Duke men's basketball opponent preview: Boston College
As No. 3 Duke prepares to take on Boston College Saturday, the Blue Zone is here with an overview of the Eagles and an X-factor for each team:
20-16, 8-12 in the ACC
9-8, 1-5 in the ACC
Earl Grant
Duke leads 29-3
80-65 Duke, Feb. 10, 2024
Duke heads north to engage in an ACC matchup against a developing Boston College team. Currently 1-5 in their conference, the Eagles have struggled to prove themselves against tough competition.
The 2023-24 season proved relatively strong for Boston College, ending with 20 wins, the most the team has seen since the 2010-11 season. Unfortunately, the momentum could not be maintained. In the offseason, the team fell victim to graduations and the transfer portal — losing all five of its starters and two bench players. As a result, head coach Earl Grant was forced to rebuild much of the roster.
Amidst the development, Boston College has struggled to secure a win against any competitive teams. Most recently, it has fallen short to Notre Dame and Syracuse. However, the young roster has shown progress. Sophomore Donald Hand Jr. has seen immense growth between this season and the previous one, producing increases in every major statistical category except blocks. Classmate Elijah Strong has seen similar growth across all his stats.
It is unlikely that this Eagle team will be able to hold off the dominant Blue Devils, led by superstar Cooper Flagg. However if the home team is able to get a quick start, it could have the opportunity to get ahead of its opponents and pull off a legendary upset. Regardless of the outcome, Boston College has the chance to exemplify the growth of its roster and move up the ranks in the ACC. For Duke, this game is another opportunity to show the power this team possesses.
Leadership is at the core of the 6-foot-6 guard. Coming off the 2023-24 season as just the fourth sophomore captain in Duke basketball history, his expertise and IQ have led his team to victory.
However, in the Blue Devils’ most recent matchup against Miami, shots failed to fall for the junior — and he left Cameron Indoor Stadium with zero points. In the game before that, Proctor was only able to finish a single shot from behind the arc against Notre Dame. In both instances, Duke was nevertheless able to claim a victory, but without Proctor’s production the team was forced to adjust. He has historically performed as an inconsistent shooter, having a 32% 3-point rate as a freshman. The Sydney native is improving in his efficiency, now holding a 41.5% clip from deep.
Against Boston College, the guard must find and exploit opportunities to take shots and showcase his shooting abilities to take his game to the next level. If Proctor can couple that higher efficiency with his on-ball pressure, precise passing and creativity he will leave the floor a leader for the Duke team and potentially on the stat sheet too.
The Virginia Beach, Va., native returned for another year at Boston College this season virtually unrecognizable. After suffering a season-ending ACL injury just 30 seconds into the second game of his freshman year, Hand was forced to redshirt. He re-entered the court the following year and played in 34 games, averaging five points apiece. Today, that average is almost ten points higher at 14.8 per game.
The transition Hand made during the off-season has taken him from a post-injury reclassified freshman to a dominating sophomore on the Eagles’ roster. The guard currently serves as the team leader in points, rebounds and steals. His versatility around the rim has allowed him to average seven rebounds per game. In Hand’s most recent matchup against Notre Dame, despite his team suffering a loss, he scored 17 points. The prior game against Syracuse, Hand offered a standout performance securing 20 points and nine boards.
As the Blue Devils come to the Eagles on their home court, the guard must focus on putting up the numbers and limiting second-chance opportunities. Against a Duke team that previously has gotten off to slow starts, if Hand can come out explosive and maintain the momentum it could give Boston College a chance at keeping this one close.
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