The Fighting Irish are 4-0 on the road in ACC play this season.

#8/8 Notre Dame To Play At Pitt On Saturday

Jan. 30, 2015

Notre Dame Game Notes Get Acrobat Reader

Game 23
#8/8 Notre Dame (20-2, 8-1 ACC)
vs.
Pittsburgh (13-8, 3-5 ACC)

Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015
Noon (ET)
Petersen Events Center
Pittsburgh, Pa.

TV/INTERNET
ACC Network (check local listings)
WatchESPN
Tom Werme (play-by-play)
Dan Bonner (analyst)

RADIO
Broadcast on WatchND (free)
Sirius 93/XM 193
Check affiliates on Pg. 3 of notes packet
Jack Nolan (play-by-play)
Torrian Jones (analyst)

LIVE STATS

#8/8 NOTRE DAME TO PLAY AT PITT ON SATURDAY
– No. 8/8 Notre Dame (20-2, 8-1) returns to the road Saturday with an Atlantic Coast Conference affair at Pittsburgh (13-8, 3-5). The tilt is slated for noon (ET) inside the Petersen Events Center.
– This will be the only regular-season showdown between the Fighting Irish and Panthers.
– Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the ACC Network and WatchESPN with Tom Werme (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (analyst) on the call.
– 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 93/XM 193.
– Notre Dame is in second place in the ACC standings, while Pitt is tied for 10th place.
– The Fighting Irish have won 16 of their last 17 games.

TOP-10 TOPPERS
– Wednesday’s 77-73 victory over No. 4 Duke improved Notre Dame to 6-1 in its last seven home games against Associated Press top-10 teams.
– The Fighting Irish are 14-7 at home under head coach Mike Brey against teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll.
– Overall, Notre Dame is 6-6 in its last 12 showdowns with an AP top-10 foe. The Irish are 19-29 against teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll under Brey.

ROAD WARRIORS
– Notre Dame is 4-0 in conference road play for the first time ever (BIG EAST & ACC).
– The Fighting Irish are in the middle of a stretch that has them playing on the road five times in a seven-game span.

OFF AND RUNNING
– Notre Dame’s 20-2 record is the best 22-game start for the Fighting Irish since the 1973-74 team posted a 21-1 mark.
– The 8-1 ACC record is Notre Dame’s best nine-game start in conference play (BIG EAST & ACC).
– Notre Dame (20-2), Gonzaga (21-1) and Kentucky (20-0) are the only teams in the country with at least 20 wins so far this season (as of games played Jan. 29).
– 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).

COMEBACK KIDS
– Notre Dame has overcome a deficit of 10 points or larger en route to a victory four times in the last five 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 five games.

HIGH MARKS
– Notre Dame ranks in the top four nationally in five categories: assist-to-turnover ratio (1st, 1.71), field goal% (2nd, 52.1%), fewest personal fouls per game (3rd, 13.9), fewest turnovers per game (4th, 9.1) and won-lost% (4th, .909).

PLAYING THE PANTHERS
– Saturday will be the 60th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh and the second as ACC rivals.
– The Fighting Irish lead the series 31-28.
– Pittsburgh captured an 85-81 overtime win over the Irish last season at Purcell Pavilion. That snapped Notre Dame’s five-game winning streak in the series.
– The Irish have won the last two showdowns at Pittsburgh. Notre Dame’s last visit to the Petersen Events Center resulted in a 51-42 victory on Feb. 18, 2013. The Fighting Irish are 12-17 all-time at Pittsburgh.
– Notre Dame was 15-12 against Pittsburgh when both schools were members of the BIG EAST Conference.
– Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey is 11-9 all-time against Pittsburgh (6-7 versus Jamie Dixon).

DUKE NOTES
– No. 4 Duke was the highest-ranked opponent the Fighting Irish have defeated since they topped No. 1 Syracuse, 67-58, on Jan. 21, 2012.
– It was the first matchup between two top-10 teams at Purcell Pavilion since No. 10 Notre Dame defeated No. 4 Pittsburgh, 66-64, on Feb. 9, 2003.
– Notre Dame trailed 65-55 with 10:58 remaining, but responded with a 12-0 run to take the lead with 6:23 left. The Irish grabbed the lead for good, 71-70, with 2:15 remaining.
– It was the 23rd meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Duke and the second as ACC counterparts. Duke leads the series 19-4, but the Irish have won the last two showdowns. The series is tied 4-4 in games played at Notre Dame.
– Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is 2-1 versus Duke during his Fighting Irish tenure (2-2 all-time). Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is 19-2 all-time against his former assistants who are head coaches and Brey is responsible for both losses.
– Notre Dame improved to 6-1 this season in games decided by five points or fewer.
– Notre Dame had an assist on 17 of its 29 field goals. It was the ninth time this season the Irish have had at least 17 assists in a game.

GRANT GOES OFF AGAINST DUKE
Jerian Grant produced a double-double with 23 points and a career-high 12 assists in Wednesday’s 77-73 triumph of Duke. 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 for the second straight game.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIMES TWO
Jerian Grant (23 points, 12 assists) and Pat Connaughton (13 points, 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles in Wednesday’s win over Duke. 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).
– It was Connaughton’s team-best seventh double-double of the season and the second for Grant.

