Game facts
Boston College (16-11 overall, 6-8 ACC) at NC State (18-9 overall, 8-6 ACC)
Game time: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. — PNC Arena in Raleigh
Television: ACC Network
Probable starters
NC State
PG — 10 Braxton Beverly (6-0, 180, Fr., 9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.1 spg)
PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 165, Soph., 9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 1.9 spg)
SG — 12 Allerik Freeman (6-3, 210, 5th-Sr, 14.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.1 spg)
SF — 2 Torin Dorn (6-5, 210, R-Jr, 13.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg)
C — 14 Omer Yurtseven (7-0, 245, Soph., 13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 1.8 bpg)
Boston College
PG — 1 Jerome Robinson (6-6, 191, Jr., 21.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.1 apg)
SG — 0 Ky Bowman (6-1, 188, Soph., 16.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.3 spg)
SF — 25 Jordan Chatman (6-5, 200, Jr., 12.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)
PF — 41 Steffon Mitchell (6-8, 222, Fr., 6.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg)
C — 21 Nik Popovic (6-11, 243, Soph., 9.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Boston College
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Nickname: Eagles
2016-17 record: 9-23 overall, 2-16 ACC
2017 postseason: None
Coach: Jim Christian 16th season overall (228-230) and fourth season at Boston College (45-78)
Notes
Boston College season overview: North Carolina natives Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman, who are averaging a combined 37.4 points per game, lead the Eagles this season.
Robinson attended Raleigh Broughton High and Bowman went to Havelock (N.C.) High, where at one point he was a wide receiver commit for North Carolina football. Robinson had 26 points in a 74-66 win over NC State last year in the lone meeting.
BC also had to adjust to the loss of senior center Deontae Hawkins, who was an Illinois State graduate transfer, who was averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Boston College’s lone ACC road win was 81-58 at Pittsburgh on Feb. 13.
Boston College tendencies: Robinson has scored in double figures in 24 consecutive games, and could be the first Eagles player since Olivier Hanlan to lead the ACC in scoring.
Robinson, Bowman and junior Jordan Chatman have all made between 63 and 67 three-pointers on the season. BC is fourth in the ACC with 239 three-point field goals made.
The Eagles’ defense ranks 12th in the ACC in allowing 43.4 percent. However, Boston College is sixth in collecting 37.4 rebounds per contest, and fourth in the league in rebounding margin (2.9).
BC, which is 2-7 on the road, has only played in six games with at least 10,000 fans in attendance.
Perimeter: Robinson showed freshman year that the Eagles had stolen him from mid-major offers. Flash forward two years later, he has become one of the top three
Robinson has jumped from 42.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on three-pointers last year, to now a blazing 52.0 percent on field goals and 46.5 percent on three-pointers. He has reached double figures in points in all but two games this season.
Robinson had 46 points and went 7 of 12 on three-pointers in a 96-85 loss at Notre Dame, and he shredded Virginia Tech for 32 points and five assists in a 85-80 overtime loss vs. Virginia Tech on Jan. 31. He also had 29 points in a 59-58 loss at Virginia on Dec. 30. He has scored at least 20 points in 14 contests.
Bowman’s percentages has slipped a little bit this season, but he is still a force. His three-point percentage has fallen from 44.9 percent last year to 35.4 percent this season. Bowman did break out for 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and went 4 of 6 on three-pointers in a 72-70 win over Miami (Fla.) on Feb. 10.
Bowman was the catalyst during the 89-84 upset win over Duke on Dec. 9. He had 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists against the Blue Devils. Bowman has had five double-doubles for points and rebounds this season, and has reached double figures in all but two contests.
Bowman has drained at least three three-pointers in 13 games this season, including a season-high five (in 11 attempts) against Syracuse’s zone defense.
Junior wing Jordan Chatman transferred in from Brigham Young and is the third three-point threat for the Eagles. Chatman has increased from 8.6 points to 12.5 points per game this season, and he’s shooting 40.1 percent on three-pointers this season.
Chatman torched Richmond for 30 points and he was 7 of 10 on three-pointers in a 78-73 overtime win Dec. 23. He had an ACC-best 22 points and went 5 of 9 on three-pointers in the win over Duke.
Chatman has slumped a bit the last six games, tallying 21 of 68 from the field during that span (30.9 percent). He did hit five three-pointers apiece against Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, both wins, during that span.
Slender freshman Vin Baker Jr., the son of the former NBA player, is averaging 2.3 points in 8.0 minutes per game. He had 11 points in 11 minutes at Pittsburgh.
Frontcourt: Boston College rotates four young big men in light of Hawkins’ injury.
Freshman power forward Steffon Mitchell had four high-major offers out of 23 coming out of high school. He has proved himself as a capable rebounder and shot-blocking presence.
Mitchell has three double-doubles this season, and he has had nine games with at least 10 boards. He had a career-high 21 points and seven boards in a 91-52 win over South Carolina State on Nov. 12, and he had 17 points and four blocks in a 77-71 win over Wake Forest on Jan. 6. Mitchell has had three games with four blocks.
Sophomore center Nik Popovic of Bosnia & Herzegovina has jumped from 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game to 9.3 points and 6.4 rebounds a contest. He is fresh off of having 15 points and 11 rebounds last Saturday in the loss vs. Notre Dame. That was his second double-doubles for the season, and the fourth time he has reached at least 10 rebounds.
Popovic had a season-high 18 points and seven rebounds in a 82-61 win over La Salle on Nov. 19. He’s not an elite shot-blocker, but he did go for 14 points and five blocks in a 81-75 win vs. Florida State on Jan. 15.
Two 6-10 posts players back up Popovic, who has fouled out of three games.
Sophomore Johncarlos Reyes, who is 6-10 and 224 pounds, is averaging 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game. He opened the season with 12 points and six rebounds in an 85-65 win vs. Maine on Nov. 10. Reyes also had 10 points and four rebounds in an 80-72 overtime win over Georgia Tech.
The 6-10, 229-pound Luka Kraljevic of Slovenia is averaging 1.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per game.
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Boston College schedule/results
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