Which Players Should Luke Murray Keep at Boston College: The Extra Point

Luke Murray was introduced as the new men's basketball coach at Boston College in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Murray emphasized the need to return to the NCAA Tournament, a feat BC has not accomplished since 2009.

“I know it's been a while, right,” said Murray. “It's been since 2009, since we've enjoyed that NCAA Tournament and that's our focus. That's gonna be our focus every single day, is working to get ourselves back in a position to be an NCAA Tournament team, to hear our team announced on Selection Sunday. And that work starts soon.”

Some of Luke Murray’s emphasized points during his presser:

- making the NCAA Tournament
- changing the narrative around Boston College basketball.
- packing Conte Forum and making it a hard place to play in.
— Kim Rankin (@kmrankin1) March 31, 2026

To do so, Murray will need to craft a winning roster. Following a 2025-26 season that ended with an 11-20 overall record and a 4-14 tally in conference play, there's bound to be plenty of turnover from the squad that Earl Grant coached in his last season in Chestnut Hill.

Murray can build around these three players as he prepares for his first season in the ACC:

Fred Payne, Guard

Throughout all of the Eagles' struggles throughout the 2025-26 season, there was one constant: Fred Payne. The redshirt junior guard averaged a team-high 15.8 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

He put his body on the line for the squad, appearing in all 31 games and playing a team-high 34.6 minutes per game.

Perhaps his best performance of the year came in an 81-73 overtime win over Syracuse on January 17. Payne scored 26 points in 44 total minutes and added six assists and three steals.

Overtime energy at Conte 🦅@BCMBB snapped a four-game skid with an 81–73 OT win over Syracuse at home. Fred Payne led the Eagles with 26 points as BC’s bench and defense made the difference.@BCEagles | #BostonCollege pic.twitter.com/6TGcj5NAKu
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 17, 2026

Payne is said to have a close relationship with former head coach Earl Grant, so time will tell if he decides to stay for another year. He posted a message to his Instagram after Grant's firing:

Donald Hand Jr and Fred Payne with heartfelt messages to Coach Grant via their instagram stories pic.twitter.com/1qFw7BvyJE
— Mike Sidhly (@Sidhly01) March 8, 2026

Donald Hand Jr., Guard

It's been well-documented that Hand Jr. had a rough 2025-26 season. He struggled with his jump shot, shooting just 22.6% from three-point range and 33% from the field.

Hand Jr. was expected to build on his strong 2024-25 season, where he averaged a team-high 15.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. His scoring went down, though, putting up 12.4 points per game.

After the 2024-25 season, Hand Jr. surprised most by commiting to change the culture in Chestnut Hill:

God’s plan, DJ’s story pic.twitter.com/HaQcUrPHtc
— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) April 1, 2025

In a time when loyalty in college basketball is hard to find, Murray should reward Hand Jr. for his and give him a chance to recapture his past form.

Boden Kapke, Forward/Center

Throughout his first season at BC after transferring in from Butler, Kapke developed into a steady presence down low.

He ended the season with averages of 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His offensive game grew, often hitting three-pointers and using a variety of post moves to score at will inside.

In Kapke, Murray would get a big man who can do it all on the offensive end. He would have to work on his defensive output, as he only put up 0.4 blocks per game, but the skill on the offensive end is too evident to ignore.

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