Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Ben Solomon
2019-20 Preview Series: Herren Jr. Goes to the Videotape
October 28, 2019 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
After a memorable freshman campaign, the sophomore shooting guard looks for a breakout 2019-20
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- When it comes to videos, over the past 15 months, Chris Herren Jr. has been both the subject and the avid viewer.
Video made him famous on the internet this past December. On Dec. 20, 2018, the Portsmouth, R.I. native earned a scholarship from head coach Jim Christian. The heartwarming scene - caught on video - took place in the team's meeting room and, to date, has accumulated close to a half-million views, countless numbers of clicks, and a litany of likes, retweets, smiles, and cheers.
Video has also served as a teaching tool. Throughout the off-season, the sophomore shooting guard has pored through countless hours of video. Practice footage, game film, even individual workouts. If it was captured digitally, Herren Jr. watched it.
"I had a video camera set up every day over the summer so I could just watch myself shoot," Herren Jr. said. "I wanted to get back to the terminology that we used, and I wanted to just keep getting better on defense."
"I had parts of the year that were good at both the beginning and end of the season," he added. "But I know that there were times that I also struggled. So this offseason, I learned how to stay calm and focused. I spent a lot of time working on my shot to get it more fluid and effortless."
When the 6-3 shooting guard committed to Boston College, it came at a time where college basketball headlines are like the sound of one hand clapping. The national signing periods have come and gone, and the stream of graduate transfers start to dwindle. College basketball's news cycle enters a state of active rest.
So nobody can be blamed if they missed Herren Jr.'s commitment to the Heights, a decision that had him reclassify and skip his final prep season at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts. A high school and AAU star in New England, he joined the Eagles prior to the start of the second summer session.
"I didn't know that I was coming to Boston College until the end of the summer," he said. "That meant I didn't play AAU, and coming off of a back injury, I had to really adjust to just playing basketball again. When it got to ACC play, I had to re-adjust again and really learn my role on the team."
His arrival in Chestnut Hill signaled the start of a whirlwind freshman season, but he never stopped adjusting and developing. As his second campaign now begins, he continues that path as one of BC's most trusted utility players.
Herren Jr. began his high school career at Portsmouth High School in Rhode Island, earning Providence Journal All-State honors as a sophomore. He moved into the New England prep school scene the next season when he transferred to Tabor, and his immediate impact helped lead the Seawolves to the NEPSAC Class A Championship in 2017-18. That put him on the radar of college recruiters, originally as an incoming freshman for what would have been the 2019-20 season.
That led to last June's reclassification and subsequent commitment to Boston College after signing a financial aid agreement. He immediately joined the team's rotation and came off the bench in the season opener against Milwaukee, burying a three in four minutes in the Eagles' win over the Panthers.
His role kept evolving, and it kept him in a fluid adjustment with the team's backcourt needs. His minutes increased in the fourth game against Wyoming before he played 16 minutes against Loyola Chicago. Three games later, he hit three shots from beyond the arc against Providence in 15 minutes, a performance that helped him earn his first start against Columbia. It set up his best performance of the season, dropping 22 points in 35 minutes against Fairfield.
In all, Herren Jr. earned a spot in the starting five on eight occasions, finishing his first season averaging 4.2 points per game in close to 16 minutes of action. That inaugural collegiate campaign gave him a base for his offseason tinkering, and it only fueled his desire to just keep getting better. And burning up the rewind and fast forward buttons.Â
Video made him famous on the internet this past December. On Dec. 20, 2018, the Portsmouth, R.I. native earned a scholarship from head coach Jim Christian. The heartwarming scene - caught on video - took place in the team's meeting room and, to date, has accumulated close to a half-million views, countless numbers of clicks, and a litany of likes, retweets, smiles, and cheers.
Video has also served as a teaching tool. Throughout the off-season, the sophomore shooting guard has pored through countless hours of video. Practice footage, game film, even individual workouts. If it was captured digitally, Herren Jr. watched it.
"I had a video camera set up every day over the summer so I could just watch myself shoot," Herren Jr. said. "I wanted to get back to the terminology that we used, and I wanted to just keep getting better on defense."
"I had parts of the year that were good at both the beginning and end of the season," he added. "But I know that there were times that I also struggled. So this offseason, I learned how to stay calm and focused. I spent a lot of time working on my shot to get it more fluid and effortless."
When the 6-3 shooting guard committed to Boston College, it came at a time where college basketball headlines are like the sound of one hand clapping. The national signing periods have come and gone, and the stream of graduate transfers start to dwindle. College basketball's news cycle enters a state of active rest.
So nobody can be blamed if they missed Herren Jr.'s commitment to the Heights, a decision that had him reclassify and skip his final prep season at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts. A high school and AAU star in New England, he joined the Eagles prior to the start of the second summer session.
"I didn't know that I was coming to Boston College until the end of the summer," he said. "That meant I didn't play AAU, and coming off of a back injury, I had to really adjust to just playing basketball again. When it got to ACC play, I had to re-adjust again and really learn my role on the team."
His arrival in Chestnut Hill signaled the start of a whirlwind freshman season, but he never stopped adjusting and developing. As his second campaign now begins, he continues that path as one of BC's most trusted utility players.
Herren Jr. began his high school career at Portsmouth High School in Rhode Island, earning Providence Journal All-State honors as a sophomore. He moved into the New England prep school scene the next season when he transferred to Tabor, and his immediate impact helped lead the Seawolves to the NEPSAC Class A Championship in 2017-18. That put him on the radar of college recruiters, originally as an incoming freshman for what would have been the 2019-20 season.
That led to last June's reclassification and subsequent commitment to Boston College after signing a financial aid agreement. He immediately joined the team's rotation and came off the bench in the season opener against Milwaukee, burying a three in four minutes in the Eagles' win over the Panthers.
His role kept evolving, and it kept him in a fluid adjustment with the team's backcourt needs. His minutes increased in the fourth game against Wyoming before he played 16 minutes against Loyola Chicago. Three games later, he hit three shots from beyond the arc against Providence in 15 minutes, a performance that helped him earn his first start against Columbia. It set up his best performance of the season, dropping 22 points in 35 minutes against Fairfield.
In all, Herren Jr. earned a spot in the starting five on eight occasions, finishing his first season averaging 4.2 points per game in close to 16 minutes of action. That inaugural collegiate campaign gave him a base for his offseason tinkering, and it only fueled his desire to just keep getting better. And burning up the rewind and fast forward buttons.Â
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