Boston College vs. Notre Dame: Preview & Predictions
On Friday, the Boston College Eagles and Notre Dame Fighting Irish tip off the ACC season in Conte Forum. Both teams are looking to start conference play on the right foot after uneven starts. Notre Dame has played a tougher schedule with games against Illinois, St. Mary's, and Texas A&M. Boston College fresh off a solid win against USF looks to continue to build and improve as the season progresses.
Time: 6:00 pm
Where: Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WEEI 850
Current Line: Notre Dame (-5), per SI Sportsbook
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Boston College has a 52.0% chance of winning this game
Ken Pom Ratings: Boston College (131) Notre Dame (43)
Tale of the Tape (Via BCEagles.com):
Projected Staters: Makai Ashton Langford, Demarr Langford, TJ Bickerstaff, James Karnik, Jaeden Zackery
Series History: Boston College is 12-26 all-time vs. Notre Dame.The Eagles and Irish split their regular season series in 2020-21. ND took an 80-70 win at the Joyce Center on Jan.16. BC downed Notre Dame, 94-90, at home on Feb. 27.
Injury Updates: Boston College should be completely healthy heading into this matchup.
Player to Watch: Nate Laszewski. The big forward was a major challenge for the Eagles last year as he scored 16 points in their first matchup, and had 10 points and nine rebounds in the second matchup. Boston College struggled on the defensive boards against USF, allowing 18 offensive rebounds, they will have their hands full with this 6'10 forward.
Statistic of Note: Boston College is 8-8 in Atlantic Coast Conference opening games.
Three Burning Questions:
1. Can BC play better on the defensive glass? Interior play has been an issue to start the season. Against URI, BC was blocked 13 times, and USF had 18 offensive rebounds against the Eagles. These kind of issues will be a major problem in ACC play, especially with Notre Dame who have some talented bigs.
2. Can BC get more help from the bench? The Eagles are cycling in four players off the bench at this point in the season. Brevin Galloway is the spot shooter that should give them some instant offense, while Quinten Post has been a solid presence inside spelling James Karnik. Kanye Jones and Fred Scott have not been overly productive on the offensive end. BC needs scoring from this group, a hot Galloway or assertive Post could go a long way in preventing scoring droughts while giving the starters valuable rest time.
3. Can the Langford Brothers shine? Makai Ashton Langford finished with seven assists against USF, and played the role of the facilitating point guard. Something BC desperately needs to get their offense clicking. DeMarr Langford has all the potential to be the offensive star, but can he do it against a good team like Notre Dame?
AJ's Fearless Prediction: This game will be the toughest opponent the Eagles have faced all season. With solid forwards like Laszewski and Yale transfer Paul Atchison, BC could have their hands full up front. But Boston College has looked confident the past two games, and could be building to something. Notre Dame is definitely a beatable team, especially at home. Look for an upset, and some good momentum for the Eagles heading into next week. Boston College 71 Notre Dame 66
