Everything Boston College Men's Basketball Head Coach Earl Grant Said at ACC Tipoff
The Boston College men's basketball team had its media session at 2024 ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday afternoon.
At the event, Eagles head coach Earl Grant spoke as well as guards Chas Kelley III and Donald Hand Jr.
Below is a transcript of everything Grant said.
Q: It is clear that you have started turning the program in the right direction. What are the variables that you can point to to say, all right, yes, we are moving in the right direction?
GRANT: I think the biggest variable probably is just hard work. Hard work works, you know, and there's no substitute for hard work. I think the second layer of that is just honesty. Guys being honest with themselves, them being honest with me and the staff, me being honest with them. That way we trust. We trust each other. We know every game we play there's no guarantee, but we're thankful to play the games. We're thankful to be in this conference. We're thankful to have the type of people we have in our locker room. So really it starts with just trust and hard work. We trust each other. We know every game we play there's no guarantee, but we're thankful to play the games. We're thankful to be in this conference. We're thankful to have the type of people we have in our locker room. So it really starts with just trust and our work.
Q. Going off of what you were saying, building a culture in this environment we obviously know that NIL, transfer portal, there's a lot of change that happens, but you've had that success from year one to two to three in the win-loss column. How are you building a culture in an ever-changing environment?
GRANT: Well, I mean, I think it is an ever-changing environment. I can't really control that. I think the student-athletes can't control that either. We didn't ask for this environment; this environment found us. This where we are, 2024, right? But in terms of culture, you just try to get players that have good character, that fit what you believe is important to winning on and off the court. I'm big on on and off the court. I know this basketball is fleeting. You get four years of college basketball. You maybe get an average of three to seven years of pro, right? I'm more focused on the 29-year-old and 30-year-old man. How is he going to take care of his family? What are the habits he has to be a good father and good husband? I'm not changing. That's important to me. That's the most important reason I got in this business, to help these young men. So I want to win. I don't like losing. I'm a very competitive guy. But the main thing is how to help them become better people so they can go out and have great lives with their families, have good jobs, understanding relationships and networks. We at a place like Boston College where network is a major factor for the next 30 to 40 years. So these are two rising juniors, all right? These are two rising juniors. These guys have been with me going in their third year. You talk about culture. That's culture. They been around every step of the way, and they're sitting here today.
THE MODERATOR: It's a comment that I guess I'll ask for a reaction. Last year B.C. registered true road wins seven times. It's almost like Boston College is a disruptor when it goes to somebody else's house. Do you think about playing the role of spoiler? Obviously every game you want to win, but seven true road wins last year is pretty special.
GRANT: I mean, a road kill is really fun. I mean, it's fun. The milkshakes taste good after, you know. But, you know, the home and road games, they're very competitive. Again, like I said, you don't know what the result is going to be. Results are a byproduct of your efforts and your belief and your planning and your preparedness. We just try to prepare. We try to believe in what we do and don't compromise what we do to satisfy others. We let the chips fall where they may. I'm glad we were able to win those seven true road wins. They're not easy to get, but you know, my focus and I think our players' focus, is just on the day-to-day process. The process of becoming good: A good team, a good person, and you let the chips fall where they may.
Q. Through the transfer portal you picked up Josh Beadle out of Clemson. I wanted to ask how he's fit into y'all's system so far over the offseason?
GRANT: Josh has been really good. Obviously he's a veteran going into his fourth year in the ACC. He graduated in three years, so he is working on his masters. He has been really good. I think the biggest thing is obviously you can't take away his experience in the league, the minutes that he has logged, understanding what goes into becoming a good team, the day-to-day grind. He gets all of that. He's expecting a breakthrough individually as well as he wants the team to break through. It's nice to have somebody who understands the league, but also it's nice to have somebody to understand the importance of leadership, seeing teams that were led well by players, seeing teams that weren't led as well by players. Then coming into our locker room and respecting the fact that there are some guys who have been around. I think he gets it. So he has been really good. He's a really fast, athletic combination guard. He is going into his fourth year in the league, so I'm happy he's with us.
