Irish Set To Battle Blue Devils On Big Monday

WHO:	Notre Dame 14-6, 7-2 vs. No. 9/7 Duke 17-3, 8-2
WHAT:	Battle for second place in the ACC on ESPN’s Big Monday
WHERE:	Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center | Notre Dame, IN
WHEN:	Monday, January 31, 2022 | 7 p.m. ET
TICKETS:	SOLD OUT
LIVE STATS:	Available at und.com/mediastats
TV:	ESPN | Play-by-Play: Dan Schulman | Analyst: Cory Alexander | Sideline: Andraya Carter
RADIO:	Play-by-Play: Tony Simeone | Live locally on WSBT-AM 960/FM 96.1, worldwide on und.com

ND_MBB_Game Notes vs._Duke

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball (14-6, 7-2) puts their undefeated record at Purcell Pavilion on the line Monday night against nationally-ranked Duke (17-3, 8-2) on ESPN’s Big Monday (7 p.m. ET). The Irish have won 11 of their last 13 games and face back-to-back games against Duke (tied for 2nd in the ACC) and Miami (first place in the league) over a three-day stretch.

GAME TRENDS  

In 2021-22 the Notre Dame is: 

• • 11-0 when they shoot better than their opponent.
• • 10-0 when they make 10-or-more three-point field goals.
• • 9-0 at Purcell Pavilion.
• • 7-1 when a Notre Dame player scores 20-or-more points.

A NOTRE DAME WIN WOULD…  

… match ND’s all-time best conference schedule start (8-2). 

… give Irish two consecutive wins vs. Duke for first time since 2016. 

… be the 11th win in the last 13 games for the Irish.

… improve the Irish to 3-2 on Mondays this season.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

23

Dane Goodwin

SR

6-4

202

Upper Arlington, OH

15.4 ppg

4.8 rpg

.516 FG

.500 3FG

.881 FT

• Has established himself as one of the most efficient and skilled scorers in the country – and is the only player in the country shooting .500 from FG, .500 from 3FG (min. 1.5 3FGM/G) and averaging over 15 ppg. 

• Has scored in double figures all 20 games this season, which is a career-best streak.

• ACC Co-Player of the Week (12/27/21) who has become an All-ACC level guard this season.

0

Blake Wesley

FR

6-5

185

South Bend, IN

15.0 ppg

3.3 rpg

2.6 APG

.321 3FG

22 STL

• One of the most dynamic playmaking freshmen in the country, owns five 20-point scoring games, including last three of the last seven.

• National Freshman of the Week on January 10 (CBSSports/BWAA) and three-time ACC Freshman of the Week (including this week). 

• In his first career start in Purcell Pavilion, hit the game-winning jump shot with :12 left to defeat No. 10/12 Kentucky.

• First South Bend, IN, public school MBB prospect to attend Notre Dame since 1985. 

• See page 4 for more breakdowns of Wesley’s noteworthy rookie season. 

20

Paul Atkinson Jr.

GR

6-9

230

W. Palm Beach, FL

11.6 ppg

6.3 rpg

.609 FG

.770 FT

15 BLK

• Coming off his sixth double-digit scoring game in nine career ACC games, had 14 pts, 9 reb vs. Virginia on Saturday. 

• 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale, did not participate in 2020-21 as the Ivy League canceled all intercollegiate athletics.

• Ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in 2020-21.

3

Prentiss Hubb

SR

6-3

176

Upper Marlboro, MD

8.2 ppg

2.8 rpg

3.6 apg

• Has continued his penchant for game-winning plays this season, securing the win over Virginia on Saturday with two free throws at :04 remaining; a driving lay up with :19 left to be the game-sealing basket at Howard (his first game back at the DMV after playing he area during his prep career) and the game-winning jumper at Pittsburgh with :05 left. 

• Leads all ACC players in assist/turnover ratio (6.2), has back-to-back turnover free games and only one turnover committed in last five ACC games. 

• Preseason All-ACC Second Team.

