Harvard 74, Boston College 66: Observations From The Loss

It’s Jerome Robinson vs. the World

The sophomore guard played every single minute of BC’s loss to Harvard, which was 8 more minutes than anyone else on the team. In those 40 minutes, Robinson had 25 points on 10-23 shooting from the field while also dishing out 6 assists, both team-highs. It’s well-documented that Robinson is the centerpiece of this Eagles team, much like Olivier Hanlan was, and will be relied on for putting up more than 20 points a game. What wasn’t expected, though, is that he would be forced to play the entire game, lead the team in assists too, and only have one other teammate (A.J. Turner) get double digit points. Until something changes, it’s Jerome vs. the World when BC takes the court.

This team does not yet have an identity

Are they a three-point shooting team that spreads the floor? Are they a run and gun squad that beats you with speed and athleticism? Are they an iso team that lets its playmakers do their thing? This team has seemingly been experimenting with their identity all season, as Robinson has been the only consistent offensive force for the Eagles. For them to be successful this season, they’ll need to establish an identity and build on that moving forward.

Jim Christian’s streak vs. Harvard snapped

After winning 2 straight against the Crimson (yeah, I know that’s not much of a streak), Christian wasn’t able to 3-peat on Wednesday night. We don’t yet know how good Harvard really is this year, considering they’ve already lost to Holy Cross, but it’ll be interesting to see where the two teams go from here. Maybe it’ll be the opposite of the past two seasons and BC will use a loss to Harvard to get better rather than a win over Harvard to get worse.

Christian doesn’t know who his go-to guys are yet

Outside of Robinson, no one else on the team has stepped up. Turner contributed 13 points against Harvard and has been a good facilitator, but hasn’t been a consistent scorer for a team that needs it desperately. I really don’t think Christian quite knows who to count on yet, which is understandable considering the 7 new players on the team. This lack of trust is exemplified by Garland Owens, who played a total of 1 minute in the win over Dartmouth but was out there for 16 minutes against Harvard. JC better get it figured out before ACC play or the Eagles are in for another long season.

The lack of an inside presence is going to hurt BC

That lack of size inside was exposed by Harvard, who in previous games prided themselves on three-point shooting. Harvard went 16-18 from the line and made most of their field goals inside the three-point line. Maybe this was because of the officiating, but what’s more likely is that BC just isn’t physical enough inside to stop a team from out-phsyicalling (sometimes we have to make up words to make a point) them. On the offensive side for BC, they got 11 of their 26 field goals from three-point range while only getting to the free throw line 6 times (3-6). This goes back to a lack of identity, because if BC is going to be a run and gun 3 point shooting team, they’ll need to execute that gameplan much better than they have thus far.

The Eagles must turn it around before it’s too late

It’s been an up-and-down season thus far for BC, and yes, the season is very young, but they have to get away from this Robinson-centric offense before ACC play. These non-conference games should serve as tune-ups for BC, and in the coming games against Hartford, Auburn, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, and Providence, they’ll need to figure out the real issues they’ve had thus far. It’ll be tough, but I think this team has the firepower and skill to figure it out (at least somewhat).