Feb. 28, 2017
By Alan Wasielewski
WHO: No. 19/13 Notre Dame (22-7, 11-5 ACC) vs. Boston College (9-20, 2-14 ACC)
WHAT: Final home game of the 2016-17 season.
WHERE: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center (limited tickets available)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 1, 2017
TELEVISION BROADCAST: ACC Network with Evan Lepler (play-by-play) and Cory Alexander (analyst).
The broadcast can be viewed via ACC Network Affiilates or via ACC Network Extra on the WatchESPN app (subject to black out).
RADIO BROADCAST: Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network with Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Zach Hillesland (analyst).
The broadcast can be heard on WatchND.tv or via any Notre Dame Basketball Network Affiliate.
Here are Five Things To Know about the Irish – Eagles match up –
NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES HISTORY:
Notre Dame and Boston College will be meeting for the 29th time on Wednesday evening and the eighth time as ACC opponents. The Irish have won all seven meetings between the two teams since Notre Dame joined the ACC for the 2013-14 season. Notre Dame also won the last meeting between the two teams as Big East Conference members in 2005, giving the Irish an eight-game win streak over the Eagles.
Boston College and Georgia Tech are Notre Dame’s two designated repeat opponents each season in the ACC. Notre Dame rallied from a 10-point deficit to defeat Boston College 84-76 in Conte Forum on Feb. 14, 2017.
NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE AS ACC MEMBERS | 7-0 | HOME 3-0 | AWAY 4-0
|
Date |
City |
Site |
ND rank |
Opp rank |
W/L |
ND |
Opp |
|
2/1/2014 |
~Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
W OT |
76 |
73 |
||
|
2/16/2014 |
~Chestnut Hill, MA |
Conte Forum |
W |
73 |
69 |
||
|
2/4/2015 |
~Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
10 / 10 |
W |
71 |
63 |
|
|
2/21/2015 |
~Chestnut Hill, MA |
Conte Forum |
10 / 10 |
W |
87 |
70 |
|
|
1/7/2016 |
~Chestnut Hill, MA |
Conte Forum |
W |
82 |
54 |
||
|
1/23/2016 |
~Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
25 / nr |
W |
76 |
49 |
|
|
2/14/2017 |
~Chestnut Hill, MA |
Conte Forum |
25/20 |
W |
84 |
76 |
~ – ACC Game.
SENIOR CLASS OF ‘WINNERS’:
Seniors V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia will play their final home games at Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday night.
“Steve and V.J. are two of the greatest winners in the history of this basketball program,” head coach Mike Brey said after the victory over Georgia Tech on February 26, 2017.
Beachem and Vasturia have combined to help the Irish achieve –
- Back-to-Back NCAA Elite Eight Apperances in 2015 and 2016
- School-record two-year win total of 56 in 2014-15 and 2015-16
- School-record three-year win total of 78 in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17
- Ninety-Three total victories, the fifth-most in a four-year span at Notre Dame (see ‘Winningest Class At Notre Dame?’ note below).
- The first conference championship in program history – 2015 ACC Championship
In the Notre Dame record book:
Steve Vasturia – 2nd FT% (.850), 4th consecutive starts (110), 5th games played (130), 19th assists (310), 21st 3FG% (.368), 29th scoring (1,326). Only second Notre Dame player (Chris Thomas, 2001-05) to score 1,300 points with 300 assists and shoot over .850 from the free throw line.
V.J. Beachem – 13th 3FG% (.404), 14th games played (125), 15th in blocked shots (74), 45th in scoring (1,132).
WINNINGEST CLASS AT NOTRE DAME?
The 2016-17 senior class of Steve Vasturia, V.J. Beachem and Austin Torres (Torres will return for a fifth-year of eligibility in 2017-18) could become the winningest class in Notre Dame basketball history.
The 16-17 class has compiled 88 wins over the past four years, putting the all-time mark of 97 by the 2012-13 group in reach (Notre Dame has at least 13 games remaining this season, including a game in the ACC Championship and a post season apperance).
MOST WINS – FOUR YEAR SPAN:
|
Year 1 |
Wins |
Year 2 |
Wins |
Year 3 |
Wins |
Year 4 |
Wins |
Total |
|
2009-10 |
23 |
2010-11 |
27 |
2011-12 |
22 |
2012-13 |
25 |
97 |
|
2007-08 |
25 |
2008-09 |
21 |
2009-10 |
23 |
2010-11 |
27 |
96 |
|
2012-13 |
25 |
2013-14 |
15 |
2014-15 |
32 |
2015-16 |
24 |
96 |
|
2011-12 |
22 |
2012-13 |
25 |
2013-14 |
15 |
2014-15 |
32 |
94 |
|
2013-14 |
15 |
2014-15 |
32 |
2015-16 |
24 |
2016-17 |
22 |
93 |
|
2008-09 |
21 |
2009-10 |
23 |
2010-11 |
27 |
2011-12 |
22 |
93 |
|
2006-07 |
24 |
2007-08 |
25 |
2008-09 |
21 |
2009-10 |
23 |
93 |
|
1977-78 |
23 |
1978-79 |
24 |
1979-80 |
22 |
1980-81 |
23 |
92 |
|
1975-76 |
23 |
1976-77 |
22 |
1977-78 |
23 |
1978-79 |
24 |
92 |
|
1973-74 |
26 |
1974-75 |
19 |
1975-76 |
23 |
1976-77 |
22 |
90 |
COLSON A 20-10 SPECIALIST:
Senior forward Bonzie Colson, a candidate for the Wooden Award, Naismith Award and the ACC Player of the Year, has posted seven 20-point, 10-rebound performances this year. All seven of those performances have come against Power 5 Conference teams.
