Season Series Concludes on Saturday at Syracuse

BOSTON COLLEGE VS. SYRACUSE - ALL-TIME SERIES

Today's game marks the 88th meeting between the two schools.
BC is 27-59 all-time vs. Syracuse; 9-30 at the JMA Wireless Dome. The last win at the Dome came on Feb. 19, 2014 (62-59 in OT).
This is the second of two regular season meetings vs. the Orange. Syracuse won the first meeting, 79-71, on Jan. 11.
Last year, the two teams split the season series; BC's 80-75 win on Jan. 30, 2024 snapped an 11-game losing streak vs. the Orange.
From 1979-2005, both teams were members of the Big East. BC was 17-34 against Syracuse in Big East play.

HAND EARNS SECOND ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD

One Feb. 3, Donald Hand Jr. was named ACC Player of the Week for the second time this season. He also won the award on Dec. 30.
He becomes the first Boston College player to garner weekly conference honors twice since Jerome Robinson did so in 2016-17 and 2017-18 - and the first Eagle win the award twice in the same season since Reggie Jackson during the 2010-11 campaign.
The 6-6 guard poured in a career-high 31 points to go along with nine rebounds in a thrilling 77-76 comeback win over Florida State.
He drilled a career-best six 3-pointers and was 9-9 from the foul line.
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.

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

As a starter (2G), Jayden Hastings is averaging 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks while shooting 58.3% from the floor.
Over his last three games, Donald Hand Jr. has scored 76 points (26-31-19), averaging 25.3 points per game over the span.
The last BC player to score at least 76 points over a three-game span: Ky Bowman (78) between Nov. 11-19, 2018.
From Feb. 6-13, 2018, Jerome Robinson had 102 points over a three-game span, including a 46-point performance at ND.
Troy Bell also reached triple-digits over a three-game span, tallying 100 points in three games between Dec. 8-16, 2001.

ON THIS DATE: FEBRUARY 8

Boston College is 14-13 all-time and 4-5 in ACC in games played on the February 8 calendar date.
February 8 marks the celebration of National Kite Flying Day.
Several notable events in history occurred on February 8 - 1898 - John Ames Sherman patents the first envelope folding machine in Massachusetts; 1936 - Jay Berwanger becomes the first player selected in the inaugural NFL Draft; 1960 - Bill Russell grabs 51 rebounds in a 131-110 win over Minneapolis; 1971 - the NASDAQ stock market index debuts; 1976 - "Taxi Driver" premieres; 1986 - Spud Webb wins the NBA dunk contest.
Notable February 8 birthdays: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, NBA stars Klay Thompson and Alonzo Mourning; actor James Dean; composer John Williams; chemist Dimitri Mendeleev; actress Lana Turner; journalist Ted Koppel.

EAGLES AMONG THE ACC / NCAA LEADERS

ACC Overall: Donald Hand Jr. ranks 11th in scoring (15.7), 15th in rebounding (6.7) and first in free throw percentage (.910).
Hand is one of three players to rank in the top 15 in scoring and rebounding in the conference.
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford) and Cooper Flagg (Duke) are the others.
Hand ranks second in the ACC and seventh nationally among major conference guards in rebounding.
His 91.0% proficiency mark from the charity stripe is first in the ACC and ranks 12th nationally.
Hand also ranks ninth in the ACC in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.18 3FGM per game. (48 total).
Chad Venning sits in second in the ACC - and 38th nationally - in field goal percentage, connecting on 55.7% of his shots.
Venning is also sixth in the ACC in blocked shots, averaging 1.43 swats per outing.
Jayden Hastings is seventh in the ACC in blocks, swatting 1.27 shots per game so far this season.
As a team, BC ranks 82nd nationally - and seventh in the ACC - in 3-point field goal percentage (.359), and 102nd in the country (seventh in ACC) in blocks per game, at 3.9.
ACC games only: Hand ranks ninth in scoring (16.5 ppg), first in 3-point field goal percentage (.455), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.73/game), and third in free throw percentage (.918).
Venning is third among all players in field goal percentage (.564).
Joshua Beadle's 1.94:1 assist/turnover mark is 12th-best in ACC play.
Jayden Hastings is eighth in blocked shots in ACC games, swatting 1.45 shots per game.

