Opening Night: BC Makes Season Debut on Monday vs. The Citadel

GAME DAY PROMOTIONS

Kids 12 and under are admitted FREE
Free parking in the Commonwealth Ave. garage
$2 Hot Dogs all night
Free t-shirts to early arriving students

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. THE CITADEL / SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Today's game marks the second all-time meeting between the two schools. BC is 1-0 in the series.
The Eagles captured the lone previous meeting - 75-71 - last year in Charleston, S.C. on Nov. 10, 2023.
Earl Grant's first Division I coaching job was at The Citadel, serving as an assistant from 2002-04 for Pat Dennis.
In his head coaching career, Grant is 4-0 vs. The Citadel.
BC is 4-0 all-time vs. teams that make up the SoCon, with wins over Furman, VMI, Wofford, and The Citadel.

BOSTON COLLEGE IN SEASON OPENERS

In its 91 previous season openers, Boston College has posted an outstanding 71-20 (.780) winning percentage.
Earl Grant is 3-0 in season openers at Boston College.
Last year, Boston College bested Fairfield, 89-70, on Nov. 6.
BC has played its season opener at Conte Forum in nine of the last 10 seasons and 34 of the last 38 years.

ROSTER COMINGS AND GOINGS

Boston College welcomes seven newcomers – four transfers and three freshmen – to the 2024-25 roster.
Transfers: Joshua Beadle (Clemson – two seasons remaining); Dion Brown (UMBC –two seasons remaining); Roger McFarlane (SE La. – one season remaining); Chad Venning (St. Bonaventure – one season remaining).
Freshmen: Nick Petronio (Needham, Mass./Milton Academy); Kany Tchanda (Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of Congo/Sunrise Christian Academy); Luka Toews (Tokyo, Japan/The Newman School).
Another player – Jayden Hastings – is a redshirt freshman who sat out last season at the Heights.
Through graduation and the transfer portal, the attrition rate is nearly 88% of Boston College's scoring, 82% of its rebounding, and 88% of its assists from the 2023-24 roster.
BC is 20th nationally in fewest minutes returning from a season ago, as well as 25th in fewest scoring and 26th in fewest rebounding returning.

WHOLE WIDE WORLD

Boston College has had at least two international players on its men's basketball roster in each of the previous nine - and 11 of the last 12 seasons.
BC has had at least one foreign-born player on its roster for the last 12 seasons, dating back to 2013-14.
This season, newcomers Luka Toews and Kany Tchanda are the first two Eagles from Japan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively.

ON THIS DATE: NOVEMBER 4

Today marks the first time Boston College has played a men's basketball game on the Nov. 4 calendar date.
It is the earliest start to a season in program history; previous mark was Nov. 6 (2018-19; 2019-20; 2023-24).
November 4 also marks the celebration of National Candy Day.
Several notable events in history occurred on November 4 - 1845: First observed national election day in the U.S.; the first Tuesday after the first Monday; 1862: inventor Richard Jordan Gatling patents the hand-cranked machine gun; 1879: Thomas Elkins patents the refrigerating apparatus; 1922: Howard Carter discovers the intact tomb of King Tut; 1961: Bob Dylan makes his Carnegie Hall debut in New York City; 1980: Sadaharu Oh retires from baseball (868 career HR).
Notable November 4 birthdays: actor Matthew McConaughey; journalist Walter Cronkite; singer Gregory Porter.

THERE'S SCORING IN THE PORTAL

A pair of portal newcomers – Chad Venning and Roger McFarlane – enter BC having reached the 1,000-point mark for their collegiate careers.
Venning, who played two seasons at Morgan State and two at St. Bonaventure, has appeared in 107 games and has compiled 1,062 career points (9.9 ppg average).
In three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana (91 games), McFarlane tallied 1,006 points (11.1 ppg).
Dion Brown – in two seasons at UMBC – tallied 777 points in 54 games (14.4 ppg); his 607 points last year (19.0 ppg) – set a new UMBC sophomore scoring record.

