Eagles Open the 2018-19 Season on Tuesday Night vs. Milwaukee

Tuesday, November 6

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

7 p.m.

Boston College

Milwaukee

Buy Tickets

Photo by: John Quackenbos

Eagles Open the 2018-19 Season on Tuesday Night vs. Milwaukee

November 05, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

Men's Basketball looking to extend its home non-conference win streak to 11 games

By: Athletic Communications

Game Day Central - vs. Milwaukee - 7 p.m. ET
Game Notes: Boston College (PDF)
Internet: BCEagles.com (audio) | ACC Network Extra (video)
Radio: BC IMG Sports Network (WEEI 850 AM; SiriusXM 986 internet)
Buy Tickets: Milwaukee

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MILWAUKEE - ALL-TIME SERIES

Tonight marks the second all-time meeting between Boston College and Milwaukee.
The Panthers earned an 83-75 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2005.
Milwaukee's head coach in that game was Bruce Pearl - Boston College class of 1982.

BOSTON COLLEGE IN SEASON OPENERS

In its 85 previous season openers, Boston College has posted an outstanding 66-19 (.776) winning percentage.
Last year, the Eagles began the 2017-18 campaign with a 85-65 win over Maine on Nov. 10.
BC has played its season opener at the Conte Forum in each of the last four seasons and in 30 of the last 32 years.
The Eagles opened 2013-14 at Providence and played in the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands to start 2003-04.
Today's Nov. 6 calendar date is the earliest that BC has ever opened a season.
Previously, the earliest season opening date was Nov. 8, when BC opened at Providence on Nov. 8, 2013.

BOSTON COLLEGE VERSUS THE HORIZON LEAGUE

Boston College is 1-1 versus Horizon League opponents and 4-5 all-time against teams that are Horizon League members.
BC beat UIC, 67-62, on Dec. 22, 1999 in Puerto Rico and fell, 83-75, to Milwaukee in the NCAA Tourney on March 19, 2005.
The Eagles are 2-4 all-time versus Detroit and has logged a win over Youngstown State.
Tonight will mark the first of two Horizon League foes this season. BC hosts IUPUI on Nov. 14 as part of the Fort Myers Tipoff.

ON THIS DATE: NOVEMBER 6

Today marks the first time Boston College has played a men's basketball game on the November 6 calendar date.
Several notable events in history occurred on November 6 - 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected 16th U.S. President; 1869: First intercollegiate football game (Rutgers 6, Princeton 4); 1883: NYAC organizes first U.S. cross country championship; 1917: Bolshevik Revolution begins with the bombing of the Winter Palace in Petrograd; 1947: NBC's "Meet the Press" debuts
November 6 also marks the dual celebration of National Nachos Day and National Saxophone Day.
Notable November 6 birthdays: Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball; former NFL player and U.S Army Ranger Pat Tillman; actress Emma Stone; Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols, and former NBA star Lamar Odom.

KY BOWMAN NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-ACC FIRST TEAM; EAGLES PICKED 12TH ON PRESEASON POLL

Ky Bowman - The Nation's Most Dynamic Guard - was named to the Preseason All-ACC First Team.
He became the first BC player since Tyrese Rice (2008-09) to be named to the preseason All-ACC first team.
Bowman was the only player in the country in 2017-18 to average at least 17.6 points; 6.8 rebounds; 4.7 assists per game. Bowman was the only player in the ACC to rank among the top 11 in the league in scoring, rebounding, and assists in 2017-18.
Among all returning players in the ACC in 2018-19, he ranks second in scoring, fifth in rebounding, and fourth in assists.
His six double-doubles in points and rebounds were most by a point guard in the ACC in 2017-18.
The junior guard was an All-ACC honorable mention and was a second team All-ACC Tournament selection a season ago.
Boston College was picked to finish 12th on the preseason poll. The Eagles finished 12th last year.
Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech round out the top five.

