March 2, 2017
By Alan Wasielewski
WHO: No. 19/13 Notre Dame (23-7, 12-5 ACC) at No. 8/7 Louisville (23-7, 11-6)
WHAT: CBS nationally-televised game with ACC regular-season title and tournament seeding implications.
WHERE: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
WHEN: Saturday, March 4, 2:00 p.m. ET
NATIONAL BROADCAST: CBS with Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Clark Kellogg (analyst). (Live Stream)
ESPN RADIO BROADCAST: Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst).
NOTRE DAME RADIO BROADCAST: Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Zach Hillesland (analyst). You can listen on WatchND.tv or via any Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network affiliate.
Here are Five Things To Know about the Notre Dame – Louisville matchup –
NOTRE DAME vs. LOUISVILLE SERIES HISTORY:
The Irish and Cardinals renew their dramatic rivalry on Saturday afternoon. Notre Dame trails Louisville 15-20 in the all-time series history, but the Irish have won all three meetings between the two teams as ACC opponents.
This series has been notable for a number of overtime battles, including the legendary 104-101 five-overtime Notre Dame victory that ended up as the longest regular-season game in Big East conference history on Feb. 9, 2013. In all, the teams have gone into overtime nine times in 35 meetings. Louisville won the first five games in the series that advanced to overtime, but the Irish have claimed wins in three of the four most recent overtime games (Feb. 9, 2011, Jan. 7, 2012 and Feb. 9, 2013).
The Irish are 8-8 against Louisville as fellow conference members (see chart below).
See page 11 of the notes package for a complete look at the Notre Dame – Louisville series and overtime games.
NOTRE DAME vs. LOUISVILLE – AS CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: 8-8 | BIG EAST 5-8 | ACC 3-0 | HOME 6-0 | AWAY 2-5 | NEUTRAL 0-3
|
Date |
City |
Site |
ND Rank |
Opp Rank |
W/L |
ND |
Opp |
|
2/4/2006 |
*Louisville, KY |
Freedom Hall |
L OT |
86 |
89 |
||
|
1/3/2007 |
*Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
17 / 22 |
W |
78 |
62 |
|
|
2/28/2008 |
*Louisville, KY |
Freedom Hall |
17 / 17 |
13 / 18 |
L |
72 |
80 |
|
1/12/2009 |
*Louisville, KY |
Freedom Hall |
12 / 13 |
20 / 20 |
L OT |
73 |
87 |
|
2/12/2009 |
*Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
5 / 7 |
W |
90 |
57 |
|
|
2/17/2010 |
*Louisville, KY |
KFC Yum! Center |
L 2OT |
89 |
91 |
||
|
2/9/2011 |
*Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
8 / 7 |
16 / 15 |
W OT |
89 |
79 |
|
3/11/2011 |
^New York, NY |
Madison Square Garden |
4 / 4 |
14 / 14 |
L OT |
77 |
83 |
|
1/7/2012 |
*Louisville, KY |
KFC Yum! Center |
11 / 10 |
W 2OT |
67 |
65 |
|
|
3/9/2012 |
^New York, NY |
Madison Square Garden |
23 / 23 |
L |
50 |
64 |
|
|
2/9/2013 |
*Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
25 / nr |
11 / 12 |
W 5OT |
104 |
101 |
|
3/9/2013 |
*Louisville, KY |
KFC Yum! Center |
24 / 24 |
8 / 6 |
L |
57 |
73 |
|
3/15/2013 |
^New York, NY |
Madison Square Garden |
24 / nr |
4 / 4 |
L |
57 |
69 |
|
3/4/2015 |
~Louisville, KY |
KFC Yum! Center |
12 / 11 |
16 / 14 |
W |
71 |
59 |
|
2/13/2016 |
~Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
13 / nr |
W |
71 |
66 |
|
|
1/4/2017 |
~Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
23 / 21 |
9 / 9 |
W |
77 |
70 |
* – Big East Conference Game | ~ – ACC Game
CONFERENCE WIN STREAK:
Notre Dame will take a program-best six-game ACC regular-season conference win streak into Louisville on Saturday. It is the seventh win streak of five or more games of the Mike Brey era at Notre Dame (since 2000-01) and fourth longest.
|
Season |
Win Streak |
Start Date |
End Date |
Opponents |
|
2011-12 |
9 |
Jan. 21, 2012 |
Feb. 25, 2012 |
Syracuse, SHU, UConn, Marquette, WVU, DePaul, Rutgers, Villanova, WVU |
|
2000-01 |
8 |
Jan. 26, 2001 |
Feb. 18, 2001 |
Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, Georgetown, Pitt, St. John’s, WVU, Rutgers |
|
2010-11 |
7 |
Jan. 19, 2011 |
Feb. 19, 2011 |
Cincinnati, Marquette, Pitt, DePaul, Rutgers, Louisville, USF |
|
2016-17 |
6 |
Feb. 7, 2017 |
current |
Wake Forest, Florida State, BC, NC State, Georgia Tech, BC |
|
2014-15 |
5 |
Jan. 14, 2015 |
Jan. 28, 2015 |
Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia Tech, NC State, Duke |
|
2007-08 |
5 |
Jan. 26, 2008 |
Feb. 9, 2008 |
Villanova, Providence, DePaul, Seton Hall, Marquette |
|
2001-02 |
5 |
Jan. 26, 2002 |
Feb. 14, 2002 |
Seton Hall, Pitt, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Georgetown |
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 94 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 three 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 |
|
2013-14 |
15 |
2014-15 |
32 |
2015-16 |
24 |
2016-17 |
23 |
94 |
|
2011-12 |
22 |
2012-13 |
25 |
2013-14 |
15 |
2014-15 |
32 |
94 |
|
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 17 second halves played in the ACC this season, including a season-high 14 in the victory over Georgia Tech on February 26.
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 |
|
17 |
8.5 |
3.0 |
44.0 |
42.3 |
77.8 |
2.6 |
BY THE NUMBERS – NOTRE DAME AT LOUISVILLE:
|
1.70 |
Assist-to-turnover ratio for Notre Dame this sesason, the second-best in the nation behind UCLA (1.88). |
|
2 |
Members of the All-ACC Academic Men’s Basketball Team (maintain a 3.0 grade point average for previous semester and academic career) on the Irish roster – sophomore Rex Pflueger and freshman T.J. Gibbs. |
|
5 |
Notre Dame, which is in the running to earn a double bye in the ACC Tournament entering the final day of conference play on Saturday, 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 March 2). Colson also leads the ACC in overall double-doubles (18) and 10-rebound performances (19). |
|
12 |
Notre Dame has posted 12 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). |
|
20 |
Junior Matt Farrell has connected on at least one three-point field goal in 20 consecutive games, the second-best streak of any ACC player (L. Kennard, Duke, 33 games). Farrell is third in the ACC in 3FG% at .432. |
|
25 |
Notre Dame is 25-5 (.833) 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 6-0 wearing gold jerseys this season. Since 2010-11, the Irish have worn gold uniforms 55 times, winning 43 of those games (.782 percentage). |
|
81.0 |
Free-throw percentage for Notre Dame this season, the best in the nation. |
|
90.9 |
Free throw percentage for Steve Vasturia this season, first in the ACC and seventh in the nation. |
|
313 |
Career assists for Steve Vasturia – the 19th ND player to amass 300 assists. Vasturia also has scored 1,336 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. |
|
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). |
–ND–
Alan Wasielewski is an Associate Athletic Communication Director in Fighting Irish Media, working with the men’s basketball and rowing programs.