Notre Dame (5-8, 2-5) vs. No. 20/19 Virginia Tech (11-3, 5-2)
📍 Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame, IN
📅 Wednesday, January 27, 2021
🕕 7:00 p.m. ET
📺 Regional Sports Networks package with Evan Lepler and Brian Oliver
📻 Notre Dame Radio Network with Jack Nolan
🗒. Notre Dame Game Notes vs. Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech Game Notes at Notre Dame
IRISH vs. HOKIES – BY THE NUMBERS
|
.765 |
Junior forward Nate Laszewski’s NCAA-leading effective field goal percentage in 2020-21. The statistic accounts for the fact that a three-point field goal is more worth more than a two-point field goal – the formula is (FGM + 0.5 * 3PM) / FGA |
|
.646 |
Nate Laszewski’s field goal percentage in 2020-21, which leads the ACC, is third among major conference players and 10th in the NCAA (min 5 FGM/G, 5 GP). |
|
.551 |
Nate Laszewski’s three-point field goal percentage in 2020-21, which is first in the ACC, is first among major conference players and third in the NCAA (min 1.5 3PM/G, 5 GP). |
|
.562 |
Notre Dame career field goal percentage for graduate forward Juwan Durham, which would rank him fifth on the Irish career charts since 1996-97 for a player with at least 200 FGM. See page 4 for more. |
|
2 |
Statistical categories in which Irish players lead the ACC in conference play – Nate Laszewski in field goal percentage (.631) and junior guard Prentiss Hubb in assists per game (6.29). |
|
11.9 |
Notre Dame’s NCAA-leading fouls per game number, as the Irish continue their tradition of not fouling the opponent to allow easy points late in a contest. The Irish are ahead of Appalachian State (13.0) and Virginia (13.3) for the national lead. |
|
14 |
The Irish are 14th in the country and third in the ACC in free throw percentage at .783. |
|
17.3 |
Points-per-game average in ACC play for Nate Laszewski, which is third in the league as of Jan. 25. |
|
19 |
Assists over the past two games for Prentiss Hubb (10 vs. Boston College, nine at Miami) which is the most over a two-game stretch for an Irish player since Jerian Grant had 20 against Boston College (11) and Syracuse (nine) in February of 2015. |
|
23 |
A recent project by CBSSports.com ranked the ‘Greatest College Basketball Programs Ever’ with Notre Dame placing 23rd on the list and sixth in the ACC. Notre Dame will face eight of the teams ranked above them this year a total of nine times: No. 19 NC State, No. 14 Michigan State (0-1), No. 12 Ohio State (0-1), No. 11 Syracuse, No. 6 Louisville, No. 3 Duke (0-1, twice), No. 2 North Carolina (0-1), No. 1 Kentucky (1-0). |
|
152 |
Career blocked shots for Juwan Durham, the sixth Notre Dame player to compile over 150 blocks in a career. Durham is one of just three Irish players to average over 2.0 blocks per game in a career (LaPhonso Ellis, current Irish assistant coach Ryan Humphrey). |
|
113 |
The offensive efficiency rating for the Irish this season according to kenpom.com, 23rd in the country and the highest ranking for the rating since the end of the 2018 season (32nd). It is the third-highest in the ACC behind Virginia (11th) and Florida State (12th). |
|
362 |
Career assists for Prentiss Hubb, becoming the 17th Irish player to reach 360 career assists. Hubb’s 4.64 career assists per game average would place him in 10th place on the Notre Dame career list – and is in the top 15 for all active NCAA players (currently 13th). |
|
1909 |
Total victories in the history of Notre Dame men’s basketball, as the Irish became the eighth program to reach 1,900 victories in 2019-20 (Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Temple, Syracuse and UCLA have all reached that plateau). The Irish were 12th all-time in college basketball victories when Mike Brey took over the program in 2000-01 – they have since passed Oregon State, Pennsylvania, St. John’s and Indiana on the all-time wins list into eighth place. |
CHARTING LASZEWSKI’S HOT SHOOTING
Junior Nate Laszewski has established himself as one of the best and most efficient shooters in college basketball this season.
