Preview: Boston College Mens Basketball vs Virginia

On Wednesday evening, Boston College men’s basketball plays their penultimate home game of the 2022-23 season against the #6 Virginia Cavaliers.

When: Wednesday February 22nd at 7pm ET

Where: Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA

How to Watch: The game will be broadcasted live on NESN

Boston College is ending their season with better play than how they started it, but the Eagles still find themselves towards the bottom of the conference standings. They are 7-10 in the ACC with only one remaining game on the schedule that they’ll be favored to win. Nonetheless, 8 wins in the ACC would be the most conference wins for the Boston College program since the 2010-11 squad that won 9. Despite some ugly games and some terrible offensive performances, Earl Grant does seem to have BC headed in the right direction overall. It also helps that the ACC as a men’s basketball conference is experiencing one of its worst stretches in recent memory in terms of quality.

Virginia is the one atop this newly lousy conference. Sitting at #6 in the nation and with a 13-3 ACC record, the Cavaliers are primed to fight for a high seed in March Madness and make a postseason run. UVA is mediocre at best in points per game, ranked 244th in Division 1, but they remain one of the best teams in the nation because of their efficiency and relentless D. They sport the nation’s #1 assist/turnover ratio, the nation’s #1 points against, the 4th-best turnovers per game, and are among the top in 3pt%, assists, and blocks. This team is scary to go against if you don’t have your offense figured out, because they take advantage of your mistakes and rarely make mistakes of their own.

The first time these teams played each other this season, Virginia trounced BC by a score of 76-57. Quinten Post led the game with 24 points and 6 rebounds, but he didn’t have nearly enough support around him to even threaten an upset. With NCAA tournament seeding on the line, expect Virginia to be going full swing at every opponent they face. They’ve already disappointed the committee with single-digit victories over Duke, Louisville, and Notre Dame, so they need a spotless resume from here on out to have a chance at a 2 or 3 seed in March Madness. Then again, close games against weak competition could be a trend that BC takes advantage of.

Prediction: Virginia 70 Boston College 58