Boston College Eagles: Team looks to make deep ACC tournament run

LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 21: Jerome Robinson
LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 21: Jerome Robinson /
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The Boston College Eagles men’s basketball team had one of their better regulars seasons in recent history Is a deep run in the ACC tourney possible?

Like the Boston College Eagles football team, the men’s basketball team had some surprising success in the ACC in 2017-18.

Now it’s time to use that experience to make a deep ACC tourney run.

The Eagles (17-14, 7-11) will open play as the 12th-seed, facing off against the 13th-seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Boston College defeated the Yellow Jackets 80-72 earlier this season.

Tip-off for the first round game is set for noon (EST) on Tuesday (3/6) from the Barclays Center on ESPN2.

Boston College has enjoyed their best season since 2010-11, winning their most overall and conference games since that NIT season. Wins against Duke, Miami (FL), and Florida State have highlighted this young team’s return to relevance.

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The Eagles also ended a 23-game conference road losing streak earlier this season when they defeated Pittsburgh 81-58. Boston College also had narrow road losses to Miami and Florida State down the stretch.

Making a deep tournament run is a possibility, though it’s going to take the continued high-level of play from a trio of players to make that happen.

Trio of scorers pace Boston College

The Boston College Eagles might not have a deep bench, but they have three players who can light up the scoreboard on any given night. Three players that have gone toe-to-toe with the best players in the ACC.

Junior Jerome Robinson is at the top of this list. And even though the ACC is a stacked conference, Robinson should garner conference player of the year votes.

Robinson averaged 20.7 points per game this season, in a virtual lock with Duke’s Marvin Bagley III to lead the ACC in scoring. Out of 31 games this season, Robinson scored in single digits only three times.

The junior also has the ability to take over games. When he heats up, he really heats up. Robinson shot 50.7% from the field this season and scored 20 or more points in 15 games, including a 46-point performance against Notre Dame.

Sophomore Ky Bowman wasn’t too far behind Robinson in the scoring column, averaging 16.9 points per game. Bowman, though, has proven to be far more important across the board.

Bowman also averaged 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, narrowly missing out on a triple-double (30 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) in the victory over Duke.

Junior Jordan Chatman completes the triumvirate, averaging 13.1 points per game. Chatman scored 20 or more points four times, including dropping 30 against Richmond.

Other players will need to certainly step up, but if Robinson, Bowman and Chatman are all clicking, the Eagles could make a surprise run.

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They should get past Georgia Tech. From there, the road only gets tougher as a second-round matchup with North Carolina would await them.

Boston College might be a long shot to win the ACC tourney, but a win or two might secure a postseason berth (the NIT or lower). And for a young team still building, the more basketball the better.