FIGHTING IRISH KNOW HOW TO FINISH
– Six of Notre Dame’s eight ACC wins this season have been decided by seven points or fewer. In the final five minutes of those six contests, the Irish are shooting 53 percent from the field, while they are holding their opponents to 31 percent.
Steve Vasturia is shooting 60 percent (6-of-10) from the field in the last five minutes of those games and Jerian Grant is 10-of-19 (.526).

GRANT IS 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).

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.

CONNAUGHTON A CONSISTENT PRESENCE
– Senior Pat Connaughton has started 104 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 123 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 15 of 22 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 (62.8%), Demetrius Jackson (51.7%), Jerian Grant (51.6%), Pat Connaughton (49.1%), Steve Vasturia (47.5%) and V.J. Beachem (47.4%)

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
– Notre Dame ranks first nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71) and fourth in fewest turnovers per game (9.1).
– The Irish have committed fewer than 10 turnovers in 12 games this season, including five times in the last seven 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 (81.6 ppg.).
– Notre Dame’s 81.6 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 (17.4), Pat Connaughton (13.8), Zach Auguste (13.7) and Demetrius Jackson (13.3).
– Notre Dame has had at least four players reach double-figures in 19 of 22 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 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 seventh nationally in made three-point field goals (196) and 17th three-point field goal percentage (.402). Both of those figures lead the ACC.
– The Fighting Irish are 18th nationally (first in the ACC) in three-pointers per game (8.9). Notre Dame has 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 44.0% or higher from three-point range (min. 50 att.) – Pat Connaughton (45.5%), V.J. Beachem (44.3%), and Demetrius Jackson (44.0%).
– Five Notre Dame players have made at least 29 treys this season – Connaughton (61), Jackson (37), Jerian Grant (35), Beachem (31) and Steve Vasturia (29).

GRANT HAS GAME
Jerian Grant leads the ACC in assists per game (6.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.38). He is fourth in points per game (17.4) and ninth in minutes played (790).
– He ranks sixth nationally in assists (142) and ninth in assists per game (6.5).
– 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 10 times in the last 11 games.
– His 3.38 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 11th nationally. His 2.56 career assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third among active Division I players.

GRANT ON VERGE OF JOINING 1,500-POINT, 600-ASSIST CLUB
Jerian Grant needs six points and 20 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 KEEPS IRISH OFFENSE GOING
Jerian Grant has had a hand in 41.1 percent of Notre Dame’s 1,796 points this season. He’s netted a team-high 383 points and his team-best 143 assists have led to 356 Fighting Irish points.
– Grant has had a hand in 105 of Notre Dame’s 196 three-pointers this season (53.6%). He has made 35 treys and he’s assisted on 70 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 11 games, which is a career-best streak and is the longest active streak for the Irish.
– 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.
– Connaughton leads Notre Dame in rebounding (8.5 rpg.) and is second in scoring (13.8 ppg.).
– He is ninth nationally (second in the ACC) in defensive rebounds per game (7.27) and he is sixth in the ACC in total rebounds per game (8.5).
– Connaughton ranks 11th nationally in three-point percentage (.455) and 19th in made three-pointers (61).
– Connaughton ranks eighth in Irish history in made three-point field goals (236).
– 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 1,294 points and 728 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 20 of 22 games this season.
– Jackson, Grant, Vasturia and Connaughton have started every game this season, while Auguste has 20 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 62.8 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 has scored in double-figures 12 times in the last 13 games and 19 times overall this season.
– He ranks third in the ACC in steals (40) and is fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.26).
– Jackson has netted a career-high 22 points twice this season (Michigan State & Purdue).
– Jackson is averaging 13.3 points per game after notching a 6.0 mark last season (+7.3).

IRISH PRODUCE 600TH WIN AT PURCELL PAVILION
– Wednesday’s 77-73 victory over Duke was the 600th win for Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
– Irish teams are 600-157 (.793) since the building opened during the 1968-69 campaign.
– The Fighting Irish are 14-1 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).

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.

CASHING IN FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE
– Notre Dame is second among all ACC teams in free throw percentage (.722).
– The Fighting Irish have made more free throws (306) than their opponents have attempted (287).

A DYNAMIC DUO
Jerian Grant leads all current ACC players in career points (1,494), while Pat Connaughton is third (1,294).
– Connaughton leads all ACC players in career rebounds (728) and Grant is first in career assists (580).
– The senior duo has combined for 226 games played (208 of them starts), 2,788 points, 1,026 rebounds, 815 assists and 229 steals.
– Connaughton and Grant also have accounted for 7,611 minutes played on the court (33.7 mpg.).

1,000-POINT PLAYERS
Jerian Grant (1,494) and Pat Connaughton (1,294) 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 15th on Notre Dame’s career scoring list, while Connaughton is 29th.
– Grant boasts a 14.5 points-per-game average during his career and Connaughton has a 10.5 mark.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
– The Irish are 6-1 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.

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.

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 419-213 (.663) record in 19-plus seasons at Delaware and Notre Dame.
– Brey earned his 300th win at Notre Dame last season. He has compiled a 320-161 (.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.