Boston College Basketball: Projecting a Starting Lineup in 2020
On Friday, Boston College filled their final scholarship spot with the addition of Andre Adams from Southern Utah. Now that the roster is complete, we can take a look at the team and see how the starting lineup might look. Here is the current roster as constituted, along with how it will look in the next few years.
Locks To Start:
Jay Heath (guard), Wynston Tabbs (guard), Steffon Mitchell (forward)
Both spots in the back court should be set going into the upcoming season. Heath had a strong first season as a shooting guard with the Eagles averaging 13.1 points per game. Tabbs will be returning from a knee injury that derailed him for almost a season and a half. However, he is truly the X factor on this team, his ceiling should be All ACC caliber, but he is coming back from a serious injury. He can score, and take over a game, something BC lacked last season. Mitchell is the glue on this team, who led the ACC in rebounds last year and showed flashes on offense, though not consistently. A strong defender Mitchell will be a rock on this roster.
Possible Starters
Fred Scott (forward), Andre Adams (forward), James Karnik (forward), CJ Felder (forward), Demarr Langford (forward).
Here is where it gets tricky for Boston College. The Eagles have two typical centers on the team, but I can't see either of them starting (Vander Baan and Kraljevic), so don't be surprised if the Eagles go small. That leaves Jim Christian with five forwards to fill two spots. If I were a betting man, I would say they go with Scott at the three, and Andre Adams at the five. Even if it is tough to project, there is great depth here for the Eagles. Lots of good defenders and rebounders in this group.
Bench Players
Makai Ashton Langford (guard), Kamari Williams (forward), Justin Vander Baan (center), Luka Kraljevic (forward/center), Rich Kelly (guard)
Kelly should be the first guard off the bench for the Eagles, and hopefully give BC some scoring pop. He's a good three point shooter, something BC badly needed last year. Vander Baan and Kraljevic will provide length, and be there in case Christian wants to go big. Kamari Williams had his moments last year, including 14 points against Miami, and will be valuable if Christian wants to push the tempo more. Makai Ashton Langford will be the backup point guard and look for a fresh start on his career after an uneventful start at Providence.
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Top to bottom Boston College has more depth and front end talent than they did in 2019-20. With potential stars (Tabbs), solid players like Heath and Mitchell, and a cast of players who should all contribute, this may be Jim Christian's best and possibly last chance at making it to the NCAA tournament.
