| WHO: | No. 11 Notre Dame (23-10) vs. No. 6 Alabama (19-13) |
| WHAT: | NCAA Tournament First Round |
| WHERE: | Viejas Arena | San Diego, CA |
| WHEN: | Friday, March 18, 2022 | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| TICKETS: | Available at ticketmaster.com |
| TV: | TNT | Play-by-Play: Lisa Byington | Analyst: Steve Smith| Analyst: Avery Johnson | Sideline: Lauren Shehadi |
| LOCAL RADIO: | Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network | Play-by-Play: Tony Simeone | Live locally on WSBT-AM 960/FM 96.1 |
| NATIONAL RADIO: | Westwood One Radio | Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch | Analyst: PJ Carlesimo | Sirius/XM Channel 84 |
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team returns, fresh off a double overtime victory over Rutgers in the First Four, heads across country to take on No. 6 seed Alabama in the First Round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, on Friday, March 18 (4:15 p.m. ET).
NOTRE DAME – NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Overall Appearances: 37, 10th all-time
Overall Record: 40-40
Appearances in Mike Brey era: 13
Record in Mike Brey era: 14-12
NOTRE DAME – ALABAMA SERIES HISTORY
Overall: ND leads 3-2
Mike Brey Era (2000-01-current): Series tied 2-2
Streak: Alabama 1-0, 74-73 in the 11/29/15 in the Advocare Invitational at HP Fieldhouse in Disney World
Mike Brey vs. Nate Oats: First meeting
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
|
23 |
Dane Goodwin |
SR |
6-4 |
202 |
Upper Arlington, OH |
13.9 ppg |
4.7 rpg |
.503 fg |
.456 3fg |
.845 ft |
• 2022 All-ACC Third Team
• The only player in the nation with .500 FG%, .440 3FG%, .840 FT% and averaging over 13.0 ppg.
• ACC Co-Player of the Week (12/27/21) who has become an All-ACC level guard this season.
|
0 |
Blake Wesley |
FR |
6-5 |
185 |
South Bend, IN |
14.4 ppg |
3.6 rpg |
2.4 apg |
40 stl |
• The only true freshmen in the country with 450 points, 100 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 3FGM and 40 steals.
• 2022 All-ACC Second Team & All-Rookie Team selection
• Has posted double-digit scoring streaks of 17 (Notre Dame best for a freshman) and nine games this season.
• National Freshman of the Week on January 10 (CBSSports/BWAA) and three-time ACC Freshman of the Week.
• In his first career start in Purcell Pavilion, hit the game-winning jump shot with :12 left to defeat No. 10/12 Kentucky.
• First South Bend, IN, public school MBB prospect to attend Notre Dame since 1985.
|
20 |
Paul Atkinson Jr. |
GR |
6-9 |
230 |
W. Palm Beach, FL |
12.8 ppg |
6.9 rpg |
.593 fg |
.748 ft |
20 blk |
• Led all scorers with 26 points on 13-of-15 shooting in the First Four win over Rutgers, including the game-winning put back with 1.4 remaining in double overtime.
• 2022 All-ACC Honorable Mention
• The only player on the Irish roster with NCAA Tournament experience (2019 at Yale, vs. LSU, L, 74-79, 19 min, 9 pts, 1 reb, 2 blk)
• Second among all active NCAA players in career field goal percentage, shooting .637 in his career. See page 7 for more details.
• 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale, did not participate in 2020-21 as the Ivy League canceled all intercollegiate athletics.
|
3 |
Prentiss Hubb |
SR |
6-3 |
176 |
Upper Marlboro, MD |
9.1 ppg |
3.1 rpg |
4.1 apg |
• Handed out seven assists and played 44 minutes without a turnover in the First Four victory over Rutgers.
• Led all active ACC players with 386 assists in conference play. See page 6 for more details.
• Has continued his penchant for game-winning plays this season, with game winning or game sealing plays at Howard, at Pittsburgh, vs. Virginia and vs. Boston College. See page 6 for more details.
|
5 |
Cormac Ryan |
SR |
6-5 |
195 |
New York, NY |
8.6 ppg |
4.8 rpg |
.384 3fg |
.825 ft |
• Has 36 points in last two games (20 vs. VT in ACC tourney, 16 vs. Rutgers in First Four), shot 7-for-12 vs. Rutgers with three steals.
• The team’s best on-ball defender who routinely assumes the assignment of the opponents best perimeter scoring threat.
• Scored 21 points in the first half in the victory at Duke last year, eventually scoring career-best 28 points.
OFF THE BENCH
|
14 |
Nate Laszewski |
SR |
6-10 |
235 |
Jupiter, FL |
9.4 ppg |
6.6 rpg |
.520 fg |
.462 3fg |
• Scored 18 points off the bench in the First Four victory over Rutgers.
• Earned fifth double-double of the season against Virginia Tech in ACC Quarterfinals.
• 14th in the country in three-point field goal percentage (.460), one of 31 players in the country this year with 50 3FGM and 200 reb.
• Became the 67th player in Notre Dame men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points against Duke.
|
2 |
Trey Wertz |
SR |
6-5 |
192 |
Charlotte, NC |
4.1 ppg |
.387 3fg |
2.0 apg |
• Keyed ND’s second half surge at NC State with ball handling against pressure and 12 points off the bench.
• Went three-for-three from three point range at Louisville, surpassing 1,000 career points (747 scored at Santa Clara).
• Planned to sit out 2020-21 after transferring from Santa Clara until all underclassmen transfers were given immediate eligibility in 12/20
• Hit the game-winning three pointer at the buzzer in the first round ACC tournament victory over Wake Forest last season.
IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS
|
1 |
Freshman Blake Wesley is the first rookie in the country this season to reach 450 points, 100 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 3FGM, and 40 steals. See page 5 for more details. |
|
3 |
Irish players received postseason honors from the ACC – Blake Wesley (All-ACC 2nd Team, All-Rookie Team), Dane Goodwin (All-ACC 3rd Team) and Paul Atkinson Jr. (All-ACC Honorable Mention). |
|
4.40 |
Prentiss Hubb’s assist/turnover ratio throughout his career in ACC competition. It is second among all active major conference players (Iowa’s Connor McCaffery is 1st at 4.46). |
|
7 |
Notre Dame will confer an NCAA men’s basketball best seven degrees in May, as seniors Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski, Cormac Ryan and Trey Wertz all will earn their undergraduate degree while graduate student Paul Atkinson Jr. has finished his work on a Master’s degree. |
|
10 |
Associate head coach Anthony Solomon returned to the staff this season for his third stint with Mike Brey. In his 12 full seasons on the Irish coaching staff, Solomon has helped Brey’s team make the NCAA tournament 10 times. |
|
12.3 |
Points-per-game average for senior Cormac Ryan since joining the starting lineup on Feb. 9, 2022 (10 games). During that 10-game run, he is shooting .545 from the field. .476 from 3FG range and pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game. |
|
15 |
The Irish have connected on 10-or-more 3FGs 15 times this season (and are 14-1 in those contests). The 2016-17 team had 16 such games, while the 2019-20 quad owns the program record at 17. |
|
26 |
Points scored by Paul Atkinson Jr. in the First Four win over Rutgers on Wednesday – the most for an Irish player in their NCAA tournament debut for the program. |
|
471 |
Wins at Notre Dame for Mike Brey – the most for any men’s basketball coach in school history and the ninth-most for any NCAA DI coach at his current institution. |