Eagles Prepare for Pitt in ACC Tournament First Round

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BOSTON COLLEGE VS. PITTSBURGH – ALL-TIME SERIES

Today’s game marks the 58th meeting between the two schools. Boston College is 21-36 all-time vs. Pittsburgh.
Pitt is BC’s ninth all-time most common opponent (58 games).
In ACC regular-season play, the Eagles are 3-7 versus the Panthers.
The two teams split their regular-season series, with the home team earning the victory in each matchup.
Boston College won, 69-56, on Jan. 30 at Conte Forum. Pitt took a 69-67 victory on Jan. 8 at the Petersen Events Center.
From 1989-2004, both schools were members of the Big East. The Eagles compiled a 15-27 mark vs. Pitt during that span.
BC downed Pitt, 79-57, to capture the 2001 Big East Championship.
Boston College is 0-1 in ACCT play and 3-5 in conference tournaments all-time versus Pittsburgh.
Pitt assistant coach Tim O’Toole’s father Tom was inducted as a member of the Boston College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.
Tom O’Toole played for the Eagles from 1949-52, finishing his career with 703 points, averaging 10.3 points per game for Al McClelland.

BOSTON COLLEGE IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT

In 26 games in ACC Tournament play, Boston College is 10-16. Last year, BC lost, 86-51, to Duke in the opening round.
BC advanced to the 2018 ACC quarterfinals in Brooklyn. In 2006, BC advanced to the ACC title game in Greensboro.
That season – the school’s first-ever ACC Tourney – BC downed Maryland (80-66) and North Carolina (85-82) before falling in the championship game to Duke (78-76).

BOSTON COLLEGE IN THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN

Boston College is 3-4 all-time at Barclays Center and 5-9 all-time in games played in the borough of Brooklyn.
In 2018, the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the New York Life ACC Tournament at Barclays Center.
BC went 0-2 in the 2016 Barclays Center Classic MTE, falling to Kansas State and Richmond.
The Eagles lost a single game against VCU at Barclays in 2013, while downing Fordham in 2015.
Boston College is 1-3 against St. Francis College in Brooklyn and 0-2 at Brooklyn College.

TODAY’S BOSTON COLLEGE NOTE(S) YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Boston College has three of the 15 ACC players who have an assist/TO of at least 1.40:1 and a steal/TO ratio of 0.72:1.
They are: Makai Ashton-Langford (1.67:1/0.72), Jaeden Zackery (1:41;1/0.90), and DeMarr Langford Jr. (1.54:1/0.80:1).
Ashton-Langford becomes the first BC player since Ky Bowman to: 1. lead the Eagles in scoring and assists; 2. lead the Eagles in assists in two consecutive seasons; 3. reach the 100 mark in total assists in a season.

ON THIS DATE: MARCH 8

Boston College is 4-9 all-time – and 0-3 in ACC Tournament play-in games played on the March 8 calendar date.
In 1990, BC and Pitt squared off in the opening round of the Big East Tournament, with the Panthers winning, 88-70.
March 8 marks the celebration of National Proofreading and National Peanut Cluster Day.
Several notable events in history occurred on March 8 – 1817 – The New York Stock Exchange is founded; 1894 – New York enacts the nation’s first dog-licensing law; 1913 – The Internal Revenue Service begins to collect income taxes; 1936 – the first stock car race is held in Daytona Beach, Fla.; 1971 – Joe Frazier ends Muhammad Ali’s 31-fight win streak at MSG.
Notable March 8 birthdays: U.S. Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendall Holmes; blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher/author Jim Bouton; Hall of Fame outfielder Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox.

GIMME THAT

Jaeden Zackery’s 53 steals so far this season is the fourth-most steals by a Boston College freshman.
Dana Barros holds BCs freshman single-season mark – 57 – set during the 1985-96 season.
Ryan Sidney (56, 2000-01) and Duane Woodward (55, 1994-95) rank second and third, respectively.
Zackery’s 53 steals is tied for the fourth-highest total in the ACC; his 1.77 steals/game average also ranks fourth in the ACC.
Among all freshmen nationally, Zackery ranks tied for ninth in total steals and 12th in steals/game.

FLIP THE SCRIPT ON THE IDES OF MARCH

With a win today, Boston College would notch its first win in the month of March since the 2018 ACC Tournament.
On March 7, 2018, the Eagles bested N.C. State in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn.
BC’s last regular-season win in March came against Wake Forest (79-61) on March 7, 2015.
Boston College has lost its last 14 games in the month of March.

MAKING THEIR POINT

Over the last nine games, Boston College’s primary playmakers have been highly efficient.
In addition to scoring 13.8 points per game, Jaeden Zackery has registered 34 assists to 12 turnovers (2.83:1 Assist/TO).
The freshman has also notched 25 steals over the last nine ball games (2.78:1 Steal/TO).
Makai Ashton-Langford has dished out 38 assists to 16 turnovers (2.38:1 ATR) while logging 16 steals (1.00:1 Steal/TO).
Ashton-Langford registered new career-highs in assists (9) and steals (4) against Florida State.
On the season, both Zackery and Ashton-Langford rank among the top 10 in the ACC in assist/TO and steal/TO ratios.

BACKCOURT BEST SERVED LATE

Makai Ashton-Langford and Jaeden Zackery are scoring at a higher clip in the second half.
Ashton-Langford is scoring 7.2 of his 12.1 points per game in the second half – nearly 60% of his scoring.
Zackery is averaging 6.2 points during the second half – nearly 60% of his scoring. He is scoring 10.4 points per game.
Twenty-three of Zackery’s 47 3-pointers have come in the second half; 10 of those 23 in the final 5:00 of regulation.

