| GAME 4: | NOTRE DAME (3-0) |
|---|---|
| OPPONENT: | NORTH DAKOTA (2-1) |
| WHERE: | SOUTH BEND, IN | PURCELL PAVILION |
| WATCH: | ACCNX |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| LIVE STATS: | STATBROADCAST |
| TICKETS: | PURCHASE ONLINE |
| SOCIAL: | @NDMBB | #GOIRISH |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The final preseason tune-up is almost here and will also be for a good cause. Notre Dame men’s basketball squad will travel southeast to take on Purdue Fort Wayne in a charity exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 30. That match will tip off inside the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m. ET. For fans that can’t attend, the contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
All proceeds from the game will go toward the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne. Tickets are still available on Ticketmaster.com and can be purchased online via the link in the table above. Ticket prices start at $12.
Notre Dame leads the overall series 7-0 against Purdue Fort Wayne. The two last squared off back on Dec. 6, 2016, with the Irish taking it 87-72 in South Bend. The last time the Irish competed in the Memorial Coliseum was back in 2005 – a 65-63 victory.
The Irish have competed in a charity exhibition before this season. In 2017, Notre Dame hosted Holy Cross College to support relief efforts after a series of hurricanes affected Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE
Purdue Fort Wayne is coming off a 23-13 campaign last year, finishing as runner-up in the CIT Postseason Tournament. Six of the Mastodons’ top seven scorers from last season return this year.
The Mastodons were picked to finish first in the Horizon League this year, as voted upon by league coaches, media and SIDs. Junior Jalen Jackson and senior Rasheed Bello were preseason First Team selections while graduate student Quinton Morton-Robertson earned a Second Team nod. The ‘Dons were the only team in the league to earn three selections. Jackson scored 20 or more points seven times last season while Bello led the league in steals (67 total, 1.9 per game). Morton-Robertson made 105 3-pointers last season, which ranked 21st in the nation.
ABOUT NOTRE DAME
When Coach Shrewsberry took over the Notre Dame job, he had to start at the ground level. The program only returned 35 points at this point last year, which equated to 1.6% of scoring returning. That number ranked in the bottom five of Division-I schools. However, this year is quite a different story.
The Irish return the most scoring in the ACC by a landslide. With a solid young core of seven returnees (Markus Burton, Braeden Shrewsberry, Tae Davis, Julian Roper II, J.R. Konieczny, Kebba Njie, Logan Imes), Notre Dame returns 85.6 percent of its scoring. The next highest is Wake Forest at 59.8 percent.
In addition, the Irish return the third highest percentage of minutes in the country at 83.9 percent. Navy (91.3) and Wofford (84.3) hold the top two spots.
Last year, Notre Dame was projected to finish dead last in the conference. The Coach Shrewsberry-led squad came together and ultimately doubled its ACC win total from the 2022-23 season, finishing 7-13 in league play to earn the 12-seed in the conference tourney. Coach Shrewsberry received several votes for ACC Coach of the Year.
Furthermore, Notre Dame was the biggest mover in Kenpom AdjEM across the Power-Five conferences from Feb. 1 to March 1 last season. They ended the year at No. 118. This season, the Irish will start at No. 69.
This year, the Irish are picked to finish tenth in the ACC and look to defy expectations again.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. For over 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that the ability to succeed and thrive in life is inherent in all children. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. To learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer at www.BBBSNEI.org.
About Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne serves kids aged 5-18 from high-need areas. Every day after school, and all day during the summer, our Clubs offer a safe and supportive environment to hundreds of children and teens. In 2019, our new Club facility on Fairfield opened to serve even more! BGCFW members participate in impactful programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. We have established a “Great Futures Vision” which starts with a world-class Club Experience. Our goal is to have all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for their future, involved in the community, and living a healthy lifestyle. The statistics from our priority outcome areas demonstrate the immediate and lasting impact on the boys and girls who participate in our programs.
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