Feb. 6, 2015
Game 25
#10/10 Notre Dame (21-3, 9-2 ACC)
vs.
#4/5 Duke (19-3, 6-3 ACC)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015
1 p.m. (ET)
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Durham, N.C.
TV
CBS
Ian Eagle (play-by-play)
Bill Raftery (analyst)
Grant Hill (analyst)
RADIO
Broadcast on WatchND (free)
Sirius 84/XM 84
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Torrian Jones (analyst)
LIVE STATS
#10/10 NOTRE DAME BACK ON TOBACCO ROAD TO FACE #4/5 DUKE
– A top-10 showdown is on the docket Saturday when No. 10/10 Notre Dame (21-3, 9-2 ACC) visits No. 4/5 Duke (19-3, 6-3 ACC) for a key Atlantic Coast Conference clash. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) inside Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
– The Fighting Irish and Blue Devils are meeting for the second time in 11 days. Notre Dame topped Duke, 77-73, on Jan. 28 inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
– This will be Notre Dame’s first visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium since Jan. 26, 1994 (a 74-72 Duke victory). The Fighting Irish are 0-6 all-time at Duke.
– Notre Dame is in second place in the ACC standings, while Duke is tied for fifth place.
– The Fighting Irish have won 17 of their last 19 games.
– The Irish are in the middle of a stretch in which they will play three games in six days. Following Tuesday’s game at Clemson, Notre Dame will be off for six days before playing host to Wake Forest on Feb. 17.
– Saturday’s game will be broadcast on CBS with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst) and Grant Hill (analyst) calling the action.
– A free audio broadcast will be available on WatchND. Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and former Irish standout Torrian Jones (analyst) will be on the call. The broadcast can also be heard on The Notre Basketball Radio Network headed by WSBT 96.1 FM and 960 AM in South Bend. A complete affiliate list is available on page 3 of this notes packet. The broadcast also is available on Sirius 84/XM 84.
OFF AND RUNNING
– Notre Dame’s 21-3 record is the best 24-game start for the Fighting Irish since the 1978-79 team also posted a 21-3 mark. That Irish squad extended their record to 22-3 before dropping two straight contests.
– The 9-2 ACC record matches Notre Dame’s best 11-game start in conference play (BIG EAST & ACC). Mike Brey’s first team in 2000-01 began BIG EAST action 9-2.
– Notre Dame (21-3), Gonzaga (23-1), Kentucky (22-0), Northern Iowa (21-2) and Valparaiso (21-4) are the only teams in the country with at least 21 wins so far this season (as of games played Feb. 5).
– This is the fourth time in Notre Dame’s conference era (since 1995-96) that the Irish suffered just one regular-season non-conference loss (2006-07, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15).
FACING A HIGHLY-RANKED FOE
– The Fighting Irish are 9-16 against teams ranked in the top-5 of the Associated Press poll under head coach Mike Brey (1-1 this season).
– Notre Dame’s last road win against a team in the top-5 of the AP poll was a 56-51 decision at No. 2 Pittsburgh on Jan. 24, 2011.
– Overall, Notre Dame is 6-6 in its last 12 showdowns with an AP top-10 foe.
– Saturday will be the first time a top-10 Irish team has faced a top-10 opponent in a true road setting since No. 5 Notre Dame visited No. 6 Pittsburgh on Jan. 6, 2003 (a 72-55 Panther victory).
– Notre Dame’s 77-73 victory over No. 4 Duke on Jan. 28 at Purcell Pavilion improved Notre Dame to 6-1 in its last seven home games versus AP top-10 teams. The Fighting Irish are 14-8 at home under Brey against teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll.
IRISH GOING FOR TOBACCO ROAD SWEEP
– Notre Dame is looking to become just the seventh ACC team – and the first since 1995-96 – to win at North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke in the same season. The Fighting Irish won in Chapel Hill, 71-70, on Jan. 5 and in Raleigh, 81-78 (ot), on Jan. 25.
