West Coast Swing Wraps on Saturday at Cal

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. CALIFORNIA - ALL-TIME SERIES

Today's game marks the fourth meeting between the two schools. Boston College has won the previous three meetings.
In the most recent matchup, the Eagles won, 64-60, over the Bears in the Al Attles Classic, held at the Chase Center on Dec. 21, 2019.
All three previous meetings were played on neutral courts.

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREE; HAND WINS THIRD POTW

On Feb. 24, Donald Hand Jr. earned his third ACC Player of the Week honor of the season. He won it previously on Dec. 30 and Feb. 3.
Only Hand, Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), and Cooper Flagg (Duke) have won ACC Player of the Week at least three times.
Hand averaged 18.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week.
He joins Jared Dudley as the only other BC player to garner ACC weekly conference honors three times in the same season.
In 2006-07, Dudley earned the conference's top weekly player award on three occasions en route to being named ACC Player of the Year.
Against Georgia Tech, Hand led all scorers with his ninth 20-point game. It was his ninth game this season with at least 20 points.
Hand is one of eight players in the ACC to have at least nine 20-point performances in 2024-25.
Versus Virginia Tech on Feb. 18, Hand scored 16 points, as BC set a program record for lowest points allowed by an ACC foe (36).
Earlier this season on Dec. 30, history was made as Hand and his father became the first father-son duo to each earn ACC Player of the Week honors in their respective careers. Donald Hand Sr. was the recipient of the ACC's top weekly player award on Jan. 31, 2000 while starring at Virginia. The conference began its weekly awards program during the 1972-73 season.
Since BC joined the ACC prior to the 2005-06 season, an Eagle has been selected ACC Player of the Week on 20 occasions, with 10 different players having captured the award at least once.

HIGH-PERCENTAGE VENNING

Over his last 15 games, Chad Venning is averaging just under 15.0 ppg and connecting on just under 56% from the floor.
He poured in a season-high 21 points - two off his career-best - against Notre Dame on Feb. 12.
On Jan. 25, he scored 17 points (7-12 FG) in 30 minutes at UNC.
Twice he's scored 19 points - vs. #3/3 Duke and at Georgia Tech. He added 17 points at UNC and at home vs. Syracuse.
In the comeback win over Miami, Venning tallied 17 points (7-10), scoring 11 straight points for the Eagles in the first half.
Overall this season, Venning has reached double-digits in the scoring column on 19 occasions.
For the season, Venning ranks second in the ACC in overall field goal percentage (.542); his .537 FG% mark in ACC play is fifth-best in the league.

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

Chad Venning has cracked Boston College's single-season record book for blocked shots, coming in at 10th with 44.
Donald Hand Jr.'s .865 FT% would rank third-best on BC's single-season list; his .843 career mark is fourth-best.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 1

Boston College is 11-8 all-time - and 2-2 in ACC play - in games played on the March 1 calendar date.
March 1 marks the dual celebration of National Pig and National Fruit Compote Days.
Several notable events in history occurred on March 1 - 1781: the Continental Congress officially adopts the Articles of Confederation; 1859: the seal of the city of San Francisco adopted; 1867: Howard University is chartered; 1872: Yellowstone becomes the world's first National Park; 1890: the first U.S. edition of Sherlock Holmes "A Study in Scarlet" is published; 1936: the Hoover Dam is completed; 1940: Richard Wright's novel "Native Son" is published; 1961: President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps; 1996: Lenny Wilkens becomes the first NBA head coach to reach 1,000 career victories.
Notable March 1 birthdays: painter Sandro Botticelli; composer Frederic Chopin; Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray; former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle; Grammy and Tony Award winner and human rights activist Harry Belafonte.

DONALD HAND JR. - YEAR-OVER-YEAR IMPROVEMENTS

Donald Hand Jr. has shown a major statistical leap from a season ago and ranks third among all ACC players in scoring average increase.
Hand is averaging over +11 more points per game and nearly a +5.0 jump in rebounding per game this season, compared to 2023-24.
Using the metric PAR (points+assists+rebounds), he has seen over a +16 jump year-over-year and nearly a +9.0 increase when measured per 40 minutes.
Hand has already surpassed his 2023-24 totals in points, rebounds, assists.
After a season-ending injury in game two as a true freshman, his first significant playing time came during the 2023-24 season.
Hand was named ACC Player of the Week twice this season (Dec. 30; Feb. 3).

