Boston College vs. Richmond: Preview and Predictions
After dropping Wednesday's game to the St. Louis Billiken, the Boston College Eagles try to get back in the win column against the Richmond Spiders. Unlike in past years where UR has struggled and played poorly, the Spiders have started off the year strong at 5-1 and looks to not only be a formidable opponent but a big challenge for a Boston College squad that has lost three out of their last four games.
Time: 2:30pm
Where: Robins Center, University of Richmond
TV: ACC Network
Radio: NBCSN
Opening Line: Richmond (-6.0)
Projected Starting Five: Nik Popovic, Steffon Mitchell, Derryck Thornton, Jared Hamilton, Jay Heath
Ken Pom Rankings: Richmond (86) Boston College (121)
Key Matchup: Jay Heath vs. Nick Sherod
The Boston College true freshman missed last game due to a fever, and today's status is unclear. But if he is playing he is going to need to play solid defense against Sherod a 6'4 guard who is lethal from three point range shooting 51% from beyond the arc. On the offensive side, if Heath is playing BC is going to need him to be a shooter who can break up some of these scoreless skids that have killed BC the past few games.
The Opponent
It was another disappoint year for the Richmond Spiders last season as they finished 13-20 and 10th in the A-10. Head coach Chris Mooney has been in charge of Richmond since the 2004-05 season and has two NCAA tournaments on his resume.
This season has started on the right foot for the Spiders as they have five wins to just one loss including a big win against Wisconsin. In terms of players to watch out for, Richmond has three guards (Sherod, Blake Francis, and Jacob Gilyard) who can be lethal from the field all averaging over 15 points a game. As a team Richmond is one of the best offensive teams BC has faced all year averaging 86 points per game, good for 26th in the NCAA.
Three Questions Heading Into This Game
1. Can Boston College avoid long scoreless streaks? The Eagles played well against St. Louis minus a brutal 21-0 run in which the Eagles were held scoreless to start the second half. They need to avoid this type of draught if they want to stick with Richmond today.
2. Can they stop the unforced errors? Turnovers are going to happen, it's part of basketball, but what is killing and are completely avoidable BC are the unforced errors. Losing handles of the ball, bad passes to no one and bad shot selections all need to stop.
3. Can Boston College stick with a high scoring team? Last time BC played a high scoring squad, Belmont, they lost easily, can they handle another one?
AJ's Predictions: Richmond 71 Boston College 60. I think this is just going to be one of those games where BC's defense struggles, I don't see them avoiding a big draught again that will be littered with unforced errors and the Eagles will drop this one pretty easily.
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