Thirteen Takeaways from Wednesday's Boston College & Villanova Game

A look at some of the big highlights and talk about what we learned from Wednesday's game against the Wildcats.

Boston College led for most of the second half, but couldn't hold on in the end as #3 Villanova held the Eagles scoreless down the stretch. Here are some of the takeaways from the game. 

1. Steffon Mitchell is still the lifeblood of this team. The senior seemed to do all the little things for the Eagles against Villanova. He grabbed 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and a pair of steals. His lack of offensive productivity still is glaring, but Mitchell has all the makings of a potential ACC Defensive Player of the Year candidate. 

2. Might as well get into the biggest issue right away. The final four minutes were a disaster for the Eagles. All game long BC had thrived on getting the ball inside and driving to the hoop. Credit goes to Villanova for adjusting to this and really locking down the paint. We saw how hard it was for BC to get inside, and because of that they tried perimeter shooting which played right into Villanova's hands. 

3. How could Jim Christian and his team adjust to that? Going into this game we all talked about Villanova being more talented, and it seemed like at that moment the Wildcats were playing the best team ball they had all game. Definitely should have shifted away from the early in the shot clock bad three pointers, but Villanova had taken away the easy buckets, and was going to make BC work for their points. 

4. Makai Ashton Langford is going to be a real treat to watch this year. While we saw some of the aspects of his game that can be frustrating at the end of the game (bad shot selection), he was explosive and gives BC a dynamic player that can blast to the hoop at a moments notice. Good energy on the defensive side of the ball too, constant motor running, and gives BC a bit of an "edge" on the floor. 

5. Quinnipiac transfer Rich Kelly had a solid game with nine points, but his style of play is a bit concerning. It was noticeable that he struggled to separate from defenders, which let to him driving and getting contact for fouls. The way he drives though, you could see certain officiating crews either calling offensive fouls on him, or letting the contact go which would lead to turnovers. 

6. It was great to see Wynston Tabbs back. Looked full strength and saw glimpses of the playmaker we saw as a freshman. Now let's see how he looks in back to back games. 

7. Rotation was kind of hodgepodge throughout the game, but Jim Christian and his staff will figure it out moving forward. Based on what I saw last night, I would stick to the starting five they threw out there: Heath, Ashton Langford, Tabbs, Mitchell and Felder. 

8. Demarr Langford looked like a freshman out there, and that is ok. Only played nine minutes last night. His role will adjust as he continues to grow in the system. 

9. Three point shooting was poor. Eagles shot 8-26 from three point range. If there was one major concern about this team it was shooting from the perimeter. If teams follow Villanova's blueprint and dare BC to shoot outside, this could be a major issue moving forward.

10. Fred Scott looked to be a solid addition to the lineup. He wasn't very effective in the second half, so we will need to see more to see what he can give the rotation. 

11. Loved the defensive effort out there last night. While they struggled near the end of the game with Jeremiah Robinson Earl and Collin Gillespie, BC dominated on the board for most of the game and had a lot of big hustle plays. 

12. Boston College will have another big challenge tonight. While URI may not be ranked, they played Arizona State to the wire last night, but possible national player of the year Remy Martin was too much. Guard Fatts Russell is an excellent scorer and will be a challenge for the Eagles defense. 

13. That being said this team looks more exciting than they have in years. Can they play like this consistently? If they can they will be able to hang with any team on their schedule this season. 

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