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The Ups and Downs of the Eagles’ Out-of-Conference Schedule

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2 years ago

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Josh Beadle in the Cayman Islands Classic Championship Game

The past two weeks of Boston College basketball have been a remarkable testament to what the program has been for the past decade and a half. After reaching the mountaintop of taking home the Cayman Islands Classic Tournament trophy, Earl Grant’s squad was quickly humbled by a lowly Dartmouth team on their home court. 

The Eagles displayed some unexpected fire in their trip to the Cayman Islands with three thrilling games in three consecutive days. On day one, the Eagles dominated an Old Dominion team that ranked in the bottom fifty teams in the NCAA, according to Kenpom. In an 82-52 win over the Monarchs, BC had seven players contribute eight or more points, and even let the walk-ons see some playing time in the dwindling minutes. In other words, it was exactly the type of game you would hope this young team played against a lower-ranked opponent. 

On day two, however, it was a different story, as the Eagles took on Missouri State, who were ranked in the top-150 in Kenpom, and found themselves in an overtime thriller. This game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, with BC taking a 29-26 lead into the locker room. But the Eagles came out hot in the second half, eventually extending their lead to 11 points. However, the Bears would not go out quietly, as they clawed their way back into the game, and even took a 64-61 lead with just 29 seconds to play. 

But as they have all season, the Eagles turned to leading scorer Donald Hand Jr., and he converted on a remarkable shot to force overtime. And in the extra period, it was Elijah Strong who led the Eagles to victory. After scoring just five points in regulation, the sophomore forward poured in eight points in OT, highlighted by a go-ahead three-pointer to put the Eagles up 76-74 with four seconds left. Missouri State’s last second heave would not fall, and the Eagles clinched their spot in the championship game against a top-50 Boise State team. 

As exciting as their overtime game against Missouri State was, the Eagles’ championship game against Boise State proved to be just as riveting. After going into halftime tied at 26, the Broncos jumped out to as much as an eight point second half lead. However, Josh Beadle and Chad Venning would lead a 16-6 BC run, giving them a 56-54 lead. And after several lead changes down the stretch, the Eagles found themselves trailing 61-60 with just five seconds left, with a side-out inbound.

Coach Grant had freshman Fred Payne inbound the ball for the Eagles, and put all four transfers (Dion Brown, Beadle, Roger McFarlane, and Venning) out there with him. After Boise cut off McFarlane at the top of the key, Payne found Beadle as a backup option in the corner, who then hit the defender with a nasty stepback, before nailing the corner three to clinch the championship trophy by a score of 63-61. 

Jubilation from the Eagles’ faithful filled the small gym in the Cayman Islands. Donald Hand Jr. was named Tournament MVP, and Elijah Strong was also honored as part of the all-tournament team. Unfortunately, the Eagles would have little time to rest on their laurels. Following their championship, Grant’s squad flew all the way back to Boston, celebrated Thanksgiving, and found themselves facing a noon tip-off against Dartmouth. 

As anyone reading this far into the article probably knows, this game did not go the Eagles’ way. Following the high of their 6-1 start, the Eagles came into the Dartmouth game seemingly unmotivated and unprepared against the 16.5-point underdog Big Green. After allowing Dartmouth to shoot an astounding 17/31 from beyond the arc, the Eagles lost 88-83, missing out on what would have been their first 7-1 start since the 2007-08 season. Beadle led the Eagles in scoring, putting 19 points on 10 shots off the bench. 

However, tonight BC has the chance to right the ship against a power-conference opponent, as they will take on the South Carolina Gamecocks as part of the ACC/SEC challenge. The Eagles open up as 3.5-point home underdogs to the Gamecocks, but I would expect tonight’s game to at least be competitive. Coach Grant seems to have more of a grasp of his rotation, and we’ve seen scoring outbursts from several different members of this squad. This team has done a lot of growing, and some failing, over the past few games. But tonight’s matchup against South Carolina will be another good test for this young Eagles’ team. 

As always, follow along with Eagles Daily for updates! 

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  1. Mac Hutchinson

    December 3, 2024 at 9:47 pm

    Jack Attack! #UpperBeast

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Basketball

Boston College lands one of nation’s top rebounders in Brandon Benjamin, along with former Charleston forward Colby Duggan

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5 months ago

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April 19, 2026

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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.

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Former Merrimack sharpshooter Ernest Shelton commits to Boston College

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5 months ago

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April 17, 2026

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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.

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Boston College lands Zak Smrekar, Money Williams, and JB Frankel, first three transfer commitments of Luke Murray era

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5 months ago

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April 16, 2026

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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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