Boston College Preview and Game Thread

Clemson looks to move to 2-0 in the conference against BC, after a sluggish (to say the least) start to the season in non-conference play. BC (5-10, 0-1) comes into the game with a resume that includes losses to Rhode Island (3-14), Boston U (6-11) by 14, and Holy Cross (8-8) by 22, just to name a few. Their signature win on the season, I think, would have to be considered beating Stony Brook at home. Yeah, it's been that ugly.

Boston College is in a major rebuilding phase. They were forced to overhaul their entire roster with freshmen due to graduation, transfers, and Reggie Jackson leaving early for the NBA. They brought in 9 freshmen in their 2011 recruiting class. As a result, these guys aren't getting a chance to learn from veterans. They've been thrown right into the fire. Against UNC the last time out, their entire starting 5 consisted of freshmen. Out of the 9 players that average double digit minutes, 6 of them are freshmen,

BC is not likely to start bringing in top 25 recruiting classes any time soon. However, their 2011 class was a pretty good class for BC in terms of talent and needs. They brought in a lot of size with 2 power forwards and 2 centers.

One of those PF, Ryan Anderson (9.7 ppg), was the most heralded of the BC recruits. He's 6'8 and plays a face-up 4, with range out to the 3-point line. They also brought in a talented German named Patrick Heckman who flew under the radar on the recruiting sites because of where he hails from. Heckman has good size (6'5) for a 2-guard and is shooting 46% from the field. He leads the team at scoring at just over 11 ppg.

Although it's a road game, this is a team that Clemson out-talents and out-experiences by a wide margin. BC is one of the friendliest venues to travel to in the ACC for opposing teams. With BC being as bad as they've been, the stadium should be a quarter full. Coming off a big win over FSU this past weekend, Clemson should come into this matchup with confidence. As long as Brownell can light a fire under their asses and get them to play with urgency and energy early, Clemson should be able to walk out of Chestnut Hill with a W and a 2-0 start in ACC play.