2011-2012 Season in Review: Boston College

9-22 Overall, 4-12 ACC

It's time to take a look back at the season for all of the ACC teams, now that we've had some time to digest what happened and track any departures from programs.  I'm going to start at the bottom of the standings and work up.

It's hard to imagine a fan base being optimistic about a last place finish in the ACC.  But about a month into the season, things looked very bleak for Boston College.  Like they might not win an ACC game bleak.  We were coming off a year in which Wake Forest won only one ACC game, and on paper BC looked worse than that.  But they managed to work through a very young lineup to win four games in conference.  Now a lot of that has to do with the fact that the bottom of the conference was very weak, and those teams beat up on each other.

BC was a decent home team, going 4-4 in conference.  Where they really struggled was on the road, not winning a game.  They weren't blown out in all their games, though: they lost by 1 at Virginia Tech and by 4 at Georgia Tech.  I was at the game they lost in Blacksburg and actually thought the Eagles played pretty well.

The main problem BC had was just the lack of experience.  They didn't have anyone they could really count on to produce on a regular basis.  Their team was made up almost exclusively of freshmen.  As a result, there was a lot of sharing the wealth.  Five players averaged between 8 and 11 points per game.

Biggest Win:

64-60 vs. Florida State (February 8)

This is an easy one.  This game was probably the most surprising result of the year in the ACC.  Florida State came into this game winners of seven in a row, including three against ranked teams.  Boston College came in losers of six in a row.  It was a 23-3 run in the second half that proved the difference.  This is the only game Boston College won against a team from the top half of the league.

Worst Loss:

78-72 vs. Rhode Island (January 2)

It's hard to pick the worst loss for BC, but I decided to go with a home loss in double overtime to a team that went 7-24 and won four games in the Atlantic 10.  The Eagles really struggled in the early part of the season, with a number of bad losses to teams they had no business losing to.

Postseason Play:

The postseason was very brief for BC.  They went into the ACC Tournament with the worst seed, had to play a motivated N.C. State team, and lost easily, 78-57.  The players were probably just relieved to have the season over.

Next Year:

So after a 9-22 finish, is there room for optimism in Chestnut Hill?  I can offer a definitive maybe.  At times, sure, the Eagles looked absolutely awful.  But they also managed to put together some solid games, and at times looked better than their record.  They don't have a lot of talent, but at least the players they have will have another year under their belts.  They do suffer a pretty big loss, with Matt Humprey deciding to transfer.  He was the team's second leading scorer. Gabe Moton is also leaving the team, although he only averaged about two points per game.  The recruiting class they are bringing in is not overwhelming.  I do like Steve Donahue as a coach, and I hope the athletic department at BC is patient.  Because next year it will be a real accomplishment if they don't finish with a losing record.