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Too close too often: Eagles’ struggle to finish games has defined their season

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7 months ago

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(Photo: John Sexton)

Boston College’s Jan. 31 loss to Virginia marked the ninth time this season the Eagles lost a game in which they led in the second half. The Eagles (9-12, 2-6 ACC) held an advantage against the Cavaliers, including a five-point halftime lead, until Malik Thomas’ layup tied the game with 16:15 remaining. From there, BC was unable to pull even despite multiple opportunities and ultimately lost 73-66.

Losing close games and blowing leads has been a theme for the Eagles this season. In all but one loss, BC held a lead at some point in the second half. In seven of those games, the Eagles held the lead in the final 10 minutes. Digging deeper, BC led in the final five minutes in five of those contests. Additionally, the Eagles led in the final minute of losses to Florida Atlantic and Central Connecticut State, including blowing a five-point lead to FAU in the final 60 seconds. These figures do not include losses to NC State and Davidson, games in which BC was within three points in the final 10 minutes.

Of course, the Eagles’ play style is conducive to these kinds of implosions. Earl Grant’s squad is 348th in the country and second-to-last in the ACC in free-throw percentage at 65.8%. In the second half and overtime of BC’s losses this season, that figure drops to 62.4%, and in the Eagles’ last six losses it has fallen to 57.8%. Those missed foul shots have allowed opponents to rally and shown teams that fouling BC, rather than playing straight-up defense, can be advantageous.

While free throws have been among the most prevalent issues this season, BC’s offensive struggles overall have allowed teams to remain competitive even when they play poorly. The Eagles rank last in the ACC in both scoring and field-goal percentage. Virginia, which ranks in the top five in the ACC in 3-point percentage, went 2 of 16 from beyond the arc and scored 27 points in the first half against BC. The Eagles shot 50% from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range, yet only led 32-27 at halftime. While Grant and company rank among the ACC’s better defensive teams, third in both opponents’ points per game and 3-point percentage, their lack of consistent offense has prevented them from becoming a middle-of-the-pack team.

From a more optimistic perspective, BC either led or was within three points in the second half of all but one loss this season (Clemson). Despite owning one of the worst records in the conference, the Eagles have “matched up well” and “hung in there.” Another way to frame it is that they play up or down to their competition. Either way, if the goal is to play competitive games throughout the season, BC has accomplished that.

The closeness of those games, however, is what fuels the frustration among students and fans. The 9-12 Eagles were a handful of key plays away from being 14-7 or better. Instead, they sit at the bottom of the conference.

Opinion

If I were BC’s coach, here are the changes I would make moving forward:

  1. Stop shooting so many 3s. The Eagles are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the nation.
  2. Increase the tempo and push the ball. BC ranks 250th nationally in possessions per game. It does not bode well for a poor shooting team to also play at a slow pace. This is not a call to implement Mike D’Antoni’s seven-seconds-or-less offense, but BC’s half-court sets take too long to develop. With athletes like Aidan Shaw and Jayden Hastings, the Eagles should run in transition, attack the rim and throw lobs.
  3. Press. The roster features strong defenders such as Fred Payne and Chase Forte, along with athleticism throughout the lineup. BC should apply more backcourt pressure to force turnovers and generate extra possessions.

There is still time for the Eagles to salvage the season, including a potential ACC tournament run. If nothing changes soon, however, another last-place finish under Grant appears likely.

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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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