Steve Donahue brought his Cornell offense with him to Boston College. Defense is next season.
The Eagles, much like Donahue’s Big Red last season, feature an extremely efficient offense that currently sits fifth among the adjusted rankings at kenpom.com. They don’t shoot nearly as well from beyond the arc, but BC commits fewer turnovers and is even better from inside the arc. That’s how you score 1.197 points per possession, fifth best in the nation.
But that defense. Ugh. It gives up 1.047 points per possession, 232nd among D-I teams. That’s an epic disparity.
According to research done by John Ezekowitz of Harvard Sports Analysis, only the Adam Morrison Gonzaga squad from 2006 can match that kind of “all offense, no defense” performance.
Come March, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of team the Eagles get in the Big Dance. They shouldn’t be taken lightly.
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