BEADLE'S BUZZER-BEATING BUCKETS

Nine of the 14 3-pointers from Joshua Beadle this season have come with 10 seconds or less on the shot or game clock.
Included in those nine was the game-winning 3FG as time expired vs. Boise State in the Cayman Islands Classic title game.
The grad transfer guard has made 14-of-27 attempts from the perimeter this season at Boston College (51.9%).
In ACC play, Beadle has connected on 57.1% (8-14) of his attempts from long distance.
Entering this season, Beadle had made 9-of-49 (.184) from beyond the arc in 65 games at Clemson.

DONALD HAND JR. - YEAR-OVER-YEAR IMPROVEMENTS

Donald Hand Jr. has shown a major statistical leap from a season ago.
Hand is averaging a nearly +11 jump in scoring average 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 better than a +16 jump year-over-year and nearly a +10.0 increase when measured per 40 minutes.
Hand has already surpassed his 2023-24 totals in points, rebounds, assists.
After a season-ending injury 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).

HASTINGS MAKING AN IMPACT

Redshirt freshman Jayden Hastings earned his second career start last time out against Louisville on Feb. 5.
The Orlando product tied his season-best with nine boards and logged his eighth game with at least two blocked shots.
He has nine 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.
In his first collegiate start on Dec. 21 against SMU, Hastings scored a season-high nine points in 29 minutes played.
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 had eight points - including a stretch of three straight field goals - in 15 minutes off the bench at North Carolina.
Against Florida State on Feb. 1, Hastings blocked a season-high four shots in 15 minutes of game action.
For the season, Hastings is connecting on 54.0% from the floor and has logged 28 total blocked shots.

HIGH-PERCENTAGE VENNING

Over his last nine games, Chad Venning has shined on the court.
Venning is averaging 15.2 ppg and connecting on 60% of his FG attempts over the span, dating back to Dec. 28. 2024.
Only seven major conference players have averaged at least 15.0 ppg and made at least 61% from the floor during that span.
On Jan. 25, he scored 17 points (7-12 FG) in 30 minutes at UNC. Venning tied his season-high - 19 points - vs. #3/3 Duke.
He had 17 points (7-13 FG) on Jan. 11 against Syracuse. On Jan. 14, he scored 19 points (8-15 FG) at Georgia Tech.
In the comeback win over Miami, Venning tallied 17 points (7-10), scoring 11 straight points for the Eagles in the first half.
He ranks second in the ACC in overall FG percentage (.557); his .564 mark in ACC play is third-best in the league.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT AT CAROLINA

Boston College had one of its best offensive outputs of the season at North Carolina on Jan. 25.
BC's 96 points tied for the second-most in an ACC game in program history; the 89 points in regulation is tied for seventh-best.
The 14 3-pointers made against the Tar Heels tied for sixth-most in a game for Boston College.
The Eagles connected on 54.5% from the floor and 58.3% from the perimeter; one of 16 Division I teams to do that in 2024-25.
BC is the first team to do so in ACC play in three seasons (Notre Dame vs. Pitt, March 5, 2022).
Since 1996-97, only 12 teams in ACC play have connected on 54% from the field and 58% from the perimeter.
Joshua Beadle went 6-for-6 from the floor (2-2 3FG), scoring 14 points to go with six assists - one of four DI players to be perfect from the floor with at least six attempts, while also dishing out six helpers.

BRINGING THE BOOM

Boston College has registered 10 or more 3-pointers on seven occasions, including a season-high 14 at North Carolina.
Through 22 games this season, the Eagles have made 146 3-pointers at a 35.9% clip.
The 35.9% 3-point proficiency mark ranks seventh in the ACC and 82nd nationally.
A season ago, BC connected on 172 3-pointers at a nearly identical 36.0% clip through its first 22 games played.
Donald Hand Jr. leads BC with 48 3FGM at a 40.3% clip; Joshua Beadle (51.9%) leads the team in percentage.

CHARITABLE VENTURES

Donald Hand Jr. ranks nationally in free throws made (101; 70th) and percentage (.910; 12th).
His .910 proficiency from the FT line in 2024-25 would rank first all-time in Boston College's single-season record book.
The current record - .894 - was set by BC Hall of Famer Troy Bell during his freshman season in 1999-2000.
Hand's .871 career FT mark (135-155) ranks first all-time at BC; Bell '03 and Jordan Chatman '19 are tied for second (.868)
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 12 games with a perfect mark from the line and had a streak of 32 consecutive made FT from Dec. 21-Jan. 18.

Season Series Concludes on Saturday at Syracuse

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Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Chad Venning

Season Series Concludes on Saturday at Syracuse

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Joshua Beadle

Donald Hand Jr.

Jayden Hastings

Chad Venning

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