Boston College Eagles Basketball: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly from the 2023 Season

Following a 5-2 start to the season, Boston College Eagles continued a downtrend in form this term and are now riding a 4-game losing streak. 

With a healthy sample size of non-conference and ACC games behind them, the Boston College Eagles can finally be judged on their strengths and weaknesses as the team takes shape. Today, we’ll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from their 2022/23 season thus far.

Boston College Eagles: The Good 

 At their offensive best, Boston is excellent at gaining points in transition. Currently, they’re a strong and healthy team following some injury setbacks, forcing turnovers behind a strong defense. Ashton-Langord attacks the rim off the dribble and is quick to react in the open court enabling the conversions in transition. Not forgetting Jaeden Zackery, who was quiet at the start of the season but has now come out of his shell. Zackery was a crucial figure in BC’s win over ND. He also played an excellent game in the loss to Duke; when his confidence levels are up, the team is notably more dangerous. 

However, defense is the team’s primary weapon. Head coach Earl Grant has built this team behind defensive attributes and – to his credit – has instilled a gritty mentality into his players. When this team is focused, they can rival any opposition – as we watched them keep track of Virginia Tech and hold Duke to nine minutes without a single bucket. 

Following an abysmal stretch of injuries, the team is finally in full fitness. There are many more positives to highlight, but overall, there’s a feeling of optimism around BC hoops that hasn’t existed for this team in a while. 

Sports bettors often use Caesars sportsbook Massachusetts promo codes to fade the Eagles, but this season, you can’t be too sure if that’s the correct handicapping decision.

And while they’re instilling doubt into the minds of NCAAB bettors, they’re also providing hope for the future of this program. 

Boston College Eagles: The Bad 

 The positives for this team are commendable, but we shouldn’t ignore the negatives. Though 19 games, Boston College has an 8-11 (2-6 ACC) record. In comparison to last season’s 13-20 (6-14 ACC), sure, it could be worse. However, more worryingly, the 8-11 record has been assisted with a light non-conference schedule, as defeats to Maine and UNH could’ve been avoided. And yes, success over Virginia Tech and a fight to the death with Notre Dame are commendable, but many red flags need to be addressed. 

Inconsistency is a significant issue. Injuries have contributed, but this still doesn’t deter the glaring problem. And the fact is, we never know which version of BC we’re going to get. Losses to Maine and UNH showed bad decision-making, such as forced long shots and ugly 3-pointers. Not forgetting the 88-67 loss to Nebraska, where this team went 10 minutes without scoring. The defense is solid, but offensive breakdowns are concerning. 

Fixing the three-point shots and free throws could assist the team’s results in a big way. 

Boston College Eagles: The Ugly 

 A 1-4 record to begin 2023 is the ugly start BC could do without. And again, horrible 3-point shooting has been on display. 

In their most recent loss versus UNC, Earl Grant discussed his team going 0-for-6 from 3-point range: “I mean, it’s hard. It’s hard. It would be nice to be 6-for-12, but the good number is six. We didn’t take a lot of them. If you’re not going to make a lot of them, you don’t want to take a lot of them. So, the good number is six. We have guys who can make shots. So far this season, we haven’t particularly shot the ball great from 3. But 26-of-54 from the field – I’ll focus on that, and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. I thought those were some of the reasons why it was a one-point game with three minutes to go.” 

So, Grant agrees, 3-pointers aren’t this team’s strength. However, despite how ugly the results have been in 2023, the free throws have notably been better, and staying within one point of UNC with three minutes remaining is, at least, something positive to work from.