Veterans Classic: Eagles Take on VCU on Friday Night

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. VCU - ALL-TIME SERIES

This is Boston College's second all-time matchup against VCU.
BC fell to the Rams, 69-50, in the lone previous meeting at the Brooklyn Hoops Winter Festival at Barclays Center on Dec. 28, 2013.
Earl Grant holds a 1-1 record vs. VCU in his head coaching career.
While at Charleston, Grant faced the Rams in a two-year series in 2018-19 and 2019-20, with the visitors breaking serve in both games.
BC makes its first-ever appearance at the Veterans Classic, while VCU returns for a second time.

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. THE ATLANTIC 10

Boston College holds a 37-41 record against Atlantic 10 opponents.
The Eagles split a pair of matchups against A-10 teams last season.
BC earned a home victory over Richmond, 68-61, on Nov. 15, 2023
The Eagles fell short to Loyola Chicago, 71-68, at the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo.
Last season marked the third consecutive year BC faced two A-10 opponents in non-conference play.
From 1995-2018, BC faced at least one A-10 opponent every year.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR DONALD ON OPENING NIGHT

Donald Hand Jr.'s logged his first career double-double - 22 points and 10 rebounds - in the opener vs. The Citadel.
Both totals are new career-highs for the sophomore guard, who led all scorers and rebounders in the game.
Hand connected on 11-for-11 from the free throw line; the first Eagles to make at least 11 FT without a miss since Quinten Post - now with the Golden State Warriors - knocked down 11-of-11 vs. Virginia on Feb. 25, 2024.
It marked the 22nd instance since 1996-97 where a BC was perfect from the charity stripe with at least 10 attempts.
Since 1996-97, 97 Boston College players have logged a double-double while scoring at least 20 points.
It marks the first time a BC player logged his first career double-double while scoring at least 20 since Nov. 30, 2022.

TODAY'S BOSTON COLLEGE NOTE(S) YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Athletics Directors from two of the participating schools at the Veterans Classic have Boston College ties.
VCU's Ed McLaughlin is a 1995 graduate of Boston College and served as the sports editor of The Heights.
Navy's Chet Gladchuk is a 1973 graduate of BC and played three seasons of varsity football under head coach Joe Yukica.
He served as AD at Boston College for seven years, from 1990-97 before departing for a similar role at Houston.
His father, Chet Sr. was an All-American on the gridiron, starring in wins at the Cotton Bowl (1940) and Sugar Bowl (1941) for BC.

ON THIS DATE: NOVEMBER 8

Boston College is 0-1 all-time in the lone game played on the November 8 calendar date. The Eagles fell, 82-78 in overtime, at Providence on November 8, 2013.
November 8 also marks the dual celebration of National S.T.E.M and National Cappuccino Days.
Several notable events in history occurred on November 8 - 1731: Benjamin Franklin opens the first library in America in Philadelphia; 1798: Wolfe Tone sentenced to death for his role in the Irish Rebellion; 1833: A train derailed in Hightstown, N.J.; on board was former President John Quincy Adams, who advocated for the creation of the U.S. Naval Academy in Nov. 1825; 1864: Abraham Lincoln elected to his second term as President; 1935: "Mutiny on the Bounty" premieres in NYC; 1942: U.S. Navy forces participate in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, the first Allied offensive of the European war; 1966: Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts becomes the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate.Notable November 8 birthdays: Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler; astronomer Sir Edmund Halley; author Bram Stoker; game manufacturer Milton Bradley; Hall of Fame basketball coach Frank McGuire; actress Alfre Woodard; former Red Sox infielder/broadcaster Jerry Remy; celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay; actress Parker Posey

BOSTON COLLEGE AT THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

Today marks the fourth time Boston College has played in Annapolis and at the U.S. Naval Academy.
BC went 2-1 in those previous three games, all played at Halsey Field House.
In the last meeting - a 94-78 win on Feb. 19, 1966 - Steve Adelman scored a game-high 30 points and John Austin added 23.

THE 60 POINT MARK

Boston College held The Citadel to 60 points in the season opener on Nov. 4.
BC has captured its last 15 games, including its last six non-conference matchups, when holding opponents to 60 or fewer.
Under Earl Grant, the Eagles are is 20-2 when keeping their opponents at 60 or less on the scoreboard.

VENNING VS. VCU

Chad Venning - a graduate transfer from St. Bonaventure in the A-10 - is 3-0 in his career against VCU.
In those three games, Venning averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game.
He tallied 13 points and three boards in a 61-58 win at the Siegal Center on Jan. 28, 2023.
Venning helped the Bonnies sweep the Rams in 2023-24, posting a double-double (19 points/11 rebounds) in an 89-78 win in Richmond, while registering 11 points, eight boards, and three blocks in a 67-62 victory at the Reilly Center on Jan. 30, 2024.

NOTABLE DEBUTS

Six players made their Boston College debut on Monday at home against The Citadel.
Chad Venning - a graduate transfer from St. Bonaventure - tallied 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot.
Roger McFarlane - a grad transfer from S.E. Louisiana - corralled eight boards to go along with six points.
Dion Brown - a transfer from UMBC - saw limited minutes (18) off the bench and finished with five points. He suffered a broken nose in practice prior to the season opener and had been limited. He played with a custom face mask.
Joshua Beadle had eight points and three assists off the bench in 17 minutes of action.
True freshman Luka Toews and redshirt newcomer Jayden Hastings made their collegiate debuts.
Toews played 11 minutes, dishing out three assists. Hastings had a thunderous dunk and five rebounds in 11 minutes.

LIMITING TURNOVERS

Boston College committed 14 turnovers against The Citadel.
Ball control has been a trademark of Boston College basketball under Earl Grant.
The Eagles have committed 14 or fewer turnovers in 81 of 103 games under Grant since 2021.

THERE'S SCORING IN THE PORTAL

A pair of newcomers – Chad Venning and Roger McFarlane – enter BC having scored 1,000 career points.
Venning has appeared in 107 games and has compiled 1,062 career points (9.9 ppg) at Morgan State and St. Bonaventure.
In three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana (91 games), McFarlane tallied 1,006 points (11.1 ppg).
Dion Brown tallied 777 points in 54 games (14.4 ppg) in two years at UMBC
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).

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)

Veterans Classic: Eagles Take on VCU on Friday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Dion Brown

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Roger McFarlane

Quinten Post

Luka Toews

Chad Venning

Veterans Classic: Eagles Take on VCU on Friday Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Dion Brown

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Roger McFarlane

Quinten Post

Luka Toews

Chad Venning

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