KY BOWMAN: THE NATION'S MOST DYNAMIC GUARD

Ky Bowman is the Nation's Most Dynamic Guard and should rank among the leaders in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
Bowman was the only player in the country in 2017-18 to average at least 17.6 points; 6.8 rebounds; 4.7 assists per game.
Since 1990, only 10 players have posted at least those averages for an entire season.
One of those players was National Player of the Year - Denzel Valentine of Michigan State in 2016.
Three were top three NBA Draft picks: Ben Simmons, LSU (#1, 2016); Evan Turner, Ohio State (#2, 2010); and Penny Hardaway, Memphis (#3, 1993).
Five were picked in the first round of the NBA Draft: Simmons; Turner; Hardaway; Valentine (#14, 2016); Bob Sura, Florida State (#17, 1995).
Seven were named their conference's Player of the Year: Valentine (2015-16); Hardaway (1991-92); Turner (2009-10); Trenton Hassell, Austin Peay (1999-2000); Ricky Minard, Morehead State (2002-03); T.J. Cline, Richmond (2016-17); Patrick Cole N.C. Central (2016-17).
Nine of the 10 earned Associated Press All-American honors.

KY BOWMAN ON THE NATIONAL WATCHLISTS: BOB COUSY AWARD & CITIZEN NAISMITH TROPHY

Ky Bowman was one of 20 players named to the national preseason watchlist for the Bob Cousy Award on Oct. 15.
The Havelock, N.C. native was also named to the 50-player watchlist for the Citizen Naismith Trophy on Nov. 5.
He is the first BC player to be named to both the Cousy and Naismith Award watchlists since Olivier Hanlan in 2014.
The Bob Cousy Award is presented annually to the top point guard in the country.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed down to 10 players. Five finalists will be announced in March.
The winner of the 2019 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5.
The Citizen Naismith Trophy honors the Player of the Year in college basketball annually.
The midseason 30 team will be released on Feb. 13, 2019, while the 10 semifinalists and four finalists on March 4, 2019 and March 19, 2019, respectively.
The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded on April 7, 2019, during the Final Four in Minneapolis.
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball.

TODAY'S BOSTON COLLEGE NOTE(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Last season, Boston College scored 2,673 points - second-most in program history. The record is 2,697, set in 1982-83.
The Eagles connected on 74.1% of their FT attempts (479-646). It ranked fifth in the ACC and ranked 70th nationally.
The 74.1% from the charity stripe was the fifth-best single-season free throw percentage mark in BC history.
Entering the 2016-17 season, it had been a decade since three different BC players scored at least 30 points in a game.
Jerome Robinson, Ky Bowman, and Jordan Chatman scored 30 points in a game in each of the last two seasons.
BC had 10 or more 3-pointers in a game on 14 occasions, including a season-high 15 3FG vs. Duke.
The Eagles ranked second in the ACC & 89th nationally in 3-pointers/game (8.5 3FG/g).
The 2017-18 squad set a new season school record in 3FG attempts (831) and posted the second-most 3FG made (298).

JORDAN CHATMAN: ONE OF THE TOP SHOOTERS IN THE COUNTRY

Jordan Chatman returns for his final season of college basketball and is one of the top long-range shooters in the nation.
Chatman was tabbed as the 27th-best shooter nationally by Haslametrics.com.
Over the past two seasons, he is one of 10 active players to make at least 145 3-pointers and shoot better than 40% from 3FG.
Last year, BC was 7-3 when Chatman hit at least 4 3FG and 5-0 when he made at least 5 3FG.
The Vancouver, Wash. native tallied double-figures in scoring in 17 of the Eagles' 19 victories a season ago.
He enters the 2018-19 season ranked sixth among all active players in career FT% - 90.4% (113-125).
Andy Katz of NCAA.com tabbed Chatman as one of his 11 under-the-radar players to keep an eye on this season.
In 65 games at BC, Chatman has scored 706 points and is poised to become the 44th member of BC's 1,000 point club.
For his college career, including his freshman year at BYU (2015-16), he has totaled 801 total points.
Chatman is tied for the BC single-game record for 3FG made with nine, set at Virginia Tech on Jan. 29, 2017.
With 145 3-pointers made in a BC uniform, Chatman should crack the school's top 10 list for career 3FG makes.

NIK POPOVIC: EMERGING AS ONE OF THE TOP BIG MEN IN THE ACC

Last season, Nik Popovic posted career-highs averages in scoring (9.9), rebounding (6.2), and assists (1.3).
Popovic averaged nearly 13.0 ppg over the final nine games of 2017-18, including a career-high 20 points (8-11 FG) in the opening round win over Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament, shooting better than 55% FG during the nine-game stretch.
When Popovic grabbed at least seven rebounds in a game in 2017-18, the Eagles were 11-6.
He ranked second on the team - and 21st in the ACC - in rebounding.
Popovic converted 60% (101-170) of his shot attempts at the rim in 2017-18, including a team-best 33 putbacks.
The 6-10 forward saw his free throw proficiency make a monumental jump.
He improved on his FT% by more than 18 percentage points, from 53.1% as a freshman to 71.3% as a sophomore.
Even more, Popovic made this improvement while almost tripling his free throw attempts per game.