Here are the six times it has occurred:
South Carolina, 1969-70
Maryland, 1974-75
Virginia, 1980-81
Wake Forest, 1981-82
Wake Forest, 1994-95
Georgia Tech, 1995-96
ROAD WARRIORS
– Prior to last Saturday’s 76-72 loss at Pittsburgh, Notre Dame had been 4-0 in conference road play. It marked the first time ever that an Irish team won its first four road games (BIG EAST & ACC).
– Beginning with Saturday’s game at Duke, the Fighting Irish will play four of their next six games on the road.
MARQUEE MATCHUPS
– Saturday will mark the first time in ACC history that the league will have a pair of top-10 matchups on the same day – No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 4 Duke and No. 9 Louisville at No. 3 Virginia.
HIGH MARKS
– Notre Dame ranks in the top four nationally in four categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (1st, 1.68), field goal% (2nd, 52.1%), fewest personal fouls per game (3rd, 13.7) and fewest turnovers per game (4th, 9.2).
THE DUKE SERIES
– Saturday will be the 24th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Duke and the third as Atlantic Coast Conference foes. The Blue Devils lead the series 19-4, but the Irish have won the last two showdowns.
– Notre Dame captured a 77-73 decision over No. 8 Duke on Jan. 28 inside Purcell Pavilion. The Fighting Irish topped No. 7 Duke, 79-77, last season at Purcell Pavilion in their first-ever ACC game. That snapped Duke’s 11-game win streak in the series.
– Notre Dame is 0-6 all-time at Duke. Saturday will be Notre Dame’s first visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium since Jan. 26, 1994 (a 74-72 Duke victory).
– Head coach Mike Brey is 2-1 versus Duke during his Notre Dame tenure (2-2 all-time).
BREY AND THE BLUE DEVILS
– Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey was an assistant coach at Duke for eight seasons. Beginning in 1987-88, he helped Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski take his teams to six NCAA Final Fours and four national title games while winning back-to-back national titles in 1991 and 1992. The Blue Devils posted a sterling 216-65 record for a 76.8 winning percentage during his tenure at the school. Brey recruited and worked daily with four of the greatest players in that program’s history — Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill.
– Saturday will be the second time Brey has taken a team to Cameron Indoor Stadium. His Delaware squad fell at Duke, 79-73, on Dec. 19, 1995. That was Brey’s fifth game at the helm of the Blue Hen program.
NOTES FROM BC
– Wednesday’s 71-63 win over Boston College was Notre Dame’s ninth ACC game this season decided by eight points or less. The Irish are 7-2 in those contests.
– The Fighting Irish were 10-of-21 (47.6%) from three-point range. It marked the eighth time this season Notre Dame made 10 or more three-pointers in a game (fourth time in an ACC contest).
– Notre Dame only turned the ball over nine times. It was the 14th time this season (seventh ACC game) the Irish had less than 10 turnovers in a game.
– The Irish committed a season-low seven fouls and the Eagles only attempted six free throws.
– The Fighting Irish were 25-of-50 (50.0%) from the field. Notre Dame has shot 50 percent or above from the floor in 17 of 24 games this season (five times in ACC play).
– Notre Dame led 41-25 at halftime. The Fighting Irish are 16-2 this season when ahead at the intermission.
– Notre Dame’s 41 first-half points were the most ever for the Irish in the opening half of an ACC game.
– The Fighting Irish were 7-of-12 from three-point range in the first half. The seven treys tied the most-ever for the Irish in any half of an ACC game.
– Jerian Grant and Steve Vasturia led the Irish with 17 points apiece. The 17 points matched the most Vasturia has ever scored in an ACC game.
– Demetrius Jackson pulled down a career-high 10 boards.
HOT SHOTS
– Notre Dame boasts the nation’s second-best field goal percentage (.521).
