Basketball
DiMauro: BC basketball programs need to start scheduling smarter
Here’s a thought belonging under the category of “things that (might) make you go hmmm … ”
When your women’s basketball program hasn’t been to the tournament since 2006 and your men’s basketball program has a current 15-year drought, crafting a smarter schedule is almost as significant as talent procurement and retention.
Straight up: The BC men and women do not have 2024-25 schedules as conducive to NCAA Tournament qualification as they should be. Too many games away from Conte Forum against low and mid major competition.
It’s hard enough to make the tournament these days, what with the esoteric, analytical techno-babble interfering with the older, simpler concepts of “who did you beat and where did you beat them?” Now we have to endure “Adjusted Offensive Efficiency,” “Pythagorean Wins” and “Win Shares Per 40 Minutes,” as the geekery continues to run sports into a crossing pattern with math class.
Hence, BC needs to give its programs every advantage possible. So please explain to me the wisdom of the BC women playing a road game last week at Harvard or this week at Holy Cross. It makes no sense. The only road games the BC men and women should be playing are either in the ACC or at a power four (which I define as Big 10, SEC, Big 12, Big East), where quality of competition at least cushions a potential loss.
Road games at low and mid majors are pointless. BC gets little credit in victory, gets little bump in any of the metrics/rankings, but takes a major resume hit in loss. I hope the women’s loss at Harvard last week doesn’t come back to bite the Eagles in the ascot later this year. And I’m already worried about Saturday at Holy Cross, where the home team will be playing its Super Bowl.
In the future, if Harvard, Northeastern, Boston University, Holy Cross and/or any other low majors want to play BC, they can do so at Conte Forum. The risk is too great to lose on the road. By contrast, next week’s trip to the Bahamas is difficult – opponents are Ole Miss and UConn/Oregon State, but even two losses would at least enhance the strength of schedule. Nobody on the tournament selection committee would point to one of those losses as a negative.
And the men? Oy. Who in heaven’s name thought playing three mid-majors in the Cayman Islands (Old Dominion, Missouri State, High Point) later this week was a good idea? The Eagles could absolutely lose all three. Which, since that’s the case, why not go somewhere else and play three power conference teams that allow for the chance at quality wins and not-so-bad losses?
I mean, if BC beats Missouri State … Who cares? The Cayman Islands may be lovely this time of year, but none of those games move the needle. Lest we forget the loss to the immortal Tarleton State in the Bahamas (2022) at another ridiculously scheduled mid-major palooza? Or the season before losing at Rhode Island? The thinking behind scheduling games like that must stop. If BC wants to play nonleague road games in close proximity, go to UConn or Providence.
I get that the BC men are unlikely to make the tournament. And that they’ve delivered their share of stinkeroos at Conte, too. Still, there’s a far less chance of losing to a low or mid major at home than on the road. And those losses are resume killers.
I honestly think the women will contend for a tournament spot this season. They responded to the Harvard loss with a solid win Sunday against Providence. The games in the Bahamas as well as the competitive ACC will provide several opportunities for quality wins. Harvard (which also won at Indiana) was picked third in the Ivy League preseason poll and even got a first-place vote. So maybe that loss will be an ache, not a wound.
But the thinking behind playing a road game there in the first place has to change. The thinking behind another mid major festival in November for the men needs to change, too. If low and mid majors want to play BC, they can come to Conte. Or not play at all.
Mike DiMauro, a columnist in Connecticut, is a contributor to Eagles Daily and a member of BC’s Class of 1990. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or @BCgenius
Basketball
Boston College lands one of nation’s top rebounders in Brandon Benjamin, along with former Charleston forward Colby Duggan
Boston College received two more transfer commitments this weekend in Brandon Benjamin and Colby Duggan. Benjamin and Duggan join Money Williams, Ernest Shelton and JB Frankel as the fourth and fifth transfers to commit to Luke Murray and BC this offseason. The Eagles now have seven players on their roster, including international signing Zak Smrekar and Jack Bailey, the only BC player from last year not to enter the portal.
Benjamin, a 6-foot-8 forward from Newark, N.J., played his only collegiate season last year at Fairfield University. The rising sophomore was named to the 2025-26 MAAC All-Rookie Team and All-MAAC Second Team after averaging 14.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 56.5% from the field. Benjamin ranked first in the MAAC and eighth in the country in rebounds per game and second in the country in offensive rebounds per game (4.25).
