ACC Tournament (Boston College vs. Pitt): Prediction & Preview
The regular season has concluded, and the ACC Tournament is set to kick off. The first round features two teams that have played each other twice, Boston College & Pitt. Playing on a Tuesday is something teams try to avoid, as it makes the road to the Championship near impossible. But for the Eagles a win could be a big deal, and give them some momentum heading into a potential Wednesday matchup with Wake Forest. Pitt has more at stake, with a loss possibly meaning the end of the Jeff Capel era in Oakland.
John Hugley, 32 points against BC in first matchup
This game will be the "rubber match" of a trio of games played between the two schools. In their first matchup Boston College had no answer to Panthers big man John Hugley who dominated with 32 points in a close 69-67 Pitt win. BC's bigs (James Karnik) got in foul trouble early, and were forced to roll out their third string center to try and slow him. However, in their second matchup BC adjusted holding him to just 9 points, in a convincing 69-56 win at Conte Forum later in the season. Boston College is 0-1 in ACC tournament play and 3-5 in conference tournaments all-time versus Pittsburgh.
Boston College (11-18, 6-14 ACC) vs Pitt (11-20, 6-14 ACC)
- Date/Time: Tuesday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. EST
- Place: Barclay Center, Brooklyn New York
- TV: ACC Network (Anish Shroff, Jordan Cornette)
- Live Stream: fuboTV (link here).
- Radio (Boston College): WEEI 850 AM, Danya Abrams (Color), Josh Maurer (Play by Play)
- Opening Betting Line: Boston College (-2)
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boston College has a 65% chance of winning
- KenPom Rankings: Boston College (146) Pitt (193)
Via BCeagles.com
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, Brevin Galloway, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series: Boston College is 21-36 all-time vs. Pittsburgh, and 2-6 against the Panthers in ACC play. Pitt won 74-72 in 2020, last year's game was cancelled due to COVID, and the two teams split their regular season series in 2021-22.
Makai Ashton Langford led Eagles in their victory in second game
Three Storylines to Watch:
1. Build Some Momentum: While the odds are stacked against the Eagles going far in the tournament, an opening win against Pitt would help build some momentum in Earl Grant's first year as head coach. With six ACC wins already, another victory while not getting BC where they need to be, would certainly show that the program is heading in the right direction.
2. Slow Down Hugley: In the first game Hugley was an absolute monster, scoring 32 points and forcing the BC bigs into foul trouble. Credit to Earl Grant who adjusted the defense and forced the big man to shoot just 3 of 9 in the second matchup. If BC can slow him down again, the Eagles will be in great shape for a win, but if they struggle, Pitt could find it's offense quickly.
3. Let the Brothers Cook: In BC's last week against Pitt, Makai Ashton Langford and DeMarr Langford combined for 38 points. Most of this was through good shot selection, aggressiveness to the hoop and good look three point shots.
AJ's Fearless Prediction: One thing we have seen from Earl Grant this year is a pretty consistent ability to adjust when they have the ability to do so. Against Pitt, he was able to neutralize their biggest weapon in game two of their series, and the game was never particularly close. Pitt and BC are both on a bit of a slide to end the season, but I'll go with the Eagles narrowly winning the game. Boston College 64 Pitt 61
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Editor and publisher of BC Bulletin. '06 graduate of Boston College, who has followed the program as long as he can remember. Has been covering the Eagles for the past nine years, giving expert analysis, recruiting news and breakdowns. Also the host of Locked on Boston College, a daily BC podcast that is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. When he is not writing or producing content on the Eagles, he can be found running, skiing, enjoying craft beers, or spending time with his family. You can follow AJ Black on Twitter @AJBlack_BC and our official site Twitter account is @BulletinBC