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Boston College Basketball: Boston College Eagles 2015-16 Season Preview

By Alex Piasecki

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Boston College Eagles

2014-2015 Record: 13-19 (4-14, ACC)
Postseason: N/A

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For the first time since the 2012-2013 season, the Boston College Eagles will be entering the college basketball season without star guard Oliver Hanlan. Boston College comes into the 2015-2016 season without its top 4 scorers from last years squad, including Hanlan, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the NBA draft. Jim Christian will have his work cut out for him in his second campaign as the Eagles head coach and will have to develop his young team quickly in order to stay competitive with the ACC’s heavyweights.

Some players that will be expected to step up in the wake of Hanlan and the Eagles’ other scorers will be Florida transfer Eli Carter and four-star forward recruit A.J. Turner. For a team that ranked 213th in points per game last year, these new additions will be expected to have immediate impact.

Newcomers

G – Mat Milon (#250 247Sports)
G – Sammy Barnes-Thompkins (#381 247Sports)
G – Jerome Robinson (#342 247Sports)
G – Eli Carter (transfer from Florida)
F – A.J. Turner (#150 247Sports)
F – Ervins Meznieks (transfer from Europe)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 26 vs Michigan State at Wooden Legacy – The first real non-conference test for Jim Christian and his BC squad will be against Michigan State at the Wooden Legacy Tournament in California. Tom Izzo’s squad will be one of the favorites to win the tournament, and keeping up with the Spartans’ efficient offensive approach will be difficult for a BC team that will be searching for its go-to source of offense.

Jan 2 vs Duke – Speaking of challenges, the Eagles will have no cakewalk as they begin ACC conference play. Duke and BC are facing similar issues due to high turnover on their starting rosters. Even though Mike Krzyzewski’s squad is not as talented or deep as they were during last years championship campaign but they have top talent in Brandon Ingram and Chase Jeter to retool the Blue Devils and make them again a contender for the ACC crown. The Boston College Eagles will have an opportunity to make a statement and carry some momentum into conference play, but it won’t be easy for BC to match the athleticism and scoring ability of Duke, even at home.

Key Players

Eli Carter – In June, Eli Carter decided to finish his college basketball career at BC, transferring from Florida and choosing the Eagles over Georgetown and UNLV. Carter started at Rutgers and played two injury plagued years for Scarlet Knights before transferring to Florida Gators. He averaged 8.8 ppg, 2 rpg and 2 apg last season, shooting just 36.2% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range.

Dennis Clifford – Dennis Clifford, the senior 7 ft center, will be the Boston College Eagles’ most productive returning player for the 2015-2016 season. After only playing two games his first two seasons due to a chronic left knee injury, Clifford made an immediate impact in his junior campaign as the teams starting center by leading the Eagles in rebounding with 5.5 rpg. In addition to continuing to be a force on the boards Clifford will also be expected to add a scoring punch this year as well.

Season Outlook

I wish I could conclude this Boston College Eagles season preview by predicting that BC will build on some of the successes of last season and finish on the upper half of the ACC table. But unfortunately for Eagles fans, it’s simply not that easy.

No team in the ACC has lost as many key players (besides maybe Duke) and lost as much of its scoring punch from last year, about 80%, to graduation and the NBA. BC already struggled to score last season and with few familiar faces returning and only four upper-classmen, Jim Christian’s team will find itself on the wrong end of many blowouts this season and will most likely finish at the bottom of the ACC standings. The focus for Boston College fans should be on the future–freshman recruits A.J. Turner and Matt Milon will see a lot of playing time and should develop into major contributors for future BC teams.

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