Photo by: John Quackenbos
Crushing Loss Does Not Sway Eagles' Confidence
January 10, 2023 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
BC's performance over over the last four games has shown the ACC another tough out
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Games against Duke are seldom solely played against the Blue Devils. There's a mystique surrounding the program and its five national championships, and the legacy built by head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to last year's retirement tour was enough to pack any gym with fans wearing the school's fabled blue and white color scheme. No program has earned more spots on the Associated Press national poll, and the amount of time spent in the rankings eclipses some of the holiest blue bloods college basketball has to offer.
The reputation has Duke in the national picture on an annual basis, and the recruiting class rankings reflect the respect and admiration built by Coach K's years behind the bench. Even in an era of one-and-dones, four five-star commits joined the Blue Devils under new head coach Jon Scheyer, offering him a frontcourt combination capable of contributing on NBA rosters in the current era.
Boston College's history against the Blue Devils offered few glimpses into an ascension of their mountain prior to Saturday's one-point loss at Conte Forum. The Eagles hadn't won a head-to-head matchup since 2017, and even that was one of three wins BC grabbed in the 30-game history between the two programs. The 2009 win at home was the first time the Eagles ever defeated Duke as members of the ACC, and in the years since, the chasm between the Blue Devils and Eagles often felt widened by grim blowouts. As recently as last month, Duke beat BC by 14 at Cameron Indoor Stadium - a place the Eagles have never won.
The chasm, though, felt like it shortened and collapsed a bit after BC's near-miss against Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils had led by double figures, but with late in the game on their final possession, trailing 64-63 - that notion of playing against more than the team on the floor rang true. A missed shot, a physically contested rebound, and a shot attempt with 14 seconds left led to the go-ahead free throws that beat the Eagles. On Monday's first ACC coaches call, Scheyer showed that aftermath of the escape earned his respectÂ
"They did a great job of switching up their defenses," Scheyer said on Monday's ACC coaches' call. "We didn't do a good job of attacking their zone defense, no question;Â they're physical, they're big, and they can guard. There are a lot of versatile defenders, which I think makes it difficult, and they really attacked the basket on us, which in the second half meant we gave up some transition baskets. They got some confidence from that."
Scheyer played against BC when the Eagles defeated the Blue Devils during that 2008-09 season, and though he won the conference tournament that season and later claimed a national championship in 2010, a loud, raucous Conte Forum garnered a level of respect and admiration from him as a road visitor. Dariq Whitehead - another of the team's all-everything recruits - connected on 3-for-4 from outside in the opening half. In the second half, he went 1-for-6 as the team shot a combined 7-for-24 against the BC defense, at which point Duke was somehow able to rely on foul shots to score nearly half - 12 of 28 - of its points in the period.
BC enforced its will on the home court by switching their half-court set from the outside to the interior with a regularity that forced Duke into off-balance defending. But the adages of cherishing every possession came true.
"It was a possession game," said BC head coach Earl Grant, "and we lost by one. Being up with 14 seconds left and the ball, we had our chances, but our guys showed a lot of courage. We played hard. There were some plays down the stretch that just couldn't come, but I saw great effort from our players and a level of care, focus, and toughness. That was a good sign."
Anyone watching Saturday's game - and much of the opening 25% of ACC games - are quickly understanding that the glass ceiling installed over the ACC's perceived lower tier has started to crack. The Eagles were on equal footing with a team seeded fifth in the Midwest Regional in ESPN's most recent Bracketology offering, and they earlier defeated a Virginia Tech team that's currently sitting on the outside of a very thin bubble. The battle for first place between undefeated Clemson and Pittsburgh later that night - teams picked 11th and 14th, respectively - has also set the tone for the league early on.Â
And while early losses may take BC out of that bubble-based conversation, the Eagles are in effect making up for lost ground now that Prince Aligbe and Quinten Post are back in the conversation. The roster is now at full throttle.
"It's been harder to get those other guys on the floor as much as they would maybe want to play. That's been a challenge, but I think the adjustment we made is that some of those guys only played the five position in QP's absence, but we can get them into games at the four spot," Grant explained.
The growth of the overall roster is now evident, and the Eagles are heading into Miami tomorrow night with an undeniable confidence. It's ironic how it stems from a loss, but with Duke now in its rearview mirror, BC's game against the Hurricanes offers a look at how the Eagles can now bounce back and achieve another notch on their own ascension.
"The league is a lot deeper this year," Scheyer said. "It's never been that you can go somewhere and check off where you're going as a win, but this year, in particular, you're seeing teams beat up on each other. I don't think that's going to change at all. We have a ton of experience in this league. We play Pitt on Wednesday, and they have as much as experience as anybody. It's a tough league, and I think the league is up, no question. I think that will translate as we get towards March later in the year."
