How Will the Eagles Fare Against the Wolfpack?
After a dominant 80-62 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores earlier this week, the BC men’s basketball team matches up against the NC State Wolfpack this afternoon in Conte Forum. BC’s first ACC game of the year will be televised on ACC Network, with tip-off at 4 pm.
NC State (4-2) started its season with four straight wins but has lost its last two games to BYU and Ole Miss. Both of these losses appear to be respectable though, because both of those teams are currently 6-0, but the Wolfpack have yet to beat a quality opponent. Their best win is either Vanderbilt or Charleston Southern, but neither of those squads is even ranked in KenPom’s top 100, making the Eagles their toughest test of the young season.
NC State is led by fifth-year senior Casey Morsell, a 6’3” guard from Maryland. He leads the teams in both minutes (31.7/game) and points (14.5/game) while shooting 44.6% from the field. Jayden Taylor, a guard who transferred from Butler, is the Wolfpack’s next leading scorer, averaging 13.3 points per game and shooting an impressive 45.% from three. DJ Burns, standing at 6’9” and 275 pounds, is a truly intimidating force in the NC State frontcourt. He is third in scoring for the Wolfpack and also leads the team in rebounds per game with 5.3.
Boston College (5-2) handled Vanderbilt easily in their last game, thanks to big performances from Claudell Harris Jr. and Quinten Post, who scored 22 and 24 points respectively. Harris Jr., who transferred from Charleston Southern before the season, has stepped up so far for this Eagles team that desperately needs more offensive weapons besides Post. It will be imperative that Harris Jr., Jaeden Zackery, and others continue to improve their offensive production alongside a dominant Post, and this game presents a good opportunity to do that. NC State ranks just 71st in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
This should be a close game, but the Eagles will have the best player on the court in Quinten Post, giving them the advantage.
Prediction: Boston College 67 – NC State 62