Irish To Face Hoosiers In Final Crossroads Classic

Notre Dame MBB Notes vs. Indiana

2021-22 FIGHTING IRISH – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (4-4) will take on in-state opponent Indiana (8-2) in the final edition of the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis this weekend. The four team event is in its 11th and final season featuring Notre Dame, Indiana, Purdue and Butler.

The Irish will be taking the court for the first time since their victory over No. 10/12 Kentucky last Saturday in Purcell Pavilion. Saturday’s game is the first of three over a five-day stretch for Notre Dame before the Christmas holiday. The Irish will return to Purcell Pavilion to face Western Michigan (Monday, 8 p.m.) and Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Wednesday, 1 p.m.) early next week.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

#20 | PAUL ATKINSON JR. | Graduate Student | 6-9 | 230 | West Palm Beach, FL

Finished with 10 points and six rebounds – including the game-sealing defensive rebound on No. 10/12 Kentucky’s last shot in the victory on Saturday • 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale • did not participate in 2020-21, as the Ivy League cancelled all intercollegiate athletics • ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in  2020-21 • boasts a .661 career field goal percentage – top for any returning NCAA Division I player this year – and led Ivy League in FG% all three seasons in which he competed.

#5 CORMAC RYAN | Senior | 6-5 | 195 | New York, NY

Filled up the stat line against No. 10/12 Kentucky with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal • started 16 of 25 games in his first year with the Irish last season • scored 21 points in the first half in the victory at Duke last year, eventually scoring career-best 28 points • shot .344 from 3FG range last season.

#23 DANE GOODWIN | Senior | 6-4 | 202 | Upper Arlington, OH

Has scored in double figures in all eight games (a career-best streak) this season and leads the team with 14.3 ppg • averaging 14.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg • one of the best free throw shooters on the team, boasting a .829 career average from the stripe (18-20 this season).

#14 NATE LASZEWSKI | Senior | 6-10 | 235 | Jupiter, FL

Scored 13 points with three three-point field goals at Illinois • leads the Irish in rebounding at 8.4 per game • improved FG% 19 percent, 3FG% 11% and RPG by 3.1 last season • scored over 20 points four times last season and has five 20-point games in his career.

#0 BLAKE WESLEY | Freshman | 6-5 | 185 | South Bend, IN

ACC Rookie of the Week (Dec. 13, 2021) • in first career start at home in Purcell Pavilion, hit the game-winning jumper with :12 seconds remaining to upset No. 10/12 Kentucky last weekend • second in the ACC in freshman scoring (13.0 ppg) and eighth among all major conference true freshmen in ppg • exploded for 24 points, 18 in the second half at Illinois in the first true road game of his career • logged his first career start at Boston College • has hit double figures in six of his eight career games played • first Mike Brey freshman to score 20 points in a career debut (vs. CSUN) since Chris Thomas in 2001 • first South Bend, IN, public school MBB prospect to sign with Notre Dame since 1985.

OFF THE BENCH

#3 PRENTISS HUBB | Senior | 6-3 | 176 | Upper Marlboro, MD

Preseason All-ACC Second Team • led the team with 15 points against Boston College, coming off the bench for the first time since the victory at Miami last season • leads all active ACC players in career assists (468) • led the Irish in  scoring (14.6) and three-point field goals made (65) last season • one of five major conference players to reach 100 assists in league play last season.

#2 TREY WERTZ | Senior | 6-5 | 192 | Charlotte, NC

Hit double figures for the first time this season in the victory over No. 10/12 Kentucky with 12 points, two three-point field goals, two rebounds and two assists • planned to sit out 2020-21 season after transferring from Santa Clara until all underclassmen transfers were given immediate eligibility in December of 2020 • appeared in 21 games making 14 starts, shooting .429 from three-point range • hit the game-winning 3FG at the buzzer vs. WF in 2021 ACC tournament.

#22 ELIJAH TAYLOR | Sophomore | 6-8 | 242 | Philadelphia, PA

Has worked his way into Notre Dame’s eight-man rotation • earned earliest minutes of his career in the first half at Illinois, eventually scored four points in career-high seven minutes • made Irish debut vs. Chaminade and scored his first career field goal • missed CSUN game as a precaution due to minor lower leg injury, then the High Point game with the flu • missed 2020-21 while recovering from ankle surgery.

#1 J.R. KONIECZNY | Freshman | 6-6 | 195 | South Bend, IN

(pronounced Ko-NEZZ-knee) Saw action in first career game vs. CSUN, scored first career points vs. Chaminade • all-time leading scorer in St. Joseph County history (1,996) • joins classmate Blake Wesley as the first Northern Indiana Conference players to sign with Notre Dame since 2012 (D. Jackson, A. Torres).

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS

CROSSROADS CLASSIC HISTORY

The Crossroads Classic will be held in Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 18, 2021, for the 11th consecutive season featuring Notre Dame, Butler, Indiana and Purdue. The Irish and Bulldogs rotate between facing the Hoosier and Boilermakers each season. 

Butler and Indiana is 7-3 in the event, Butler is 6-4, followed by Notre Dame (4-6) and Purdue (3-7). Notre Dame will face Indiana at 2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 18, 2021 on Fox.

ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK BLAKE WESLEY AMONG THE NATION’S TOP FRESHMAN

Freshman Blake Wesley, who was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday, Dec. 13 (he shared the award with NC State’s Terquavion Smith) is among the freshman leaders in scoring in the ACC and among major conference players.

ACC TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

MAJOR CONFERENCE TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

Expand to all true freshmen in the country and Wesley is tied for 21st in points per game.