THERE'S REBOUNDING IN THE PORTAL

Dion Brown and Roger McFarlane were two of the best rebounding guards in the country in 2023-24.
Brown, a 6-3 guard, averaged 7.6 rebounds per outing in 32 games played for UMBC – which ranked him sixth in the America East.
Brown and 2024 NBA lottery pick Devin Carter of Providence were the only two players 6-3 or under to average at least 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 2023-24.
In America East play (16 games), Brown led the league in scoring (21.4) and rebounding (9.6) .
McFarlane pulled down 8.6 rebounds per game a season ago for Southeastern Louisiana.
His 8.6 rpg in 32 games played ranked him second overall in rebounding in the Southland Conference.
In league games only, McFarlane led the Southland with 9.8 boards per outing in 18 games.
Over the past two seasons, he ranked second in the Southland for rebounds (528) and rebs/game (8.4).
Chad Venning has also been a presence on the glass over the past two seasons at St. Bonaventure.
The 6-9 forward has averaged 5.1 rebounds per game over the last two seasons, including ranking sixth among all Atlantic 10 players in offensive boards (118 total; 1.8 per game).

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU? (narrator: a lot)

Dion Brown enters his first season at Boston College as one of the most under-the-radar guards in the country.
A season ago, Brown was a First Team All-America East honoree with UMBC as a sophomore.
Brown ranked third in the league in scoring (19.0) and was fifth in rebounding (7.6) in 32 games played.
In America East play, Brown led the conference in scoring (21.4) and rebounding (9.6) in 16 games.
A 2023-24 NABC All-District I team selection, Brown set a UMBC sophomore record with 603 points scored.
He scored 20 or more points on 15 occasions, 25 or more points six times - including a career-best 31 at Bryant.
Brown was an America East All-Rookie team selection, playing 22 games and averaging 7.7 points and 4.0 boards.

A HELPING HAND

Donald Hand Jr. averaged over 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds off the bench for BC in 2023-24.
Hand scored a career-best 16 points against CCSU on Dec. 5, making 5-of-9 shots - including 3-of-6 3FG.
He came off the bench to score 10 points against Clemson in the ACC Tournament.
On Dec. 10, Hand Jr. scored 11 points in a win over St. John's in 17 minutes of play.
Hand connected on nearly 35% from beyond the arc and 80% from the free throw line a season ago.
2023-24 was Hand's redshirt freshman season; as a true freshman in 2022-23, the athletic guard suffered a season-ending knee injury early on in the second game of his career.

BROOKLYN'S FINEST

Chad Venning is a graduate transfer from St. Bonaventure, playing his final season of college basketball at BC.
The 6-9 post presence was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 pick in 2023-24, after leading the Bonnies in scoring and blocks.
Venning averaged nearly 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, helping guide the Bonnies to a 20-12 record.
His 8.5 block percentage mark ranked 38th nationally according to KenPom.com last year.
Venning logged two double-doubles and reached double-digits in scoring 25 times, including five games with 20-plus points.
He averaged nearly 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds as a junior; in 65 total games with SBU, earned 62 starts
Venning began his college career at Morgan State, seeing action in 42 games over two seasons from 2020-22.

CK3

Playmaker Chas Kelley III enters his third season at Boston College.
He has appeared in 57 games, earning seven starts; BC is 5-2 in those games, all in 2023-24.
Kelley scored a season-high 13 points against St. John's in Brooklyn, knocking down 4-of-8 FG and 4-4 FT.
A vocal leader on the court and in the locker room, he posted an assist rate of 17.3 a season ago.
He posted six games with at least three assists before missing the final nine games of the season due to injury.
Kelley has a career assist/turnover ratio of 1.21:1.

BEADLE PROVIDES VETERAN SPARK

Another veteran transfer joining the Eagles for 2024-25 is Joshua Beadle; a graduate transfer from Clemson.
A versatile, athletic guard, Beadle has the ability to play either guard slot and will have two seasons of eligibility left.
Beadle was a key contributor for Clemson's run to the 2024 Elite Eight - the program's first E8 in 44 years of play.
A season ago, the 6-3 guard averaged 3.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 11 minutes per game.
Beadle led Clemson in 2-point FG percentage (32-53, .604) and registered a 1:30:1 assist/turnover ratio in 2023-24.
He earned his degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management from Clemson this past summer.

