Game 14: Boston College-Miami Basketball Gameday
By Joe Micik
Oh look, it is also Miami basketball gameday for Boston College, at the exact same time as the hockey game.
Anyone from within 50 miles of campus will likely be watching the Patriots playoff game, but Soaring to Glory will somehow do double duty and bring the Eagles sports hot takes in stereo across multiple sports.
Of course, were there no playoff football today and only given the choice between the Boston College hockey and basketball game to watch, is there any debate as to which would win? After that embarrassing overtime loss against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, any sliver of good will this team accumulated with the coming of a new coach and a few players who seem to understand what defense is has vanished. These are the same old Eagles.
Yet, same old Eagles or not, they are still Eagles, and though the betting odds and logic do not favor them, we want them to win all the same. Miami basketball, an 8.5-point favorite, will pose a challenge, though they themselves have been on shaky ground. The Hurricanes fought valiantly in defeat against the Virginia Cavaliers, but we are also about a month removed from Miami losses to Green Bay and Eastern Kentucky. Surely, there is hope.
Probably not much hope, mind you, but a little.
For what it’s worth, Miami basketball head coach Jim Larranaga may deviate from his typical starting lineup in this contest, ostensibly to play guys with more size. (Because BC being one of the tallest teams in the country has done so much for them.)
Follow @SoaringtoGlory for updates on the game.
Boston College-Miami Basketball Gameday:
Game #14 Info
Gametime
4:00pm Eastern
Venue
BankUnited Center, Coral Gables, Florida
Television
NESN+ (Wes Durham, Dave Odom)
Radio
WEEI 850AM (Online link)
(Jon Meterparel, Danya Abrams)
Boston College Eagles
Records and Rankings
The unranked Boston College Eagles are 7-6 (0-2) on the season, having lost consecutive ACC games. On Tuesday night, Boston College lost at home to Pittsburgh, 61-60 in overtime.
Miami is also unranked, owning a 10-4 (0-1) record. The Hurricanes have lost three out of their last four and four of six, most recently dropping a double-overtime decision to #3 Virginia, 89-80.
Boston College and Miami Basketball Top Performers
Boston College’s top scorer is Olivier Hanlan with 16.2 points, with Aaron Brown just behind at 15.3. Dimitri Batten and Dennis Clifford both average 8.2 points per contest. The Eagles shoot 44 percent as a team, 11th in the ACC.
Clifford leads the way in rebounding with 5.9 per game, while Patrick Heckmann collects 4.8.
Sheldon McClellan leads the Hurricanes with 15.7 points per game, while Angel Rodriguez scores 14.4. Deandre Burnett and Manu Lecomte are just under double digits with 9.6 and 9.5, respectively. Miami shoots 44.7 percent as a team, placing them 10th in the conference.
Tonye Jekiri averages 9.5 rebounds per game, which is third in the ACC; McClellan is next with 5.6.
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- Week 11 ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Boston College Bottom-Feeding
Recent Results vs. Miami Basketball
January 16, 2013: Miami wins, 60-59 (at BC)
February 5, 2013: Miami wins, 72-50 (at Miami)
March 15, 2013: Miami wins, 69-58 (at ACC Tournament)
February 22, 2014: Miami wins, 69-42 (at Miami)
This is the Eagles and Hurricanes’ 44th all-time meeting. Boston College has the 24-19 advantage, but Miami has won the last eight in a row.