Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

ACC Tournament Preview - Five Things To Know

March 8, 2017

ND ACC Championship Notes Get Acrobat Reader

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (23-8) heads to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for its fourth ACC Championship experience. The Irish have earned a double-bye by virtue of their 12-6 regular-season conference record and will play in the tournament’s 11th game on Thursday, March 9, at approximately 9 p.m. ET. Notre Dame will face the winner of #6 Virginia vs. #11 Georgia Tech or #14 Pittsburgh.

WHO: #3 Notre Dame (23-8) in the ACC Championship Quaterfinals

WHAT: New York Life 2017 ACC Championship

WHERE: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

WHEN: Thursday, March 9, approximately 9:00 p.m. ET

TELEVISION BROADCAST: ESPN with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Doris Burke (analyst) and Maria Taylor (sideline).

RADIO BROADCAST: Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network with Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Zach Hillesland (analyst). Fans can listen online at WatchND.tv or via any Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network affiliate.

Here are Five Things To Know about the Irish in the ACC Championship –

NOTRE DAME IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT:

Notre Dame is making its fourth appearance in the ACC tournament this week at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Irish have earned a double-bye for the tournament in the past three seasons and advanced to the semifinals in each of the past two seasons – including claiming the 2015 ACC Championship with victories over Miami, Duke and North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina.

See page 10 of this notes package for a complete look at Notre Dame’s history in conference tournament play under Mike Brey.

NOTRE DAME ACC TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Date

City

Site

ND Rank

Opp Rank

W/L

ND

Opp

2014

3/12/2014

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro Coliseum

L

69

81

2015

3/12/2015

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro Coliseum

11 / 9

W

74

64

3/13/2015

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro Coliseum

11 / 9

2 / 2

W

74

64

3/14/2015

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro Coliseum

11 / 9

19 / 19

W

90

82

2016

3/10/2016

Washington, DC

Verizon Center

19 / 20

W OT

84

79

3/11/2016

Washington, DC

Verizon Center

3 / 3

L

47

78

BARCLAYS CENTER SUCCESS:

Notre Dame’s victory over Northwestern in the 2016 Legends Classic championship game marked the program’s fifth-straight victory in the home of the 2017 ACC Championship.

Notre Dame at the Barclays Center:

Date

ND Rank

Opponent

Opp Rank

Result

Score

Tournament

11-16-12

20/21

St. Joseph’s

L (OT)

70-79

Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

11-17-12

20/21

BYU

W

78-68

Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

3-18-16

Michigan

W

70-63

NCAA Tournament

3-20-16

Stephen F. Austin

W

76-75

NCAA Tournament

11-21-16

Colorado

W

89-83

Legends Classic

11-22-16

Northwestern

W

70-66

Legends Classic

FARRELL LOVES NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY:

Junior guard Matt Farrell has made a claim as one of the most improved players in the nation this season, leading the team in assists (65, 5.9 per game) while scoring 13.8 points-per-game and converting on all 27 of his free throw attempts.

Farrell’s stellar play in the 2016 Legend Classic tournament games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, earned him the tournament MVP award and his impressive perfromance against No. 1/1 Villanova on Dec. 10 in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, New Jersey, proved that the Bridgewater, New Jersey, native loves to compete in front of his hometown fans.

Here is a breakdown of Farrell’s preformances in New York and New Jersey this season:

Date

Opponent

Min

FG-A

3FG-A

FT-A

O-D-R

PF

A

TO

B

S

Pts

11/21

Colorado

32

7-13

2-4

4-4

0-1-1

3

6

0

0

3

20

11/22

Northwestern

34

5-11

2-4

6-6

1-2-3

2

6

1

0

1

18

12/10

Villanova

37

8-13

2-5

0-0

0-2-2

4

6

2

0

2

18

Totals

103

20-37

6-13

10-10

1-5-6

9

18

3

0

6

56

Averages

34.3

.541

.462

1.000

2.0

3.0

6.0

1.0

0

2.0

18.7

IRISH EXTEND THREE-YEAR WIN MARK RECORD:

Notre Dame’s victory over Boston College on March 1, 2017, pushed the program’s win record over the past three seasons to 79. The Irish already posted the best two-year stretch of victories last season, winning 56 combined games in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Season 1

