Boston College Basketball: Hoops Opponent Watch

With the hoops team struggling at 5-5, it's easy to have tunnel vision and forget that there's college hoops being played beyond the Heights. Tracking what Boston College's future opponents are doing.

Last Best Chance At A W

Dartmouth. The Big Green dropped Maine by 13 in the season opener and then lost to every other team not named Longwood since. They even lost to a team nicknamed the Mastodons. DU stands at an unimpressive 2-7 and an RPI pushing 300. Dartmouth plays at Bryant on Saturday before facing the Eagles on New Year's Eve.

Holy Cross. The Cross, which beat Dartmouth 67-56 back on December 8, stand at 6-4 on the year. The Crusaders eked past Old Dominion in the opener (47-46) before falling to UTSA in a pretty bad loss. The wins have been meh and the losses not much better. But HC didn't need OT to defeat New Hampshire so there's that.

Toss Ups

Providence. The Friars are 8-2 on the year, having now won six straight. The losses came to Massachusetts (75-77) and Penn State (52-55) -- both in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. PC is a UMass buzzer-beater and an OT loss away from standing at a perfect 10-0, giving hope to the Catholic 7 that they haven't just decided to create a three team league. This is round 3 of Cooley vs. Donahue with the BC-PC series knotted at one apiece.

Miami. The U often fills up on creampuff non-conf opponents to get out to a fast start only to fade come ACC play. This season, the Hurricanes actually have some decent wins in the early going, including Ws over Michigan State (67-59), UMass (75-62) and Charlotte (77-46). The lone blemish on the season is a loss at Florida Gulf Coast. #goacc

Leaning Loss

Virginia Tech. Following back-to-back victories over major conference programs Iowa and Oklahoma State, the buzz was all about how much people underestimated this year's Hokies squad. Then Virginia Tech goes and loses to 2-6 Georgia Southern. I'd feel better about the Eagles chances if this game was at Conte. Of note, this will be the first season since BC joined the ACC that the Eagles won't face the Hokies twice in the regular season.

Wake Forest. The Deacons are tied with the Eagles for the worst record in the conference at 5-5. Wake is coming off a win over 3-7 Furman. Though BC did win its lone road game of the year (@ Penn State), I just don't trust this team on the road coming off a 0-9 road performance a season ago.

Pain

N.C. State. The Pack are 8-2 and barely holding onto an AP Top 25 ranking this week. N.C. State's two losses on the year are of the quality loss variety -- a 79-72 loss at #3 Michigan in the ACC-B1G Challenge and a 10 point loss to Oklahoma State in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off final.

Further Out

A brutal stretch of games that starts with @ Maryland (9-1), followed by @ Virginia (8-2), North Carolina (8-2), Clemson (6-3), @ Miami (7-1) and #1 Duke (9-0). If BC wins A game during that stretch, I'll be pleased I guess. Ahh low expectations.