Boston College vs. Syracuse: Final Thoughts & Predictions
Boston College will look to end their four game losing streak as they battle their old Big East foe Syracuse. This is the second matchup between the two schools, with the Orange winning 73-64 in Chestnut Hill in January. The Orange have dominated the series of late as BC has lost its last seven, and nine of its last 10 against Syracuse. The biggest storyline to watch for will be the health of forwards Quinten Post and TJ Bickerstaff both of whom missed Wednesday's game against Notre Dame. Bickerstaff is considered day to day, while Post is still in the COVID-19 protocols.
Time: Saturday, 12:00 pm
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse New York
TV: ESPNU
Radio: WEEI 850
Current Line: Syracuse -9, O/U 145.5
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boston College has a 13.3% chance of winning this game
Ken Pom Ratings: Boston College (155) Syracuse (59)
Tale of the Tape: Boston College vs. Syracuse
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, TJ Bickerstaff, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series History: Boston College is 26-54 all-time vs. Syracuse, most recently losing to Syracuse 73-64 earlier this season. The Eagles are 9-27 all-time vs. Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.
Injury Updates: TJ Bickerstaff is "day to day" with a calf injury, while Quinten Post has missed the previous two games due to COVID related illness. Syracuse will be without center Jermaine Edwards who broke his wrist against Boston College, and is out for the season.
Player to Watch
The Villanova transfer was electric the last time the two teams played eleven days ago. Swider scored 21 points, and hit five three pointers, most in the second half to seal the win for the Orange.
Storylines to Watch For:
1. Defense on the perimeter: Joe Girard III and Buddy Boeheim were lethal against the Eagles during the Jim Christian days, but that seems to have changed. Boeheim struggled against BC last time out, only shooting 2-9 from three. Girard was a better shooter, scoring 18 points. Slowing down this pair will be a huge focus of the BC defense.
2. Big Men Depth: The availability of TJ Bickerstaff and Quinten Post will be a massive storyline heading into the game. Boston College battled with Notre Dame on Wednesday and almost took down the Fighting Irish, but their lack of big men depth ended up dooming them in the end. By the end of the second half, BC was playing a five guard lineup because there were no bigs left. If Post and Bickerstaff can play, the complexion immediately changes.
3. Get Zackery Going: BC's true freshman continues to take on a bigger role with the team, and his confidence in his offense seems sky high. Zackery ranks third on BC in scoring (9.6), second in assists (2.6), and first in steals (1.5) so far this season, and has scored 18 points in two of his last three games. He's aggressive, and can provide instant offense against the 2-3 zone.
Jaeden Zackery
AJ's Fearless Prediction: Obviously the health of BC's bigs will be a major factor against Syracuse. If BC is without the pair, they could be at a sizable disadvantage. However, if they can play, BC's defense will need to step up. Syracuse has a strong battery of shooters, and any one of them can take over the game. This could go one of two ways, BC could be gassed from an overtime game in which they gave it their all just a few days ago, or they could stun the Orange. Syracuse will have just enough to put away the Eagles. Syracuse 70 Boston College 65
Join our forum to talk BC football, basketball, hockey and recruiting! Become part of our BC Bulletin message board and forum. It is a free way to comment on our posts, and interact with other Boston College fans and alumni. Make sure to sign up and become a member. Click here to join today!
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook and following on us on Twitter.
Facebook- BostonCollegeSI
Twitter: @BulletinBC, @AJBlack_BC
