Luke Murray is reportedly adding another international piece to his Boston College staff, and this one comes with a reputation for defense.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that Murray has brought in Marco Justo from La Laguna Tenerife, giving the Eagles another coach with deep ties to the European game. Justo joined Tenerife in 2026 after two seasons as head coach at Palmer Basket Mallorca, and it marked his second run with the club. Before that, he spent 10 years there as an assistant from 2013 to 2023.
His track record with Tenerife is a decorated one. In his first stint, Justo helped the club win a record two Basketball Champions League titles and finish runner-up once.
Tenerife also captured three FIBA Intercontinental Cups, all in the Canary Islands, and those three championships are tied for the second-most all time, behind only Real Madrid’s five. Justo also coached Spain’s U18 team at the 2025 European Championships, where the group won gold.
The defensive numbers this season fit the profile. Through seven games, Tenerife owns the second-best defensive rating in Liga ACB at 108 points allowed per 100 possessions.
The club is averaging 11 stocks - steals plus blocks - which ranks fifth in the league, while opponents are coughing up 19.3 turnovers per game, the best mark in Liga ACB. Tenerife is also giving up just 79.0 points per game, the fewest in the league.
That background would slot neatly into a Boston College program that has started the year with real bite on that end of the floor. The Eagles are allowing just 53.0 points per game, good for a tie for 10th nationally in scoring defense.
That comes after their win over University of Maryland Eastern Shore, when they held the Hawks to 54 points. No opponent has scored more than 55 against Boston College this season.
For Murray, the move would appear to sharpen the staff’s defensive brain trust while leaving more room for his own offensive strengths to take center stage. It could also help Boston College keep pushing further into international recruiting.
The Eagles already have two staff members with overseas experience. Director of Player Development Jared Jordan played extensively abroad, including a stop in Spain and three assist titles in the German Bundesliga. Player Development Assistant Gilvydas Biruta also brings a strong international background, having played for Lithuania’s U16 and U18 teams and spent time in Greece, Italy, France, Ukraine, and the Netherlands.
Boston College’s roster already reflects that global footprint. The team has five foreign-born players: Andrija Bukumirovic, Jacob Furphy, Aly Tounkara, Žak Smrekar, and Luke Hunger.
Smrekar said earlier this season that he thinks Boston College "plays the most European way of basketball in college," and the freshman has backed that up immediately. After his time with Krka Novo Mesto in Slovenia, he has started all three games for Murray and is averaging 13.3 points per game.
The Eagles have also been linked with more international talent. An official visit to Boston College by Matija Lukić was reported in recent weeks, with the highly regarded 17-year-old Serbian wing taking a look at the program.
Justo’s potential arrival fits a wider shift in college basketball, where players with pro experience overseas are making their mark in the U.S. Spain has been one of the most productive pipelines, with Aday Mara coming through Basket Zaragoza, Baba Miller spending time with Real Madrid’s youth team, and Santi Aldama developing in the Barcelona youth setup.
Taken together, the reported hire would give Boston College another defensive specialist and another meaningful connection to the international game, both on the bench and in recruiting.
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