Men’s Basketball Preview: Boston College Eagles vs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Eagles sure found one hell of a way rebound from their blowout loss at Duke. Never been happier to be so wrong in my score predictions (so very, very wrong). BC’s upset of the defending national champions was without a doubt the best moment of the Eagles’ season so far but it does not have to be the peak of their season. BC stays at home this weekend to host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in what could turn into a trap if the Eagles are not careful.

Where

Conte Forum

Chestnut Hill, MA

When

January 11th, 2020

6:00 PM EST

How to Watch

The game is going to be broadcast on ACC Network, which can be found on channel 612 for DirecTV, 402 for Dish Network, 388 for Spectrum, and for Verizon Fios channel is 329 for standard definition and channel 829 for high-def.

The game will also be available to those subscribed to the ACC Network via the ESPN app.

Furthermore, the ACC Network is available to those with subscriptions to Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, or Playstation VUE.

You can also find a TV provider with ACC Network by going on GetACC.com

How to Listen

WEEI 850 AM

Previewing the Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech has had an up and down season with winning streaks followed quickly by losing streaks. However, the Yellow Jackets, like BC, did managed to beat a major ACC power when they defeated North Caroline. This is one of their two ACC wins. Yet, they also managed to knock off NC State and were relatively competitive in their loss to Duke. The Yellow Jackets are about as impressive as their record. Tech’s opponents have been out-scoring them, out-rebounding them, out-assisting them, and out-stealing them. Tech has been able to out shoot their opponents from the field but not from three. The team is only averaging 65.4 points per game and with 17 turnovers per game it’s not hard to imagine why the Yellow Jackets’ opponents have been outscoring them.

One of the factors to Tech’s struggles may have been the absence of the junior guard Jose Alvarado. Alvarado played a key role in their win over North Carolina and even managed to score 18 points against Duke. Even with poor stats to this point in the season, the Yellow Jackets may be more dangerous than they appear.

Player to Watch

Jose Alvarado. It is clear that without Alvarado, Georgia Tech was a different team. Despite a 7 game absence, Alvarado is still third on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, and leads the team in both steals and assists.

How Does BC Win?

Bring the lunch-pail. Boston College is at its best when the team excels at the less-glamorous parts of the game, rebounding, forcing turnovers, grabbing loose balls, and playing good defense. It can not be stressed enough that Georgia Tech is a better team than their record and stats indicate. In fact, they are very much like BC in that they grind out a lot of their wins by doing the little things. It is in conquering these little details that BC can pull ahead of Georgia Tech.

Predictions

Will: BC - 65 / Georgia Tech - 59

Grant: BC - 60 / Georgia Tech 51