Boston College Men’s Basketball: Previewing Belmont and How to Watch

Boston College welcomes the Belmont Bears to Conte Forum this afternoon in a game that will put the Eagle’s 3-0 start on the line against a mid-major that looks to make it two straight NCAA tournaments. The story so far for the Eagles has been defense, holding opponents below 50% shooting in all three games so far this season. The caveat, however, is that those teams just aren’t that good: Wake Forest hasn’t done much, USF was down one of their best players, and High Point is… This is the biggest test of the young season. Can they deliver?

Where

Conte Forum

When

November 16, 2019

2pm EST

How to Watch

This game is on the ACC Network, so I’ll be streaming it from somewhere that’s not the ACC Network cuz I have Comcast

How to Listen

WEEI 850 AM

Previewing Belmont

Belmont, predicted to win the Ohio Valley Conference, is 1-1 on the season, with a pretty surprising loss against Indiana State where they gave up an 8-point halftime lead. They’re a dangerous offensive team led by G Adam Kunkel and big man Nick Muszynski, but they’ve also got great offensive depth. Four players average double digit scoring and assists are spread across nearly every position on the court.

Player to Watch Out For

Kunkel. The 6’3” sophomore guard is looking to be the primary scorer for the team after posting pretty unimpressive stats last year. His scoring’s risen from 2.3 to 20.5 ppg, and he’s shooting an absurd 55% from three and 60% from the field. That’s while averaging 10 threes per game. It’s insane. The Eagles will have their hands full and we, as fans, will finally get to see if the improved BC defense can handle next-level guard that they have struggled with so much in JC’s tenure.

How Does BC win?

The defense has to hold and Nik Popovic has to win the battle of the big men. Kunkel will almost assuredly get his points, so the goal is to make it as innefficient as possible and smother the rest of the players. The biggest way to do that is for Pop to outplay Muszynski and his 17 points and 3 blocks per game.

I think we will also see how mentally prepared this team is for the season. Belmont will go on runs and the Eagles need to hold together and answer with their own. I think this team is ready.

The lower the score is, the more likely I think it is that BC wins.

Predictions:

BC 72 – Belmont 65