Previewing and Predicting Boston College Men’s Basketball at Notre Dame

Jim Christian and the Eagles were needed to get a much needed victory at home on Sunday against Georgia Tech. BC will now travel to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend tonight as they begin the crucial home stretch of the regular season. With winnable games left against ND (2), Syracuse, FSU, and Pitt, the Eagles could use a win to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. On a much larger scale, however, this game is important for recruiting purposes for the Eagles. Notre Dame is another very good academic school within the ACC, but neither ND or BC have been able to compete with the Duke/Carolinas of the league. If the Eagles can find a way to poach some of the better players away from Notre Dame, the future could be very bright in Chestnut Hill.

Keys to the Game

It always seems to come back to the two headed monster of Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson. Bowman was able to take over the Georgia Tech game down the stretch after Robinson fouled out. He needs to be consistent and solid with the ball if the Eagles want to win. Rebounding and controlling the glass will also be crucial towards earning a road W. Even though Bonzie Colson is sidelined with a foot injury, the Irish still crash the glass very hard. They’re at +2.3 RPG, whereas the Eagles are at +2.2. Nik Popovic needs to play well. It will also be interesting to see how Jordan Chatman and Johncarlos Reyes build on their momentum of strong second halves against the Yellow Jackets.

ND’s Strengths

Like the Eagles, the Irish have a strong, experienced backcourt, led by Temple Gibbs and Matt Farrell, a former BC commit. They do not turn the ball over and the entire team can shoot the ball from 3, particularly Gibbs, Farrell, and DJ Harvey.

ND Player To Watch Out For

Matt Farrell. The senior will control the pace and hit big shots. Averaging 15.5 points and 5 assists per game, he’s one of the few point guards in the conference who can match Ky Bowman’s production.

Predictions

Matt: 67-64 ND

Katie: 70-68 Eagles

Toppin: Wait. Notre Dame has lost 7 in a row? HA!

75-70 Eagles!

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