STEFFON MITCHELL: STATSHEET STUFFER LOOKS FOR SUCCESSFUL SOPHOMORE SEASON

Steffon Mitchell became the first true freshman in BC history to average better than 8.0 rebounds per game.
The Shakopee, Minn. native pulled down 8.3 rebounds per game and is the ACC's third-leading returning rebounder.
He registered three double-doubles in points and rebounds and grabbed double-digit boards on 13 occasions.
In 31 of his 34 games played in 2017-18, Steffon Mitchell led Boston College in at least one statistical category.
He was BC's top rebounder 18 times, led in blocks 16 times, steals in 15 games, assists four times, and scoring once.
Mitchell's 1.95:1 assist/turnover ratio led the Eagles in 2017-18, just ahead of the 1.93:1 mark by Jordan Chatman.
In ACC play, Mitchell posted a 2.56:1 ATR, committing just 16 turnovers in 599 minutes played in 17 conference games.

THE REST OF THE RETURNEES FOR BOSTON COLLEGE

Ervins Meznieks saw action in just 10 games in 2017-18, but played a key role over the final five games of the season.
He scored a season-high nine points (3-4 FG; 2-3 3FG) in 12 minutes at Florida State on March 3.
Johncarlos Reyes connected on 53.2% of his FG attempts, including a near-perfect stretch in the ACC Tourney (7-8 FG).
Reyes opened the 2017-18 campaign with a career-high 12 points (6-7 FG) vs. Maine.
Luka Kraljevic saw action in 31 games, averaging close to 10 minutes of play per game.
The 6-10 forward earned his first collegiate start at FSU and scored a season-high seven points twice.
Vin Baker Jr. scored a season-high 11 points at Pitt - including nine first half points in just eight minutes.
The 6-7 wing shot 80% from the line on the season and made his last seven free throw attempts.
Avery Wilson saw action in 14 games as a freshman and connected on close to 58% of his field goal attempts.
He scored eight points against S.C. State early in the season and made both of his field goal attempts in the win at Pitt.

SAY HI TO THE NEW GUYS

Boston College welcomes four student-athletes who will don the maroon & gold for the first time in 2018-19.
Jared Hamilton is a transfer from Georgia Southern who arrived at the Heights prior to the start of the 2018 spring semester.
The 6-4 guard is averaging 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in his first two collegiate seasons.
He will be eligible at mid-semester and is the older brother of freshman Jairus Hamilton.
Jairus Hamilton was a consensus top 100 rated recruit by all the major college basketball recruiting services.
The 6-8 forward scored 2,574 points in three years and was a two-time AP All-State boys basketball honoree in North Carolina.
Chris Herren Jr. committed to Boston College this past August after a highly successful two seasons at Tabor Academy.
The 6-3 guard was a 2017-18 NEPSAC All-Class A selection, averaging 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Wynston Tabbs was a two-time Washington Post Winter All-Met selection and First Team All-WCAC honoree.
The 6-3 guard averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game as a senior for St. Mary's Ryken H.S..

POINT OUT THE BOUNCE

During summer vertical leap testing, Vin Baker Jr. reached the highest height on the Heights.
The sophomore wing cleared the Vertec machine at 144 inches (12 feet) on the running approach.
Baker Jr. and Jairus Hamilton tied for the highest standing leap, at 135 inches (11 feet, 3 inches).
Jared Hamilton posted the highest approach vertical leap, at 42 inches, while Avery Wilson checked in at 40 inches.
Rounding out the top six high-flying Eagles: Ky Bowman (39 inches), Ervins Meznieks (38 inches), Baker Jr. (37.5 inches), and Wynston Tabbs (36.5 inches).
Vertical jump is calculated by the standing/approach leap number, minus standing reach.

THE 2018-19 ANDY JICK FREE THROW CHALLENGE

This season, there will be a true charitable effort at the charity stripe for the BC Eagles.
For every game that the team shoots 78% or better from the line, longtime PA announcer Andy Jick will donate $100.
Last year, thanks to Jick's generosity and BC's FT proficiency, $1900 was donated to the Quinn Amsler Scholarship fund.
Jick is also sponsoring a similar charity donation in conjunction with BC's women's basketball team and its FT percentage.