While consistent shooting and protection of the rock may have eluded the Boston College Eagles (7-21, 0-15 ACC) in a 71-56 defeat at the hands of the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday night at Conte Forum, one thing was a constant, however - the team's hustle on both sides of the floor. 

As tumultuous as the season has been, the young, inexperienced Eagles refuse to hang their heads, pout, or play lackadaisically on either side of the floor. 

Their head coach, Jim Christian, simply will not have it that way. 

“We’re all frustrated," Christian stated following the team's 15th consecutive loss. "But it doesn't mean we are demoralized, guys like Garland Owens (a junior small forward who earned the top spot on SportsCenter's list of top ten plays for his ferocious putback jam at the conclusion of the first half) played unbelievably hard." 

While it may be easy for the Eagles to believe the heckling fans raining down demoralizing insults from the stands and the reporters writing them off in the papers, the team's persona does not fit that bill, as they have vowed to continue to seek their first ACC victory. That win could come as they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday afternoon. 

Eagles Struggling Without Seniority

One reason why Boston College has struggled to compete with the behemoths of one of the country's premier conferences has been due to a lack of seniority among the bunch. 

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
Dylan Buell/Getty Images

While post-graduate transfer point guard Eli Carter led all scorers on Tuesday night with 17 points and senior center Dennis Clifford garnered a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, these are two of just three seniors on the squad, with the other being the bench-warming Steve Perpiglia

Underclassmen Receiving Valuable Minutes

However, the absence of a dominating group of seniors brings about a silver lining. Underclassmen new to the program are forced to assume critical leadership roles while receiving the opportunity to play against prestigious competition such as the Duke Blue Devils or North Carolina Tar Heels that they would not be granted at any other ACC program. 

In Tuesday's loss, eight players received at least nine minutes of action, with the likes of Owens and freshman guard Sammy Barnes-Thompkins receiving over 30 minutes of floor time. 

This experience will pay dividends as time progresses, as these underclassmen will be supplied with a wealth of confidence and comfort against formidable foes as the years pass. 

Christian referred to the need for the underclassmen to assume more proactive roles if the team wishes to steal a conference game before time runs out. 

"I think it’s a lot more individual than collective," he said. "When 13 guys come to fight, to play with emotion. We didn’t come to win. We didn’t make plays. When you get the opportunity to make a play, you gotta make a play." 

"We got guys playing a lot of minutes, they need to make a play," Christian continued. "For them it’s a great opportunity. We got a lot of young guys out there playing basketball. We've got guys playing their first year of college basketball and they play. The guys who are playing, they need to see what they are doing out there so they can improve."

As Christian continues to attract new recruits to the program, what may presently seem like turbulence and strife will only serve to build the current underclassmen into players capable of carrying the team into contention in the conference. 

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About the author
Liam OBrien
Just a Boston man who loves sports. Oh, and writing is kind of a priority.