Boston College vs. Notre Dame: Preview and Prediction
Boston College (13-15, 7-10 ACC) will have their long awaited rematch with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-10, 8-8 ACC) Wednesday night at Conte Forum. The two teams battled in a thriller on December 7th that the Eagles won 73-72 in a close matchup in South Bend. Since then the two teams have gone in opposite directions with ND becoming a bubble team, while BC has struggled to stay afloat in the ACC. ND needs this win to stay in the hunt for a post season bid, BC needs to win to prevent a further plummet down the ACC standings and avoid a dreaded Tuesday tournament game in the first round..
Time: 9:00 pm
Where: Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill MA
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WEEI 850
Current Line: ND (-5.5)
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Notre Dame has a 70.4% chance of winning
Projected Starters: CJ Felder, Jarius Hamilton, Jay Heath, Derryck Thornton, Steffon Mitchell
Injuries: Julian Rishwain (Questionable)
Ken Pom Rankings: Boston College (174) Notre Dame (56)
Key Matchup: John Mooney vs. Steffon Mitchell
Mooney has been a beast for the Fighting Irish this season, scoring 19 points this weekend in ND 87-71 win over Miami. A 6'9 forward, Mooney was a force against Boston College earlier this year scoring 16 points and grabbing a whopping 18 rebounds. If he has that type of game again, Boston College is going to struggle. Steffon Mitchell has evolved since the Notre Dame game earlier this year when he only shot 2-10 from the field. He has been quiet as of late, scoring 10 or less points in the past four games, he needs to step it up against Notre Dame and assert himself. Can he do that?
Questions Boston College needs to answer against Notre Dame
1. Does BC have one more big win in them? UVA, VT x2, NC State, ND all have fallen to BC this year in games BC was a big underdog in. BC hasn't shown much life as of late, but can they reach deep and find another upset? Sweeping the Holy War, and bursting their bubble would be a nice way to end a disappointing season.
2. Can BC do a better job converting turnovers? Boston College's defense let up too many points against Clemson, but they also picked up 20 turnovers. It's mind blowing that they had that many mistakes go their way and still lost by almost 20.
3. Can the Eagles prevent a second half fizzle? The last time the two teams faced off, BC had an 11 point lead with just over four minutes to play, and almost blew it. Most of that was due to poor shooting and turnovers. If BC can grab a lead, can they hold on to it?
AJ's Fearless Prediction: Notre Dame 77 BC 65. It just seems like the Eagles are playing with the gas tank near empty. They haven't shown much life as of late, and they are facing off against a Notre Dame team that NEEDS this win. The Fighting Irish will be playing for their post season lives. Have to take ND in this one.
