Final Thoughts and Predictions: Boston College Men’s Basketball @ DePaul

Boston College men’s basketball (8-2) heads to Wintrust Arena in Chicago this afternoon to take on a Big East opponent, the DePaul Blue Demons (8-2). This is the first time BC has faced DePaul since 1982, and just the third time ever. The Eagles have picked up wins in their last two games since the Texas A&M cancellation, and hope to grab their ninth victory and first real road win today. FS1 will air this game at 3:30 PM.

Keys to the Game

Who’s available? BC has been missing starters its last three games. Jordan Chatman and Steffon Mitchell are both still questionable for this game after missing Fairfield this week with lower body injuries. This one road game would be much tougher to take without two starters, and the Eagles would need strong performances from Ky Bowman, Nik Popovic, and Wynston Tabbs.

The good news is that junior guard transfer, Jared Hamilton, is eligible to play for the first time this season after sitting out the fall semester. Hamilton started 30 games for Jacksonville St. his freshman year, and averages 6.5/2.5 last fall for Georgia Southern before transferring. If Jared is able to contribute to the team’s depth, it will be a big help for Jim Christian.

DePaul’s Strengths

DePaul has an OT win over Penn State this season, but has otherwise been beating up on lesser opponents. KenPom has them close to BC in overall ranking- 101 to BC’s 99. They are solid overall defensively, but have been poor at defending the three (304th in D1). If Chatman is good to go, it would be great for him to get going early from deep. DePaul has been strong on the boards, out-rebounding opponents by an average of seven boards per game.

Blue Demon To Watch

#31 Senior guard Max Strus carries the brunt of the scoring for this squad. He dropped 34 on U. Illinois-Chicago last week, and is averaging over 20 PPG on 46% shooting for DePaul this season. The Demons often use Strus at the 3/4 position, so he will likely draw Steffon Mitchell defensively (which is too bad for Max).

Food of the Game

How about a nice Chicago-style deep dish pizza in honor of the Eagles’ trip to the second city? Wash it down with a Goose Island and you’ll be good to go when BC tries for the 2-0 record against Chicago-based schools.

Predictions

Matt: 83-73 PC

Katie: 75-73 BC

Hoff: 80-74 BC

Toppin: 81-80 BC

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