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2018 ACC preview: Notre Dame, Louisville battle for top

By Arielle Chambers

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Boston College Eagles

Projected finish: 15th

Last year’s record: 7-23, 2-14 ACC

Key Returners (last season’s stats):

G- Taylor Ortlepp, 5’10, (Adelaide, AUS), JR– 11.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 32.4 MPG; played and started all 28 games of 17-18 season.

(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Biggest losses:

G- Martina Mosetti, 5’8, (Trieste, Italy)-  4.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 24.8 MPG. 12th all-time in BC’s assist records (298).

Newcomers:

G –Jenasae Bishop, 5’6, (Hammond, IN), FR-

G- Marnelle Garraud, 5’7, (Lynn, MA), FR-

G- Makayla Dickens, 5’8, (Virginia Beach, VA), FR

G- Lana Hollingsworth, 5’10, (Brighton East, Australia), FR

G- Kate Klimkiewicz, 6’0, (Oakton, VA), FR

F –Clara Ford, 6’3, (Vienna, Virginia), FR

F- Taylor Soule, 5’11, (W. Lebanon, NH), FR

Head Coach

Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, 1st season

  • Coached two years at Albany (head coach)
  • Assistant Coach at University of Maryland (03-07)
(Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
(Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /

Key  games:

Nov. 8– @Rhode Island: 7pm ET

Feb. 21– @North Carolina: 7pm ET

Outlook:

What better way to change around a program than to hire a coach who knows how to win the highest accolade at the collegiate level? Because Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee came from a program like the University of Maryland (’03-’07), where she served as an assistant coach to the 2006 national championship team, she brings a refreshing mentality to a team that has struggled to win in years past.

Arguably, Boston College was a better team than their record reflected last year, but an element of focus was missing from the Eagles-on the court at least. Former Head Coach Erik Johnson’s post-game press conference after their loss to North Carolina in the 2018 ACC Tournament, where he commended the players’ personalities, claiming he really enjoyed working with them, reinforced that. They need more than “good people” to secure wins in the conference.

Coach Bernabei-McNamee asked her players their reasons for picking Boston College and many of them cited academics.  The real push this year is to juxtapose the passion for education with passion for the game. There needs to be a change of mentality—a competitive spirit.

Seven freshmen will be joining  the Eagles this year. The high number of fresh faces is great news, as Bernabei-McNamee can now guide her program in the direction she wishes.  She also has the help of Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and WNBA legend, Yolanda Griffith as assistant coach.  Boston College has a ton of rebuilding to do, but they are starting fresh.

Best case scenario:

Coach Bernabei-McNamee can get her players to be successful pre-season to create a winning mindset so they can compete in the ACC with the goal of winning. They improve on their record from last season and keep growing as a unit with a focus on basketball.

Worst case scenario:

Boston College has seven new freshman and a new coaching staff. They won’t be able to make much noise this season, but rebuilding is in full effect.

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