NOTRE DAME vs. ALABAMA A&M
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (8-4) returns to Purcell Pavilion after the holiday break for its final non-conference game of the season with Alabama A&M (3-7) on Sunday afternoon (12 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra).
- The Irish and Bulldogs will be meeting for the first time in men’s basketball on Sunday afternoon.
- Alabama A&M, a member of the SWAC, is the fourth SWAC opponent to face the Irish in Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame has victories over Mississippi Valley State (2011), Grambling (2014) and Prairie View A&M (1987).
ALABAMA A&M IS THE FINAL OF FOUR FIRST-TIME OPPONENTS IN 2019-20
The 2019-20 schedule welcomes four first-time opponents to Notre Dame’s men’s basketball schedule (Robert Morris (W, 92-57), Howard (W, 79-50), Presbyterian (W, 63-53) and Alabama A&M) matching the same number from last season (UIC, Radford, Oklahoma and Jacksonville).
Under Mike Brey, the Irish are 48-5 (.906) in games featuring first-time program meetings.
| NOTRE DAME | GAME DAY INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, December 29, 2019 |
| Time | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| Site: | Purcell Pavilion • Notre Dame, IN • Capacity 9,149 |
| TV: | ACC Network Extra • Jack Benjamin (play-by-play) • Mike Lightfoot (analyst) |
| Radio: | Notre Dame Radio Network • Jack Nolan (play-by-play) • Zach Hillesland (Notre Dame '09) (analyst) Available locally on WSBT AM/FM and worldwide on und.com. |
| Tickets: | Tickets are still available at und.com/buytickets |
Notre Dame MBB Notes vs. Alabama A&M (PDF)
BY THE NUMBERS: IRISH vs. BULLDOGS
|
1 |
Notre Dame leads the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 9.7 in 12 games this season. |
|
1.84 |
Notre Dame leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.84. The Irish are ahead of Virginia Tech (1.58) and Richmond (1.56). The Irish have 214 assists this season compared to just 116 turnovers. |
|
2 |
Senior John Mooney is second the nation and first among major conference players in rebounds-per-game with a 13.1 average. Mooney has recorded double-doubles in nine of 11 games played this season and is the only player in Division I to average 14-plus points and 13-plus rebounds per game this season. |
|
3 |
Notre Dame is the only ACC team with three players in the top five of the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio. T.J. Gibbs is second (3.62), Prentiss Hubb fourth (2.24) and Rex Pflueger is fifth (2.21). In addition, all three players rank in the top 25 among major conference players this season (Gibbs third, Hubb 21st, Pflueger 24th). |
|
3.62 |
Senior T.J. Gibbs boasts a 3.62 assist-to-turnover ratio, a number ranked third in the country among major conference players (Abissa Bede, Virginia Tech, 3.85; Connor McCaffery, Iowa, 3.83). These three players are the only major conference players with a 3.5+ assist to turnover ratio this year. |
|
9 |
John Mooney is third in the country with nine double-doubles in 2019-20 (he also has logged six consecutive double-doubles entering the Alabama A&M game). There are just three Division I players with nine or more double-doubles this season, led by William & Mary’s Nathan Knight and DePaul’s Paul Reed with 10. |
|
9.8 |
John Mooney’s work on the backboard continues to be underrated across the country. Second in overall rebounding in Division I, Mooney leads all Division I players with a 9.8 defensive rebounds per game average. |
|
12.0 |
Best sixth man in the country? Sophomore Dane Goodwin (averaing 12.0 off the bench this year) is making a case for that title. Only two major conference players average over 12 points per game off the bench (with at least 10 games played). Goodwin’s 11.7 average is second among those players (led by Vanderbilt’s Saban Lee with a 16.9 average). |
|
12.3 |
The Irish continue their tradition of ‘defend without fouling’ in 2019-20 – currently ranked third in the country in personal fouls per game (12.1 – behind Virginia’s 11.9 and Virginia Tech’s 12.2). In the last decade, Notre Dame has finished out of the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls per game just twice and led the country in the category three times. See page 2 for more details. |
|
17.8 |
Notre Dame is currently ranked fifth in the country and first in the ACC in assists per game with a 17.8 average. The Irish have three games this season with over 20 team assists (22 vs. Howard, 24 vs. FDU, school-record tying 33 vs. Detroit Mercy. |
|
33 |
The Irish compiled 33 team assists in the victory over Detroit Mercy on December 10, matching the school record set at Manhattan in 1986. It was the most of the Mike Brey era and just the fourth time a Notre Dame team has reached 30 or more assists in a game. |
|
801 |
Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey acheived another milestone in his career against UCLA on December 14. Coach Brey manned the sidelines for his 800th career game, becoming the 25th active coach to reach 800 career games. Brey is the winningest coach in Notre Dame men’s basketball history (425), 23rd on the active wins list in college basketball and 10th in wins by any coach at his current institution (see page 9 for more details). |
MOONEY SECOND IN THE COUNTRY IN REBOUNDING
Senior forward John Mooney is currently second the nation in rebounds per game with a 13.1 average. Mooney is the only Division I player in the country averaging 14-plus points and 13-plus rebounds per game.
