but for the game go with the Blue Devils. Duke 80 Boston College 70
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