14

Nate Laszewski

SR

6-10

235

Jupiter, FL

9.3 ppg

7.5 rpg

.504 FG

.474 3FG

• ACC Player of the Week candidate after averaging 17.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting .700 from 3FG range in two victories last week. 

• Led ND to victory over NC State with 18 pts, 11 reb, including a personal 8-0 run to erase a five point deficit early in the second half. 

• Scored over 20 points four times last season and has six 20-point games in his career. 

OFF THE BENCH 

5

Cormac Ryan

SR

6-5

195

New York, NY

7.5 ppg

4.3 rpg

.351 3FG

.765 FT

• The team’s best on-ball defender who routinely assumes the assignment of the opponents best perimeter scoring threat.

• Filled up the stat line against No. 10/12 Kentucky with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

• Scored 21 points in the first half in the victory at Duke last year, eventually scoring career-best 28 points.

2

Trey Wertz

SR

6-5

192

Charlotte, NC

4.3 ppg

1.8 rpg

2.4 apg

• Went three-for-three from three point range at Louisville, surpassing 1,000 career points (747 scored at Santa Clara). 

• Provides ball handling and a scoring punch off the bench. 

• Planned to sit out 2020-21 after transferring from Santa Clara until all underclassmen transfers were given immediate eligibility in 12/20

• Hit the game-winning three pointer at the buzzer in the first round ACC tournament victory over Wake Forest last season. 

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS

1	There is only one player in the country shooting .500 from the field, .500 from 3FG range (1.5 3FGM/G) and averaging 15.0 ppg – senior Dane Goodwin.
2	Notre Dame is the only major conference team with two shooters in the nation’s top five in 3FG% – Dane Goodwin (2nd, .500) and senior Nate Laszewski (5th, .474).
5	With 997 career points, Nate Laszewski is closing in on 1,000 career points. When he reaches that milestone, Notre Dame will become the first team in the nation this season to have five 1,000 career point scorers on its roster – Paul Atkinson Jr., Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Trey Wertz and Laszewski.
6.2	Assist/turnover ratio for senior Prentiss Hubb in ACC play this year – the best by far for any league player.
7	Notre Dame will confer an NCAA Division I men’s basketball-best seven degrees in the spring of 2022 – undergraduate degrees to R. Carmody, D. Goodwin, P. Hubb, N. Laszewski, C. Ryan and T. Wertz, along with a graduate degree to P. Atkinson Jr.
10	Notre Dame has won 10 straight games in Purcell Pavilion dating back to last season, which includes wins over No. 11/11 Florida State last March, a 66-62 win over No. 10/12 Kentucky on December 11 and a five-point win over North Carolina on Jan. 5.
10	Notre Dame is 10-0 in 2021-22 when they connect on 10-or-more 3FGs. In the team’s run of 10 wins in their last 11 games, the Irish have posted 10-or-more 3FGs eight times.
20	Career-best streak of double-digit scoring games for Dane Goodwin – all 20 games this season. Goodwin lead the Irish at 15.4 ppg.
21	First-half points scored by senior Cormac Ryan against Duke last season. He eventually finished the contest with a career-high 28 points in Notre Dame 93-89 victory.
15.0	Points-per-game average for freshman Blake Wesley, which is the third-best average in the ACC and fifth-best among major conference true freshman (see page 6 for more details).

IRISH TEAM STATS IN PURCELL PAVILION TELL THE TALE

Notre Dame is 9-0 in Purcell Pavilion this season and 10-0 dating back to last season’s Senior Day victory over nationally-ranked Florida State. A look at Notre Dame’s nine victories at home this season and the team’s statistics in those games tells the tale of offensive efficiency and an increased focus on the defensive end of the court – 

TEAM STATISTICS THROUGH NINE HOME GAMES

Statistic	Notre Dame	Opponents
FG%	.454	.420
3FG%	.395	.291
FT%	.724	.634
PPG	73.8	62.1
AST/TO	1.6	0.8

GOODWIN OWNS PURCELL PAVILION IN 2021-22

It has been a total team effort in Notre Dame’s nine victories at home this season, but senior Dane Goodwin’s numbers on his home floor are worth highlighting. 

