First Game of the New Year Brings Men's Basketball to Boston College

Saturday, January 2

Chestnut Hill, MA

Noon

University of Louisville

Boston College

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

First Game of the New Year Brings Men's Basketball to Boston College

December 31, 2020 | Men's Basketball

Louisville Notes vs Boston College Chris Mack Press Conference Josh Nickelberry Press Conference Boston College Notes vs Louisville Where to Watch

Louisville has won eight of its last 10 games in its first game of a new calendar year

By: Kenny Klein

Game Information
Site: Silvio O. Conte Forum (8,606), Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Television: Regional Sports Networks (Fox Sports South in Louisville) - Tom Werme, play-by-play; Brian Oliver, analyst.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (XM channel 371, Internet 371)
Series History: UofL leads 8-4 (4-0 in Louisville, 3-2 in Chestnut Hill, 1-2 neutral)
Last Meeting: UofL 86, Boston College 69 (Jan. 29, 2020 in Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
UofL National Ranking: unranked; receiving votes in USA Today & Associated Press polls
Next UofL Game: Jan. 6 vs. Virginia Tech, KFC Yum! Center, 6:30 p.m. ET (ACCN)

After a week between games, Louisville will play its first game of the new year as the Cardinals visit Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Saturday.

Louisville (6-1, 1-0 ACC) closed out 2020 with a 62-59 victory over intrastate rival Kentucky on Dec. 26 as the Cardinals limited UK to a season-low in scoring and field goal percentage (.345). Carlik Jones (game-high 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) and David Johnson (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) shared Bluegrass Sports Commission MVP honors.

Boston College (2-6, 0-2 ACC) has dropped three of its six losses this season by five or fewer points, including a 79-76 loss at NC State on Dec. 30 in their last game when the Eagles made 10-of-23 three-pointers.

Boston College has made 73-of-221 three-pointers this season (9.1 per game, third in the ACC), accounting for 37 percent of its scoring. Wynston Tabbs, who scored 18 points in Boston College's last game at NC State, leads the Eagles in scoring (15.6 ppg) and is one of six players averaging nearly nine points a game. Boston College is No. 115 in the Sagarin Ratings, No. 102 in ESPN's College Basketball Power Index (BPI) and No. 100 by Ken Pomeroy through Dec. 30.

Louisville leads the all-time series against Boston College 8-4, winning seven of the last eight matchups. The Cardinals prevailed 86-69 in last year's matchup at Boston College (1-29-20) as Jordan Nwora scored a career-high 37 points, the highest scoring total for an ACC player last season and the seventh-highest total in UofL history. He made seven three-pointers and added nine rebounds.

Three meetings with Boston College came in New York in tournament competition: BC won 96-90 in three overtimes in the first round of the NIT on March 12, 1966; Louisville won 81-74 in the Holiday Festival on Dec. 30, 1967; and BC won 88-83 in the quarterfinals of the NIT on March 18, 1969.

UofL assistant coach Dino Gaudio had a 3-1 record vs. Boston College in the three seasons when he was head coach at Wake Forest (2007-10).

The Cardinals will play the Eagles again on Jan. 30 in Louisville.

Notes

Louisville has started with at least a 6-1 record through seven games for the 10th time in the last 13 years. UofL has won at least seven of its first eight games on nine occasions over the last 13 years entering Saturday's game.
Louisville's 29 ACC road wins in its seventh year in the league is the fourth-most in the ACC in that period.
David Johnson was named ACC Player of the Week for games Dec. 21-28. In victories over Pittsburgh and Kentucky last week, Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 59.1 percent from the field (13-of 22, 4-9 3FG). He has already doubled his three-point production from a year ago, burying 10-of-25 threes this season (5-of-23 threes in 2019-20).
UofL Coach Chris Mack gained his 50th victory at Louisville with the Cards' win over Kentucky (50-22 record in third season at UofL).
Louisville has won eight of its last 10 games in its first game of a new calendar year, as Saturday's game at Boston College will be. The Cardinals fell to No. 18 Florida State in last year's first game of 2020 on Jan. 6 in the KFC Yum! Center.
Louisville is 21st in the nation in defensive efficiency by KenPom through Dec. 30. The Cardinals limited Kentucky to a season-low in scoring (59 points) and field goal percentage (.345). Louisville limited Pitt to a season-low 54 points, marking the 11th time the Cardinals have held an ACC opponent under 60 points in Coach Chris Mack's third season (UofL is 10-1 in those games). UofL is fourth in the ACC in scoring defense, allowing 61.4 points per game (34th in the nation).
Carlik Jones' next assist will be the 500th of his career (30 at Louisville, 469 at Radford).
Louisville is No. 22 in the Sagarin Ratings, No. 30 by KenPom and No. 51 in ESPN's College BPI.