Boston College @ Miami preview
Watsco Center
Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2021 ) Miami-Florida 62, Boston College 84
The Miami Hurricanes will honor eight seniors on Friday night as they play host to the Boston College Eagles in the ACC regular-season finale for each team.
Due mostly to a rash of injuries, Miami (7-16 overall, 3-15 ACC) has -- for a while now -- had just six available scholarship players.
That list of available players includes four scholarship seniors: Nysier Brooks, Deng Gak, Kameron McGusty and Elijah Olaniyi. Walk-on Willie Herenton is also a senior.
In addition, three seniors are injured and out for the season: Chris Lykes, Rodney Miller and Sam Waardenburg.
"We've had an up-and-down year," Herenton said. "(But Senior Night) should be fun. We should go out there and make more memories."
Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong leads Miami in scoring (17.4 points per game). He is also averaging 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals, and he is one of only two players in the ACC with three games of at least 28 points this season. Moses Wright of Georgia Tech is the other player on that list.
McGusty (11.6) and Olaniyi (11.4) are Miami's other active double-figure scorers. Brooks leads the Hurricanes in rebounds (5.8).
Boston College (4-14, 2-10) is coming off a 93-64 loss at No. 11 Florida State on Wednesday night. The Eagles, who have suffered through three four-game skids, will finish the regular-season without winning consecutive games at any point in the campaign.
Miami will surely focus on BC guard Jay Heath, who had a game-high and career-best 28 points on 8-for-14 3-point shooting against FSU.
The Eagles also got back from the injured list CJ Felder, who played his first game since Feb. 13. He had six points and two assists off the bench for the Eagles, who are 1-1 under the guidance of interim coach Scott Spinelli.
"He's a jumpy guy," BC guard Makai Ashton-Langford said of Spinelli's energy.
Spinelli used 11 players against FSU, although Steffon Mitchell (hamstring injury) was out. Rich Kelly and Wynston Tabbs are not available as they have announced their intentions to transfer.
Mitchell, Kelly and Tabbs had been three of BC's top six scorers this season.
"No excuses," Spinelli said. "We took a step back defensively (against FSU)."
The Eagles lead the all-time series with Miami, 27-25. That includes the Eagles' 84-62 win over Miami on Jan. 12 in Boston.
However, Miami has played BC a lot tougher since Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga arrived on campus in 2011, going 12-3 during that span.
When BC beat Miami earlier this season, the Eagles made 18-of-35 three-pointers (51.4 percent). Miami made just 2-of-16 on three-pointers in that game.
Said Herenton of the Eagles: "They have a lot of shooters."
--Field Level Media