| PLAYERS ERA FESTIVAL: | NOTRE DAME (4-1) |
|---|---|
| WHERE: | LAS VEGAS | MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA |
| OPPONENT 1: | RUTGERS (4-1) |
| WHEN GAME 1: | TUESDAY, NOV. 26 | 10:30 P.M. ET // 7:30 P.M. PT |
| WATCH GAME 1: | TBS |
| OPPONENT 2: | #6 HOUSTON (3-1) |
| WHEN GAME 2: | THURSDAY MORNING FOR EASTERN TIME ZONE - 12:30 AM // WEDNESDAY LOCAL TIME OF 9:30 PM PT |
| WATCH GAME 2: | TBS |
| OPPONENT 3: | TBD - BASED OFF RESULTS |
| WHEN GAME 3: | SATURDAY, NOV. 30 - TIME TBD |
| WATCH GAME 3: | TBD |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| LIVE STATS: | STATBROADCAST |
| TICKETS: | PURCHASE ONLINE |
| SOCIAL: | @NDMBB | #GOIRISH |
| TOURNAMENT WEBSITE: | CLICK HERE |
ATLANTA – The Fighting Irish men’s basketball team goes down to Georgia on Sunday and are looking to garner a key win in a battle between two 7-3 teams. Notre Dame will challenge Georgia on Dec. 18 in the State Farm Arena in Atlanta as part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving event. Tip is set for 5:30 pm ET on ESPN2.
For more on Holiday Hoopsgiving, click here.
BOUNCE BACK MODE – UGA
Coach Brey has used the phrase bounce-back mode and here’s why. Notre Dame is 2-0 this season after a loss with wins over #20 Michigan State and Boston U. Dating back to last season, they boast an 8-match win streak following a loss. Thus, they haven’t suffered back-to-back losses since Nov. 29 of last year when they lost at Illinois.
With that said, the next match for the Irish is a pivotal one. It’ll be against a fellow 7-3 Georgia squad, who has already lost to two ACC opponents already in Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.
Interestingly enough, the two sides have only met three times with all three games occurring at neutral sites. That tradition will continue on Sunday when they meet in the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Irish lead the series 2-1 and have not met since Nov. 22, 2011.
NOTRE NOTABLES
The Irish are currently leading the country in fouls per game, only committing an average of 11.6. That has been a Coach Brey staple. In the last 12 years, Notre Dame has only failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just once. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls five times.
Next, they rank 3rd in the country in turnovers per game, only surrendering 8.9.
Lastly, if the Irish can get to the free-throw line in late-game situations, look out. They rank 7th in free-throw percentage, converting 80.4 percent from the stripe – leads the ACC as well. Cormac Ryan is the guy you want on the line late in games, connecting on .893 on the year.
TRENDS
Freshman JJ Starling has recorded back-to-back games in double figures, totaling 27 points. Plus, after a slow start from three, he’s beginning to heat up, knocking down 3-of-6 from three over the last two games.
Cormac Ryan is 15-of-23 (.652) from three over the past four games, averaging 16.3 ppg in that span. That also includes two 20+ point performances.
Lastly, there’s Nate Laszewski who broke free from a three-game single-digit scoring streak with a 20-point performance in the last game vs. Marquette. It marked his third 20-plus point effort on the season.
2 NAMES, 1 DYNAMIC OPTION
Ven-Allen is starting to come into his own, making a great case for more minutes — 3 double-digit scoring performances over the last 6 games.
He doesn’t have a large shooting sample size but when he does get shots up, they are going in. Lubin is shooting a highly efficient 73.2 percent from two and he’s knocking down 64.4 percent from the floor overall, which leads the team. In fact that FG% would rank second all-time for a ND freshman if the season ended today, challenging Harold Swanagan’s 64.5 percent in 1998-99.
He’s also becoming ND’s best defender, leading the team in blocks, averaging 0.9 per game. Case in point, he sealed the win vs Boston U on Dec. 7. Lubin was subbed in for his defense with under a minute left and it paid off, earning a pivotal block and rebound, then converting a free throw on the other end.
NATE’S GREAT START
Nate Laszewski is averaging a career-best 14.9 ppg and a career-high 8.3 rpg.
With four years under his belt, he entered the year with nine career double-doubles to his name and six 20-point performances. Already this season he has three double-doubles and three 20+ point efforts.
ACC individual rankings – Laszewski ranks 14th in scoring (14.9), 4th in FT% (.864), 2nd in defensive rebounds (7.3) and 12th in 3PT FG% (.395). In fact his 7.3 defensive rebounds per game rank 15th in the country.
Lastly, to show how dynamic Laszewski’s style of play is — he’s 1-of-8 people in the country averaging at least 14 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 three’s, while converting at least .390 from beyond the arc.
THREAT FROM THREE
Notre Dame has recorded double-digit three-pointers in three of the last four games and the one game they didn’t – Boston U – they connected on nine. Over that four-game stretch, they’ve knocked down 41 three-pointers aka 10.3 per game.
Overall on the season, they are averaging 8.7 three’s per game, which would crack the program’s all-time top-10 at the No. 8 spot. The program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad.
The big reason for that – the squad’s big three but specifically Goodwin and Ryan who respectively rank 4th and 6th in three-point field goal percentage in the ACC.
3 players above .400 and one on the verge:
Goodwin – .472 – ranks 4th in the ACC
Ryan – .435 – ranks 6th in the ACC
Hammond – .429
Laszewski – .395
Goodwin has hit some big late three’s early this season – hitting a trey with 2:48 left against USI and 14 seconds left against Lipscomb. The latter was the gamewinner in a 66-65 victory over Lipscomb. Goodwin tied his career high in made three-pointers, converting 6-of-8 from deep.
— ND —