– The Irish have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 17 of 24 games this season and they topped 60.0 percent in two contests (Coppin State & Grambling State).
– Six Notre Dame players are shooting better than 47.0 percent from the field (min. 50 attempts) — Zach Auguste (62.7%), Demetrius Jackson (51.4%), Jerian Grant (50.7%), Steve Vasturia (50.0%), Pat Connaughton (48.5%) and V.J. Beachem (47.6%)
TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame ranks first nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68) and fourth in fewest turnovers per game (9.2).
– The Irish have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in 14 games this season, including six times in the last nine contests.
– Notre Dame had a season-low four turnovers against Michigan State (Dec. 3).
COMEBACK KIDS
– Notre Dame has overcome a deficit of 10 points or larger en route to a victory four times in the last seven games (see full breakdown on Pg. 5).
– The Irish are 5-1 this season when trailing at halftime. Four of those wins have come in the last seven games.
FIGHTING IRISH KNOW HOW TO FINISH
– Seven of Notre Dame’s nine ACC wins this season have been decided by eight points or less. In the final five minutes of those seven contests, the Irish are shooting 54.4 percent from the field, while they are holding their opponents to 35.1 percent.
– Steve Vasturia is shooting 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from the field in the last five minutes of those games and Jerian Grant is 11-of-21 (.524).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Five Fighting Irish players are averaging at least 9.0 points per game this season – Jerian Grant (17.3), Zach Auguste (13.7), Pat Connaughton (13.5), Demetrius Jackson (12.9) and Steve Vasturia (9.1).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in 21 of 24 games this season. The Irish have had five or more double-digit scorers on eight occasions. The Irish had a season-high six players reach double-figures against Purdue (Dec. 20).
FIGHTING IRISH GET OFFENSIVE
– The Irish rank seventh nationally (first in the ACC) in scoring (80.8 ppg.).
– Notre Dame’s 80.8 points-per-game average is the highest since the Irish averaged 81.0 ppg. during the 2006-07 campaign.
20-POINT PERFORMERS
– Four different Irish players have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Jerian Grant has done it a team-best eight times, while Zach Auguste (3), Pat Connaughton (2) and Demetrius Jackson (2) also have netted 20-plus points on multiple occasions this season.
DRAINING FROM DEEP
– Notre Dame is 10th nationally in made three-point field goals (213) and 14th three-point field goal percentage (.404). Both of those figures lead the ACC.
– The Fighting Irish are 20th nationally (first in the ACC) in three-pointers per game (8.9). Notre Dame has made 10 or more treys in a game eight times this season (four times in ACC play).
– Notre Dame made a season-best 14 three-pointers (14-of-25) against Chicago State (Nov. 29).
– Three Irish players are shooting 42.0% or higher from three-point range (min. 50 att.) – V.J. Beachem (45.3%), Pat Connaughton (44.4%) and Demetrius Jackson (42.7%).
– Five Notre Dame players have made at least 34 treys this season – Connaughton (64), Jerian Grant (40), Jackson (38), Beachem (34) and Steve Vasturia (34).
GRANT HAS GAME
– Jerian Grant leads the ACC in assists per game (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.23). He is fourth in the league in points per game (17.3) and first in minutes played (868).
– He ranks sixth nationally in assists (152) and eighth in assists per game (6.3).
– Grant has scored 20-plus points a team-best eight times this season (four ACC games). He netted a career-high 27 points versus Michigan State (Dec. 3).
– He has dished out at least six assists 11 times in the last 13 games.
– His 3.23 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 10th nationally. His 2.55 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fifth among active Division I players.
GRANT ON VERGE OF JOINING 1,500-POINT, 600-ASSIST CLUB
– Jerian Grant needs 10 assists to become the second player in Notre Dame history with 1,500 points and 600 assists. Chris Thomas tallied 2,195 points and 833 assists from 2001-05.
– Grant currently has 1,525 career points and 590 assists.