NATIONAL REBOUNDING LEADERS:
|
Player |
School |
Reb/Game |
|
Kevin Marfo |
Quinnipiac |
13.5 |
|
JOHN MOONEY |
NOTRE DAME |
13.1 |
|
Willie Jackson |
Toledo |
12.6 |
|
Manny Camper |
Siena |
11.8 |
|
James Butler |
Drexel |
11.5 |
|
Justin Bean |
Utah State |
11.4 |
|
Cyril Langevine |
Rhode Island |
11.2 |
|
Kim Aiken Jr. |
East Washington |
11.2 |
MOONEY CLIMBING THE CAREER REBOUND CHART
Passing 600 career rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson, John Mooney became the eighth Mike Brey-era (2000-01- current) player to surpass 600 career rebounds. The Notre Dame career top 25 rebounding chart begins at 715 (see page 23).
BREY ERA REBOUNDING TOTALS
|
Player |
Seasons |
Rebounds |
|
Luke Harangody |
2006-10 |
1,222 |
|
Torin Francis |
2002-06 |
969 |
|
Bonzie Colson |
2014-18 |
900 |
|
Pat Connaughton |
2011-15 |
823 |
|
Zach Auguste |
2012-16 |
822 |
|
Jack Cooley |
2009-13 |
792 |
|
JOHN MOONEY |
2015-20 |
674 |
|
Rob Kurz |
2004-08 |
650 |
MOONEY POSTS DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN NINE OF FIRST 11 GAMES
Senior forward John Mooney, who led all major conference players in rebounds per game in league action last season and was one of seven major conference players to average a double-double, is off to an even better pace in 2019-20.
The Orlando, Florida, native has posted nine double-doubles in 11 games played this season. He paced the ACC with 20 in 33 games played last year (and 13 in conference play – the most since Tim Duncan in 1996-97) and is up to 30 total in his career (good for 16th on the all-time Notre Dame double-double list).
Mooney missed the Presbyterian game with an illness.
MOONEY DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN 2019-20
|
Opponent |
Points |
Rebounds |
|
Robert Morris |
10 |
10 |
|
Howard |
18 |
16 |
|
Marshall |
28 |
16 |
|
Fairleigh Dickinson |
13 |
13 |
|
at Maryland |
12 |
17 |
|
Boston College |
16 |
18 |
|
Detroit Mercy |
15 |
11 |
|
UCLA |
15 |
14 |
|
Indiana |
15 |
10 |
DURHAM POSTS TWO NOTEWORTHY DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Senior Juwan Durham responded to the loss of John Mooney (illness) on the front line against Presbyterian with 11 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots to record his second career double-double. He followed up with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four more blocks against Fairleigh Dickinson. It was just the seventh and eighth time a Mike Brey era player has recorded 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 4+ blocks – and the first time since John Mooney did it at North Carolina last season.
Others who have accomplished such a double-double include current Irish assistant coach Ryan Humphrey (2001), Torin Francis twice (2003, 2004), Luke Harangody (2008) and Bonzie Colson (2017).
DURHAM ALREADY AMONG TOP SHOT BLOCKERS IN NOTRE DAME HISTORY
Blocked shots are one of the youngest official NCAA official statistics, only becoming a part of the game boxscore for the 1985-86 season. With that in mind, it is still noteworthy that senior Juwan Durham (who still retains a year of eligiblity after 2019-20) has already established himself as one of the top shot blockers in Notre Dame history.
In his first full season at Notre Dame in 2018-19, Durham swatted 63 shots which ranks fifth on the Notre Dame single-season blocked shots list.
This season, Durham pushed his career blocked-shot average to 2.4 and is one of just three Notre Dame players to average over 2.0 blocks per game:
|
Player |
Seasons |
Blocks Per Game |
|
Ryan Humphrey |
2000-02 |
2.8 |
|
JUWAN DURHAM |
2018-current |
2.4 |
|
LaPhonso Ellis |
1988-92 |
2.1 |
Durham’s 94 total blocks at Notre Dame currently rank him 12th all-time (see sidebar, page 5). Jordan Cornette is the Notre Dame blocked shots record holder with 201 from 2001-05.
