ACC Tournament (Boston College vs. Wake Forest): Prediction & Preview
Boston College (12-19) will return to action on Wednesday in the second round of the ACC tournament against the surging Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Eagles are coming in after easily taking care of Pitt on Tuesday 66-46. Three players scored in double figures, led by James Karnik's 13 points, as Earl Grant's squad rode a 25-3 run to put away the Panthers. Wake Forest, the 5th ranked team in the conference had a bye in the opening round, but is one of the most dangerous teams in the conference.
ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams scored 20 points the first time the two teams played.
This is the second time the two teams have played this season, with Wake easily taking care of BC 87-57 in Winston-Salem in January. Wake has a lot of momentum heading into the tournament after an incredible season, and has started to get real recognition because of it. Earlier this week the ACC announced their awards, and Wake was heavily represented. This included ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams, and ACC Coach of the Year Steve Forbes. This is a big game for the Deacons as well, as they are considered a bubble team in most mock brackets.
Boston College (11-18, 6-14 ACC) vs Wake Forest (23-8, 13-7 ACC)
- Date/Time: Wednesday, March 8 at 2:30 p.m. EST
- Place: Barclay Center, Brooklyn New York
- TV: ESPN2
- Live Stream: fuboTV (link here).
- Radio (Boston College): WEEI 850 AM, Danya Abrams (Color), Josh Maurer (Play by Play)
- Current Odds: Wake Forest (-10)
- ESPN Odds Predictor: Boston College has a 17.6% chance of winning this game
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, Brevin Galloway, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series History: Boston College is 15-13 all-time vs. Wake Forest, dating back to 1980-81. The two teams are tied for wins in ACC Play with both teams at 12-12. BC has captured two of the last five meetings, but have dropped the last three meetings - including a 69-65 home loss on Feb. 10, 2021.
James Karnik led BC with 13 points against Pitt
Three Storylines:
1. Playing with House Money: Boston College is getting very little respect heading into this game, which is expected given the results of their previous matchup. Given they have nothing to lose, and Wake Forest (a bubble team) has all the pressure, this could be the perfect opportunity for a trap game.
2. Offense Needs To Show Up: The last time these two teams played it was a perfect storm of poor play by BC. Wake Forest shot over 50%, while the Eagles struggled all over the court shooting just 25%. Against a team that is one of the most lethal offenses in the ACC, BC has to keep the offense going. Another poor shooting afternoon will certainly doom Grant's squad.
3. Defense Needs Game of the Year: Wake Forest is averaging just short of 80 points a game, good for 24th in the league. They easily eclipsed that the last time the two teams played. BC has made their bones this year with good defense, but Wednesday will be a monumental task. Finding a way to slow down Williams and that Deacs offense will be paramount if BC wants to stay in the game.
Post led the Eagles with 13 points in their previous matchup
AJ's Fearless Prediction: BC picked up a nice opening round win against Pitt, but make no mistake, Wake Forest is no Pitt. This is a very tough matchup for BC, and the Eagles are going to need to click on all cylinders if they want to stand a chance. That being said, the Deacs have just too much and take this game rather easily. Wake Forest 82 Boston College 64
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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