Atlanta Bound: BC Travels to Georgia Tech for Saturday Noon Tilt

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. GEORGIA TECH - ALL-TIME SERIES

Today's game marks the 33rd meeting between the two schools. Boston College is 13-19 all-time vs. Georgia Tech.
Since joining the ACC, BC is 12-16 versus the Yellow Jackets. In ACC regular season play, BC is 9-13 against Georgia Tech.
BC snapped a five-game slide against Georgia Tech last season, earning a 95-87 win in Atlanta on Jan. 6, 2024.
BC is 3-8 vs. Georgia Tech in games played in Atlanta.

BOSTON COLLEGE'S 2024-25 RECORD WHEN...

4-0 when Donald Hand Jr. has a double-double.
6-1 when Roger McFarlane hauls in at least six rebounds.
7-2 when Chad Venning scores in double digits.
7-3 when Elijah Strong hits at least one 3-pointer.
6-2 when Donald Hand Jr. tallies at least two 3-pointers.
6-2 when Fred Payne makes at least one 3-pointer
5-2 when Dion Brown has at least five boards.
4-1 when Fred Payne scores in double figures.

NOW TRENDING

On Dec. 7 at Wake Forest, Joshua Beadle earned his first start at BC; five of his seven career starts have come in ACC play.
In ACC play, Dion Brown is averaging nearly 10.0 ppg and has made 4-of-6 from the perimeter.
Over the past three games, Jayden Hastings has posted career-highs in scoring (9 vs. SMU) and rebounding (9 vs. Miami).
Donald Hand Jr. has registered five games this season with at least three 3-pointers. He had three all of last year.

COMEBACK KIDS VS. THE CANES

Boston College registered its largest home comeback win in program history against Miami on Jan. 1.
Trailing by 19 - 32-13 - with just under nine minutes to play in the first half, BC came back to win, 78-68.
The comeback began from there, as the Eagles closed the half on a 16-9 push to make it a 41-29 deficit at the break.
BC began the second half on an 8-2 push, getting within four - 43-39 with 17:04 to go - after a Chad Venning layup.
Roger McFarlane's 3FG with 8:52 to play gave Boston College its first lead of the day - 56-55 - capping another 10-4 push.
The Eagles outscored the Canes, 22-13 from that point on - and 49-27 in the second half - to secure the win.
Fred Payne (12), Joshua Beadle (11), and Elijah Strong (11) all tallied double-digits over the final 20 minutes.
The previous high for a home comeback was 18 points, set on Dec. 29, 2004 as the Eagles reversed course on Kent State.
Craig Smith hit a jumper as time expired, sealing the 67-65 comeback win at Conte Forum.
It is the second-biggest comeback in Division I this season and marks the fourth time a team trailed by double figures at the half and won by double figures.

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

Five of Joshua Beadle's nine 3-pointers this season have come with less than 10 seconds on the shot/game clock.
One major aspect of the comeback win over Miami - 3-point defense. BC held Miami to 5-of-23 shooting (21.7%).
In the previous six games, BC yielded nearly 50% (65-131) to its opponent from beyond the arc.

ON THIS DATE: JANUARY 4

Boston College is 10-5 overall and 1-1 in ACC play all-time on the January 4 calendar date.
January 4 also marks the dual celebration of National Trivia and National Spaghetti Days.
Several notable events in history on January 4 - 1863: Four-wheeled roller skates patented; 1865: The NY Stock Exchange opens its permanent headquarters near Wall Street; 1970: The Beatles complete their last recording session at Abbey Road Studios; 1971: Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium dedicated; 1986: Navy's David Robinson blocks an NCAA record 14 shots.
Notable January 4 birthdays: physicist Issac Newton; NBA star Victor Wembanyama; educator Louis Braille; former NFL coach Don Shula; heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson; actress Dyan Cannon; author Doris Kearns Goodwin.

HAND MAKES HISTORY AS ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

After a career-high 29-point double-double outing on Dec. 28, Donald Hand Jr. was named the ACC Player of the Week.
Hand poured in 15 of his 29 points in the first half and scored eight of BC's final 10 points down the stretch in the win.
It marked the first time in the history of the ACC that a father and son have each been named ACC Player of the Week.
Donald Hand Sr. won the award on Jan. 31, 2000 while starring as a guard at Virginia.
The ACC began its weekly awards program during the 1972-73 season.
It is the first ACC Player of the Week honor for a BC player this season and the first since Nov. 23, 2023 (Quinten Post ).
Since joining the ACC in 2005-06, an Eagle has been selected ACC Player of the Week 18 times (10 different players).