A NOTEWORTHY VICTORY
Notre Dame’s 110-71 victory over Detroit Mercy on Tuesday, December 10, saw the Irish post several program-bests and individual career highs. Here is a glimpse at some of the superlatives Notre Dame logged against the Titans:
TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Assists – 33 – tied school record set at Manhattan in 1986, best of Brey era
Three Point Field Goals – 20 – tied school record set vs. Villanova in 2008
Field Goals Made – 41 – tied for second-most of Brey era
Points In Regulation – 110 – most in Brey era (Irish scored 116 points in 4OT vs. Georgetown in 2002)
INDIVIDUAL SUPERALTIVES
Points – 27 – Sophomore Dane Goodwin – also second-most off the bench in the Brey era (Bonzie Colson had 31 vs. Duke in 2016)
Points – 16 – (career-high matching) Senior Juwan Durham
Three-Point Field Goals – 6 – (career-high matching) Senior T.J. Gibbs
Three-Point Field Goals – 5 – Sophomore Dane Goodwin
Assists – 11 – Sophomore Prentiss Hubb
Assists – 8 – Senior T.J. Gibbs
Rebounds – 7 – (career-high matching) Sophomore Dane Goodwin
GIBBS JOINS 1,000-300-200-100 CLUB
Senior T.J. Gibbs, who reached the 1,000-point career mark last season, has joined another exclusive club. With 325 assists, Gibbs has now recorded 1,000 points, 300 assists, 200 rebounds and 100 steals in his time at Notre Dame.
Only Chris Thomas, Jerian Grant, Chris Quinn, Eric Atkins, Steve Vasturia, Tory Jackson and Demetrius Jackson all reached those milestones under Mike Brey at Notre Dame.
PFLUEGER JOINS 300-200-100 CLUB
Graduate student Rex Pflueger is one of just 10 players since 1996-97 (the year Notre Dame joined a conference) to compile 300 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a career.
The list of players who have reached the 300-200-100 plateau: Chris Thomas, Tory Jackson, David Graves, Jerian Grant, Chris Quinn, Eric Atkins, Steve Vasturia, Matt Carroll, Demetrius Jackson, T.J. Gibbs and Pflueger.
PFLUEGER MAKES WINNING PLAYS
Graduate student Rex Pflueger, who missed the final 23 games of the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL in his left leg, returned to the lineup in the season opener this season and has quickly returned to form. Dating back to his freshman season when his last-second tip in in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Stephen F. Austin pushed Notre Dame to the Sweet 16, Pflueger has been making winning plays for the Irish – with the come-from-behind victory over Toledo the latest example.
A breakdown of Pflueger’s big plays over the final three minutes and overtime of the win over the Rockets:
|
Time Remaining |
Play |
Led To |
Notes |
|
2:51 |
Steal |
Hubb Lay Up |
Cut Toledo lead to three |
|
0:29 |
Steal |
Pflueger FT |
Cut Toledo lead back to two |
|
1.5 seconds |
Assist |
Laszewski 3FG |
Executed baseline out of bounds play to send game to overtime |
|
4:21 OT |
Rebound |
Goodwin FG |
Rebound first miss in OT |
|
0:25 OT |
Lay Up |
Pflueger FG |
Back door cut to open lay up, give ND lead in overtime |
|
0:01 OT |
Free Throws |
Pflueger 2 FT |
Two free throws provide the winning points |
IRISH CLAIM MABC HONORS
The University of Notre Dame capped off a clean run through the 2019 Men Against Breast Cancer Invitational with a 64-62 overtime victory against Toledo on Thursday, November 21. Combined with a victory in the 2018 Gotham Classic Showcase Game, Notre Dame has won 15 of its last 16 in-season tournament contests – a run that includes the 2016 Legends Classic Championship and the 2017 Maui Inviational title.
John Mooney added to his personal trophy case by garnering MABC MVP honors (as voted on by media members attending each contest). Mooney follows up on his MVP honors in the Gotham Classic Showcase game from last season. Graduate student Rex Pfleuger and sophomore Dane Goodwin were named to the MABC All-Tournament Team as well.
A look at Mooney, Pfleuger and Goodwin’s statistics during the four game MABC Invitational:
|
Player |
MP |
FG |
FGA |
FG% |
3FG |
3FGA |
3FG% |
FT |
FTA |
FT% |
REB |
REB/G |
AST |
BLK |
STL |
PTS |
PTS/G |
|
Mooney |
118 |
25 |
60 |
.417 |
5 |
19 |
.263 |
8 |
17 |
.471 |
57 |
14.3 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
63 |
15.8 |
|
Pflueger |
104 |
8 |
27 |
.296 |
3 |
14 |
.214 |
8 |
9 |
.889 |
18 |
4.5 |
12 |
1 |
8 |
27 |
6.8 |
|
Goodwin |
96 |
20 |
37 |
.541 |
6 |
13 |
.462 |
10 |
11 |
.909 |
17 |
4.3 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
56 |
14.0 |
IRISH TRADITIONALLY AMONG BEST IN THE COUNTRY AT TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Notre Dame finished third in the NCAA last season in turnovers per game – posting the fifth consecutive season of ranking in the nation’s top-10 for least amount of turnovers in a game.
