Jan. 19, 2016

Notre Dame Notes

Notre Dame (12-5, 3-2) vs. Virginia Tech (12-6, 4-1)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 20 2016
Site: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind.
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: RSN
Talent: Wes Durham (play-by-play); Mike Gminski (analyst)
Radio: Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network; WatchND; Sirius 132/XM 193
Talent: Jack Nolan (Play-By-Play); Torrian Jones (Analyst)

NOTRE DAME – VIRGINIA TECH BY THE NUMBERS

• 1 – Notre Dame’s ranking in the Pomeroy Index for adjusted offensive efficiency (123.6).
• 2 – The Irish rank second in the country in turnovers per game (9.3). Notre Dame is also fifth in least amount of turnovers committed this season (158).
• 5 – Statistical categories in which junior guard Demetrius Jackson is ranked among the top 10 of ACC players for all games this season: assists (5.35, 1st), minutes played (36.18, 4th), scoring (17.5, 4th), assist-turnover ratio (2.68, 5th) and field goal percentage (.498, 10th). He joins Cat Barber from NC State as the only ACC players to be in the top 10 of five different statistical categories.
• 6 – Number of wins over the defending national champion in the Mike Brey era, including the 95-91 victory over Duke on Jan. 16.
• 7 – Wednesday night marks the seventh meeting between Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. The Irish lead the all-time series 5-1, including 2-0 at Purcell Pavilion.
• 8 – Demetrius Jackson is the only ACC player to rank in the top 10 in eight statistical categories for conference games: scoring (20.6, 1st), assists (6.6, 1st), minutes played (39.2, 1st), assist/turnover ratio (3.7, 3rd), steals (1.6, 8th), three pointers made (2.8, 5th), free throw percentage (.840, 8th), three-point field goal percentage (.412, 8th).
• 9.8 – Average rebounds per game for senior forward Zach Auguste – good for third in the ACC. Auguste also is fifth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.539).
• 20 – Points scored by Troy Murphy (1998-01) in a Feb. 24, 2001 victory for Notre Dame at Virginia Tech, clinching the BIG EAST West Division Title for the Irish. The title was the first-ever conference championship in Notre Dame Basketball history. Murphy will be inducted into the Purcell Pavilion Ring of Honor this Saturday, Jan. 23, at halftime of the Notre Dame – Boston College game.
• 31 – Points scored by sophomore Bonzie Colson at Duke on Jan. 16. Colson is the first Irish player to score 30 points in an ACC game and became just the third player to score 30-plus points with 10-plus rebounds at Duke in the last 20 seasons.
• 95 – Points scored in Notre Dame’s victory at Duke (Jan. 16), the most in a regulation game for the Irish since a 103-84 victory at Providence on Feb. 1, 2009.
• 495 – The Irish are 495-991 from the field this season, good for a .499 shooting mark, which ranks first in the ACC and seventh in the nation.

NOTRE DAME – VIRGINIA TECH SERIES HISTORY:

• All-time series: Notre Dame leads 5-1
• Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech at Purcell Pavilion: 2-0
• First meeting: March 25, 1973, a 92-91 OT victory for Virginia Tech in the postseason NIT championship game.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 22, 2015 in Blacksburg, VA, a 85-60 Notre Dame victory.
• Mike Brey vs. Virginia Tech at Notre Dame: 5-0

THE LAST TIMEââ’¬¦ VS. VIRGINIA TECH:

• Pat Connaughton led the Irish to an 85-60 victory over Virginia Tech with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while current senior Zach Auguste added 16 points and 8 rebounds. Prior to this season’s Jan. 17 82-54 victory over Boston College, the 25-point victory over the Hokie last season was Notre Dame’s largest victory margin in ACC competition.

21-4:

• Legendary Duke head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching tree extends across the country with Mike Brey, Stanford’s Johnny Dawkins, Harvard’s Tommy Amaker, Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley, Northwestern’s Chris Collins and Marquette’s Steve Wojciechowski.
• ‘Coach K’ is 21-4 against his former assistants with all four wins belonging to Mike Brey.

SUCCESS IN THE TAR HEEL STATE:

• Notre Dame joined the ACC for the 2013-14 basketball season. The Irish ended up 0-3 in the state of North Carolina that year (65-58 loss at Wake Forest, 63-61 loss at North Carolina, 81-69 loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro).
• Since breaking through for the program’s first win in Chapel Hill, 71-70, at North Carolina on Jan. 5, 2015, the Irish have won six of the last seven games they have played in the Tar Heel State.

DUKE REWIND

• Notre Dame earned its first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium with a 95-91 victory, led by Bonzie Colson’s career high 31 points off the bench. Demetrius Jackson added 24 points and four assists while playing all 40 minutes and junior guard Steve Vasturia netted a career-high 22 points, including 4-6 shooting from three point range.

THREE FOR 20

• Notre Dame’s win at Duke (Jan. 16) marked the first time the Irish had three players score 20 points or more in ACC competition. Bonzie Colson led the way with 31, while Demetrius Jackson added 24 and Steve Vasturia added a career-high 22. The last time Notre Dame had three 20-point scorers was against Syracuse on March 8, 2007.

ACCOLADES FOR COLSON

• Bonzie Colson’s 31-point, 11-rebound effort caught the eye of college basketball website CollegeInsider.com, which named Colson the Lute Olson Player of the Week. Colson joins Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine on the list of players presented the award this season. For a full list, check out CollegeInsider.com.

AUGUSTE REACHES 1,000-POINT MARK

• Zach Auguste became the 57th player in Notre Dame men’s basketball history to surpass the 1,000 point milestone with his seventh point at Duke on Jan. 16. Auguste now has 1,002 points in 109 career contests.

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