EAGLES AMONG THE ACC / NCAA LEADERS

Donald Hand Jr. ranks 16th in scoring (14.9), ninth in rebounding (7.4) and first in free throw percentage (.899).
Hand is one of four players to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding in the conference.
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), Ishmael Leggett (Pitt), and Cooper Flagg (Duke) are the others.
He is one of the top rebounding guards in the country, ranking second in the ACC and 15th nationally among all guards.
His near 90.0% proficiency mark from the charity stripe ranks 36th nationally.
Hand ranks tied for fourth in the ACC - and 49th nationally - in double-doubles, with four.
Chad Venning ranks third in the ACC - and 86th nationally - in blocked shots, averaging 1.5 swats per outing.
Venning's 21 total blocks is second-most in the ACC and is 64th-most nationally.
Venning is six field goals made short of qualifying for the league's field goal percentage leaders; he would be third (.555).
Jayden Hastings is 15th in the ACC in blocks, swatting 1.1 shots per game so far this season.

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 over a +7.0 jump in scoring average and nearly a +6.0 jump in rebounding per game this season.
His shooting percentages across the board have all seen improvement, including a jump in 3-point and free throw proficiency rates.
Using the metric PAR (points+assists+rebounds), he has seen over a +16 jump year-over-year and a +11 increase when measured over 40 minutes.
Hand has already surpassed his 2023-24 totals in points, rebounds, assists, and FTM. He needs one more 3-pointers made to pass his 2023-24 total.
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.
On Dec. 30, Hand was named ACC Player of the Week after a 29-point/10-rebound performance in a win over FDU.

HIGH-PERCENTAGE VENNING

Over his last two games, Chad Venning is scoring at a high level and at a high percentage.
Venning was 7-of-10 from the floor, good for 17 points in the comeback win over Miami on Jan 1.
He tallied a season-high 18 points against FDU on Dec. 28, connecting on 8-of-10 from the floor.
The grad transfer from Brooklyn has attempted at least 10 shots in seven games this season - BC is 6-1 in those games.
For his career, Venning has attempted at least 10 FG in 47 career games and is shooting .541% in those games.
Venning leads Boston College in FG%, connecting on 55.5% of his shot attempts, including 56.7% from inside the arc.
He is four made field goals short of qualifying for the ACC field goal leaders - his .555 mark would rank third in the league.

HASTINGS MAKING AN IMPACT

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.
In the comeback win over Miami on Jan. 1, he finished with six points, and a career-high nine boards in 22 minutes.
Hastings is averaging nearly 4.0 points, 4.0 boards, and a blocked shot in 14 minutes per game this season.

FIVE'S COMIN'...

Fred Payne earned his first start on Jan. 1 vs. Miami, finishing with 15 points, six boards, three assists, and two steals.
He had scored in double digits on four occasions off the bench, including a career-high 18 points - including a key 3-pointer in the OT period - against Missouri State in the second round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
Boston College is 4-1 in the five games where Payne has tallied 10+; the lone loss, a 72-66 decision at Wake Forest.
On the season, Payne is averaging 7.0 points in 15 minutes; a per-40 average of nearly 20.0 points per game.
He ranks second on the squad in 3-point percentage (.419) and is connecting on nearly 86% from the charity stripe.
Nearly a year ago, Payne suffered what was a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 5, 2023 against CCSU

I'VE GOT SIX ON IT

Roger McFarlane has grabbed at least six rebounds in all but six of his last 36 games played, dating back to Dec. 16, 2023.
He has had at least six rebounds in 69 of his 105 career games - better than 66% of his games played.
McFarlane has grabbed at least six boards in seven of 14 games this season; BC is 6-1 in those games.
The 6-4 guard ranks second on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.4 boards per outing.

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 nearly 10.0 points per game, while tallying 4.0 boards and 2.0 assists.
Brown was limited to six minutes of action against Miami due to illness. He did not start and saw action as a reserve.

CHARITABLE VENTURES

Donald Hand Jr. ranks nationally in free throws made (71; 22nd), attempted (79; 69th), and percentage (.899; 36th).
His .899 proficiency from the FT line in 2024-25 would rank first all-time in Boston College's single-season record book.
Hand's .854 career FT percentage (105-123) ranks third 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 seven games with a perfect mark from the line, most recently going 6-6 vs. Miami.

Atlanta Bound: BC Travels to Georgia Tech for Saturday Noon Tilt

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Dion Brown

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Roger McFarlane

Fred Payne

Quinten Post

Elijah Strong

Chad Venning

Atlanta Bound: BC Travels to Georgia Tech for Saturday Noon Tilt

Related News

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Dion Brown

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Roger McFarlane

Fred Payne

Quinten Post

Elijah Strong

Chad Venning

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