– With his seven-assist performance on Wednesday against Boston College, Grant moved past David Rivers (1984-88) and Eric Atkins (2010-14) and into third place on Notre Dame’s all-time assist list.
– Grant ranks 14th all-time in scoring at Notre Dame.
GRANT KEEPS IRISH OFFENSE GOING
– Jerian Grant has had a hand in 41.8 percent of Notre Dame’s 1,939 points this season. He’s netted a team-high 414 points and his team-best 153 assists have led to 396 Fighting Irish points.
– Grant has had a hand in 113 of Notre Dame’s 213 three-pointers this season (53.1%). He has made 40 treys and he’s assisted on 73 others.
POLL WATCHING
– Notre Dame is the only team currently ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll that began the season unranked.
– Last week, the Irish were No. 8 in the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll which marked the highest ranking for a Notre Dame team since being ranked fifth in the AP Poll prior to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
GRANT GOES OFF AGAINST DUKE
– Jerian Grant produced a double-double with 23 points and a career-high 12 assists in the 77-73 triumph of Duke on Jan. 28. Both marks were game-high totals.
– His 12 assists were the most for a Notre Dame player since Eric Atkins had 13 versus Kennesaw State on Dec. 19, 2012, and they were the most ever for an Irish player in an ACC game.
– It was the first time a Notre Dame player has posted a 20-point, 10-assist game since Grant notched 22 points and 10 assists versus Chicago State on Nov. 26, 2012.
– His 12 assists led to 28 Irish points.
– Grant added six rebounds, three steals and a career-high tying two blocked shots.
– Grant put the Irish up 73-70 with 1:07 left with a shot clock-beating attempt and he assisted on Steve Vasturia’s three-pointer that gave Notre Dame a 76-72 advantage with 22 seconds remaining. Following that assist, he blocked Quinn Cook’s layup attempt.
– Grant played every minute of the contest.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIMES TWO
– Jerian Grant (23 points, 12 assists) and Pat Connaughton (13 points, 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles in the victory over Duke on Jan. 28. It was the first time Notre Dame had two players with double-doubles in the same game since Jan. 11, 2014 (Garrick Sherman & Pat Connaughton at Georgia Tech).
– Connaughton has a team-high seven double-doubles this season, while Grant has two.
CONNAUGHTON A CONSISTENT PRESENCE
– Senior Pat Connaughton has started 106 consecutive games. He is the third player in Notre Dame history to start at least 100 straight games. Chris Thomas (2002-05) started all 128 games during his Fighting Irish career and Pat Garrity (1995-98) was in the starting lineup during all 111 contests of his career.
– Connaughton has played in all 125 games during his career and has started all but 16 of those contests.
GRANT IN CONTENTION FOR PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS
– Jerian Grant has been named to the midseason watch lists for the John R. Wooden Award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
PAT’S AN ALL-AROUND PERFORMER
– Pat Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and is third in scoring (13.5 ppg.). He has scored in double-figures in 12 of the last 13 games.
– Connaughton has a team-best seven double-doubles this season (three in ACC play) and his 14 career double-doubles are the most for any current Irish player.
– He is 13th nationally (second in the ACC) in defensive rebounds per game (7.04) and he is sixth in the ACC in total rebounds per game (8.2).
– Connaughton leads the ACC (16th nationally) in both three-point percentage (.444) and made three-pointers (64).
– Connaughton is tied for seventh place (with Chris Quinn) in Irish history in made three-point field goals (239).
– Connaughton hauled down his 700th career rebound on Jan. 22 at Virginia Tech. He is the 10th player in program history with 1,300 points and 700 rebounds. Connaughton has 1,313 points and 738 rebounds during his Irish career.
A DYNAMIC DUO
– Jerian Grant leads all current ACC players in career points (1,525), while Pat Connaughton is third (1,313).
– Connaughton leads all ACC players in career rebounds (738) and Grant is first in career assists (590).
