Virginia vs. Boston College Game Preview, Score Prediction
Hoping to shake off their recent struggles and stabilize their NCAA Tournament chances, the Virginia Cavaliers head up to Chestnut Hill on Wednesday night for another tough road challenge at Boston College.
Read on for a full preview of Virginia at Boston College, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a prediction for Wednesday night's matchup.
Game Details
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (20-8, 11-6 ACC) at Boston College Eagles (15-12, 6-10 ACC)
When: Wednesday, February 28th at 9pm ET
Where: Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
How to watch: ESPNU
How to stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
How to listen: SiriusXM 139 or 193, SXM App 955 | Virginia Sports Radio Network - click here for affiliates
All-time series: Virginia leads 19-9
Last meeting: Boston College defeated Virginia 63-48 on February 22nd, 2023 in Chestnut Hill.
Game Notes
- Virginia leads Boston College 19-9 in the all-time series that dates back to 1971.
- UVA is 14-9 against Boston College in ACC play.
- Boston College owns a 6-5 edge against Virginia in games played in Chestnut Hill.
- Virginia's four-game winning streak against Boston College was snapped last season, when the Eagles took down the Cavaliers in Chestnut Hill.
- Virginia has won 12 of the last 15 games in the series with Boston College.
- Tony Bennett is 13-6 against Boston College as a head coach.
- Virginia is currently third in the ACC standings at 11-6 and Boston College is 11th with a 6-10 conference record.
Opponent Scouting Report: Boston College
2023-2024: 15-12, 6-10 ACC (11th)
Boston College started off strong in year three under Earl Grant, going 9-2 in non-conference play with losses to Colorado State and Loyola Chicago and wins over Vanderbilt and St. John's. But ACC play has been rough for the Eagles, who opened the conference portion of the schedule with losses in four of their first five games and six of their first eight before winning back-to-back games at Notre Dame and against Syracuse. Then came a one-point loss to Florida State and a loss at Duke. Another two-game winning streak featuring victories over Louisville and Miami was followed by losses in road games at Florida State and NC State in Boston College's most reason outing.
There's two important things to note about Boston College's record to this point in the season. First, of the Eagles' 12 losses, 10 of them have been by 10 points or less; they almost never get blown out and are frequently in close games that come down to the wire. And secondly, Boston College has been excellent at home this season, boasting a 10-4 home record versus a 5-8 record in games away from Conte Forum.
Boston College's offensive game plan is fairly simple to understand: get the ball inside to Quinten Post and let the defense pick their poison - either collapse on Post and risk leaving a number of dangerous three-point shooters open on the perimeter, or leave Post alone and suffer the consequences of allowing the seven-footer to go to work in the paint.
A 7'0", 235-pound graduate center, Quinten Post ranks in the top ten in the ACC in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, a category in which he trails only Virginia's Ryan Dunn. Post is averaging 15.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game and is also a capable passer as a big man at 3.0 assists per game, which may neutralize UVA's tendency to double team in the post. A versatile scorer, Post is shooting 50.8% from the floor and is highly capable of stretching the floor, shooting 44.3% from beyond the arc on 3.0 three-point attempts per game.
When Post gets the ball down low, he has a number of options for where to go with the ball should opposing defenses send help his way. Claudell Harris, a 6'3" junior guard takes the most threes on the team at 6.3 per game and converts at a rate of 37.6%. The Charleston Southern transfer averaged better than 17 points per game last season and is now averaging 13.7 points per game since transferring to the ACC.
Joining Harris in the backcourt is Jaeden Zackery, a 6'2" junior point guard who is averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 35.6% from three. Zackery is BC's best ball-handler and facilitator, averaging 4.3 assists per game, and is a great defender with active hands, averaging 1.8 steals per game, fifth in the ACC.
Also in the backcourt is 6'4" senior guard Mason Madsen, a former Cincinnati transfer who came off the bench for the majority of the season, but has started the last five games. Madsen is Boston College's best three-point shooter at 46.9% on 3.6 attempts per game. He is averaging 8.5 points per game and hasn't missed a free throw all season.
Rounding out the starting five is 6'7" forward Devin McGlockton, who is enjoying a quality sophomore campaign averaging 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. McGlockton is a decent forward complement to Post, blocking around one shot per game and capable of knocking down the occasional three-pointer.
Coming off the bench now is Prince Aligbe, a 6'7" sophomore forward who started 21 games this season, but has recently been first off the pine for the Eagles. Aligbe is averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Also off the bench for Boston College is 6'5" redshirt freshman guard Donald Hand and 6'3" sophomore guard Chas Kelley as the only other players averaging double digit minutes played.
What to Watch For
Containing Quinten Post
Virginia was actually fairly successful in keeping a lid on Armando Bacot for the most part, as the UNC center had only two points in the first half and finished with 10 points for the game. Another tough challenge awaits the UVA front court in Quinten Post, who is not as much of a load inside as Bacot, but is more skilled, is a better passer and is able to stretch out to the three-point line. Post will demand more movement and discipline for Jordan Minor and Blake Buchanan as opposed to the brute strength and determination required to contend with Bacot. Minor and Buchanan will have to handle that assignment well, so that the rest of the UVA defense can stay home on Boston College's many capable shooters.
Will Virginia's offense wake up?
It's getting hard to believe now, but this Virginia team spent most of the season ranked as the ACC's best in three-point shooting. Now, UVA ranks fifth at 36.4%, just behind Boston College, who is fourth at 36.9%. After hitting 10 threes and scoring 80 points in a victory at Florida State to cap the eight-game winning streak, the Cavaliers have been one of the worst teams in the league shooting the three since then, making just 12 of 53 (22.6%) over their last four games. Virginia has failed to score 50 points in the last three games. UVA's defensive performance against UNC was remarkable and made that a winnable game had the Cavaliers achieved an even mediocre level of offense, but an abysmal 27.6% shooting night, including 2/14 from three, led to a big-time opportunity slipping away. Virginia must get Isaac McKneely and Jake Groves going again from beyond the arc and get something from its front court on the offensive end.
Bringing the A-Game to Chestnut Hill
Conte Forum is a uniquely difficult place to play. The building isn't expected to be the packed, loud, distracting, or intimidating environment the Cavaliers will experience on Saturday at Duke, but instead has an unsettling lifelessness, especially with a tipoff time of 9pm on a Wednesday. The place lulls you to sleep, as was the case last year when Virginia, who was ranked No. 6 in the country at the time and had a four-game winning streak coming in, suffered a disastrous 63-48 loss to a not very good Boston College team. Virginia should be able to win this game, but it will require the Cavaliers to play with sharpness, aggression, and assertiveness.
Prediction
Boston College is 10-4 at home this season and Virginia has had its fair share of struggles on the road. The Cavaliers also have been playing far from their best basketball as of late. But it's crunch time. UVA's postseason hopes are now in jeopardy and the Cavaliers know it. Virginia's defense makes the trip to Chestnut Hill and the Cavaliers bring an aggression on the offensive end that we haven't seen in a few weeks in order to get the job done.
Score prediction: Virginia 62, Boston College 56
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