Boston College
2019-20 Record: 13-19, 7-13 in the ACC
Head coach: Jim Christian
Tenure at Boston College: 7th Season
Career coaching record: 317-273
Home court: Conte Forum
Starters: F Steffon Mitchell, G Jay Heath, G Wynston Tabbs, F/C Luka Kraljevic, F Frederick Scott
Bench: F CJ Felder, G Makai Ashton-Langford, G Abe Atiyeh, G DeMarr Langford Jr., G Rich Kelly, C Justin Vander Baan, F/C James Karnik
Overview: Look, this team wasn’t anything special last year, but it had its moments. Statement wins in the ACC included contests with Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech and N.C. State—so the Eagles clearly didn’t lack competitiveness within one of the best conferences in basketball. They were a consistent upset threat but didn’t get it done consistently enough for a tournament berth, losing some games that they shouldn’t have.
The good news for the Eagles is they look better this year than they did last. Sophomore Jay Heath had a great scoring output last season, averaging 13.1 points per game, and junior Wynston Tabbs is coming off an injury that kept him out all last season. Even with transfer Andre Adams likely out for the season—admittedly, a big blow—the Eagles return enough talent and experience to play spoilers in the backwards year of 2020.
Team ceiling: Tabbs dominates on both ends of the floor, and Heath adds to his offensive prowess displayed last season. The Eagles make the tournament, and are likely bounced in the first weekend—but when it comes to March, you never know.
Team floor: Tabbs can’t re-establish himself as the player he was before his injury, and the loss of Adams proves to be the nail in the coffin for the Eagles. They finish with a similar record to last season, bowing out in the first round of the ACC tournament.
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