GOODWIN AT HOME IN 2021-22

PPG	FG%	3FG%	RPG	MPG
17.1	.576	.583	5.9	33.8

 

GOODWIN/LASZEWSKI BURNING THE NETS AT HOME

Seniors Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski both rank among the major conference leaders in three point percentage this season and at posting number at Purcell Pavilion the program has not seen in a few years. Here is a look at where Goodwin and Laszewski rank in three point shooting at home in a single season during the Mike Brey era. 

PURCELL PAVILION SINGLE-SEASON 3FG PERCENTAGE LEADERS (MIKE BREY ERA 2000-01 – CURRENT)

Player	Season	GP	3FG%	3FGM
Tim Abromaitis	2009-10	20	.550	61
Dane Goodwin	2021-22	9	.538	28
Nate Laszewski	2021-22	9	.500	21
Kyle McAlarney	2007-08	17	.493	66
Scott Martin	2012-13	13	.489	22
Matt Carroll	2000-01	16	.488	41
Carleton Scott	2010-11	15	.480	24

IRISH OFF TO STRONG CONFERENCE SCHEDULE START

Notre Dame has started the 2021-22 Atlantic Coast Conference with a 7-2 record, which is tied with three other seasons for the program’s best start in conference play. 

Season	Conference	8 game record	9 game record	10 game record
2014-15	ACC	7-1	8-1	8-2
2021-22	ACC	6-2	7-2	TBA
2016-17	ACC	6-2	6-3	6-4
2002-03	BIG EAST	6-2	7-2	7-3
2000-01	BIG EAST	6-2	7-2	8-2

BLAKE WESLEY AMONG THE NATION’S TOP FRESHMAN

Freshman Blake Wesley, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week (his second such award of the season) is among college basketball’s top scoring true freshmen. 

ACC TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

1.	Paolo Banchero	Duke	20	17.6
2.	Terquavion Smith	NC State	22	15.3
3.	Blake Wesley	Notre Dame	20	15.0
4.	Trevor Keels	Duke	17	11.9
5.	Matthew Cleveland	Florida State	19	10.4

MAJOR CONFERENCE TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

1.	Paolo Banchero	Duke	20	17.6
2.	Bryce McGowens	Nebraska	21	16.7
3.	Jabari Smith	Auburn	21	15.6
4.	Terquavion Smith	NC State	22	15.3
5	Blake Wesley	Notre Dame	20	15.0
6.	Aminu Mohammed	Georgetown	18	13.8
7.	Kennedy Chandler	Tennessee	19	13.2
7.	Ty Ty Washington Jr.	Kentucky	20	13.1

Expand to all true freshmen in the country and Wesley is 11th in points per game. 

WESLEY’S DEBUT SEASON AMONG THE BEST ROOKIES OF BREY ERA

Freshman Blake Wesley has reached double figures in scoring after 18 of his first 20 career games and has posted five 20-point performances. Those numbers place him among the elite rookies of the Mike Brey era. 

Chris Thomas eventually finished 2001-02 by scoring in double digits 24 of 33 games (and in 12 of his first 14 career games). His longest streak of double-digit scoring games that season was nine. 

Harangody compiled 2006-07 by scoring double digits in 22 of 32 games (and in 14 of his first 18 games). His longest streak of double-digit scoring games was six. Torin Francis finished 2002-03 with 19 double digit scoring games in 34 total appearances – his longest double-digit scoring game streak was five games. 

BREY ERA FRESHMAN SEASONS

Student-Athlete	Season	Points Through 20 Games	Double-Digit Scoring Games – Season
Chris Thomas	2001-02	308	24
Blake Wesley	2021-22	299	17
Luke Harangody	2006-07	222	22
Torin Francis	2002-03	209	19

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED BY 1,000 POINT SCORERS

Notre Dame has produced 66 1,000 point scorers throughout the history of the program with 25 of those players having been recruited by Mike Brey and exhausted their eligibility (or turned professional early).

