Jan. 27, 2015
Game 22
#4/4 Duke (17-2, 4-2 ACC)
vs.
#8/8 Notre Dame (19-2, 7-1 ACC)
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015
7:30 p.m. (ET)
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
Notre Dame, Ind.
TV/INTERNET
ESPN2
WatchESPN
Dan Shulman (play-by-play)
Dick Vitale (analyst)
RADIO
Broadcast on WatchND (free)
Sirius 91/XM 91
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Jordan Cornette (analyst)
LIVE STATS
#8/8 NOTRE DAME PLAYS HOST TO #4/4 DUKE ON WEDNESDAY
– No. 8/8 Notre Dame (19-2, 7-1) will play host to No. 4/4 Duke (17-2, 4-2) Wednesday in a key Atlantic Coast Conference clash. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. (ET) inside Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
– This will be the first of two meetings in an 11-day span between the Fighting Irish and Blue Devils. The second showdown is slated for Feb. 7 at Duke.
– Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Dick Vitale (analyst) on the call.
– A free audio broadcast will be available on WatchND. Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and former Irish standout Jordan Cornette (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 91/XM 91.
– Notre Dame is tied for second place in the ACC standings, while Duke is tied for fourth place.
– The Fighting Irish have won 15 of their last 16 games.
TOP-10 TOPPERS
– Notre Dame is 5-1 in its last six home games against Associated Press top-10 teams.
1-10-15 vs. #3 Virginia (L, 56-62)
1-4-14 vs. #7 Duke (W, 79-77)
11-29-12 vs. #8 Kentucky (W, 64-50)
1-21-12 vs. #1 Syracuse (W, 67-58)
1-4-11 vs. #8 Connecticut (W, 73-70)
12-29-10 vs. #9 Georgetown (W, 69-55)
– The Fighting Irish are 13-7 at home under head coach Mike Brey against teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll.
– Overall, Notre Dame is 5-6 in its last 11 showdowns with an AP top-10 foe. The Irish are 18-29 against teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll under Brey.
– Wednesday will be the first top-10 showdown at Purcell Pavilion since No. 10 Notre Dame defeated No. 4 Pittsburgh, 66-64, on Feb. 9, 2003. It will be just the second top-10 matchup at Purcell Pavilion since the 1980-81 season. No. 9 Notre Dame defeated No. 7 Indiana, 68-64, on Dec. 9, 1980.
– It will be the first top-10 matchup for Notre Dame at any venue since the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish fell to No. 1 North Carolina, 102-87, in the title game of the 2008 Maui Invitational.
OFF AND RUNNING
– Notre Dame’s 19-2 record is the best 21-game start for the Fighting Irish since the 1973-74 team posted a 20-1 mark.
– The 7-1 ACC record is Notre Dame’s best eight-game start in conference play (BIG EAST & ACC).
– Notre Dame (19-2), Gonzaga (20-1), Virginia (19-0), Kentucky (19-0) and Valparaiso (19-4) are the only teams in the country with at least 19 wins this season.
– 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).
GRANT NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
– Jerian Grant was named the ACC Player of the Week on Monday after helping the Irish post road wins over Virginia Tech (85-60) and NC State (81-78 in OT). He averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals in those two contests. He shot 50.0 percent (13-of-26) from the field and 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from three-point range.
– Grant’s 25 points on Sunday at NC State were the most he’s ever scored in a conference game (ACC or BIG EAST).
ROAD WARRIORS
– Notre Dame is 4-0 in conference road play for the first time ever (BIG EAST & ACC).
HIGH MARKS
– Notre Dame ranks in the top four nationally in six categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (1st, 1.72), field goal% (2nd, 52.1%), fewest personal fouls per game (3rd, 13.7), fewest turnovers per game (4th, 9.0), won-lost% (4th, .905) and scoring margin (4th, +18.7).
THE DUKE SERIES
– Wednesday will be the 23rd meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Duke and the second as Atlantic Coast Conference foes. The Blue Devils lead the series 19-3.
– 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.
– Duke is 4-3 all-time at Notre Dame.
– The two programs met 12 times between the 1984-85 and 1994-95 seasons.
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.
NEARING 600 WINS AT PURCELL PAVILION
– The 75-70 win over Miami on Jan. 17 marked Notre Dame’s 13th victory in 14 games at Purcell Pavilion this season.