DEFENSE MECHANISM

In the wins over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, Boston College's defensive scoring mark was 45.0 points per game.
It marked the first time since the 2022-23 season that BC held back-to-back opponents under 55 points.
That season, on Nov. 21, 2022 BC held Wyoming to 48 points and next limited Rhode Island to 49 points on Nov. 27, 2022.
BC held Georgia Tech to 54 points - more than 20 points under its season average and more than 30 fewer than they scored in the first regular season matchup.
The stifling BC defense held the Yellow Jackets to 32.1% shooting (18-56), including 5-of-23 from the perimeter.
On Feb. 18, Boston College held Virginia Tech to a record-low point total - 36 points - in a 54-36 home win.
The 36 points marked the lowest point total by an ACC opponent since Boston College joined the league at the start of the 2005-06 season (previous - 44 vs. Virginia on Feb. 26, 2011).
BC's 36 points allowed ranks as the lowest scoring defensive point total by any ACC team this season and ranks as the fifth-lowest defensive scoring mark in an ACC game since 1996-97 (10 total games during that span).
It ranks as the third-lowest single-game point total by an opponent in Conte Forum history (building opened in 1988-89): 32 - NJIT (Jan. 5, 2010); 33 - High Point (Nov. 13, 2019); 36 - Virginia Tech (Feb. 18, 2015).
It tied for the fourth-lowest point total by an opponent in BC history, dating back to the restart of the program in 1945-46
Dating back to 1945-46, it marked only the 13th time in program history that BC held an opponent under 40 points.
BC held VT to its lowest single-half point total (11) since Jan. 12, 1935, when the Hokies scored nine points vs. UNC.

EAGLES AMONG THE ACC / NCAA LEADERS

ACC Overall: Donald Hand Jr. ranks 13th in scoring (16.2), 16th in rebounding (6.3) and fourth in FT percentage (.865).
Hand is one of three players to rank in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding in the conference.
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford) and Cooper Flagg (Duke) are the others.
Hand also ranks fifth in the ACC in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.4 3FGM per game. (66 total).
Chad Venning sits in second in the ACC - and 56th nationally - in field goal percentage, connecting on 54.2% of his shots.
Venning is also third in the ACC in blocked shots - 58th nationally - averaging 1.63 swats per outing.
Jayden Hastings is eighth in the ACC in blocks, swatting 1.21 shots per game so far this season.
As a team, BC ranks 103rd nationally - and seventh in the ACC - in 3-point field goal percentage (.354).
The Eagles are third in the ACC - and 89th in the country - in blocks per game (3.9).
ACC games only: Hand ranks seventh in scoring (17.1 ppg), third in 3-point field goal percentage (.407), fourth in 3-pointers made (2.8/game), and 14th in free throw percentage (.835).
Venning is fifth among all players in ACC play in field goal percentage (.537) and tied for fourth in blocked shots (1.5)
Jayden Hastings is seventh in blocked shots in ACC games, swatting 1.30 shots per game.

THE 60 POINT MARK

Four times this season - and twice in ACC play - Boston College has held its opponents under 60 points.
BC has captured its last 18 games, including its last seven non-conference matchups, when holding opponents to 60 or fewer.
Under Earl Grant, the Eagles are 23-2 when keeping their opponents at 60 or less on the scoreboard.

HASTINGS MAKING AN IMPACT

Redshirt freshman Jayden Hastings has steadily improved throughout his first season of college basketball.
Hastings has 11 games with at least two blocked shots - the most by a BC freshman since Sean Williams posted 16 multi-block games during his freshman campaign in 2004-05.
Against Virginia Tech, Hastings was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor, good for eight points, five boards, and two blocks.
As a starter (3G), Hastings is averaging 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks while shooting 64.3% from the floor.
In his first collegiate start on Dec. 21 against SMU, Hastings scored a season-high nine points in 29 minutes played.
Against Louisville on Feb. 5, Hastings tied his season-best with nine boards and logged two blocked shots.
For the season overall Hastings is connecting on 57.9% from the floor and has logged 34 total blocked shots.

GET THAT UP OUTTA HERE!

Chad Venning has registered at least four blocked shots in a game on four occasions - most by any ACC player this season.
In total - among all major conference players - Venning and 12 others have at least four games with four blocked shots.
Ryan Kalkenbrenner (Creighton) and Jayden Quaintence (Arizona State) are tied for first, with eight games.
Venning has blocked at least three shots in eight games - one of two ACC players to do so in 2024-25 (Zack Austin, Pitt).

BRINGING THE BOOM

Boston College has registered 10 or more 3-pointers on nine occasions, including a season-high 14 at North Carolina.
Through 28 games this season, the Eagles have made 191 3-pointers at a 35.4% clip.
Donald Hand Jr. leads BC with 66 3FGM at a 38.6% clip; Joshua Beadle (50.0%) leads the team in percentage.
The 35.4% 3-point proficiency mark ranks seventh in the ACC and 103rd nationally.
In ACC play, Boston College has connected on 37.2% of its long-distance attempts - fifth-best in the league.

West Coast Swing Wraps on Saturday at Cal

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Chad Venning

West Coast Swing Wraps on Saturday at Cal

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Chad Venning

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