On Tuesday night, the Boston College men’s basketball team will try to right the ship as they travel down to Blacksburg to face off against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Who: Virginia Tech Hokies (11-7) vs. Boston College Eagles (11-7)
Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, VA
When: Tuesday January 23rd
Tip-Off Time: 9pm ET
How to Watch: Tuesday’s game will be broadcasted live on the ACC Network
How to Follow: Follow the game on X (Twitter) by checking in with our live coverage at @bcinterruption
BC’s last loss still feels fresh, as the #4 North Carolina Tarheels invaded Conte Forum on Saturday and came away with a 10-point win. The Eagles fought valiantly against the ACC’s top squad, but ultimately a lack of offense was their demise, something that they’ve been grappling with time and time again during the Earl Grant era. Despite a fairly hot offensive start to the season for BC, they’ve cooled down during conference play and haven’t passed 70 points in three of their last four contests. Some of that can be attributed to a case of the flu that worked its way through the team in January, but there are also larger forces at play. When Quinten Post or Claudell Harris have an off night, the Eagles really struggle to find scoring elsewhere.
Luckily for them, defense has been a problem for Virginia Tech. The Hokies have let up at least 70 points in five of their seven ACC games thus far, with only slow-paced Virginia (65) and cellar-dweller Louisville (68) coming up short of that mark. As a result, the only games VT has won are the games they’ve put up a lot of points (87 vs Clemson, 84 vs NC State) or when they played against last-place Louisville. They have the 9th-ranked defense in the ACC so far and they lack paint defense especially, with only star center Lynn Kidd filling that rim protector role. The Eagles should be able to work the ball inside with Post, McGlockton, and Aligbe for their scoring on Tuesday night.
The Virginia Tech offense, on the other hand, is potent. They have a number of ways to beat opposing defenses inside and outside of the arc. The backcourt tandem of senior Sean Pedulla and junior Hunter Cattoor are lethal from three-point range, while their slashing ability is enhanced by senior center Lynn Kidd, who has can be a big body inside and has been cleaning up on the glass. Their main weakness is turnovers, leading the ACC in that category by giving opponents over 14 free possessions every game. The key for BC will be to play really physically, especially against Pedulla, forcing them to make quick decisions and throw the ball into tight windows. With a good defensive guard like Jaeden Zackery, they have the ability to do it.
Prediction: Boston College 77 Virginia Tech 74