
Photo by: Eddie Shabomardenly
For Welles: Eagles Take on Villanova in Never Forget Tribute Classic
December 09, 2022 | Men's Basketball
Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. and the game will air live on Fox
BOSTON COLLEGE VERSUS VILLANOVA - ALL-TIME SERIES
- Today's game marks the 79th meeting between the two schools. BC is 24-54 all-time vs. Villanova, dating back to 1945-46.
- Fifty-two of those meetings came in Big East play from 1979-2005. The Eagles were 18-34 in Big East play vs. the Wildcats.
- BC downed Nova, 70-58, for the 1997 Big East Tournament crown.
- Villanova won the last two meetings - a 76-67 win in the 2K Sports Classic at Bubbleville at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 25, 2020.
- Prior to that, the last meeting was a 60-59 overtime loss to Nova in the Sweet 16 round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis.
- BC is 3-9 all-time against Villanova on a neutral site.
- Since 2005-06, Boston College is 8-12 versus Big East opponents.
- The Eagles faced two Big East opponents in 2020-21 at Bubbleville.
- BC fell, 76-67, on Nov. 25, 2020 to #3 Villanova and 97-93 to St. John's on Nov. 30, 2020.
- From 1979-2005, BC went 181-221 in Big East conference play.
- The Eagles were Big East Champions in 1997 and 2001.
- Boston College is wearing special edition "Red Bandanna" uniforms today in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in honor of Welles Remy Crowther '99.
- Crowther, who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, was an equities trader with Sandler O'Neill on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
- A volunteer firefighter in Nyack, N.Y., Crowther spearheaded a rescue effort from the Sky Lobby on the 78th floor and is credited with saving more than a dozen lives. Survivors recalled being saved by "The Man in the Red Bandanna."
- Crowther had worn a Red Bandanna, given to him by his father, Jefferson, since he was a child growing up in Nyack, N.Y.
- He carried it wherever he went and, while a student-athlete at BC, he always wore one beneath his lacrosse uniform.
- In 2014, BC decided to honor Crowther's memory by wearing special football jerseys in a game vs. No. 9 USC.
- The Eagles upset the Trojans, 37-31, and the game became an annual event - and one of BC Athletics' proudest traditions.
- Today marks the time the men's basketball program's will play in a Red Bandanna game.
- The uniforms - custom designed by New Balance - are white with red lettering and feature Red Bandanna paneling on the side of the jersey and shorts. The back of the uniform has "For Welles" where players' last names are traditionally located.
- Players are also wearing New Balance shooting shirts with the special Boston College Red Bandanna logo.
- Makai Ashton-Langford's uniform features a special number 19 patch. He is men's basketball's representative for the Welles Crowther Patch Program. Each of Boston College's athletics programs selected a student-athlete who best displays the attributes of Welles Crowther. That athlete wears the number 19 patch on his or her uniform throughout the 2022-23 season.
- This is Boston College's first-ever game at the Prudential Center. Â
- Since committing a season-high 20 turnovers vs. Tarleton State, BC is averaging 10.5 turnovers over its last five games.
- Boston College is 20-3 all-time on the December 10 calendar date.
- December 10 marks the dualing celebrations of National Lager and National Dewey Decimal System Days.
- Several notable events in history occurred on December 10 - 1672: New York Governor Francis Lovelace announces monthly mail service between New York City and Boston; 1690: The Massachusetts Bay Colony becomes the first American colony to issue paper money; 1864: General Sherman's armies reach Savannah, Ga.; 1884: "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" first published in the U.S.; 1901: The first Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Red Cross founder Jean Henri Dunant and peace activist Frederic Passy; 1971: Lucasfilm Ltd. founded in San Francisco.
- Notable December 10 birthdays: abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison; poet Emily Dickinson; librarian Melvil Dewey; actor Michael Clarke Duncan; Iron Chef Bobby Flay; actress Emmanuelle Chriqui; NFL quarterback Joe Burrow.
- T.J. Bickerstaff is one of two players to rank among the top 70 in both offensive rebounding and steal% per KenPom.
- Devin McGlockton is one of 11 players to rank among the top 70 in both offensive rebounding% and block% per KenPom.
- Boston College will face two opponents this week which played in the 2022 Final Four.
- The Eagles played at Duke on Dec. 3 and take on Villanova today in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.
- It marks the first time since the 1987-88 season in which BC faced two teams from the previous Final Four in the same week.
- That year, BC traveled to Syracuse on Monday, Jan. 18, 1988 before hosting Providence on Saturday, Jan. 23.
- BC takes on two 2022 Final Four teams in the span of 10 days in January, - hosting Duke on Jan. 7 and at UNC on Jan. 17.
- CJ Penha Jr. scored a game-high 16 points on Dec. 3 at Duke. The grad transfer was 7-of-13 from the floor in 33 minutes.