– Grant is 14th on Notre Dame’s career scoring list, while Connaughton is 28th.
– The senior duo has combined for 230 games played (212 of them starts), 2,838 points, 1,038 rebounds, 829 assists and 239 steals.
– Connaughton and Grant also have accounted for 7,768 minutes played on the court (33.8 mpg.). Grant and Connaughton rank 10th and 16th, respectively, nationally in minutes played this season.
– Grant boasts a 14.5 points-per-game average during his career and Connaughton has a 10.5 mark.
STARTING FIVE CONSISTENCY
– Demetrius Jackson, Jerian Grant, Steve Vasturia, Pat Connaughton and Zach Auguste have been Notre Dame’s starting five in 22 of 24 games this season.
– Jackson, Grant, Vasturia and Connaughton have started every game this season, while Auguste has 22 starts.
– Last season, the Irish used 12 different starting lineups.
AUGUSTE STAYS HOT FROM THE FIELD
– Junior forward Zach Auguste ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 62.7 percent.
– Auguste has been perfect from the field three times this season – 9-9 vs. Coppin State, 7-7 vs. Northern Illinois, 5-5 vs. Grambling State. His performance against Coppin State tied a Notre Dame record for most field goals without a miss in a single game.
– Auguste netted a career-high 26 points against Florida State in the ACC opener. Those were the most points ever scored by an Irish player in an ACC game. He made a career-best 11 field goals (on 15 attempts). That was his third 20-plus point effort of the season (20 vs. Navy, 21 vs. Coppin State).
– Auguste is averaging 13.7 points per game after posting a 6.7 ppg. mark last season (+7.0).
ACTION JACKSON
– Sophomore point guard Demetrius Jackson pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Boston College. He is the third different Irish player with 10 or more rebounds in a game this season (Zach Auguste and Pat Connaughton are the others).
– Jackson has scored in double-figures 13 times in the last 15 games and 20 times overall this season (nine ACC games.).
– He ranks fifth in the ACC in steals (40) and is sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.17).
– Jackson has netted a career-high 22 points twice this season (Michigan State & Purdue).
– Jackson is averaging 12.9 points per game after notching a 6.0 mark last season (+6.9).
CASHING IN FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
– Notre Dame is third among all ACC teams in free throw percentage (.716).
– The Fighting Irish have made more free throws (330) than their opponents have attempted (307).
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
– The Irish are 6-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Notre Dame’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points.
– Last season, Notre Dame was 6-7 in games decided by five points or less.
OVERTIME EXCELLENCE
– The Fighting Irish are 3-0 in overtime games this season (vs. Michigan State, vs. Georgia Tech [2ot], at NC State).
– The Irish are 9-1 in their last 10 overtime contests.
– Notre Dame has won its last five overtime games that have taken place at a true road site.
– Notre Dame is 19-10 in overtime under head coach Mike Brey.
DID YOU KNOW
– Notre Dame has won its last meeting with Duke (1/28/15), North Carolina (1/3/15), Michigan State (12/3/14), Indiana (12/14/13), Kentucky (11/29/12), UCLA (12/19/09) and Kansas (1/23/88).
FIGHTING IRISH POST ANOTHER 20-WIN CAMPAIGN
– Notre Dame has notched at least 20 wins in eight of the last nine seasons. Last season (15-17 record) was the only time the Irish failed to reach that mark during this latest stretch.
– The Fighting Irish have reached the 20-win plateau 11 times in 15 seasons under head coach Mike Brey. The most wins for the Irish under Brey are 27 (27-7) in 2010-11.
IRISH PRODUCE 600TH WIN AT PURCELL PAVILION
– The 77-73 victory over Duke on Jan. 28 was the 600th win for Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
– Irish teams are 601-157 (.793) since the building opened during the 1968-69 campaign.
– The Fighting Irish are 15-1 this season at Purcell Pavilion.
