Coming off a close 64-57 loss to the No. 14 Virginia Cavaliers, the NC State men’s basketball team (7-7, 3-6 ACC), will look to bounce back against the Boston College Eagles (3-10, 1-6 ACC) on the road on Saturday, Feb 6. Both squads have lost four of their last five games, so this matchup could set the tone for the remainder of the season for both teams.
The Eagles’ offensive bread and butter is the 3-point shot, as they rank 21st in the country in 3-point attempts per game and 31st in made 3-pointers per game. The main components in this facet of the Boston College’s game are guards Jay Heath and Wynston Tabbs, who lead the Eagles in 3-point attempts per game with 6.1 and 5.7, respectively. Aiding them in perimeter shooting is guard Rich Kelly, who boasts the team’s best 3-point percentage at .410 among Eagles that play at least 10 minutes per game.
It will be imperative for the Wolfpack to stop Boston College from getting hot from beyond the arc, as the Eagles showed their propensity for long-range precision by nailing 18 3-pointers in their recent win over Miami. This performance was propelled by 12 made shots from downtown between Heath and Kelly.
On the defensive side of the ball, Boston College focuses on protecting the rim. Its 4.6 blocks per game are good enough for 33rd in the land in that category, a figure that is in large part thanks to 6-foot-7 forward CJ Felder. Felder accounts for almost half of the Eagles’ shot rejections, posting 2.2 blocks per game by himself.
Boston College has also done a good job to avoid getting its own shots rejected, as its 2.3 opponent blocks per game against ACC foes is the second best in the conference. It will be up to the ACC leader in blocks per game, redshirt sophomore forward Manny Bates, as well the rest of NC State’s defense, to enforce the protection of its own basket.
Paradoxically, the Eagles’ shot-blocking prowess has not translated to good, all-around shot defense. Boston College opponents convert almost half of their shots from the field at 48.3%, amounting to 78.2 points allowed per game by the team sitting dead last in the ACC. This glaring weakness is something NC State will certainly look to exploit, with sharpshooters such as senior guard Braxton Beverly and junior forward Jericole Hellems at its disposal.
After winning the reverse fixture 79-76 on Dec. 30, the Wolfpack will look to double its money with a win in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The tip-off will be at noon, and the game will be aired on ACC Network.
