Maryland-Boston College Preview: Terps, Eagles Have a Clash of Styles

I'm still not sure I'm used to the ACC basketball season kicking off in December. But I suppose this is the hand we've been dealt, and the Terps have a ball game to play tomorrow.

It's at home against 7-2 Boston College, and you know what? If Maryland comes out flat Ithe way they did against Temple and Illinois and Pitt and Elon and College of Charleston and Penn State and the Sprite Zero California Traveling All-Stars (a team that's not even real), then they could easily lose this game.

Boston College struggled last year, finishing just 6-10 in the conference (15-16 overall). In a nutshell, they just weren't able to generate much on either end. Their best player, Joe Trapani, was 11th in the ACC in scoring.

But this year, the Eagles have four returning starters in Trapani, Corey Raji, Biko Paris, and Reggie Jackson. All but Jackson are seniors. In a one-and-done world, continuity counts. You know what else counts? Something I like to call coaching. Al Skinner was not a good basketball coach. So they fired him. Enter Steve Donahue, who took Cornell to the Sweet 16 last season.

Thus far, Jackson is leading the way with 20 points a game. Trapani and Raji, an undersized but fearless post player, are scoring 13 and 11 per contest, respectively. (Although Raji may miss the game with an injury.)

In essence, Boston College still plays the same style as it did under the Skinner administration—take half the air out of the ball, work it to the open shooter, and shoot. They've already put up more than 200 threes this year—second in the ACC behind only Duke, which breathes three-pointers the way you and I breathe oxygen.

So, as in the loss to Temple, this will be a matchup of styles. Can Maryland force turnovers and work its transition game against a very experienced and efficient team? Can the point guard committee get the ball to Jordan Williams, Dino Gregory and James Padgett in ways that will allow them to exploit BC's tiny front court? We know Jordan knows how to finish consistently—what about Dino and Padgett? This could be a field day for all three of them.

And, of course, can anyone on this team make a frickin' free throw?

We'll see tomorrow. But with the bulk of the out-of-conference schedule having passed with precious little to show for it, all the Terps have now is the ACC. Which, ready or not, starts tomorrow.

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