Boston College Men's Basketball Weekly Thoughts

Boston College went 1-1 this week as they handled an abysmal Louisville squad 75-65 before falling to a very good #7 UVA team 76-57. Both results were expected, but there are some definite takeaways here. As always, let’s start with the bad stuff:

Negatives:

Mason Madsen’s shooting. First off, let me say that I love Madsen’s effort on defense. He is not a great defender, but what he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with effort. He’s had several great steals and blocks throughout the season, and he has made some tough, clutch baskets for the Eagles. Yet since Quinten Post and Prince Aligbe returned from injuries, Earl Grant has been tightening the rotation. Guys like CJ Penha, Devin McGlockton, and Kelley have seen their minutes slashed. Madsen, however, still ranks 5th on the team in minutes per game, with only Zackery, the Langford brothers, and Post ahead of him. I do not know why Madsen continues to get so much playing time. His primary strength is supposed to be shooting the 3 ball; he leads the team in 3-point attempts by 16 and yet is shooting an unsightly 27.4% from downton. He does not bring enough to the table on either side of the court beyond his supposed shooting strengths, yet he continues to play big minutes. I hope he finds his shooting stroke quickly because the team needs it badly. Against UVA, an inability to find any consistent scoring beyond Post was not good.

Devin McGlockton’s foul troubles. I have talked a lot about how I think McGlockton needs more minutes than the current 15.3 per game he’s currently getting. He’s a good rebounder, a decent finisher and I think the offense tends to run a bit smoother when he’s playing the 4. With all that said, it is impossible for him to play more if he’s constantly in foul trouble. In 11 minutes against Louisville, he picked up 3 fouls. He had 1 in only 6 minutes against UVA. He’s overzealous in rim protection, and he gets caught hacking way too much. It gifts opponents easy free throw makes, and it limits McGlockton’s impact severely. He needs to find a way to compete defensively without fouling.

Positives:

The Jaeden Zackery of last year returning for a half. Zackery has struggled mightily compared to last season. It was great to see him ball out in the second half of the Louisville game. He was the catalyst for BC’s comeback and eventual win. He drilled three triples, and he looked confident doing it. He was not doubting himself, he was just in attack mode. BC is a different team with him filling up the bucket; the Eagles were blown out by Virginia as Zackery again slipped with confidence. He did not even attempt a 3 against them.

Quinten Post. That is all. Please let him stay next year.

That’s all for this week. Roll Eags.