Ultimate Kids Day as BC Hosts FDU on Saturday

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. FDU - ALL-TIME SERIES

Today marks the second all-time matchup and the first meeting between Boston College and FDU in 23 seasons.
BC won the lone previous meeting, 72-54, on Dec. 10, 1992.

TRENDS AND NOTABLES

Fred Payne has scored in double figures four times this season; Boston College is 3-1 in those games.
BC is 5-1 when Roger McFarlane hauls in at least six rebounds.
The Eagles are 7-3 when Elijah Strong hits at least one 3-pointer.
When Chad Venning scores in double digits, Boston College is 5-2.
On Dec. 7 at Wake Forest, Joshua Beadle earned his first start at Boston College; four of his five career starts have come in ACC play.
In 10 non-conference games, Dion Brown is averaging 6.0 points per game, connecting on 5-of-19 from beyond the arc.
In two ACC games, Brown is scoring at a 13.5 ppg clip and has made 4-of-6 from the perimeter.
Jayden Hastings earned his first career start on Dec. 21 vs. SMU, scoring a career-best nine points in 29 minutes played .
Donald Hand Jr. has registered five games this season with at least three 3-pointers. He had three all of last year.
Since coming off the bench the last three games, Chas Kelley III is averaging 6.3 points/game and is shooting nearly 60%.

EAGLES AMONG THE ACC / NCAA LEADERS

Donald Hand Jr. ranks 18th in scoring (14.2), eighth in rebounding (7.3) and first in free throw percentage (.875).
Hand is one of five players - and one of two guards - to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding in the conference.
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), Ishmael Leggett (Pitt), Ian Schieffelin (Clemson), and Cooper Flagg (Duke) are the others.
He is one of the top rebounding guards in the country, ranking second in the ACC and 19th nationally among all guards.
His near 90.0% proficiency mark from the charity stripe ranks 68th nationally.
Hand ranks tied for fifth in the ACC - and 66th nationally - in double-doubles, with three.
Chad Venning ranks fifth in the ACC - and 128th nationally - in blocked shots, averaging 1.33 swats per outing.
Venning's 16 total blocks is also sixth in the ACC and is 128th-most in the country.
Venning is nine field goals made short of qualifying for the league's field goal percentage leaders; he would be fourth (.515).
Jayden Hastings is tied for 12th in the ACC in blocks, swatting 1.1 shots per game so far this season.

ON THIS DATE: DECEMBER 28

Boston College is 10-15 all-time on the December 28 calendar date.
December 28 also marks the dual celebration of National Short Film and National Card Playing Days.
Several notable events in history occurred on December 28 - 1867 - the U.S. claims Midway Island; the first territory annexed outside the Continental limits; 1886 - inventor Josephine Cochrane is granted a patent for the dishwasher; 1902 - the trans-Pacific cable links Hawaii to the U.S.; 1912 - the SF Municipal Railway begins in San Francisco.
Notable December 28 birthdays: actor Denzel Washington; singer John Legend; actress Sienna Miller; former U.S President Woodrow Wilson; comic book icon Stan Lee; Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque; legendary placekicker Adam Vinatieri.

DONALD HAND JR. - YEAR-OVER-YEAR IMPROVEMENTS

In his second full season with Boston College, Donald Hand Jr. has shown a major statistical leap from a season ago.
Hand is averaging nearly a +6.0 jump in scoring and rebounding this season.
His shooting percentages across the board have all seen improvement, including over a 7.0% jump in 3-point proficiency and a 13.0% from the charity stripe.
Using the metric PAR (points+assists+rebounds), he has seen a +15.5 jump year-over-year and a +10.1 increase when measured over 40 minutes.
Hand has already surpassed his 2023-24 totals in rebounds, assists, and FTM.
After suffering a season-ending injury early in game two as a true freshman, Hand's first significant playing time post-injury came during the 2023-24 season.

BROWN EMERGING

Dion Brown had his best offensive output of the season against SMU on Dec. 21, scoring a season-best 20 points.
Brown made 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including 3-of-3 from the perimeter in 33 minutes of play.
In ACC play, the junior transfer is averaging 14.0 points per game, while tallying 5.0 boards and 3.0 assists.
Over his last three games, Brown is averaging 12.0 points and connecting on 5-of-10 from the outside.

HASTINGS MAKING MOST OF FIRST START

Redshirt freshman Jayden Hastings earned his first collegiate start on Dec. 21 against SMU.
The 6-9 post player registered season-highs in scoring (nine points) and minutes played (29).
He made 3-of-6 shots from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, to go along with five boards and a blocked shot.
Hastings is averaging nearly 4.0 points, 4.0 boards, and a blocked shot in 14 minutes per game this season.

BRINGING THE BOOM

Boston College has registered 10 or more 3-pointers on four occasions this year, including a season-high 12 at Wake Forest.
Through 12 games, the Eagles have made 78 3-pointers at a nearly 34.0% clip.
A season ago, BC made 91 3-pointers at just over a 35.0% clip through its first 12 games played.
Donald Hand Jr. leads BC with 22 3-pointers made, while Elijah Strong (13), Chas Kelley III (12), and Fred Payne (10) have each connected on double-digits in the 3FGM column.

I'VE GOT SIX ON IT

Roger McFarlane has grabbed at least six rebounds in all but five of his last 34 games played, dating back to Dec. 16, 2023.
McFarlane has had at least six rebounds in 68 of his 103 career games, including six of 12 games this season.
The 6-4 guard ranks second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.3 boards per outing.

CHARITABLE VENTURES

Donald Hand Jr. ranks nationally in free throws made (56; 51st), attempted (64; 126th), and percentage (.875; 68th).
His .875 proficiency from the FT line would rank third all-time in Boston College history.
Hand's .833 career FT percentage (90-108) would rank fifth all-time in the BC record book.
Hand made 19-of-20 from the line through the first two games of the season, including 11-for-11 vs. The Citadel.
The last BC player to connect on at least 23 of 25 free throws over a three-game span was Olivier Hanlan in 2014-15.
Hanlan went 25-for-26 over a three game stretch, including a perfect 14-for-14 from the line at Pitt on Feb. 24, 2015.
Hand has had five games with a perfect mark from the line, most recently going 6-for-6 vs. Stonehill.

DOUBLE IT UP

Through the first five games of the year, a BC player logged a double-double: Donald Hand Jr, (22p10r) vs. The Citadel, Roger McFarlane (11p/11r) vs. VCU, Elijah Strong (25p/13r) vs. Temple, Hand (15p/14r) vs. Loyola (Md); Hand vs. ODU (12p/10r).
It marked the first time since the 2006-07 season where at least one player posted a double-double in five consecutive games.
So far this season, Hand leads BC with three double-doubles, while Strong has two, and McFarlane one.