BC and Miami will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. The game can be seen on national television on ESPNU with radio coverage available via the Boston College Sports Network from Learfield.
The reputation has Duke in the national picture on an annual basis, and the recruiting class rankings reflect the respect and admiration built by Coach K's years behind the bench. Even in an era of one-and-dones, four five-star commits joined the Blue Devils under new head coach Jon Scheyer, offering him a frontcourt combination capable of contributing on NBA rosters in the current era.
Boston College's history against the Blue Devils offered few glimpses into an ascension of their mountain prior to Saturday's one-point loss at Conte Forum. The Eagles hadn't won a head-to-head matchup since 2017, and even that was one of three wins BC grabbed in the 30-game history between the two programs. The 2009 win at home was the first time the Eagles ever defeated Duke as members of the ACC, and in the years since, the chasm between the Blue Devils and Eagles often felt widened by grim blowouts. As recently as last month, Duke beat BC by 14 at Cameron Indoor Stadium - a place the Eagles have never won.
The chasm, though, felt like it shortened and collapsed a bit after BC's near-miss against Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils had led by double figures, but with late in the game on their final possession, trailing 64-63 - that notion of playing against more than the team on the floor rang true. A missed shot, a physically contested rebound, and a shot attempt with 14 seconds left led to the go-ahead free throws that beat the Eagles. On Monday's first ACC coaches call, Scheyer showed that aftermath of the escape earned his respectÂ
"They did a great job of switching up their defenses," Scheyer said on Monday's ACC coaches' call. "We didn't do a good job of attacking their zone defense, no question;Â they're physical, they're big, and they can guard. There are a lot of versatile defenders, which I think makes it difficult, and they really attacked the basket on us, which in the second half meant we gave up some transition baskets. They got some confidence from that."
Scheyer played against BC when the Eagles defeated the Blue Devils during that 2008-09 season, and though he won the conference tournament that season and later claimed a national championship in 2010, a loud, raucous Conte Forum garnered a level of respect and admiration from him as a road visitor. Dariq Whitehead - another of the team's all-everything recruits - connected on 3-for-4 from outside in the opening half. In the second half, he went 1-for-6 as the team shot a combined 7-for-24 against the BC defense, at which point Duke was somehow able to rely on foul shots to score nearly half - 12 of 28 - of its points in the period.
BC enforced its will on the home court by switching their half-court set from the outside to the interior with a regularity that forced Duke into off-balance defending. But the adages of cherishing every possession came true.
"It was a possession game," said BC head coach Earl Grant, "and we lost by one. Being up with 14 seconds left and the ball, we had our chances, but our guys showed a lot of courage. We played hard. There were some plays down the stretch that just couldn't come, but I saw great effort from our players and a level of care, focus, and toughness. That was a good sign."
Anyone watching Saturday's game - and much of the opening 25% of ACC games - are quickly understanding that the glass ceiling installed over the ACC's perceived lower tier has started to crack. The Eagles were on equal footing with a team seeded fifth in the Midwest Regional in ESPN's most recent Bracketology offering, and they earlier defeated a Virginia Tech team that's currently sitting on the outside of a very thin bubble. The battle for first place between undefeated Clemson and Pittsburgh later that night - teams picked 11th and 14th, respectively - has also set the tone for the league early on.Â
And while early losses may take BC out of that bubble-based conversation, the Eagles are in effect making up for lost ground now that Prince Aligbe and Quinten Post are back in the conversation. The roster is now at full throttle.
"It's been harder to get those other guys on the floor as much as they would maybe want to play. That's been a challenge, but I think the adjustment we made is that some of those guys only played the five position in QP's absence, but we can get them into games at the four spot," Grant explained.
The growth of the overall roster is now evident, and the Eagles are heading into Miami tomorrow night with an undeniable confidence. It's ironic how it stems from a loss, but with Duke now in its rearview mirror, BC's game against the Hurricanes offers a look at how the Eagles can now bounce back and achieve another notch on their own ascension.
"The league is a lot deeper this year," Scheyer said. "It's never been that you can go somewhere and check off where you're going as a win, but this year, in particular, you're seeing teams beat up on each other. I don't think that's going to change at all. We have a ton of experience in this league. We play Pitt on Wednesday, and they have as much as experience as anybody. It's a tough league, and I think the league is up, no question. I think that will translate as we get towards March later in the year."
BC and Miami will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night from the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. The game can be seen on national television on ESPNU with radio coverage available via the Boston College Sports Network from Learfield.
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