Creature Vs. Creature: Boston College Looks to Take Down The Tar Heels

Any talk of B.C.’s success starts and ends with their senior guard, and first team All-ACC, Tyrese Rice.

Rice has been his typical productive self so far averaging 17 points, six assists, and four rebounds while shooting 83 percent from the free throw line and making 39 percent of his three point shots. All in a day’s work for the Hampton, VA native.

Outside of Rice and junior Tyler Roche, the rest of the Eagles are young.

B.C. has 10 players that are either freshmen or sophomores.

Four of the sophomores (Corey Raji, Rakim Sanders, Josh Southern, and Biko Paris) all cut their teeth on big time college hoops last year as B.C. struggled through a 14-17 (4-12 in the ACC) season.

Sophomore Joe Trapani, a transfer from Vermont, has fit right in with this group and is arguably the Eagles’ second best player behind Rice.

None of the B.C. players have the high school pedigree that almost every Tar Heel does. Instead, they reflect the personality of their coach, Al Skinner.

They scrap and hustle to do the little things (such as gang rebounding) necessary to win.

With a veteran star like Rice to lead them, they should have a shot in most of their games.

Whether they stand a chance against the vaunted Heels, well, that’s why they play the games.

So for the Eagles to emerge from the Dean Dome victorious, let’s break down what they can and can’t do to make it happen.

Boston College will win if they…

Survive the first four minutes. The Heels will look to jump on B.C. from the opening tip and build a large lead early. If this occurs, the young Eagles could get rattled. Once that happens, Carolina will certainly go for the jugular.

But if B.C. maintains their composure and starts to run their offense effectively, they’ll be able to settle into the game and let UNC know they’re here for the full 40.

Take care of the basketball. UNC is a team that thrives on pressuring their opponents, forcing careless turnovers, and cashing those into points. Lots of points. Giving a team like Carolina extra possessions is a recipe for disaster. And a veteran team like the Tar Heels prosper on their opponents’ mistakes.

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