Sim Series Games 6-10: What if Teddy Hawkins Never Tore His ACL?
We're using WhatIfSports.com to simulate the 2017-18 BC season to see if a healthy Eagles team could have made a run to the NCAA Tournament.
Series Note: Using the What If Sports engine, we are simulating BC’s 2017-18 season from the point where Deontae “Teddy” Hawkins tore his ACL. The Illinois State grad transfer will remain in the Eagles’ rotation the entire season, and we have set the target minutes for each player based on BC’s actual games with Hawkins in the lineup. We are releasing outcomes and recaps of BC’s simulate games (five at a time).
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Part II Recap (Click here to read in full):
Boston College men’s basketball bounced back from a 20-point loss at Providence with five consecutive victories in the first installment of our simulation. Two of those games, however, very easily could have gone the other way. BC defied the odds and outlasted No. 1 Duke in overtime but then needed two extra frames to hold off Columbia three days later. Even against Central Connecticut State the following weekend, BC let a 21-point halftime lead slip to just a five-point advantage in the closing minutes.
The Eagles (10-2, 1-0 ACC) are off to their best start since 2010-11. Can they keep it going—and just how long will their win streak last? Read on to find out.
Dec. 23 vs. Richmond: Richmond 95, BC 93.
There it is. Let’s be honest, though. This simulation wouldn’t be realistic without a BC team in the Jim Christian era suffering a bad non-conference loss.
All five of the Spiders’ starters finished in double figures, yet Grant Golden led the charge. The 6-foot-10 freshman racked up 18 points in the opening frame, scoring both inside and out. Richmond used a 9-3 run in the late stages of the half to draw its lead out to 11. Thanks to the sharpshooting of Jerome Robinson (30 points) and Jordan Chatman (18 points), BC willed its way back into the game and actually pulled ahead with 5:54 remaining. The teams traded buckets in the waning minutes of regulation. But, with seven ticks left, Robinson tied the game at 93, only to watch Golden knock down the game-winner on the other end of the court.
BC’s Sim Record: 10-3, 1-0 ACC
Dec. 30 @ No. 9 Virginia: BC 75, UVA 68.
It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t the Jerome Robinson-Ty Jerome showdown that we actually got in 2017-18, but the Eagles escaped Charlottesville with their second top-10 win of the year. Midway through the first half, BC stitched together a 16-2 run, at one point holding the Cavaliers scoreless for 3:47 while establishing a commanding 31-17 lead. Jerome and Devon Hall closed the gap to seven before the break, and UVA threatened during the second half, coming within five points of BC’s lead on three separate occasions. Each time, though, the Eagles responded, and BC—which outrebounded UVA, 45-27—prevailed. Chatman scored a team-high 17 points with five 3-pointers, and Teddy Hawkins pocketed a 16 and 11 double-double in the win.
BC’s Sim Record: 11-3, 2-0 ACC
Jan. 3 vs. No. 25 Clemson: Clemson 78, BC 62.
BC was firing on all cylinders at the beginning of the first half. Although ultimately shooting a measly 33.3 percent from the field on the day, the Eagles jumped out to a 12-3 lead. Yet it wasn’t long before the Tigers evened the score. BC was able to hang around in the opening frame, in large part because Vin Baker Jr. chipped in five bench points and Chatman and Hawkins cashed in timely jumpers.
Eventually, the depth of Clemson’s offense—anchored by the likes of Marcquise Reed, Gabe DeVoe, and Donte Grantham—proved too much for BC to handle. Elijah Thomas contributed 14 critical points as well, and helped the Tigers pull away with a 12-4 run at the start of the second period. It’s a tough loss for BC to swallow, especially at home, but this Clemson team was poised to make its first Sweet Sixteen since 1996-97.
BC’s Sim Record: 11-4, 2-1 ACC
Jan. 6 vs. Wake Forest: BC 97, Wake Forest 94.
Talk about a battle of two scoring tandems. Robinson and Ky Bowman each logged 28 points, while Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford and Doral Moore combined for 50. It was Hawkins, however, who notched 10 of the Eagles’ first 14 points. BC had to play a bit of catch-up after the Demon Deacons got out to a 26-14 lead, but Bowman expedited that process with 13 points in the final 11 minutes of the opening frame.
The Eagles trailed by one at the break and played most of the second half from behind. BC made its move with under seven to play when Robinson engineered a self-made five-point run, which gave the Eagles a 74-71 advantage. The Demon Deacons stayed within range until a Chatman 3-pointer and four BC free throws made it a nine-point game with 34 seconds to go.
BC’s Sim Record: 12-4, 3-1 ACC
Jan. 9 @ No. 20 North Carolina: UNC 109, BC 90.
BC had no answer for the Tar Heels’ offense back in 2017-18, and that was no different in our simulation. Roy Williams’ team shot 58.6 percent from the floor, including 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from downtown. Luke Maye (24 points), Joel Berry II (24 points), and Kenny Williams (17 points) did the most damage, and—fittingly—they were the first three UNC players to get on the board. A trio of 3-pointers, and the Tar Heels were off to the races. UNC led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but BC cut its deficit to nine by intermission with some much-need baskets down the stretch of the period.
A Nik Popovic tip-in at the 10:52 mark in the second half made it a six-point game, but that’s as close as the Eagles would get. A flurry of 3-pointers from Williams, Cameron Johnson, and Theo Pinson allowed the Tar Heels to distance themselves from BC. Per usual, Bowman (20 points) and Robinson (18 points) showed out in their home state, despite the loss. Hawkins (17 points) wasn’t far behind either.
BC’s Sim Record: 12-5, 3-2 ACC
What’s Next?
The Eagles have a pair of top-10 wins under their belt, but a loss to Richmond is an eyesore and defensive breakdowns are a cause for concern heading into the brunt of ACC play. Up next, BC has Dartmouth, Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech.
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