Boston College’s recruiting momentum on Wednesday came from a name a lot of fans probably weren’t waiting on. While the Eagles were still in the mix for 6’5 guard Josiah Nance, Elijah Paez made his choice first, announcing that he was headed to BC a few hours before Nance ultimately picked SMU.
Paez isn’t the kind of addition that came out of nowhere once you look at his recent rise. The 6’4 wing from Iowa had become, in the words of 247’s Adam Finkelstein, “one of the nation’s biggest summer stock-risers.”
His jump was helped in part by the departure of EYBL teammate Marcus Spears Jr., who reclassified and enrolled at Texas for this coming season, leaving Paez to pick up the slack. He did exactly that in July and August, and the payoff was a wave of national attention.
Washington, Xavier, TCU, DePaul, and UConn all offered before he took visits to TCU and DePaul and then committed to Luke Murray’s new staff during his official visit to Boston College.
The result is a new BC pledge who is now ranked 93rd overall in the class, according to the 247 Composite.
What jumps out first with Paez is the energy. Finkelstein described him as relentless on both ends, and that fits the profile here.
He may be a little undersized for a wing, but his length and athleticism give him real defensive value. He gets into passing lanes, forces turnovers, and brings the kind of edge that travels.
Offensively, Paez is at his best when he can put his head down and attack the rim. The perimeter shot hasn’t been efficient yet - he hit just 21% of his threes - but Finkelstein noted that “there is nothing mechanically wrong” with his form.
That leaves room for growth, and it’s easy to see why BC wanted him in the fold. His motor, toughness, and effort fit the culture Murray is trying to build.
If the outside shot comes along, the upside gets a lot more interesting.
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