BC – South Carolina State Preview
By Ben Neuwirth
| South Carolina State | Stats from 2016-17 | Boston College |
| 11-20 | Record | 9-19 |
| 7-9 | Conference Record | 2-13 |
| N/A | Last Ten Games | N/A |
| 90.5 | Offensive Rating | 103.9 |
| 112.0 | Defensive Rating | 104.2 |
| 73.3 | Pace | 71.1 |
| Projected Starting Five | ||
| Donte Wright | PG | Ky Bowman |
| Ty Solomon | SG | Jerome Robinson |
| James Richardson | SF | Jordan Chapman |
| Damani Applewhite | PF | Teddy Hawkins |
| Ozante Fields | C | Nik Popovic |
The Eagles will face off against the South Carolina State Bulldogs in Conte Forum, Sunday November 12th at 1 pm. The Bulldogs dropped their opening game to Wisconsin, 85-50 while the Eagles beat Maine 85-65 in their first game.
Keys
Take Care of the Ball
BC dominated Maine throughout Friday’s matchup but started off a little sloppy, commiting 8 turnovers including 6 in the first half. While they recovered to finish the game off nicely, the Bulldogs have quick hands, 7 steals in their loss to Wisco, so it’ll be imperative to not give away the rock and let them run out on transition opportunities.
Deepen the Bench
Jim Christian only played 7 Eagles for most of the first game, the starters and then Steffon Mitchell and Johncarlos Reyes off the bench. Reyes in particular was a revelation, showcasing good hands and smart rim rolls, but it remains to be seen if he can sustain this for the whole season. Luca Kraljevic and Vin Baker Jr. got limited minutes towards the end of the 2nd half, but Boston College needs to see if these two can hold up in tense game situations. They may not be ready yat but given the depth issues, there may not be much of a choice.
Let Ky Fly
Bowman started off the Maine game slow but quickly game on strong dropping 14 points in the later half. While BC should comfortably win this game early, I’d love to see Ky be a little more selfish and decisive. He’s clearly focusing on making his teammates better, which is a plus, but sometimes he’s gotta remember, “I’m the best player on the floor and it isn’t particularly close” and will his way to the bucket. It’s only the start of the year so I expect more of this Ky as the season progresses.
Prediction:
South Carolina State is much like Maine, they have limited size, limited talent and frankly are here to collect a loss and a paycheck. The interesting thing to watch in this likely-blowout will be the play of the freshman, Steffon Mitchell played great D but didn’t really showcase his offensive skills while Kraljevic and Baker are pretty much unknowns. These guys will be the key not just for the future of the program but how successful the team is this year. You can’t play 7 deep in the ACC, it’s simply not possible, so one of these guys is going to have to step up. I’m excited to see who it is. BC 87 SCS 72