Dane Goodwin is the most recent Irish player with 1,000 career points, reaching the mark against Western Michigan on December 20, 2021. Trey Wertz also recently passed the 1,000 point barrier at Louisville, with 747 of those points being scored at Santa Clara. 

Nate Laszewski will be the next Irish player to reach 1,000 points at Notre Dame and is currently at 997.   

School	All-Time 1,000 Point Scorers
North Carolina	77
Louisville	69
Duke	67
Villanova	67
NOTRE DAME	66
Syracuse	63
Kansas	62

IRISH INK NATIONALLY-RANKED RECRUITING CLASS

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball program and Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey have announced that three prospective student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Notre Dame and compete for the Fighting Irish in 2022-23. 

The three-member class is composed of forwards Dom Campbell and Ven-Allen Lubin, along with guard J.J. Starling. All three are consensus top-100 players and four-star prospects which provide the Irish the 15th-ranked recruiting class by 24/7 Sports (fifth-best in the ACC) and the 18th-rated (fourth-best in the ACC) group from Rivals. 

“Our new staff started with a plan in June and I really like how we stayed focused and committed while being on the road in June and July, then followed through when the visits on campus took place,” Brey said. 

“It was a fabulous team effort by our coaching staff to get a three man class that will be part of a bright future for Notre Dame basketball. Our fans will love to watch these guys play and grow as part of our program.” 

Dom Campbell | Forward | 6-9, 265 | Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) | Scarborough, ME

“Dom is a gifted low post guy with great hands and footwork. He has the ability to carve out space and step out as well. He can make really good decisions with the ball in his hands.” 

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 96th overall, 11th power forward

24/7 4 star – 123rd overall, 22nd power forward, 2nd state

Ven-Allen Lubin | Forward | 6-8, 220 | Orlando Christian Prep | Orlando, FL

“Ven-Allen is a position less basketball player. He has the ability to post up, face up, run and change ends. He also brings great length on the defensive end.” 

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 63rd overall, 8th power forward

24/7 4 Star – 73rd overall, 14th power forward, 14th state

ESPN 4 star – 91st overall, 13th power forward, 14th state

J.J. Starling | Guard | 6-4, 195  | La Lumiere School (IN) | Baldwinsville, NY

“J.J. is an explosive guard. You can’t pigeonhole him as a point guard or a two man, he does a little bit of everything. The most infectious thing is his energy and charisma that he plays with. He really engages his teammates and leads on the floor.” 

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 40th overall, 8th point guard

24/7 – 30th overall, 5th point guard, 1st state

ESPN – 17th overall, 4th point guard, 3rd state

STARLING EARNS A SPOT ON MCDONALD’S ALL-AMERICAN TEAM 

J.J. Starling, a 6-4, 185-pound guard from Baldwinsville, New York, and currently competing at La Lumiere School in Indiana, has been named to the 2022 McDonald’s All-America Boys Basketball Team. Starling has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Notre Dame and compete for the men’s basketball team in 2022-23.

The selections will appear in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, which will be held in Chicago, Illinois, in March of 2022 at WinTrust Arena.

Starling is the 17th rated national recruit from ESPN, 25th by 24/7 Sports and 40th by Rivals.com.

He will become the fifth McDonald’s All-American recruited during Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey’s tenure and the eighth to suit up for the Irish under Brey.

Notre Dame Men’s Basketball McDonald’s All-Americans

J.J. Starling, 2022

Demetrius Jackson, 2017

Luke Zeller, 2005

Torin Francis, 2002

Chris Thomas, 2001

Danny Miller, 1998 (transferred from Maryland)

Ryan Humphrey, 1997 (transferred from Oklahoma)

LaPhonso Ellis, 1988

Keith Robinson, 1986

Mark Stevenson, 1985 (transferred to Duquesne)

Matt Beeuwsaert, 1984 (transferred to California)

Ken Barlow, 1982

Tim Kempton, 1982

Joe Kleine, 1980 (transferred to Arkansas)

Tom Sluby, 1980

Barry Spencer, 1980

Tim Andree, 1979

John Paxson, 1979

Tracy Jackson, 1977