Previewing the 2019-20 Boston College Men's Basketball Season Part 1

Will Boston College go dancing in March? Or will the Eagles struggle to find their way?

Starting the year off with a win in the Ft. Myers Tip Off over Loyala-Chicago, BC men's basketball looked like they were on their way to a potential post season trip. Unfortunately for the Eagles, that was one of only a few bright spots on the season.

Boston College finished the year 14-17 overall and a forgettable 5-13 within the ACC. BC hasn't finished above .500 in ACC play since the 2010-11 season (Steve Donahue's first year as BC's coach). Ky Bowman (NBA) and Jordan Chatman (Graduation) both left Boston College which means that BC will have to look elsewhere for scoring. But enough about the past, we now look to what the future holds.

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The Roster

BC will have to go this year without Sophomore Guard Wynston Tabbs. Tabbs who had surgery on his left knee on September 17th said in a statement released by the school:

"While I won't be able to play this season, I know that it is a temporary setback and I will be back stronger than ever before,"

"I want to thank my family, the Boston College Basketball program, and all our fans for their continued support. I've overcome obstacles before in my life and will work tirelessly to overcome this one. I am built for this."

Tabbs averaged 13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.7 apg last year in 15 games for the Eagles. And in only four of those games, he was held to under double digit points as a freshman. So where will BC look to get it's scoring from?

BC will look to the brothers duo of Senior Jared Hamilton (6 ppg last year) and Sophomore Jairus Hamilton (5.6 ppg). Both had up and down moments but Jairus had the ability to go off in games. Last year he had seven games with double digit points including a team high tie 17 point game at Clemson (Ky Bowman also had 17 pts that game). Jared also enjoyed himself a 17 point game vs Notre Dame in which he shot 80% from the field.

BC will also look to Senior Nik Popovic. Popovic was second on the team last year with 14.5 ppg. And only three opposing teams could hold him to under double digit points a season ago. Perhaps his best game was a 81-78 overtime loss at Gerogia Tech where he had a near double double with a game high 24 pts.

The Newcomers

BC has two new faces transferring into the program. Graduate transfer Derryck Thornton from USC and Junior Makai Ashton-Langford from Providence. On top of those two, they also have five new freshmen for the upcoming season.

Derryck Thornton, a 5* recruit out of high school, played for ACC foe Duke and then transferred to USC. In his one year with the Blue Devils Thornton averaged 7.1 ppg, and just shy of 2 apg. After sitting a year due to transfer rules Thornton played two seasons with the Trojans and averaged just shy of 6 ppg. Thornton could be a star true point guard this season for the Eagles.

The other transfer into the program is Junior Makai Ashton-Langford from Providence. In his two seasons with the Friars Langford averaged just under 4 ppg. Ashton-Langford was the number one recruit coming out of Massachusetts in 2017 and was number 44 on the ESPN 100. Ashton-Langord did struggle with his shot while at Providence but he still could be a viable asset to Jim Christian.  Unfortunately because he's a transfer, he'll have to sit out this season but once he comes back with a healthy Wynston Tabbs next season, the scoring for BC could come at a high level.

CJ Felder is a 6'7" forward from Sumter, SC and already has a connection to BC. CJ's father; CJ Sr., is a cousin of Ky Bowman's father, Tom. Once his family figured out that connection, it was easy to choose BC. Felder also had offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Mississippi State, Murray State, UNLV, and Virginia Tech. Before his injury his senior year, he was averaging 13 ppg and 11 rpg and he shot just under 78% from the floor his junior season.

Julian Rishwain received a lot of praise from head coach Jim Christian. In an article released by the school Christian said:

"Julian is one of the best high school long-range shooters in the country. He brings a competitive, underdog spirit to the court, along with a high basketball IQ and an exceptional work ethic. He possesses great character and the willingness to make sacrifices to achieve his goals. Basketball runs in his blood and with continued growth, added strength, and continued skills development, I believe Julian will develop into an exciting all-around player that will contribute to the winning culture at Boston College."

He averaged 20 ppg and 6 rpg as a senior for Notre Dame HS in California. Rishwain had offers from Hawai'i, San Francisco, and UC Santa Barbara. A 6'5" guard could provide the Eagles with some excellent shooting depth.

Jay Heath is a 6'3" guard out of Washington DC and was ranked the number two guard coming out of the DC area by ESPN. He also held offers from George Mason, Georgetown, James Madison, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Rhode Island, and VCU. Heath averaged 14 ppg and 6 rpg during his senior season at Woodrow Wilson.

Kamari Williams is a 6'7" forward out of Sandy Spring, MD who averaged 14 ppg and 7 rpg during his senior year for St. Andrew's Episcopal. His high school head coach Kevin Jones said in an article released by the school:

"Kamari is extremely versatile at 6 foot 8 with his length. He shoots the ball extremely well and is also able to attack the basket. He is pretty athletic and a fairly good rebounder and he uses his length to defend multiple positions at a high level. Kamari's best years are ahead of him. I look froward to following his career at Boston College."

Andrew Kenny rounds out the five freshmen coming into BC this season. Andrew's father Chris played his college ball at UCLA so he has a strong basketball pedigree. Andrew is a member of the 1,000 point club at Bellevue High School in Washington. He also played one year at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut.

Tomorrow, we'll release the schedule and discuss expectations for this year's men's basketball squad.