Boston College Basketball vs. Virginia Tech/Wake Forest: Final Thoughts & Predictions

Game Facts

Game 29 vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

Monday, March 2, 2015, 9:00 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPNU
Radio: WEEI 850 AM, BCEagles.com

Series History: 16-8, Boston College

First Meeting: Virginia Tech 75, Boston College 70 (December 29, 1981)
Last Meeting: Boston College 76, Virginia Tech 52 (January 29, 2014)
Last Meeting at Cassell: Boston College 62, Virginia Tech 59 (January 11, 2014)

Game 30 vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Saturday, March 7, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WEEI 850 AM, BCEagles.com

Series History: 11-6, Boston College

First Meeting: Boston College 67, Wake Forest 64 (March 15, 1981)
Last Meeting: Boston College 80, Wake Forest 72 (March 1, 2014)
Last Meeting at Conte: Boston College 66, Wake Forest 63 (February 13, 2013)

Roster Notes

No changes from last week.

Projected Starters

G Olivier Hanlan, junior
G Aaron Brown, graduate
G Dimitri Batten, graduate
G Patrick Heckmann, senior
C Dennis Clifford, junior

Three-Point Preview

1. Balanced Scoring. For weeks, it's been the Olivier Hanlan show, with Aaron Brown providing most of the secondary scoring for the Eagles. On Saturday, all five BC starters scored in double figures as the Eagles knocked off N.C. State by 16 points at Conte Forum. Teams have really been keying in on Hanlan over the last few weeks. The junior guard has regularly been drawing double- and sometimes triple-teams. If BC's other scorers get going, the Eagles may prove to be a tough out the rest of the way against a very manageable schedule.

2. Limit opponents' second chances on the offensive glass. Coach alluded to this in the N.C. State three up/down, but it was not a very good performance on the defensive glass for BC. This might not be as big a factor against Virginia Tech—the only team in the ACC worse than BC on the glass—but a guy like Wake Forest's Devin Thomas could really make life difficult on the boards for BC.

3. Keep Dennis Clifford out of foul trouble. Admit it. When Clifford fouled out of the N.C. State game, you were nervous that BC would let a double-digit lead slip away. Without the services of Magarity, BC is really limited in the post. Clifford is gonna have to eat up a bunch of minutes to help BC on defense and on the glass.

Steve Addazio* Previews Virginia Tech and Wake Forest

Here we are, right at that juncture right now. Got an opportunity to write a new script. To write a new script off an old tablet. BC basketball. Throughout the country known as tough basketball. High character. Classy. Physical. Tough. Rugged basketball program. Got a chance right now to re-write that slate. To go back and pay back the guys that came before you the way it's supposed to be done. Got a chance to set that right now. Got a chance to go out there and show the BC Nation and to show America just who you want to be and who you are.

That's all you can ask for. Give me a chance to stand on that court and play. Give me a chance to play with my heart. Give me a chance to play with my teammates. Give me a chance to play for BC. That's all you can ask for. You got that platform.

Now what we have to do is we've got to play 40 minutes—relentless—we gotta fly around the court. We gotta have a lot of juice.

The coaches will be flying around. You'll be flying around. We're playing as a team. We're playing as a team. We're 16 strong. That's what we are. We're BC. We're BC. It's not just about five on the court at one time. This program's not built on that. This program's built on the whole family. Together fighting for each other. Fighting for each other. That's what we're doing.

You're accountable to your teammates. You're accountable for that. You don't give in and you don't lack effort because you're accountable to your teammates. And when we press play on Monday, we're gonna see a team flying around 100 miles per hour. You gotta come off? Get the next guy in.

Repeat it after me. The team. The team. The team. The team. The family. The family. The family. BC! BC! BC!

Scoreboard Watching / Out of Town Notes

Last week of the regular season. All eyes will be on Duke-North Carolina on Saturday, but Louisville ends the year with games against Notre Dame and Virginia. Both should not disappoint.

Gametime Song of the Week

Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better.

Random Factoids

The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Hokies 17-8, but six of those Virginia Tech wins have come at home (6-6).

Dot Dot Dot

BC may very well be catching both of these teams at the wrong time of year. Despite an identical 2-14 record in conference play, Virginia Tech took Duke to overtime and played Virginia tough on Saturday. Wake Forest is coming off a 69-66 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday night. All three of these programs seem to be peaking towards the end of the year. Probably not a coincidence given all three are coached by first-year coaches.

BCI Predictions

Tight battle for first place with just two regular season games remaining:

	BC-VT	Score	BC-WF	Score	Pts.	Record Picking BC
hoyaeagle		66-61		72-65	24	21-5
Brian Favat		61-60		70-67	23	20-6
CoachJF		66-64		70-64	22	19-7
Jeff Martyn		68-60		59-54	21	18-8
A.J Black		58-56		65-64	20	17-7
CSOM_97					20	17-7
Dan Rubin		74-68		71-61	19	19-6
Joe Gravellese		99-0		99-0	19	18-8
Kwani Lunis		65-63		75-70	17	16-7
Grant Salzano		72-67		72-67	12	10-16

Leave your thoughts / predictions on Boston College-Virginia Tech and Boston College-Wake Forest below. Go Eagles!

* Steve Addazio didn't actually say these things