– Irish teams are 599-157 (.792) since the building opened during the 1968-69 campaign.
– 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).
CLIMBING THE POLLS
– Notre Dame’s No. 8 ranking in this week’s Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls is the highest ranking for the Irish since they were No. 5 in the AP poll prior to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
– Notre Dame is the only team currently ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll that began the season unranked.
NOTES FROM NC STATE
– Notre Dame had five players score in double-figures (Grant 25, Jackson 11, Connaughton 11, Beachem 11, Auguste 10) in Sunday’s 81-78 overtime victory at North Carolina State. It was the eighth time this season the Fighting Irish had at least five players produce a double-digit point total.
– Notre Dame improved to 5-1 this season in games decided by five points or fewer.
– North Carolina State led 42-30 at halftime. The 12-point margin was Notre Dame’s largest halftime deficit of the season. The Irish are 4-1 this season when trailing at the intermission.
– North Carolina State’s 42 first-half points were the most allowed by the Irish in an opening half this season.
– Notre Dame’s largest deficit of the game was 18 points (40-22) with 3:36 left in the first half. It’s the largest comeback for the Irish since they overcame a 20-point margin (39-19) at Villanova on Feb. 18, 2012, and won 74-70 in overtime.
– It was the ninth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and NC State and the second as ACC foes. The Fighting Irish lead the series 5-4 (series tied 1-1 in ACC play). It was Notre Dame’s first visit to Raleigh since Feb. 12, 1983 (a 43-42 Irish victory). The Irish are 4-0 all-time at North Carolina State.
– Notre Dame used seven players (a season-low total).
OVERTIME EXCELLENCE
– The Fighting Irish are 3-0 in overtime games this season (Michigan State, Georgia Tech [2ot], 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.
GRANT STARTS 100th GAME
– Jerian Grant started his 100th career game on Sunday at North Carolina State. He is the 11th player in Fighting Irish history to start at least 100 games. Grant is the second Notre Dame player to reach that milestone this season. Pat Connaughton notched his 100th career start on Jan. 3 versus Georgia Tech.
CONNAUGHTON A CONSISTENT PRESENCE
– Senior Pat Connaughton has started 103 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 122 games during his career and has started all but 16 of those contests.
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 14 of 21 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 (63.3%), Demetrius Jackson (52.3%), Jerian Grant (51.0%), Pat Connaughton (48.6%), Steve Vasturia (48.5%) and V.J. Beachem (47.4%)
TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame ranks first nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.72) and fourth in fewest turnovers per game (9.0).
– Notre Dame is only committing 8.1 turnovers per game in ACC play. The Irish boast a 1.77 assist-to-turnover ratio in league action.
– The Irish have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in 12 games this season, including five times in the last six games.
– Notre Dame had a season-low four turnovers against Michigan State (Dec. 3).
FIGHTING IRISH GET OFFENSIVE
– The Irish rank ninth nationally (first in the ACC) in scoring (81.9 ppg.).
– Notre Dame’s 81.9 points-per-game average is the highest since the Irish averaged 85.4 ppg. during the 1976-77 campaign.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
– Four Fighting Irish players are averaging at least 13 points per game this season – Jerian Grant (17.1), Pat Connaughton (13.9), Zach Auguste (13.7) and Demetrius Jackson (13.4).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in 18 of 21 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).
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 seven 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 11th nationally in made three-point field goals (188) and 16th three-point field goal percentage (.400). Both of those figures lead the ACC.
– The Irish are 19th nationally (first in the ACC) in three-pointers per game (9.0).
– The Irish have made 10 or more treys in a game seven times this season (three 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 43.0% or higher from three-point range (min. 50 att.) – V.J. Beachem (44.9%), Pat Connaughton (45.3%) and Demetrius Jackson (43.8%).
– Five Notre Dame players have made at least 28 treys this season – Connaughton (58), Jackson (35), Jerian Grant (33), Beachem (31) and Steve Vasturia (28).
GRANT HAS GAME
– Jerian Grant leads the ACC in assists per game (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.36). He is fourth in both points per game (17.1) and minutes played (750).
– He ranks 10th nationally in assists (130) and 11th in assists per game (6.2).
– Grant is the only player in the country averaging 16.0 ppg., 6.0 apg. and shooting 50 percent or above from the field.
– Grant has scored 20-plus points a team-best seven times this season. He netted a career-high 27 points versus Michigan State (Dec. 3).
