Boston College Men’s Basketball vs. Villanova: Game Preview

After losing in overtime to UNH by a score of 74-71 last Tuesday, BC will look to rebound against a tough opponent in Villanova on Saturday in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.

When: Saturday, December 10th. Opening tip is at 5:00pm ET.

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ.

How to Watch: The game will be televised nationally on FOX.

Preview:

Boston College suffered arguably its worst loss of the season against UNH. Despite many thinking the matchup should be a fairly easy win for the Eagles, the Wildcats were more than capable of giving BC’s offense fits while scoring buckets themselves. BC is not big enough without Quinten Post to successfully win in the paint on offense, but along the perimeter Jaedan Zackery is shooting 26.7% from 3, while Mason Madsen is right behind him at a measly 25.5%. Guys will start needing to find some rhythm and confidence going against a tough team like Villanova.

For all of BC’s early-season struggles, however, Villanova has struggled mightily as well. Despite being the 16th-ranked team in the country in preseason, they currently sit at 4-5 and outside the AP Top 25. Much of this has to do with their lack of size. They only collect 29.2 rebounds per game (compared to BC’s 34.9), no player averages more than 5.6 boards per game, and the tallest player on the roster comes in at only 6’9. Despite these struggles, however, Villanova can score with the best of them. They average 70.3 points per game, and senior 6’4 guard Caleb Daniels is a big reason why. He’s averaging 17.3 points on 45.8% from the floor and 38.5% from downtown. Zackery and Langford Jr. will have their hands full trying to contain him.