– Notre Dame squads have produced five undefeated campaigns at Purcell Pavilion (three under Mike Brey) — 1973-74 (15-0), 1985-86 (15-0), 2006-07 (18-0), 2007-08 (17-0) and 2010-11 (17-0).
BREY NOTCHES 400TH CAREER WIN
– Notre Dame’s season-opening victory over Binghamton was Mike Brey’s 400th career win as a college head coach. He has registered a 420-214 (.662) record in 19-plus seasons at Delaware and Notre Dame.
– Brey earned his 300th win at Notre Dame last season. He has compiled a 321-162 (.665) record in his 14-plus seasons in South Bend. He is one of 19 active head coaches to have 300 or more Division I victories at their current institution.
– Only two other Notre Dame head coaches have reached the 300-win milestone. Digger Phelps led the Fighting Irish to a 393-197 record from 1971-91. George Keogan notched a 327-97 mark from 1923-43.
CAPTAIN CONNAUGHTON
– Senior Pat Connaughton is Notre Dame’s lone captain for the 2014-15 season. Connaughton served as one of four captains for the Irish a year ago and becomes the 22nd different Notre Dame men’s basketball player to serve as a captain in multiple seasons.
– Since the 1985-86 campaign, only four other players have served as lone captains for their Irish teams– Ken Barlow (1985-86), Tim Singleton (1990-91), Ryan Hoover (1995-96) and Rob Kurz (2007-08).
FIGHTING IRISH IN ITALY
– In early August, the Fighting Irish squad traveled to Italy for a 10-day, four-game foreign tour. Notre Dame posted a 4-0 record. The Irish visited Rome, Perugia, Pesaro, Venice and Como during the trip.
– It was the program’s first foreign tour since 2008 when the Irish ventured to Ireland for 13 days.
CONNAUGHTON DRAFTED BY ORIOLES
– The Baltimore Orioles selected Irish swingman Pat Connaughton in the fourth round of June’s Major League Baseball Draft. He was the 121st pick overall.
– Connaughton spent part of June and July pitching for the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Class A Orioles’ affiliate.
– Connaughton finished his Fighting Irish baseball career last spring. He posted a 3.03 ERA and had an 11-11 record on the mound during his three seasons. He fanned 105 batters in 154.2 innings pitched.
CONNAUGHTON A CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
– Pat Connaughton is one of 30 candidates for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award for men’s basketball.
– He is one of two ACC players up for the award (the other is Cameron Wright of Pittsburgh).
– To be eligible, as student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
– The winner of the Senior CLASS award will be announced during the 2015 Men’s Final Four® in Indianapolis in April.
NOTRE DAME FIRST AGAIN IN GRADUATION RATE SUCCESS
– The University of Notre Dame once again claims the 2014 national championship for graduating student-athletes in all sports–in the process posting the top NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figure (99) for its student-athletes for the eighth straight year.
– The GSR number for all Notre Dame student-athletes rates the Irish first among the football-playing institutions in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). The 2014 NCAA figures are based on entering classes from 2004 through 2007.
– Twenty-one of Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s athletic programs posted GSR numbers that rank them best in the nation within their sports (including 20 perfect 100 scores)– and 11 produced federal graduation rates that led all NCAA FBS institutions (including eight perfect 100 scores). Men’s basketball at 100 tied for first with 14 other schools.
– Five Irish women’s programs had perfect 100 federal rates ranking them first within their sports among the NCAA FBS subset. Six Irish men’s programs had federal rates ranking them first within their sports (three with perfect 100 scores) among the NCAA FBS subset. Men’s basketball at 85 ranked tied for first with Penn State.
– Five Irish women’s programs had perfect 100 federal rates ranking them first within their sports among the NCAA FBS subset. Six Irish men’s programs had federal rates ranking them first within their sports (three with perfect 100 scores) among the NCAA FBS subset. Men’s basketball at 85 ranked tied for first with Penn State.