Irish Face An ACC/Big Ten Challenge At Illinois

ND MBB Notes at Illinois

2021-22 FIGHTING IRISH – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (3-2) continues its run of five away games in the ACC/Big Then Challenge at No. 14/15 Illinois (4-2) on Monday night (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The Irish are coming off a 1-2 appearance at the 2021 Maui Jim Maui Invitational in Las Vegas, while Illinois has rebounded from its first two losses of the season to Cincinnati and Marquette with victories over Kansas State and UT Rio Grande Valley.

Notre Dame is 4-4 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and 2-0 in the event against Illinois. The Irish defeated Illinois, 84-79, Dec. 2, 2015, in the dedication game of the State Farm Center then held off the Illini 76-74 on Nov. 27, 2018, in Purcell Pavilion. 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

#20 | PAUL ATKINSON JR. | Graduate Student | 6-9 | 230 | West Palm Beach, FL

Has scored in double figures in all five games this season while shooting .643 from the field (third in the ACC as of Nov. 27) • 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale • did not participate in 2020-21, as the Ivy League cancelled all intercollegiate athletics • ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in  2020-21 • boasts a .661 career field goal percentage – top for any returning NCAA Division I player this year – and led Ivy League in FG% all three seasons in which he competed.

#3 PRENTISS HUBB | Senior | 6-3 | 176 | Upper Marlboro, MD

Preseason All-ACC Second Team • leads all returning ACC players in career assists (462) • led the Irish in  scoring (14.6) and three-point field goals made (65) last season • one of five major conference players to reach 100 assists in league play last season.

#5 CORMAC RYAN | Senior | 6-5 | 195 | New York, NY

Led the Irish with 16 points on 3-for-5 shooting from behind the arc against St. Mary’s (CA) • started 16 of 25 games in his first year with the Irish last season • scored 21 points in the first half in the victory at Duke last year, eventually scoring career-best 28 points • shot .344 from 3FG range last season.

#23 DANE GOODWIN | Senior | 6-4 | 202 | Upper Arlington, OH

Has scored in double figures in all five games this season and leads the team with 15.0 ppg • five-game double-digit scoring streak is the second best of his career (seven straight in 2019-20 – final four games – and 2020-21 – first three games) • averaging 15.0 ppg and 5.8 rpg • posted career highs of 11.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 2020-21 • one of the best free throw shooters on the team, boasting a .831 career average from the stripe.

#14 NATE LASZEWSKI | Senior | 6-10 | 235 | Jupiter, FL

Has pulled down 52 rebounds, including games with 16 and 15 boards, so far in 2021-22 • improved FG% 19 percent, 3FG% 11% and RPG by 3.1 last season • scored over 20 points four times last season and has five 20-point games in his career.

OFF THE BENCH

#2 TREY WERTZ | Senior | 6-5 | 192 | Charlotte, NC

Led the Irish with five assists vs. St. Mary’s (CA) and played a season-high 26 minutes • planned to sit out 2020-21 season after transferring from Santa Clara until all underclassmen transfers were given immediate eligibility in December of 2020 • appeared in 21 games making 14 starts, shooting .429 from three-point range • hit the game-winning 3FG at the buzzer vs. WF in 2021 ACC tournament.

#0 BLAKE WESLEY | Freshman | 6-5 | 185 | South Bend, IN

Has hit double figures in three of his five career games played, including 14 against Chaminade and 10 against Texas A&M • first Mike Brey freshman to score 20 points in a career debut (vs. CSUN) since Chris Thomas in 2001 • first South Bend, IN, public school MBB prospect to sign with Notre Dame since 1985 • consensus four-star prospect • athletic backcourt player expected to be an immediate key contributor.

#1 J.R. KONIECZNY | Freshman | 6-6 | 195 | South Bend, IN

(pronounced Ko-NEZZ-knee) Saw action in first career game vs. CSUN, scored first career points vs. Chaminade • all-time leading scorer in St. Joseph County history (1,996) • joins classmate Blake Wesley as the first Northern Indiana Conference players to sign with Notre Dame since 2012 (D. Jackson, A. Torres).

#22 ELIJAH TAYLOR | Sophomore | 6-8 | 242 | Philadelphia, PA

Made Irish debut vs. Chaminade and scored his first career field goal • missed CSUN game as a precaution due to minor lower leg injury, then the High Point game with the flu • missed 2020-21 while recovering from ankle surgery • athletic front court player will provide depth on the Irish front line.

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS

ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE HISTORY

Notre Dame is in its ninth season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and is 4-4 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. For the Irish, the event has featured three home-and-home series with Iowa, Michigan State and Illinois and single games with Ohio State and Maryland.

GOODWIN FLIRTING WITH 50-40-90 SHOOTING PERCENTAGES

Senior Dane Goodwin has been off to a great start this season, scoring double figures in every game, leading the Irish in three point shooting and missing just one free throw. Many of the best shooters in the game look for the 50% field goal percentage, 40% three-point percentage and 90% free throw percentage stat lines for the season. Goodwin is close to achieving that mark and is one of just two major conference players so far this season to be shooting .490 from the field, .460 from three point range and .900 from the free throw line while scoring 15 points or more (stats as of Nov. 26) –