Notes From Boston College's Win at TD Garden: Williams' Big Day, Mike Buhmeyer and Key Bench Pieces

Boston College men's basketball moved to 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2023-24, as they took down the Minutemen, 71-55, in the latest edition of one of the nation's oldest rivalries.

While UMass started well and led by as much as eight, a 21-point first-half performance from Money Williams kept the Eagles afloat before they took the lead with 4:25 left until the break.

A strong defensive performance in the second half would help BC prevent a UMass comeback, as it held the Minutemen to 25 percent shooting from the field and just a single three-pointer.

Here are three takeaways from the rivalry win.

1. Money Williams is a Game Changer for BC

In a game where nothing fell from deep for the Eagles, who shot 1-for-22 from deep before the Montana transfer knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to help seal the game for BC, Williams was able to carry the offensive burden.

Williams scored 35 of the Eagles' 71 points while going perfect from the free-throw line on 13 attempts, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Eagles fans shouldn't be surprised — Williams is used to being highly involved on the offensive end, and among all of college basketball last season, the guard's usage rate of 35.5 percent ranked fourth in the nation, per Bart Torvik.

Williams felt like he was on another level in the Garden. His craftiness was on full display, continuously finding ways to get to the rim, draw contact, and get to his left hand despite coach Frank Martin's best efforts to keep him off his favored side.

Through two games, Williams is averaging 28.5 points, and it feels as if for the first time in a while — probably since Jerome Robinson, Ky Bowman, or even further back — BC has a star scoring guard it can rely on.

As he becomes more of a focal point for defenses down the line, it will open up playmaking opportunities for Williams, who is averaging 4.5 assists through two games and has appeared to fit seamlessly into Luke Murray's offense.

2. Mike Buhmeyer's Role in BC's Success

Murray brought a brand-new coaching staff to Boston College this offseason, and a key addition has been head strength and conditioning coach Mike Buhmeyer.

In his postgame press conference, Murray was asked about the team's conditioning and fitness, and the Eagles' skipper gave Buhmeyer "a lot of credit," praising him as "one of the very best in the country."

He revealed that when considering the position, he spoke with Mike Fletcher (Illinois), who he considers the best strength coach in the nation, and only one name came up.

it was Buhmeyer's.

Buhmeyer joined the staff from UT Arlington, where he spent the last three seasons as strength and conditioning coach. In the preseason, Buhmeyer was noted for his work with Williams in particular, who reports that he has lost 25 pounds since his time at Montana.

Conditioning is essential to Murray's offense, which relies on off-ball motion, but is increasingly important with the early-season injury to Jacob Furphy.

Through the opening two games, four Eagles are averaging over 30 minutes per game — Williams (38.2), Žak Smrekar (36.5), Ernest Shelton (35.6), and Armoni Zeigler (30.8).

Williams played all but 27 seconds against UMass, battling until the final minute when he exited the game to a standing ovation from those in attendance.

3. Zeigler, Benjamin Essential Off the Bench

Another implication of the injury to Furphy has been the heightened importance of Zeigler off the bench, who has risen to the occasion. The Amityville, N.Y., native had a 14-point game against Wagner, shooting 6-for-9 from the field, and a five-steal performance against the Minutemen.

To call him a "sparkplug" off the bench is underselling his impact. He has played starter minutes over the last two games (30.8 minutes per game) and has been relentless defensively with one block in each game and yearsix total steals.

The Ball State transfer led the team in plus/minus against UMass with a +22-point performance, and the Eagles as a team were minus six without him.

A big question coming into the matchup was how Boston College would handle the talented front court of UMass after giving up 12 second-chance points and 13 offensive rebounds against Wagner. Despite an efficient 12 points from Abdullah Ahmed, they struggled to work the ball into the paint, largely thanks to Benjamin.

The Fairfield transfer and other Eagles, when dealing with a defensive rotation, opted to front UMass' big men, which proved effective.

After Wang Junjie put up a double-double against Troy, he was held to seven points by BC, and out of the three bigs off the bench for UMass, only four points were scored.

Both Benjamin and Zeigler were part of the Eagles' most successful lineup of the day, as BC outscored UMass by 16 points with Williams, Zeigler, Shelton, Smrekar and Benjamin on the floor.

The Eagles are back home on Tuesday against Maryland Eastern Shore.

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