A look at where Laszewski ranks among the NCAA, major conference and ACC leaders:
|
Statistic |
Number |
National Ranking |
Major Conference Ranking |
ACC Ranking |
Notes |
|
FG% |
.646 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
min 5 FGM per game, 5 GP |
|
3FG% |
.551 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
min 1.5 3FGM per game, 5 GP |
|
EFG% |
.767 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
min 5 FGM per game, 5 GP |
LASZEWSKI FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE ON PACE FOR A SPOT ON SINGLE-SEASON CHARTS
Junior Nate Laszewski is currently shooting 65% from the field (.646) – a mark that would rank fourth all-time and first in the Mike Brey era (2000-01 – current). With 113 attempts this season, Laszewski is on pace to reach 150 attempts to qualify for the single-season lists.
NOTRE DAME SINGLE-SEASON FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
|
Player |
Season |
FGM |
FGA |
FG% |
|
Bruce Flowers |
1978-79 |
100 |
166 |
.656 |
|
Orlando Woolridge |
1980-81 |
156 |
240 |
.650 |
|
Keith Robinson |
1987-88 |
123 |
190 |
.647 |
|
NATE LASZEWSKI |
2020-21 |
73 |
113 |
.646 |
|
LaPhonso Ellis |
1991-92 |
227 |
360 |
.631 |
|
John Shumate |
1973-74 |
281 |
449 |
.627 |
Behind the three-point line, Laszewski is at .551 – which would rank first on the Irish single-season charts.
NOTRE DAME SINGLE SEASON THREE POINT PERCENTAGE
|
Player |
FGM |
FGA |
FG% |
|
|
NATE LASZEWSKI |
2020-21 |
27 |
49 |
.551 |
|
Joe Fredrick |
1988-89 |
37 |
71 |
.521 |
|
Joe Fredrick |
1989-90 |
34 |
72 |
.472 |
|
Keith Friel |
1997-98 |
45 |
97 |
.464 |
|
Martin Ingelsby |
2000-01 |
51 |
110 |
.464 |
|
David Graves |
1999-2000 |
83 |
182 |
.456 |
|
Chris Quinn |
2004-05 |
66 |
145 |
.455 |
DURHAM CAREER FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE HIGH ON IRISH CAREER CHARTS
Graduate forward Juwan Durham boasts a .561 career field goal percentage at Notre Dame, a mark that would rank him fifth among Irish players with 200 or more FGM since 1996-97:
|
Player |
Seasons |
FGM |
GP |
FG% |
|
Martinas Geben |
2014-18 |
216 |
108 |
.608 |
|
Jack Cooley |
2009-13 |
394 |
123 |
.601 |
|
Harold Swanagan |
1998-2002 |
301 |
127 |
.569 |
|
Zach Auguste |
2012-16 |
507 |
128 |
.567 |
|
JUWAN DURHAM |
2018-21 |
204 |
72 |
.562 |
|
Bonzie Colson |
2014-18 |
609 |
125 |
.528 |
IRISH BOAST SOLID RECORD FOR ANNUAL HOME-AND-HOME ACC SERIES
Since joining the ACC for the 2013-14 season, Boston College and Georgia Tech have been designated as the ‘traditional’ yearly rivals for Notre Dame in the league. Each season, the Irish have met the Eagles and Yellow Jackets for home-and-home series. Notre Dame boasts the best record in the league against its designated repeat opponents since 2013-14 (records below are regular-season meetings only, entering 2020-21):
RECORD VS. ACC ANNUAL HOME-AND-HOME OPPONENTS SINCE 2013-14
|
Team |
Opponent |
Opponent |
Record |
|
NOTRE DAME |
Boston College |
Georgia Tech |
23-6 |
|
Duke |
North Carolina |
Wake Forest |
21-8 |
|
Syracuse |
Boston College |
Pittsburgh |
21-10 |
|
Virginia |
Virginia Tech |
Louisville |
19-9* |
|
Florida State |
Miami |
Clemson |
18-11 |
|
North Carolina |
Duke |
NC State |
18-11 |
* – Virginia repeated with Maryland in 2013-14
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED BY 1,000 POINT SCORERS
Notre Dame has produced 64 1,000 point scorers throughout the history of the program with 23 of those players reaching that statistical milestone during the Mike Brey era (2000-01 – current). Of the 85 players who have suited up for Notre Dame under Mike Brey, 36 of them were recruited by the staff and exhausted their eligibility with the Irish – 20 of those players have scored more than 1,000 points in a career.