Wins

Season 2

Wins

Season 3

Wins

Total

2014-15

32

2015-16

24

2016-17

23

79

2010-11

27

2011-12

22

2012-13

25

74

2013-14

15

2014-15

32

2015-16

24

71

2008-09

21

2009-10

23

2010-11

27

71

USE INK TO PUT VASTURIA IN THE STARTING LINEUP:

Senior guard and team tri-captain Steve Vasturia, who head coach Mike Brey has said keeps him calm on the sidelines while in the lineup, has started 112 consecutive games for the Irish. As a freshman guard, Vasturia’s first start came at Maryland on Jan. 15, 2014, but he entered the starting line up permanently on February 16, 2014, playing 30 minutes and scoring seven points in a victory at Boston College. The Philadelphia, Pa., native has not left the Irish starting five since that game.

Vasturia is the tied for third Notre Dame player to start 100 consecutive games in a career.

Consecutive Games Started at Notre Dame:

Games

Name

Years

1.

128

Chris Thomas

2001-05

2.

120

Pat Connaughton

2011-15

3.

112

Steve Vasturia

2013-17

4.

111

Pat Garrity

1994-98

Vasturia also is climbing the charts at Notre Dame for most career games played with 129 entering the NC State game. With regular season games remaining and at least two post season games to be played, Vasturia could reach second on the all-time games played list and any post season success could see him match former teammate Pat Connaughton for the school record.

GAMES PLAYED AT NOTRE DAME:

1.

139

Pat Connaughton

2011-15

2.

136

Tory Jackson

2006-10

3.

133

Eric Atkins

2010-14

133

Matt Carroll

1999-2003

5.

132

Steve Vasturia

2013-17

6.

130

Jonathan Peoples

2006-10

130

David Graves

1998-2002

7.

129

Luke Harangody

2006-10

9.

128

Zach Auguste

2012-16

128

Luke Zeller

2005-09

128

Chris Thomas

2001-05

12.

127

V.J. Beachem

2013-17

127

Harold Swangan

1998-2002

14.

126

Jordan Cornette

2001-05

15.

124

Elmer Bennett

1988-92

NOTRE DAME IN THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP – BY THE NUMBERS:

1

Junior Bonzie Colson is the only player in the ACC to finish the season averaging a double-double (17.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg). An All-ACC First Team Selection, Colson also is among the final 15 in consideration for the 2017 John R. Wooden Award, given to college basketball’s player of the year.

1.70

Assist-to-turnover ratio for Notre Dame this sesason, the second-best in the nation behind UCLA (1.90).

4

Notre Dame is the only ACC program to have four players mentioned on the All-ACC team this season. Bonzie Colson was a first-team selection while seniors V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia, along with junior Matt Farrell, all earned honorable mention. The four player awards also mark the most all-conference mentions the Notre Dame program has ever received.

5

Notre Dame has won five consecutive games at the Barclays Center, including two games in the NCAA touranment last season and two wins earlier this season when the Irish claimed the Legends Classic title. See page 3 for more details.

6

Notre Dame has earned a double bye in a conference tournament six of the last eight seasons. The Irish advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament each time they have earned a double bye. Notre Dame has earned a double-bye in the ACC tournament three out of its four years in the league. See page 12 for more details.

10

Mike Brey has led the Irish to a top-four conference finish in 10 of his 17 years on the Irish bench.

10.4

Rebounds-per-game average for Bonzie Colson, which leads the conference and is 14th in the country (as of March 6). Colson also leads the ACC in overall double-doubles (18) and 10-rebound performances (19).

18.7

Points-per-game average for Bridgewater, New Jersey, native Matt Farrell in Notre Dame’s three games played in New York/New Jersey this season (two Legends Classic games, vs. Villanova at the Prudential Center). See page 3 for more details.

21

Junior Matt Farrell has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 21 consecutive games, the second-best streak of any ACC player (L. Kennard, Duke, 34 games). Farrell is fourth in the ACC in 3FG% at .425.

80.9

Free throw percentage for Notre Dame this season, the best in the nation.

91.1

Free throw percentage for Steve Vasturia this season, first in the ACC and eighth in the nation.

379

Victories at Notre Dame for head coach Mike Brey, the second-most in Notre Dame history and 14 away from the all-time record (393).

1,000

Steve Vasturia, V.J. Beachem and Bonzie Colson have all reached 1,000 career points this season – the first time since 1991-92 three Irish players have reached that milestone in the same year (see page 5 for more details).