KARNIK THE CATALYST

In six ACC wins, James Karnik is averaging 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 70% (37-53) from the floor.
In 14 ACC losses, Karnik is posting 9.6 points and 4.9 boards per outing, making 49% (52-106) of his FG attempts.
When Karnik scores 16 or more points, Boston College is 4-4 – all of those games have come in ACC play.
When Karnik scores at least in double figures, BC is 6-8 – including a 5-7 record in conference games.
Karnik is scoring 15.6 points per game and shooting 65.2% (88-135) when he reaches double digits in the scoring column.

POST ONE OF TOP RESERVES IN THE ACC

While he has earned the start in the last four games (seven starts overall – Quinten Post is among the best ACC reserves.
Post leads the ACC in scoring (9.3), rebounding (5.7), and blocks (1.0) coming off the bench (min. 20 games)
Post is averaging 19:45 of playing time off the bench this season for Boston College
He has come off the bench in 75% of the games in which he has appeared in 2021-22.
Post is shooting 50.4% from the floor (70-139) and 73% from the FT line (40-55) in reserve play for the Eagles
In 12 ACC games, averaging 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting just under 50% (44-89).
Poured in a career-high 24 points (10-14 FG), while adding nine rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench vs. Georgia Tech.
Has scored in double digits in 12 of 20 games as a reserve, including two double-doubles.

ZACKERY MAKING AN IMPACT

Jaeden Zackery ranks third on BC in scoring (10.4), second in assists (2.8), and first in steals (1.8) this season.
Among all ACC first-year players, Zackery ranks sixth in scoring, third in assists, and first in steals.
With 53 steals, Jaeden Zackery has registered the fourth-most swipes in a season by a Boston College freshman.
He has reached double-digits 15 times and has led the Eagles in scoring on seven occasions.
Zackery is one of 13 players nationally – and only four frosh – to shoot 46% or better from 3-point land (min. 47 3FGM).
He has scored a season-best 19 points twice, including the regular-season finale at Georgia Tech.
Against Syracuse on Feb. 8, he had a team-high 18 points with season-bests in rebounds (6), assists (6), and steals (3).
Since 1996, 10 BC players matched Zackery’s stat line vs. Syracuse – 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
They are: Ryan Sidney (three times), Ky Bowman (twice), Troy Bell (twice), Tyrese Rice, and Troy Bell.
However, Zackery is the ONLY Boston College player to register that stat line without committing a turnover.
The Salem, Wisc. product has registered an effective FG% of 54.6% and a true shooting percentage of 56.8% in 28 games.
He was named to the Sunshine Slam All-Tourney team, after scoring a season-high 19 points against Rhode Island.
Zackery was a 2020-21 NJCAA Third Team All-American out of Chipola College in Florida.

PATTERNS OF IMPROVEMENT FOR MAKAI

Makai Ashton-Langford has shown marked statistical improvement, year over year, from 2020-21 to this season.
Ashton-Langford is scoring nearly 3.0 more points/game, leading BC at 12.1 ppg. He was at 9.6 points per game in 2020-21.
His rebounding and assists per game figures are also improved by 0.5, and 0.3 per game, respectively.
In 30 games this year, Ashton-Langford has posted four 20+ performances. In his previous 90 games, he had 20+ once.
Ashton-Langford has scored in double digits in 22 of 30 games for BC in 2021-22.
From 2017-20, he scored in double figures 14 times over a 78-game span.
From 2017-21, made 31 career 3-pointers. He has connected on 38 this season.
He has led the team in scoring seven times this year; he did so twice from 2017-20 at both Providence and Boston College.
In ACC games, Ashton-Langford is averaging +2.0 ppg year over year – 12.0 in 2021-22 vs. 10.0 in 2020-21.

DEMARR TRENDING

Over his last 10 games, DeMarr Langford Jr. is averaging 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.
He’s shooting nearly 52% (51-99) from the floor over the span while registering an assist/turnover ratio of 1.40:1.
In the regular-season finale at Georgia Tech, he tallied 17 points, eight boards, two assists, and three steals.
On March 2, the sophomore wing dished out a career-best four assists against Miami.
On Feb. 26 vs. Clemson, Langford Jr. grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds (four OReb; seven DReb).
He scored 10 points on five shots in 16 first-half minutes at Syracuse on Feb. 19 before leaving the game with an injury.
Returning from injury at N.C. State on Feb. 23, he posted a full stat line – nine points, five boards, three assists, and four steals.
On Feb. 16 at Notre Dame, Langford Jr. scored a career-high 23 points (10-14) to go with seven rebounds.
The 6-5 guard had 16 points against #7/7 Duke on Feb. 12 – 10 coming in the second half
On Feb. 8, Langford Jr. had 14 points (6-9 FG) and six rebounds at home against Syracuse.
The sophomore had his second-best scoring night of the season against Pitt on Jan. 30, pouring in 17 points.
The Worcester wing ranks second on BC in scoring (10.9), fourth in rebounding (4.7), and third in assists (2.1).

GALLOWAY CONTRIBUTING OVER THE LAST FOUR

Over his last five games, Brevin Galloway is averaging 9.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per outing.
Galloway is posting a 2.00:1 assist/turnover ratio and a 1.43:1 steal/turnover ratio over the five games.
During the five-game stretch, the graduate student has connected on 11 3-pointers.
He ranks sixth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.0 points per game, and ranks second on BC in 3-pointers, with 39.