“What made me pick BC first was the coaching staff,” Benjamin told ZAGSBLOG on Sunday. “It really felt like family. I will bring my high motor, plus rebounding, finishing around the rim and taking guys off the dribble. [I also bring] my catch-and-shooting, pick-and-pop, my winning impact and my versatility with guarding 1-5 with the ability to block shots.”
Duggan, a 6-foot-7 forward from Monson, Mass., averaged 9.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 19 games for Charleston last season after missing the first part of the year with an injury. He spent the previous two seasons at Campbell University and averaged 15.7 points and 3.3 rebounds on 34% shooting from 3-point range during the 2024-25 season.
“He competes on both ends of the court at all times,” former Charleston head coach and current USF head coach Chris Mack said. “He’s a warrior. He’s a winner. Defensively, Colby doesn’t back down. He guards well in the post and on the perimeter. Offensively, he led the conference in scoring and is just scratching the surface of what he can be as a mismatch.”
Benjamin should slot into the starting lineup as the power forward or a small-ball big thanks to his impressive rebounding ability, while Duggan comes to BC as a depth piece off the bench.
Basketball
Former Merrimack sharpshooter Ernest Shelton commits to Boston College
Guard Ernest Shelton announced his commitment to Boston College early Thursday night. The former Merrimack Warrior became the fourth transfer to commit to head coach Luke Murray and the Eagles, joining Zak Smrekar, Money Williams and JB Frankel. Shelton was named to the 2025-26 All-MAAC first team while helping lead the Warriors to a MAAC regular-season championship.
Shelton played two seasons at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, on the opposite side of the state from his hometown of Philadelphia, before transferring to Merrimack last offseason. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 34.6% from behind the 3-point line.
“[Shelton]’s a shooter,” Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo said. “Every time it comes out of his hand, you think it’s going in.”
Shelton knocked down 99 3-pointers for Merrimack last season and was among the top 40 in the country in 3-pointers made per game (2.9). He set a career high last season with nine 3-pointers in a game against Boston University and made five or more 3-pointers in six games.
The sharpshooter is a breath of fresh air for a Boston College program that finished last in the ACC in 3-point percentage last season.
Basketball
Boston College lands Zak Smrekar, Money Williams, and JB Frankel, first three transfer commitments of Luke Murray era
Boston College received its first three transfer commitments of the 2026 transfer portal cycle on Thursday in Zak Smrekar, Money Williams, and JB Frankel. Smrekar, Williams, and Frankel are the first three players to commit to BC since Luke Murray was named head coach on March 26 and join Jack Bailey as the only three players currently on the Eagles’ roster.
Smrekar is a 19-year-old, 6-foot-7 guard from Slovenia and was the first to commit to Murray. He played for the club Krka Novo Mesto in the Slovenian ABA for three seasons and averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 15 games in the 2025-26 season. Smrekar also played for Slovenia in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup and averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in seven games.
Williams is a 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard who played the last three seasons for Montana. The Oakland, California, native was named to the 2025-26 All-Big Sky First Team after averaging 20.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game on 49.8% shooting from the field. Williams scored a career-high 40 points against Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Tournament, along with tallying six other 30-point games last season.
“I can’t come up with enough words to praise Money Williams properly,” Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said in October 2025. “When you talk about the young man that he is off the court, the young man he is when you bring him in the office, and you have real conversations with him and look him in the eye and talk about things that are hard to talk about.”
Frankel is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-3 guard who is not moving far, as he played the last three years at Northeastern. He started 13 of 30 games for the Huskies last season and averaged 5.9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. The New York City native scored a season-high 13 points in a road win against Harvard.
Coach Murray will have to continue to build up the Eagles roster, but with three guards being picked up, look for the Eagles to hone in on finding their starting forwards and big men.
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Basketball5 months agoBoston College lands one of nation’s top rebounders in Brandon Benjamin, along with former Charleston forward Colby Duggan
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Basketball5 months agoBoston College lands Zak Smrekar, Money Williams, and JB Frankel, first three transfer commitments of Luke Murray era
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