The Irish have not averaged over 10.0 turnovers per game since a 10.3 mark in 2013-14 (which was still good enough for 26th nationally).
NOTRE DAME TURNOVERS PER GAME, LAST FIVE SEASONS
|
Season |
Turnovers/Game |
National Rank |
Conference Rank |
|
2014-15 |
9.4 |
5 |
2 |
|
2015-16 |
10 |
10 |
3 |
|
2016-17 |
9.5 |
2 |
1 |
|
2017-18 |
9.9 |
7 |
2 |
|
2018-19 |
9.3 |
7 |
2 |
|
2019-20 |
9.7 |
1 |
1 |
MOST ACTIVE FRESHMAN CLASS SINCE 1972-73 NOW SOPHOMORES
The five-person freshman class of Robby Carmody, Chris Doherty, Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb and Nate Laszewski combined to play 2,680 minutes in 2018-19 – the most of the Mike Brey era and since freshman became eligible at Notre Dame in 1972-73.
FRESHMAN PLAYING TIME – SINCE 1972-73
|
Season |
Number of Players |
Minutes Played |
|
2018-19 |
5 |
2,680 |
|
1999-2000 |
4 |
2,332 |
|
1998-99 |
5* |
2,211 |
|
1973-74 |
6 |
2,031 |
|
1982-83 |
5 |
2,060 |
|
1988-89 |
5 |
1,974 |
* – three scholarship players
KELLY TRIPUCKA TO ENTER THE PURCELL PAVILION RING OF HONOR
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball program has announced that Kelly Tripucka (1977-81) will be inducted into the Purcell Pavilion Ring of Honor on February 1, 2020. A three-time All-American and 12th-leading scorer in school history, Tripucka will be the ninth men’s basketball addition to the Ring of Honor, which is the highest honor the program can bestow on a former student-athlete or coach.
Tripucka was an energizing force during one of the most successful periods of men’s basketball at the University of Notre Dame. A Notre Dame legacy, Tripucka’s father, Frank, was a standout quarterback for the Fighting Irish football team and an NFL first-round draft pick in 1949. After a remarkable prep career at Bloomfield High School, Tripucka helped the Irish compile a 92-26 four-year record with each of Tripucka’s teams appearing in the NCAA tournament.
A versatile and athletic player who could drive by slower defenders, post up smaller defenders and shoot over any player, Tripucka saved his more noteworthy performances for Notre Dame’s top-ranked opponents. As a rookie he secured his spot in a talented starting lineup with a 15-point second half against defending national champion and top-ranked Marquette (Feb. 26, 1978) as the Irish erased a 14-point lead for a 65-59 victory.
Later that year Tripucka was named the Most Valuable Player of the Midwest Regional that propelled Notre Dame to the 1978 Final Four by scoring 20 points against Utah in the Sweet 16, then putting up 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Elite Eight victory over rival DePaul.
He also led Notre Dame by scoring 28 points in the legendary double overtime victory over top-ranked and undefeated DePaul (25-0) on February 27, 1980 – a contest considered to this day as one of the most thrilling in the history of Purcell Pavilion.
Upon the completion of his four years at Notre Dame, Tripucka was fourth on the all-time scoring list (1,719), fifth in field goal percentage (.548), third in free throw percentage (.798) and third in free throws made (461). He owns the Notre Dame single-game record for free throws attempted and made, connecting on 23 of 26 attempts against Dayton on February 3, 1979. Tripucka’s teams at Notre Dame claimed 11 wins over top-10 teams including three victories over a top-ranked team (Marquette, DePaul and Virginia).
Tripucka was selected 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1981 NBA Draft. He earned an all-star berth in his rookie season and spent five successful seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Utah Jazz for Purcell Pavilion Ring of Honor inductee and former teammate Adrian Dantley. After two seasons with the Jazz, Tripucka helped launch the expansion Charlotte Hornets franchise, leading the team with 22.6 points per game during the franchise’s inaugural season.
Over his 10 seasons in the NBA, Tripucka scored 12,142 points (17.2 per game) with 2,703 rebounds and 2,090 assists while earning two All-Star game selections.
Inducted into the National Polish-American Hall of Fame in 2000, Tripucka also has been named the New Jersey Star-Ledger “New Jersey Boys’ Basketball Player of the Century’ and in 2008 was named to the “50 Greatest Pistons” team.
Tripucka will be honored at halftime of the Notre Dame – Georgia Tech game on February 1, 2020. The game is scheduled to tip off at 12 noon ET.