Is Saturday the Day?

Is Saturday the Day?

By Anthony Iati

By now, the narrative is hackneyed: on Saturday afternoon, Boston College Men’s Basketball has one final chance to save BC Athletics from becoming the first ACC program since World War II to go winless in conference play in football and men’s basketball in the same academic year. At 7-23, (0-17 ACC), the Eagles welcome in the Clemson Tigers (16-13, 9-8 ACC) to Conte Forum for a noon tipoff on Senior Day. The game can be heard on WZBC Sports via the AM stream. Scott Hill and Ryan Short will bring you the call, with Kyle Maslan in the studio for pre-game, halftime, and post-game analysis. 

BC, of course, is coming off by far its most heartbreaking defeat of the season. On Wednesday night in Raleigh, the Eagles fell to the NC State Wolfpack (15-15, 5-12 ACC), 73-72, on a buzzer-beating layup by Maverick Rowan. Capitalizing on a defensive miscommunication between Jerome Robinson and Sammy Barnes-Thompkins, Rowan found himself open enough underneath the basket to corral an inbounds pass from Caleb Martin and lay in the bucket that sent the Eagles home reeling. 

Clemson, too, is coming off ACC losses. As part of a three game losing streak, on Tuesday the Tigers dropped their home ACC finale, 64-57, to the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers. Clemson’s last win came back on February 17 against Boston College, a 65-54 contest which felt closer than the score indicates. BC even led, 34-31, at the half in Greenville. 

The Eagles that Clemson faced a few weeks ago, however, are not the same ones the Tigers will battle on Saturday. Jerome Robinson and AJ Turner, two leading freshmen from Coach Jim Christian’s first recruiting class, returned to action Wednesday night at NC State. Their athleticism and energy provided a jolt to the roster. Robinson, who before Wednesday last played against Florida State on January 26, returned from a right wrist injury to add 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in his customary starting role. Turner, meanwhile, rebounded from a high ankle sprain to record 11 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists in 21 minutes of action off the bench. 

It will be interesting to watch Christian’s lineup choices against Clemson. Senior center Dennis Clifford and 5th-year senior guard Eli Carter are locks to get starting nods, despite the latter’s 1-for-17 shooting performance against Clemson in their first matchup. The young Robinson will start as well. Beyond that come the decisions: does Turner regain the starting spot he had prior to his February 9 injury against North Carolina? If so, who does he replace? Could it be Garland Owens, who has dazzled lately with highlight-reel dunks and an efficient outing at NC State? The junior is the candidate most similar to Turner in terms of size and position. What about freshman guard Sammy Barnes-Thompkins, who in addition to struggling on Wednesday has been extremely hit-or-miss lately? If the game is close late, will Christian find playing time for dedicated senior guard Steve Perpiglia on his Senior Day? 

The guess here is that Christian sticks with the status quo: Turner off the bench again as he slowly brings the freshman back from injury. Barnes-Thompkins had 14 points against Clemson the first time around, while Owens has been impressive recently. Perpiglia is likely to see brief action earlier in the game. 

If they are to have a chance of snapping their skid, the Eagles have to find a way to slow down Clemson forward Jarom Blossomgame (23 points in the first meeting) and guard Avry Holmes (17). Having Turner and Robinson back for this matchup should be a boost for each assignment. Regardless of individual matchups, know this: the Eagles will play hard. Yes, Wednesday night’s loss was heartbreaking and demoralizing. But if this team didn’t pack it in and quit after 16 straight ACC losses, why would they after 17? The winning results have not been there, but they have played hard for their coaching staff in almost every game. 

Everyone realizes this is a rebuilding year. Coach Christian has talked often this year about the process of building an ACC program and the difficulty of doing so. Either way, Saturday is an important game for the program. Not just because it could keep BC from being criticized on ESPN all weekend, but because morale matters, especially with young teams. With the exception of the ugly Wake Forest loss, the Eagles have played better of late. A win against Clemson going into Tuesday’s ACC Tournament opener would undoubtedly be great for the team’s psyche. This team sorely needs a win to validate its efforts. 

So will Saturday be the day the Eagles get that elusive first ACC win? The way the past few weeks have gone, with a balance of close games and blowouts, it’s tough to say. The Tigers are playing for ACC Tournament seeding and further postseason aspirations. The Eagles are playing for the fans that have remained loyal through the season, for the seniors (Clifford and Perpiglia) who have gutted out some difficult times, and for the pride of the program. BC-Clemson may not be the Duke-North Carolina rematch, but here’s thinking it will be worth following.