– He has dished out at least six assists nine times in the last 10 games.
– His 3.36 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 11th nationally. His 2.54 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth among active Division I players.
GRANT KEEPS IRISH OFFENSE GOING
– Jerian Grant has had a hand in 40.0 percent of Notre Dame’s 1,719 points this season. He’s netted a team-high 360 points and his team-best 131 assists have led to 328 Fighting Irish points.
– Grant has had a hand in 99 of Notre Dame’s 188 three-pointers this season (52.7%). He has made 33 treys and he’s assisted on 66 others.
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 has reached double-figures in each of the last 10 games, which is a career-best streak and is the longest active streak for the Irish.
– Connaughton has a team-best six double-doubles this season (two in ACC play) and his 13 career double-doubles are the most for any current Irish player.
– Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and is second in scoring (13.9 ppg.).
– He ranks 11th nationally (second in the ACC) in defensive rebounds per game (7.19) and he is sixth in the ACC in total rebounds per game (8.3).
– Connaughton ranks 12th nationally in three-point percentage (.453) and 22nd in made three-pointers (58).
– Connaughton was 5-of-6 from three-point range last Thursday at Virginia Tech. The five treys matched a season-high mark.
– Connaughton ranks eighth in Irish history in made three-point field goals (233).
– Connaughton hauled down his 700th career rebound on Jan. 22 at Virginia Tech. He is the 11th player in program history with 1,200 points and 700 rebounds. Connaughton has 1,281 points and 716 rebounds during his Irish career.
STARTING FIVE CONSISTENCY
– Demetrius Jackson, Jerian Grant, Steve Vasturia, Pat Connaughton and Zach Auguste have been Notre Dame’s starting five in 19 of 21 games this season.
– Jackson, Grant, Vasturia and Connaughton have started every game this season, while Auguste has 19 starts.
– Last season, the Irish juggled its starting lineup throughout the campaign and ended up with 12 different rotations.
AUGUSTE STAYS HOT FROM THE FIELD
– Junior forward Zach Auguste ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 63.3 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 Demetrius Jackson has scored in double-figures 11 times in the last 12 games and 18 times overall this season.
– He ranks fourth in the ACC in steals (40) and is fifth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.34).
– Jackson has netted a career-high 22 points twice this season (Michigan State & Purdue).
– Jackson is averaging 13.4 points per game after notching a 6.0 mark last season (+7.4).
BEACHEM BOMBS AWAY OFF THE BENCH
– Sophomore forward V.J. Beachem is shooting a team-best 44.9 percent (31-69) from three-point range this season.
– His top three-point effort of the season came against Coppin State (Nov. 19) as he connected on 5-of-6 attempts.
– Beachem missed five straight games earlier this season due to injury, but returned to the floor Dec. 22 versus Northern Illinois.
FIGHTING IRISH ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER 20-WIN CAMPAIGN
– Notre Dame has notched at least 20 wins in seven of the last eight 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 10 times in 14 seasons under head coach Mike Brey. The most wins for the Irish under Brey are 27 (27-7) in 2010-11.
CASHING IN FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
– Notre Dame is second among all ACC teams in free throw percentage (.723).
– The Fighting Irish have made more free throws (295) than their opponents have attempted (267).
A DYNAMIC DUO
– Jerian Grant leads all current ACC players in career points (1,471), while Pat Connaughton is third (1,281).
– Connaughton leads all ACC players in career rebounds (716) and Grant is first in career assists (568).
– The senior duo has combined for 224 games played (206 of them starts), 2,752 points, 1,008 rebounds, 802 assists and 224 steals.
– Connaughton and Grant also have accounted for 7,532 minutes played on the court (33.6 mpg.).
1,000-POINT PLAYERS
– Jerian Grant (1,471) and Pat Connaughton (1,281) are the 55th and 56th members of Notre Dame’s 1,000-point club. Grant reached the milestone last season, while Connaughton did so in the 2014-15 season opener against Binghamton.
– Grant is 16th on Notre Dame’s career scoring list, while Connaughton is 30th.
– Grant boasts a 14.4 points-per-game average during his career and Connaughton has a 10.5 mark.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
– The Irish are 5-1 this season in games decided by five points or fewer. Notre Dame’s two losses this season are by a combined seven points.
– Last season, Notre Dame was 6-7 in games decided by five points or fewer.
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 418-213 (.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 319-161 (.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.
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.