Boston College vs. UVA: Final Thoughts & Predictions
Boston College (9-11, 4-6 ACC) heads back on the road on Tuesday to face off with Virginia Cavaliers (12-9, 6-5 ACC) in Charlottesville. The Eagles are fresh off one of their most complete wins of the season on Sunday when they downed Pitt in a rematch 69-56 at Conte Forum.
Jayden Gardner, forward
The Cavaliers come in to this game needing a win. The team has struggled of late, losing three out of their last five, including a 69-56 defeat at the hands of Notre Dame on Saturday. Led by Jayden Gardner (14.8 ppg), expect a low scoring affair as the Cavaliers have only allowed 59.8 points per game.
Boston College will be looking to build upon a very good outing against Pitt, which saw DeMarr Langford and Makai Ashton Langford combine for 36 points. This will be a tough one for BC though, UVA's defense could be very challenging for an Eagles squad that has only averaged 65.7 ppg.
Time: Tuesday, 6:00 pm
Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Virginia
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WEEI 850
Current Line: UVA -9
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boston College has a 18.1% chance of winning this game
Ken Pom Ratings: Boston College (139) UNC (98)
Tale of the Tape (Via BCEagles.com):
A look at the statistical differences between the Eagles and Cavaliers
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, TJ Bickerstaff, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series History: Boston College is 8-17 all-time against Virginia. and 7-13 against Virginia in ACC play. Last year, UVA defeated BC 61-49 on Jan. 9, 2021 at Conte Forum. On Jan. 7, 2020, the Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak vs. the Cavaliers with a 60-53 win at home.
Injury Updates: No injuries of note.
Player to Watch: Jayden Gardner, forward. The Cavs leading scorer, Gardner a 6-6 forward has been the offensive leader for Tony Bennett. Over the past four games he hasn't scored less than 13 points, which is big given how stout UVA's defense can be. Also a strong rebounder, with five double doubles on the season.
Three Keys to the Game:
1. Be Careful on Offense: UVA's bread and butter is to muck up the game, and slow down offenses with their grinding pack line defense. BC who at times have been ineffective on offense, need to be crisp with their offense and attack. If they get sloppy UVA will punish them.
2. Good D Could Be Enough: If the Eagles can get their offense going to some extend, putting together a good game on defense could be enough to pull off the win. UVA is only averaging 62.7ppg this year, and as seen with their recent results can be beaten.
3. Langford Brothers Engage: Makai Ashton Langford has been one of the best come back stories of the season in the ACC, averaging 13.0 ppg and being the spark plug in many of the Eagles wins. If the brothers can get going, especially running the offense, BC could be in good shape.
AJ's Fearless Prediction
On paper this is a very winnable game for the Eagles. UVA is not the same team that won the national championship just a few years ago, and looks more like the rest of the middle tier ACC teams in the conference. But their defense is still ferocious and will test the Eagles. That being said, this could be a fun one in Charlottesville, and I'll take the Eagles with the upset. Boston College 63 UVA 59
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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