Takeaways from BC's Loss to the Blue Devils
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, first-year Boston College men’s basketball head coach Earl Grant told reporters that if his Eagles took care of the ball, hounded the glass and played hard on defense, they’d be in games no one expected them to.
He was right. And Saturday evening was another one of those games.
BC, which was picked dead last in the ACC Preseason Poll, hung around with then-No. 7 Duke, a mainstay in the AP Top 10 this season with four players who could hear their names called in this year’s NBA Draft.
The Eagles unraveled midway through the second half but never quit during the 72-61 defeat.
Before BC starts a two-game road trip, it’s time to look back on the Eagles’ effort in front of a sold out Conte Forum.
Karnik had to be on his A-game, and he delivered
It’s no secret that James Karnik has been streaky this season. But he hasn’t thrown in the towel. And, at times, he’s been the Eagles’ best player. That was the case yet again Saturday. The 6-foot-9 center piled up 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the first half and finished with 21 points as well as nine rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive glass. He played 31 minutes—his fourth most in a game this year—and committed just two fouls.BC needed him to stay out of foul trouble because it was missing Quinten Post, the Eagles’ 1B option at center, who had split time with Karnik all season and was coming off a 14-and-14 double-double against Syracuse. Post was in COVID-19 protocol. And, to make matters worse, forward TJ Bickerstaff sprained his calf in the first half. With the Drexel transfer unavailable for the entire second half, there was even more pressure on Karnik to perform in the frontcourt.
Sophomore 7-footer Justin Vander Baan did chip in nine minutes, two points and three boards, but Karnik was the go-to option down low. As was the case against Virginia Tech earlier this season, the veteran was money in and around the paint and, notably, threw down two emphatic dunks.
“Karnik played great tonight,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “When he plays well, and he’s played well most of the time—against Virginia Tech here, he owned the game. Pretty much for a while, he was owning this game until our big guys started responding.”
BC was forced to pivot to a small lineup
Krzyzewski was surprised to see a four-guard lineup from the Eagles, and the all-time great applauded Grant for the look. Coach K admitted that the lineup gave Duke some fits.Grant, however, wasn’t thrilled with the setup. While it benefited BC offensively, it put the Eagles in a tough position to defend a frontcourt of Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero, both of whom stand 6-foot-10 or taller and weigh at least 240 pounds. That duo combined for 26 points and 17 rebounds—including five offensive boards—on 10-of-18 shooting.
“From a size standpoint, typically you don't deal with power forwards at 6-10, 250,” Grant said. “So most teams you can get away with going with the four guards. But don't have a 6-6 or 6-7 shooter over there. That kid Paolo, he was a load.”
Duke blue was expected, but the BC students showed up
BC has averaged 4,836 fans per home game this season, according to the BC Athletics’ site. That’s 13th in the ACC, ahead of only Georgia Tech and Miami. Earlier in the week against Syracuse, Orange fans dominated Conte Forum, with “Let’s go Orange!” chants engulfing the court. Saturday against Duke, however, BC’s students showed out. For the first time all year, they filled out both sections behind the baskets. They brought signs, were loud and stayed the whole game, even after Duke made its run late in the second half.BC football head coach Jeff Hafley was in the student section, too. And Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum—a Duke alum—was behind the Blue Devils’ bench. The atmosphere was great, as expected. Despite the Duke faithful’s numbers, it still felt like a home game for BC.
You couldn’t say the same thing last Tuesday when Syracuse came to town.
Sidenote: BC has been shooting much better at home. The Eagles are shooting 44.3% from the field at home and 36.4% away from Conte Forum. That’s a stark difference.
DeMarr Langford Jr. is growing in front of our eyes
Here’s a look at DeMarr Langford Jr.’s last four games:Feb. 12 vs. Duke: 36 minutes, 16 points, 6-of-14 FG, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Feb. 8 vs. Syracuse: 36 minutes, 14 points, 6-of-9 FG, 6 rebounds
Feb. 1 at Virginia: 33 minutes, 11 points, 4-of-7 FG, 5 rebounds
Jan. 30 vs. Pitt: 33 minutes, 17 points, 7-of-15 FG, 3 rebounds
After going eight straight games without reaching double digits, Langford has stacked four 10-plus-point outings in a row. And he’s done so while expanding his game. The uber-athletic sophomore guard has knocked down a 3-pointer in three of his last four games, and he’s become much more aggressive at the rim. That fiery demeanor was on full display against Duke.
Langford relentlessly challenged Blue Devils center Mark Williams, despite the fact that Williams—standing 7-foot-1—had eight inches on him. He didn’t even back down after he got knocked in the eye by Williams on his way up to the rim. Langford had six straight points, four of which came at the line, amid an 8-0 BC run that pulled the Eagles within seven points in the second half. Langford still has room to grow defensively and as a shooter—particularly at the charity stripe—but he’s made strides during ACC play.
How did BC's bench players fare?
Grant had to turn to his reserves due to Post’s absence and Bickerstaff’s limited availability.Galloway: 24 minutes, 6 points, 3-of-8 FG (0-of-3 3FG), -26
Vander Baan: 9 minutes, 2 points, 1-of-2 FG, 3 rebounds, -5
Jones: 7 minutes, 0 points, 0-of-1 FG (0-of-1 3FG), +1
Thompson: 6 minutes, 0 points, 0-of-0 FG, 1 rebound, +4
Galloway’s plus/minus is glaring here. While he did make three layups, he continued to struggle from outside, missing all three of his 3-point attempts. The College of Charleston grad transfer is now 3-of-41 from deep since his Clemson heroics.
Like at Pitt earlier this season, Vander Baan was serviceable. Adding some body mass in the offseason would make him more dangerous in the paint, but—similar to Post—he’s got finesse to his game, too. Vander Baan drilled a mid-range jumper for his lone bucket.
Freshmen Kanye Jones and Gianni Thompson both got minutes, as has been the case for most of ACC play. Neither etched their names into the scorecard. Jones’ only shot attempt came late in the second half when the Eagles were trailing by 19 points.
The Eagles wanted to play "paintball"
BC was 1-of-12 from 3-point land against Duke. By this point of the season, those meager shooting numbers don’t pop off the page. Especially not versus the Blue Devils, who are 15th nationally in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (29.1%).Anyway, while a few more makes from beyond the arc would have helped BC’s upset chances, the Eagles weren’t trying to beat Duke with 3-point shooting. Krzyzewski knew that.
As Grant said, BC was playing “paintball.” What’s impressive is that the Eagles did so without Post or, for the most of the game, Bickerstaff. Against a Duke team that ranks fourth in block percentage (8.7%) in ACC competition, per KenPom.
The Eagles did a great job of working the ball inside, cashing in on backdoor cuts and driving along the baseline. They ended up outscoring Duke in the paint, 34-30.
