2020-21 Schedule (Note: Italicization denotes ACC play):
Nov. 25 vs. Villanova (Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.) *2K Empire Classic
→ The Eagles will open their season with some of the toughest tests of the year, starting with No. 3 Villanova. The last time the two teams met was in the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, where the Wildcats beat BC 60-59 in overtime. The Wildcats have made the tournament in 12 out of the last 13 years, not including 2020’s cancellation of March Madness due to COVID-19.
Nov. 26 vs. Baylor/Arizona State (Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.) *2K Empire Classic
→ After playing Villanova, the unranked Eagles will take on either No. 2 Baylor or No. 18 Arizona State in the second game of the 2K Empire Classic, which benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
Nov. 30 vs. St. John’s (Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.)
→ BC was a member of the Big East until 2005 before making the move to the ACC. Before switching conferences, St. John’s—as well as Villanova—was a regular part of the Eagles’ schedule. St. John’s leads the all-time series 45-27 since the teams’ first meeting in 1946, but the teams haven’t met since Nov. 18, 2008—an 82-70 win for BC, extending the Eagles’ series win streak to seven.
Dec. 4 vs. Rhode Island (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ BC will make its Conte Forum debut against an unusual opponent—the Eagles have only met Rhode Island 45 times since 1949. BC holds a 33-12 edge in the all-time series, and the Eagles lost the last contest 78-72 to the Rams.
Dec. 8 at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.) *ACC/Big Ten Challenge
→ Minnesota men’s basketball recently paused its preseason workouts after players tested positive for COVID-19, though it’s unclear how long the pause will last or if it will affect the Gophers’ game against BC in early December.
Dec. 12 vs. Syracuse (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ In the Eagles’ ACC opener, they will take on perennial contender Syracuse, which finished the 2019-20 regular season six spots ahead of BC in the ACC standings as a result of racking up five more conference wins than the Eagles. BC has historically been the underdog when it faces the Orange, and Syracuse has come out on top in 51 of the teams’ 77 matchups.
Dec. 22 vs. California (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ BC played University of California, Berkeley exactly one year and a day before this year’s matchup is set to take place, and the last time they met, the Eagles battled to a 64-60 comeback victory over the Golden Bears. This year’s game will round out BC’s non-conference slate ahead of a packed two months of ACC play.
Dec. 29/30 at NC State (Raleigh, N.C.)
→ In one of BC’s biggest upsets of the 2019-20 season, the Eagles took down NC State by a narrow three-point margin last February. NC State—which finished at an even .500 in the conference last spring—tossed up a last-ditch effort 3-pointer to no avail, giving the Eagles a confidence-boosting win at home. This year, the Eagles head down south to take on the Wolfpack.
Jan. 2 vs. Louisville (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Jan. 5 at Duke (Durham, N.C.)
→ Just one class of BC’s undergrads who were on campus for the Eagles’ 2017 earth-shattering upset over then-No. 1 Duke remains. Current seniors can recall storming the court as BC took down the Blue Devils 89-84. But the rest of BC’s undergraduates have yet to witness a BC win over Duke, and the Eagles will look to change that this season.
Jan. 9 vs. Virginia (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
→ BC’s two performances against Virginia last year were drastically different. The Eagles took down the reigning national champion Cavaliers in Conte Forum 60-53 before dropping a double-digit result to Virginia just one month later on the road.
Jan. 12/13 vs. Miami (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Jan. 16 at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.)
→ In two regular-season iterations of the Holy War during the 2019-20 season, BC found itself on both sides of a one-point result, first winning 73-72 in South Bend before losing 62-61 at home. In the ACC Tournament—before the cancellation of the postseason—BC fell by a much wider margin, dropping the first round of the tournament 80-58.
Jan. 19/20 at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.)
Jan. 23 vs. Pittsburgh (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Jan 26/27 at Clemson (Clemson, S.C.)
Jan. 30 at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.)
Feb. 2/3 vs. Florida State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
BC has only faced Florida State 19 times, and the Seminoles hold a 12-7 edge in the all-time series. The Eagles’ most recent game against FSU ended in a blowout to finish the regular season last March, as BC fell 80-62, dropping its 13th conference matchup of the year. The Eagles will look to rebound at home this year.
Feb. 6 vs. NC State (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Feb 9/10 vs. Wake Forest (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Feb 16/17 at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Ga.)
Feb 20 at Syracuse (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Feb 23/24 vs. North Carolina (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
In yet another narrow victory for the 2019-20 Eagles, BC escaped Chapel Hill with a 70-71 victory over the Tar Heels. Before February of last year, the Eagles hadn’t taken down UNC since 2010, and this year, they’ll look to start a win streak of their own.
Feb. 27 vs. Notre Dame (Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
March 2/3 at Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)
March 5/6 at Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.)
The Eagles will round out the regular season with two contests in sunny Florida. A few days after facing Florida State, the Eagles will travel to Coral Gables for their second contest with Miami. BC holds a narrow 26-25 edge in the all-time series.
Featured Image by Ikram Ali / Heights Editor