Since 2000-01, Notre Dame leads all ACC teams in 1,000 point scorers (23) and is second in the country over that time frame to Villanova.
|
School |
All-Time 1,000 Point Scorers |
1,000 Point Scorers since 2000-01 |
|
North Carolina |
77 |
20 |
|
Louisville |
69 |
18 |
|
Duke |
67 |
20 |
|
NOTRE DAME |
64 |
23 |
|
Villanova |
64 |
24 |
|
Syracuse |
62 |
19 |
|
Kansas |
61 |
19 |
A DECADE OF ‘NO FOUL’ CONTINUES
One of the mantras of Notre Dame basketball under Mike Brey has been to keep the amount of opponent foul shots down. Defend without fouling is a way of life for Irish basketball and the statistics bear out that trend.
In the last 11 years, Notre Dame has failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just twice. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls three times.
The NCAA has been tracking the least amount of fouls committed in a season since 1993. Notre Dame is the only team since 1993 to lead the country in least amount of fouls more than twice (four times) and could be on pace to make it six times this season.
NOTRE DAME FOULS PER GAME NATIONAL/CONFERENCE FINAL RANKING
|
Year |
Fouls Per Game |
NCAA Raking |
Conference Ranking |
|
2009-10 |
15.1 |
10 |
2 |
|
2010-11 |
15.2 |
11 |
1 |
|
2011-12 |
13.8 |
1 |
1 |
|
2012-13 |
14.1 |
8 |
1 |
|
2013-14 |
16.2 |
15 |
5 |
|
2014-15 |
15.1 |
6 |
1 |
|
2015-16 |
15.1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2016-17 |
14.9 |
4 |
1 |
|
2017-18 |
13.1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2018-19 |
13.8 |
1 |
1 |
|
2019-20 |
12.4 |
1 |
1 |
|
2020-21 |
11.9 |
1 |
1 |
FOUR VETERANS NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS FOR 2020-21
Glenn and Stacey Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey has announced four student-athletes to serve as team captains for the University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team.
Graduate students Nikola Djogo and Juwan Durham, along with juniors Prentiss Hubb and Cormac Ryan, will make up a four-player group of captains in 2020-21.
All four Irish players will be serving as team captains for the first time in their careers.
IRISH RECEIVE COMMITMENTS FROM TWO AREA PROSPECTS
Rising high school seniors J.R. Konieczny (Ko-nez-nee) and Blake Wesley, both from South Bend, Indiana, have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at the University of Notre Dame.
Rated among the top 150 high school players in the 2020-21 class, Konieczy (Kah-nez-nee) is a four-star recruit according to ESPN.com and earned third-team all-state honors as a junior in 2019-20. He averaged over 24 points a game last season, including a 42-point outburst in the 2020 sectional semifinal – a performance that earned him the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week honors.
A consensus four-star recruit, Wesley is ranked 96th nationally by Rivals and 113th by 247Sports. An honorable mention all-state selection as a junior in 2019-20, Wesley led all local area players with a 26.0 points-per-game average last season.