|
Opponent |
Opponent Rank |
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
Blocks |
Steals |
|
vs. Colorado* |
-/- |
22 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Iowa |
-/- |
24 |
17 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
vs. Purdue& |
15/16 |
23 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
at Pittsburgh |
-/- |
21 |
14 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
Wake Forest |
-/- |
27 |
16 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
|
Florida State |
14/15 |
33 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Georgia Tech |
-/- |
20 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
* – Legends Classic, Barclays Center, Brookly, N.Y. | & – Crossroads Classic, BankersLife Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
FARRELL STEPS UP IN THE SECOND HALF:
Junior guard Matt Farrell has established a pattern of solid play in the second half of Notre Dame’s games in the ACC. Farrell has scored double-figures in eight of 16 second halves played in the ACC this season, including a season-high 14 in the victory over Georgia Tech.
Other notable second halves for Farrell in ACC play this season include 12 points and three assists vs. Clemson, 11 points and seven assists at Florida State and 11 points with four assists vs. Wake Forest.
Farrell Second Half ACC Numbers:
|
Games |
Points/Half |
Assists/Half |
FG% |
3FG% |
FT% |
Assist/TO Ratio |
|
16 |
8.5 |
3.0 |
44.1 |
42.9 |
76.7 |
2.5 |
NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE – BY THE NUMBERS:
|
1.68 |
Assist-to-turnover ratio for Notre Dame this sesason, the second-best in the nation behind UCLA (1.85). |
|
3 |
Junior forward Bonzie Colson is the only ACC player to rank in the conference top 10 for scoring (10th, 16.8), rebounding (1st, 10.6) and free throw percentage (10th, .811). |
|
5 |
Notre Dame, which is in the running to earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament entering the final week of conference play, has earned a double bye in five of the last seven seasons. The Irish advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament in each season they earned a double bye. See page 10 for more details. |
|
10.6 |
Rebounds-per-game average for Bonzie Colson, which leads the ACC and is 11th in the country (as of Feb. 28). Colson also leads the ACC in overall double-doubles (17) and 10-rebound performances (18). |
|
11 |
Notre Dame has posted 11 double-digit conference win seasons in 17 years under Mike Brey, including three of the four years the Irish have been a part of the ACC. |
|
13 |
20-win seasons in 17 years as the head coach at Notre Dame for Mike Brey, matching the school-record for 20-win seasons (see page 3 for more details). |
|
19 |
Junior Matt Farrell has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 19 consecutive games, the second-best streak of any ACC player (L. Kennard, Duke, 31 games). Farrell is third in the ACC in 3FG% at .432. |
|
24 |
Notre Dame is 24-5 (.827) wearing gold uniforms over the past three seasons. The Irish were 10-2 in gold in 2014-15, 9-3 in gold last season and are 5-0 wearing gold jerseys this season. Since 2010-11, the Irish have worn gold uniforms 54 times, winning 42 of those games (.778 percentage). |
|
81.5 |
Free-throw percentage for Notre Dame this season, the best in the nation. |
|
82.2 |
NCAA record free throw shooting percentage by Harvard in 1984. The Irish are in the running to threaten that mark this season (ND is currently shooting 81.5) and could set a new ACC single-season record (.799 by NC State in 2004). |
|
90.9 |
Free throw percentage for Steve Vasturia this season, first in the ACC and seventh in the nation. |
|
93 |
Total victories over the past four seasons for the senior class of 2017 (V.J. Beachem, Steve Vasturia and Pat Mazza) who are playing their final games at Purcell Pavilion Wednesday night. The school record for wins over a four-year span is 97 (see page 3 for more details). |
|
310 |
Career assists for Steve Vasturia – the 19th ND player to amass 300 assists. Vasturia also has scored 1,319 points, becoming the 11th Irish player to score over 1,300 points and dish out 300 assists. Vasturia joins Chris Thomas (2001-05) as the only Notre Dame player to score 1,300 points, post 300 assists and shoot over .850 from the free throw line. |
|
378 |
Victories at Notre Dame for head coach Mike Brey, the second-most in Notre Dame history and 15 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). |
–ND–
Alan Wasielewski is an Associate Athletics Communication Director in Fighting Irish Media and works with the men’s basketball and rowing teams.