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Seven-footer Quinten Post emerges as a game-changer for Boston College men’s basketball
By Trevor Hass Globe Correspondent,Updated February 27, 2023, 1:01 p.m.
BC forward Quinten Post is not just a powerful inside presence but also an excellent 3-point shooter.
In his daily life, Amsterdam native
Quinten Post is a mild-mannered, jovial 7-footer who plays chess and cracks jokes with a slight accent.
When he plays basketball, the Boston College big man morphs into a ruthless competitor who punishes opponents both inside and out with a unique skill set.
“He’s like a transformer,” BC coach
Earl Grant said. “On the court, he turns into a different character.”
Post’s relentless motor and versatility have given the Eagles exactly what they were missing early in the season. After sitting out 13 games with a stress reaction in his left foot, Post has helped BC defeat three top 25 teams for the first time since 2008-09.
Once a sparsely used reserve at Mississippi State, he has blossomed into a catalyst for the surging Eagles (14-15, 8-10) and helped them reach eight Atlantic Coast Conference wins for the first time since 2010-11. He is averaging a team-high 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 53.9 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from 3-point range.
Post hasn’t attempted enough threes (21 for 47) to be eligible for the league leaders, but that percentage would put him first in the conference. He leads the nation in percentage among players 6 feet 10 inches or taller.
“He’s a special player,” teammate and roommate
Devin McGlockton said. “He can bang inside, he can shoot it from outer space. It’s insane how versatile his game is. QP’s the best player I’ve ever played with in my life.”
To the casual observer, it may seem as though Post has always been destined for stardom. In reality, that’s far from the case.
He grew up tagging along to his father’s late-night basketball games and practices, yet up until age 11, soccer was Post’s main passion. Once he discovered the beauty of basketball, he never stopped playing.
Post wasn’t always the tallest player on his team. He played small forward for much of his childhood, which helped him learn how to dribble and shoot at a high level.
His parents are 6-7 and 6-1, so they all suspected a growth spurt might come. Once it did, starting around age 15, he and his father mapped out a three-step plan.
Step one: Piece together a strong season in Amsterdam and gain attention. Step two: Get out of his comfort zone and play in another country (Germany). Step three: Earn a Division 1 scholarship and move to the United States.
Post was initially unsure whether he had the chops to execute that plan. His father helped reassure him that he was capable of anything.
“There were moments where he believed in me more than I did,” Post said. “He’s always been my support pillar.”
When he arrived at Mississippi State, it took some time to adjust to the Southern lifestyle and people constantly asking him how he was doing.
He played just eight games as a 225-pound freshman and averaged 2.8 points in 8.7 minutes as a 240-pound sophomore. Post called it an “eye-opening” chapter and said he enjoyed his time there, but he decided to enter the transfer portal in search of an expanded role.
Grant had nine scholarships to dish out in his first year at BC, and Post seemed like someone who still had room to develop.
Boston felt more like home, almost like a European city, and the transition was seamless. He averaged 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in Year 1 and immediately felt a sense of community and belonging at BC.
Following a productive summer with the Netherlands national team, Post entered his senior season ready for a breakout, but the stress reaction set him back.
“You just have to adapt,” Post said. “I was pretty sad about it for a week, and after that, I just had to get over it and move to the future.”
He swam five to six times a week, lifted weights, and visualized himself in games as he watched from the sidelines. When he returned, Post said, it felt as though he had been there before because of his preparation.
Post, who has one more year of eligibility, is playing the best basketball of his life for a program on the rise.
“The future can wait for now,” Post said. “I’m really trying to live in the present.”
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