- It was his fifth double-digit scoring game of the season - he ranks third on the Eagles in scoring (9.9 ppg).
- In the 2022-23 opener, Penha Jr. came off the bench to score 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting (2-4 3FG) against Cornell.
- He added 13 points at Nebraska and 12 points in two games at the Paradise Jam - George Mason and Tarleton State.
- Penha Jr. leads BC in field goals made (42) and ranks second on the Eagles in FG% (53.2%) and 3-pointers made (10).
- The grad transfer compiled nearly 1,600 points at Taylor University (NAIA) and Trevecca Nazarene (DII), including 155 3FG's.
- During his 100 games played at both Taylor and Trevecca, Penha Jr. scored 20 or more points on 35 occasions.
- Among all ACC players without a start, Devin McGlockton ranks first in scoring (8.1) and rebounds (5.4), and is second in blocks (1.2) through the first 10 games of the season.
- He is the first BC reserve to log a double-double this season. Quinten Post did so twice during the 2021-22 campaign.
- Jaeden Zackery scored a season-high 16 points in consecutive games - both wins - over Wyoming and Rhode Island.
- Over the two games, he went to the free throw line 16 times, connecting on 15. He was 8-8 vs. Wyoming and 7-8 vs. URI.
- Prior to the scoring outburst vs. Wyoming, he had tallied 11 points in his previous two games - including a season-low four points against Tarleton State, going without a field goal for the first time in his career to that point (39 games).
- The sophomore guard has been the high scorer on three occasions and leads the Eagles in scoring (11.3) through 10 games.
- Devin McGlockton has made an impact off the bench over the last five games for Boston College.
- During that span, the redshirt freshman is averaging 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocked shots per game.
- He is also connecting on 66.7% of his shots (22-33), including 3-of-4 3FG and 16-of-22 FT during the span.
- He ranks 12th in the ACC in blocks per game (1.2 bpg) and 64th nationally in block percentage (7.6%) per KenPom.
- Devin McGlockton had career-highs in points (20) and rebounds (11) en route to his first career double-double at Nebraska.
- Against Rhode Island, the redshirt freshman scored the evental go-ahead basket with 1:07 remaining in the game.
- He also sealed the victory with two free throws with eight seconds remaining; scoring six of his 11 points in the final 1:40.
- At the Paradise Jam, McGlockton scored 12 points, making 5-of-8 shots from the floor - including 2-of-3 from the outside.
- He added four rebounds, an assist, a steal, and three blocks - his second game with at least three blocks this season.
- The last player to post a similarly complete stat line - Steffon Mitchell against Duke (12p/5r/1a/1s/3b).
- McGlockton is the first Boston College player in at least 26 years to post that stat line coming off the bench.
- McGlockton leads Boston College in FG% (23-37 63.4%), effective FG% (67.1%), and true shooting percentage (69.6%).
- Prince Aligbe announced his presence with authority, connecting on the gamewinning layup with less than a second remaining in the season opener vs. Cornell on Nov. 7
- Aligbe led Boston College in scoring with 16 points, while also grabbing nine rebounds - narrowly missing a double-double.
- Five of his nine boards came on the offensive glass. He also added an assist and two steals in 24 minutes of action.
- The 6-7 forward from Minneapolis scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, including eight in the final 4:00 of play.
- Aligbe became the first Boston College freshman in 11 years to lead the Eagles in scoring in his first career game.
- On Nov. 14, 2011, newcomer Patrick Heckmann led BC in scoring (19 points) in the season lidlifter vs. New Hampshire.
- After an injury early against Detroit Mercy, he missed the next six games before playing four minutes at Duke on Dec. 3.
- T.J. Bickerstaff has picked up where he left off last season - as one of the top rebounders in the ACC and the nation.
- Bickerstaff ranks 11th in the ACC, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 season.
- The 6-9 forward from Atlanta ranked seventh in the ACC on the offensive glass, averaging 2.8 OR/g.
- He posted double digits in the rebounding column in each of the first three games this season and five times overall.
- Last season, the 6-9 forward was eighth in the ACC (7.2 rpg); he ranks as fifth-leading returning rebounder in the league.
- Bickerstaff was one of 15 players nationally - two in the ACC (Bacot - UNC) to have multiple games with 17 rebounds or more.
- Against UNC on Jan. 26, 14 of Bickerstaff's 17 rebounds came on the defensive glass. Â
- The last BC player to grab at least 14 defensive boards in a game - Ky Bowman (16)Â - against Notre Dame on Jan. 12, 2019.
- Bickerstaff registered four games with at least 15 rebounds in 2021-22 - tied for most in the ACC this season (Bacot).
- The last BC player to have at least four games with 15+ rebounds - Craig Smith - during the 2005-06 season.
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