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Preview: Boston College won’t be a pushover for #6 Virginia on Saturday

Chris Graham
kihei clark
Photo: UVA Athletics

Boston College lost, in November, to Maine, at home, to Tarleton State, wherever, doesn’t matter, it was Tarleton State.

Then in December, New Hampshire beat the Eagles in Chestnut Hill.

But now BC sits with four wins in the ACC – yes, two are over Notre Dame, a third is over Louisville.

Virginia Tech is 2-7 in the conference, but the Hokies are a lot better than that record.

Boston College (10-11, 4-6 ACC), next up for Virginia (15-3, 7-2 ACC), on Saturday at noon ET (ACCNX), is cast as the jobber against the sixth-ranked Cavaliers, but BC can keep this one interesting for a while.

Rotation

Quinten Post, a 7’0” senior, missed BC’s first 13 games with a foot injury, but he’s a force (15.3 ppg, 6.4 rebounds/g, 57.5% FG, 44.4% 3FG), and the Eagles are 3-5 since he returned.

Makai Ashton-Langford (12.9 ppg, 40.8% FG, 26.9% 3FG), a 6’3” senior, and his brother, DeMarr Langford (7.6 ppg, 44.0% FG, 20.0% FG), a 6’5” junior, get time in the backcourt with 6’2” sophomore Jaeden Zackery (10.6 ppg, 39.5% FG, 30.2% 3FG).

Prince Aligbe (6.8 ppg, 3.9 rebounds/g, 39.6% FG, 30.4% 3FG), a 6’7” freshman, is the starting power forward.

The bigs off the bench are 6’9” senior TJ Bickerstaff (5.7 ppg, 5.8 rebounds/g, 49.0% FG) and Devin McGlockton (6.2 ppg, 4.3 rebounds/g, 58.3% FG), a 6’7” senior.

Mason Madsen (5.3 ppg, 32.5% FG, 27.5% 3FG) provides depth in the BC backcourt.

One guy we won’t see, but wish we would, is freshman Donald Hand, the son of former Virginia great Donald Hand. The younger Hand, the 2022 Class 6 Player of the Year in Virginia, tore his ACL in his second college game, and is out for the season.

Projections

  • ESPN BPI: Virginia +18.8, 96.3% win probability
  • KenPom: Virginia 71-54, 94% win probability
  • EvanMiya: Virginia 71-54, 95.8% win probability
  • Bart Torvik: Virginia 70-54, 96% win probability

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].