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Boston College Eagles (Last Year: 16-17, 7-11 in ACC)
2013-14 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Dennis Clifford (Jr)/KC Caudill (Jr)
F: Ryan Anderson (Jr)/Eddie Odio (Jr)/John Cain Carney (Jr)
G/F: Alex Dragicevich (Jr)/Patrick Heckmann (Jr)/Garland Owens (Fr)
SG: Olivier Hanlan (Soph)/Lonnie Jackson (Jr)/Danny Rubin (Sr)
PG: Joe Rahon (Soph)/Darryl Hicks (Fr)
Gone: C-Andrew Van Nest (Sr)
2013-14 Outlook:
The maturation process of the Boston College Eagles basketball program should come to fruition this season. I really like the Eagles as a sleeper in the ACC and they should take the next step in their rebuilding effort.
Steve Donahue practically started from scratch two years ago, having to re-build the Boston College program. Now that the team has taken its fair share of lumps and gone through the growing pains, the Eagles appear to be turning corner.
To do so, Donahue will rely heavily on the duo of Ryan Anderson and Olivier Hanlan. Anderson’s versatility at the forward position has gone fairly unnoticed on a national level, but he has been an integral building block and a guy who do a little bit of everything to help his team. Hanlan proved to be a big-time scorer in his freshman campaign, highlighted by his 41-point outburst against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament. He can light it up from deep but also has the handles to run the offense when needed.
Joe Rahon also made a huge impact with the Eagles during his freshman year, showing great poise for a young point guard while logging almost 36 minutes per game. With the likes of Notre Dame transfer Alex Dragicevich, Lonnie Jackson, and Patrick Heckmann, Boston College has solid depth on the wing to complement Rahon and Hanlan. All three of those guys can space the floor and knock down open shots, so opposing defenses better guard the three-point line when they face the Eagles.
The interior play has been and once again will be a weakness for Boston College. 7-1 Dennis Clifford is expected to start, but shouldn’t log major minutes, while 6-11 KC Caudill adds more size, but not a whole lot of skill down low. As a result, Donahue might be forced to use a smaller lineup for significant stretches with Anderson or natural forward Eddie Odio playing the five and sliding Heckmann or Dragicevich to the four. It will make Boston College vulnerable on the boards, but allow the Eagles to put their best five players on the floor at the same time.
With the additions of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame, the ACC will be even more competitive this season. The Boston College Eagles are one of a handful of teams that will fall in the middle of the pack with hopes of sneaking into the NCAA Tournament. A fairly challenging non-conference slate could certainly help Boston College’s RPI but finishing with a .500 conference record or higher will be a must.
Player to Watch: Olivier Hanlan, SG
The Canadian earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors last season and for a good reason. He’s a big-time scorer whether shooting it from deep or creating his own shot off the bounce. Hanlan is also a solid distributor, and can also “D” it up as he led the team in steals as a freshman. The only concern I’d have if I were a Boston College fan is the possibility of him bolting for the NBA if his game is even tighter this year.
Key Non-Conference Games:
Predicted ACC Finish: 7th
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