Photo by: John Quackenbos
Garraud At Point of BC Hoops Revolution
December 07, 2018 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
The freshman point guard is stepping to the forefront of BC's new day.
Before Boston College's game against Holy Cross, freshman Marnelle Garraud had a conversation with head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. It was four days after the Saint Peter's game, and the Eagles held a 2-0 record.
Garraud had been a big part of those games, scoring 19 points in 20 minutes against Rhode Island and distributing five assists in 26 minutes against Saint Peter's. It didn't quell the nerves that came against the Crusaders, though, since she was about to make the jump to starting point guard on an ACC basketball team.
"I knew that role came with a lot of responsibility," Garraud said. "It comes with pressure, so it was a little daunting. I was excited but nervous at the same time. Coach Mac told me to take three big breaths, though, and play like we did every day in practice."
Garraud was an immediate hit. She scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished a season-high six assists. She was off and running, and after leading the Eagles to a win over Houston, she's now become a true impact player for a team that's playing with an unmatched chemistry and cohesion among an 8-1 start.
"This is one of the first teams that I've had where I've just gelled with everyone," Garraud said. "There's no sour apples. We have a great chemistry off the court, and it's translating on the court. Building this 'second family' has been awesome. We have seven freshmen, but there's a learning curve. We all had to learn the new system and how to work together. I love it every day."
It makes the Eagles unique. They're almost too young to know anything different. More than half of the roster are freshmen, and the coaching staff is in its first year in Chestnut Hill. Everyone is learning everyone else's tendencies, and they're all adapting thanks to an almost-blind enthusiasm centered solely on playing the game.
"You don't know what to expect (when you're new)," Garraud said. "I asked (the coaches) over the summer what to expect, and they told me to be in the best shape of my life before coming to campus. They told us that we were going to do something that people didn't think we were capable of doing. To hear that made me excited and jumpy about getting on campus (despite the unfamiliarity)."
She immediately matched up into the team's offense and broke out in the first two games. She paired six rebounds with her 17 points in 34 minutes against Houston, shooting 4-of-6 on three-pointers. Two games later against Rider, she knocked down eight baskets, half of which were threes, in a 28-point performance.
"Our transition offense was on point in those two games," Garraud said. "Our coaches told us that we would be one of the fittest teams on the court, and I don't know if it was become we had some days off, but we were running running all over the court. We were fluid, and we had so much chemistry. Those two games were the most fun, energetic games we've had. It wasn't thinking about what we needed to do. We just played basketball as a team.
"My coaches and teammates instilled confidence in me in practice, through scouting and how we practice every day," she continued. "It wasn't as easy as it might have seemed. Every week and every day, we battled in practice with teammates. Our coaches make (training) harder than the games, so it won't be as worrisome when we get into those game situations."
After grabbing 15 rebounds against Columbia and Bryant, the Massachusetts native is now averaging 5.3 boards per game to go along with a 13.9 scoring average. It's exactly what the coaching staff saw in her early-season performance, and it's a dream come true for a Lynn native playing just miles from her home neighborhood.
"Lynn isn't the biggest city, but it's a basketball city," Garraud said. "Basketball meant so much to the people there, so it meant more to me. There's a lot of basketball players in Lynn, but not many come out to become Division I players. That was a driving factor for me. I tried to work as hard as I could be to be that person to make it out and play at the top level. I want to go back and inspire as many kids as I can."
She will have that opportunity on Sunday when the 8-1 Eagles host the No. 14 Minnesota Golden Gophers. It's a game that could stand to define BC's new era as an underdog team playing for each other to disprove anything anyone wants to say about it.
"We have, hands down, one of the best coaching staffs in the country," Garraud said. "They put in time and energy (with us) that's unmatched. It makes it easy to play for them because they give us everything that we need. It's our job, then, to get it done on the court."
The Eagles will host the Gophers at Conte Forum at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The game can be seen via ESPN's ACC Network Extra online or on the WatchESPN app for mobile devices.
Garraud had been a big part of those games, scoring 19 points in 20 minutes against Rhode Island and distributing five assists in 26 minutes against Saint Peter's. It didn't quell the nerves that came against the Crusaders, though, since she was about to make the jump to starting point guard on an ACC basketball team.
"I knew that role came with a lot of responsibility," Garraud said. "It comes with pressure, so it was a little daunting. I was excited but nervous at the same time. Coach Mac told me to take three big breaths, though, and play like we did every day in practice."
Garraud was an immediate hit. She scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished a season-high six assists. She was off and running, and after leading the Eagles to a win over Houston, she's now become a true impact player for a team that's playing with an unmatched chemistry and cohesion among an 8-1 start.
"This is one of the first teams that I've had where I've just gelled with everyone," Garraud said. "There's no sour apples. We have a great chemistry off the court, and it's translating on the court. Building this 'second family' has been awesome. We have seven freshmen, but there's a learning curve. We all had to learn the new system and how to work together. I love it every day."
It makes the Eagles unique. They're almost too young to know anything different. More than half of the roster are freshmen, and the coaching staff is in its first year in Chestnut Hill. Everyone is learning everyone else's tendencies, and they're all adapting thanks to an almost-blind enthusiasm centered solely on playing the game.
"You don't know what to expect (when you're new)," Garraud said. "I asked (the coaches) over the summer what to expect, and they told me to be in the best shape of my life before coming to campus. They told us that we were going to do something that people didn't think we were capable of doing. To hear that made me excited and jumpy about getting on campus (despite the unfamiliarity)."
She immediately matched up into the team's offense and broke out in the first two games. She paired six rebounds with her 17 points in 34 minutes against Houston, shooting 4-of-6 on three-pointers. Two games later against Rider, she knocked down eight baskets, half of which were threes, in a 28-point performance.
"Our transition offense was on point in those two games," Garraud said. "Our coaches told us that we would be one of the fittest teams on the court, and I don't know if it was become we had some days off, but we were running running all over the court. We were fluid, and we had so much chemistry. Those two games were the most fun, energetic games we've had. It wasn't thinking about what we needed to do. We just played basketball as a team.
"My coaches and teammates instilled confidence in me in practice, through scouting and how we practice every day," she continued. "It wasn't as easy as it might have seemed. Every week and every day, we battled in practice with teammates. Our coaches make (training) harder than the games, so it won't be as worrisome when we get into those game situations."
After grabbing 15 rebounds against Columbia and Bryant, the Massachusetts native is now averaging 5.3 boards per game to go along with a 13.9 scoring average. It's exactly what the coaching staff saw in her early-season performance, and it's a dream come true for a Lynn native playing just miles from her home neighborhood.
"Lynn isn't the biggest city, but it's a basketball city," Garraud said. "Basketball meant so much to the people there, so it meant more to me. There's a lot of basketball players in Lynn, but not many come out to become Division I players. That was a driving factor for me. I tried to work as hard as I could be to be that person to make it out and play at the top level. I want to go back and inspire as many kids as I can."
She will have that opportunity on Sunday when the 8-1 Eagles host the No. 14 Minnesota Golden Gophers. It's a game that could stand to define BC's new era as an underdog team playing for each other to disprove anything anyone wants to say about it.
"We have, hands down, one of the best coaching staffs in the country," Garraud said. "They put in time and energy (with us) that's unmatched. It makes it easy to play for them because they give us everything that we need. It's our job, then, to get it done on the court."
The Eagles will host the Gophers at Conte Forum at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The game can be seen via ESPN's ACC Network Extra online or on the WatchESPN app for mobile devices.
Players Mentioned
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