Boston College Men's Basketball Post Season Round Up Part 1
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Boston College men's basketball ended their 2021-2022 season, their first under head coach Earl Grant on Thursday last week. The Eagles, who finished with a record of 13-20, ended their season with two wins in the ACC Tournament, including a shocking upset of Wake Forest. But what were some takeaways from the past season?
Heading into this season, Boston College was expected to easily finish at the bottom of the conference. Many pundits had predicted that this team, like the one under Jim Christian would finish without a single ACC win. They ended up winning eight total. even with a down year in the conference, this was a huge step in the right direction for the Eagles. Not only did BC win against teams they should (FSU, NC State & Pitt), but they also defeated two NCAA tournament teams, and the ACC champion Virginia Tech Hokies. While there is certainly still ways to go, these victories showed that the Eagles are heading in the right direction under Grant.
For years Boston College basketball has really lacked an identity. Under Jim Christian and Steve Donahue the Eagles never really did anything well. That changed in year one under Earl Grant. BC allowed just 68.7 points per game this season, down from 79.5 per game last season. The attention to detail, and the communication on the court was evident just watching the games. There were far less wide open shots, players were engaged on almost every drive, and the hustle and effort was non stop.
One of the biggest issues with the Eagles was the deep ball. Boston College shot 30.9% from beyond the arc, which placed them 307th in the country. Transfer guard Brevin Galloway looked on paper to be the answer, but he struggled throughout the season after re-injuring his knee early in the season. It seemed that the more BC relied on the three point shot the further they fell behind. However, moving forward the Eagles may have found an answer. Jaeden Zackery shot 50% or better from the three point line in 8 of his last ten games. We will get more into Zackery's potential in tomorrow's feature.
One of the most encouraging stories to come out of the past season was the night and day improvement in some of BC's veterans. Center James Karnik who looked like an afterthought this season, was crucial in BC's wins. In seven ACC wins - six regular season and one in the ACC Tournament, James Karnik averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 70.5% (43-61) from the floor. Makai Ashton Langford looked every bit the court general that many thought he would be when he was a can't miss four star recruit committed to Providence. He led the team in scoring seven times this year, a huge jump from just two times over his entire career at BC/PC. DeMarr Langford showed glimpses of what he could become, and became more consistent and more aggressive as the year progressed. While all three certainly still had room for improvement, they looked like they belonged in the ACC and were critical in BC's success.
This is more of an off the court observation, but for the first time in a long time there is a palpable buzz around Boston College. The improved play, relentless hustle and character of the team, caught the attention of many disillusioned BC fans who strayed away from the program. The wins in the ACC tournament brought excitement that looks like it will continue into next season. With a core of Langford, Quinten Post, and Zackery returning next year, and adding four exciting freshman (26th recruiting class in the country), Conte Forum could be a much different atmosphere in 2022-23.
In tomorrow's round up we look at the play of each individual player.
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