STRONG RETURNS

Elijah Strong enters his sophomore season poised to make an even bigger impact on the Eagles' lineup in year two.
The active and energetic forward from Charlotte saw action in 19 games in his first season at Boston College.
The 6-8, 235-lb. Strong scored 10 points in 12 minutes in the second half, proving to be the spark off the bench in BC's 63-59 win at Providence in the opening round of the 2024 NIT.
He added seven points in 10 minutes of play in the NIT second round loss at UNLV
Inserted into the starting lineup for a game at Clemson, he responded with 14 points (6-9 FG) in 26 minutes.

MCFARLANE ANOTHER GUARD ON THE GLASS

Roger McFarlane - a graduate transfer from SE Louisiana - is another high-level scoring and rebounding guard.
Standing at 6-4, 215 lb., McFarlane ranked third nationally in rebounding (8.6 rpg) among all players 6-4 or shorter.
McFarlane averaged 14.8 points and 8.6 boards, en route to being named to the 2023-24 NABC All-District 22 and All-Southland Conference teams.
From Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he reached double-digits in the scoring column 27 times, including six games with 20+.
McFarlane posted a team-best 10 double-doubles, including an 18-point, 17-board performance vs. UNO.
In 91 career games at SLU, he scored in double figures 51 times - 12 with 20+ - and logged 16 double-doubles.
As a prep, McFarlane starred at the University School in Fort Lauderdale, teaming up with former BC football great Zay Flowers and 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in the backcourt.

HOUSE OF PAYNE

After suffering a season-ending injury versus CCSU on Dec. 5, 2023, Fred Payne is poised to return to the court.
He has attacked his rehab and conditioning and has been an active participant in the preseason and official practices since the start of the academic year.
The sophomore guard can play either guard spot and is a tenacious defender.

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF

A trio of first-year players are set to take the court for Boston College in 2024-25.
Nick Petronio was a 3-star rated recruit by Rivals, 247Sports, and On3. He played AAU with Expressions Elite.
Was a 2023-24 Class A All-NEPSAC selection from Milton Academy, the 6-3 guard established himself as one of the top shooters in the country, connecting on nearly 44% throughout the Nike EYBL circuits in 2022.
Prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury as a junior in February 2023, he helped position Milton as one of the top prep programs in the country, helping the Mustangs to nearly 50 wins over a two-season span.
Kany Tchanda was a four-star rated recruit by ESPN and was rated among the Rivals150 for his prep career.
He spent his final season at Sunrise Christian Academy with head coach Kyle Lindsted.
Tchanda averaged 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and nearly a block and a steal per game, connecting on better than 60% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc.
During 2023-24 EYBL Scholastic conference play, he averaged nearly 10.0 points, while ranking the top 20 of the league in rebounds and blocked shots.
Luka Toews was a two-time Class AAA All-NEPSAC selection at the Newman School in Boston.
Toews was the point guard for the Middlesex Magic, which captured the 2023 Under Armour NEXT championship.
A 3-star rated recruit on 247Sports and On3, he averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Originally from Tokyo, Japan; represented Team Asia at the 2023 Adidas Eurocamp in Italy.
His father Burke is a long-time basketball coach in Japan; his brother Kai played with Team Japan at the 2024 Olympics and starred at UNC Wilmington, earning CAA All-Rookie honors in 2018-19.

FORMIDABLE OPPONENTS IN 2024-25

During the non-conference slate, Boston College will face 11 opponents from a possible 13 different conferences in 2024-25.
Here is where the Eagles opponents rank according to preseason polls and rankings sites prior to the season:
The Citadel (9th, SoCon; 341 KenPom); VCU (1st, A-10; 41 KP); Temple (6th, AAC; 138 KP); Loyola Md. (10th, Patriot; 352 KP); ODU (t8th, Sun Belt; 239 KP); Missouri State (11th, Missouri Valley; 219 KP); High Point (1st, Big South; 108 KP); Boise State (1st, Mountain West; 45 KP); Duquesne (8th A-10; 143 KP); Hampton (14th, CAA; 313 KP); South Dakota State (2nd, Summit; 180 KP); Dartmouth (8th, Ivy; 314 KP); South Carolina (11th, SEC; 65 KP); Stonehill (t8th, NEC; 356 KP); FDU (3rd, NEC; 351 KP)