Irish Play Host To Clemson In Key ACC Matchup

ND_MBB Game Notes vs. Clemson

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (9-5, 3-1) plays host to Clemson (10-5, 2-2) in a key early-conference season matchup in Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, Regional Sports Networks). The Irish have won three league games in a row and five games overall while the Tigers have won five of their last six games.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

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

15.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .478 FG%, .433 3FG%, .935 FT%

Has stepped up his game at all levels and on both ends of the court this season • reached double figure scoring in all 14 games this season (a career-best streak) • scored 14 points in the second half and overtime at Georgia Tech, overcoming an 0-for-5 day from behind the arc • ACC Co-Player of the Week (12/27/21) • reached 1,000 points in a career vs. Western Michigan • one of the best free throw shooters on the team, boasting a .837 career average from the stripe (29-31 this season, which included two game sealing FTs late in the wins over UNC and GT).

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

11.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .596 FG%, .769 FT%

A tone setter for the Irish in the post, has hit double-digit scoring in last six of seven games • came off the bench for the first time this season at GT and responded by hitting first eight shots, finishing with 16 points and 7 rebounds • 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 .652 career field goal percentage and led Ivy League in FG% all three seasons in which he competed.

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

14.3 ppg, .444 FG%, .342 3FG%

One of the most dynamic playmaking freshmen in the ACC • has reached double figures in scoring in 12 of 14 career games, including the last 10 straight • two-time ACC Rookie of the Week (12/13/21, 1/10/22) • in first career start at home in Purcell Pavilion, hit the game-winning jumper with :12 seconds remaining to upset No. 10/12 Kentucky • second in the ACC in freshman scoring (14.3 ppg) and sixth among all major conference true freshmen in ppg • exploded for 24 points, 18 in the second half at Illinois in the first true road game of his career • 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 • see page 4 for more Wesley freshman season breakdowns.

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

7.9 ppg, 3.6 apg

Connected on the game-winning jumper with five seconds remaining at Pittsburgh (12/28/21), capping a 13-point second half where he finished 3-3 from three-point range • edging closer to becoming the ninth Notre Dame player to post 500 career assists (496) • preseason All-ACC Second Team • led the team with 15 points against Boston College, coming off the bench for the first time since the victory at Miami last season • 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.

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

8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, .455 3FG%

(pronounced La-SHEH-skee) • Had his break out game of the season last Wednesday vs. North Carolina, leading the Irish with 20 points (6-7 from three point range) and eight rebounds • pulled down nine rebounds in the victory at Georgia Tech • improved FG% 19 percent, 3FG% 11% and RPG by 3.1 last season • scored over 20 points four times last season and has six 20-point games in his career.

OFF THE BENCH

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

8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .364 3FG%, .833 FT%

The team’s best on-ball defenders •  filled up the stat line against No. 10/12 Kentucky with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal • 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.

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

4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.8 apg

Provides ball handling and scoring a punch off the bench • hit double figures for the first time this season in the victory over No. 10/12 Kentucky with 12 points • 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 last season • hit the game-winning 3FG at the buzzer vs. WF in 2021 ACC tournament.

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS

BLAKE WESLEY AMONG THE NATION’S TOP FRESHMAN

Freshman Blake Wesley, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week (his second such award of the season) is among college basketball’s top scoring true freshmen.

ACC TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

MAJOR CONFERENCE TRUE FRESHMAN SCORING

Expand to all true freshmen in the country and Wesley is tied for 14th in points per game.

WESLEY’S SOLID START AMONG THE BEST ROOKIES OF BREY ERA

Freshman Blake Wesley has started the last seven games and has reached double figures in scoring after 11 of his first 13 career games. He is now tied for firth among Brey era true freshman in double-digit scoring games and joined Chris Thomas and Luke Harangody as the only rookies to reach that plateau in eight of their first 10 games.

Thomas eventually finished 2001-02 by scoring in double digits 24 of 33 games (and in 12 of his first 14 career games). His longest streak of double-digit scoring games that season was nine.

Harangody compiled 2006-07 by scoring double digits in 22 of 32 games (and in 14 of his first 18 games). His longest streak of double-digit scoring games was six. Torin Francis finished 2002-03 with 19 double digit scoring games in 34 total appearances – his longest double-digit scoring game streak was five games.

BREY ERA FRESHMAN DEBUTS

IRISH WIN STREAK COMES WITH IMPROVED SHOOTING

Notre Dame’s five-game win streak has pushed the team to third place in the ACC with a 3-1 league record. A quick look at the team numbers during the streak tells the story of the success – improved shooting, increased defensive intensity.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTED BY 1,000 POINT SCORERS

Notre Dame has produced 66 1,000 point scorers throughout the history of the program with 25 of those players having been recruited by Mike Brey and exhausted their eligibility (or turned professional early).

Dane Goodwin is the most recent Irish player with 1,000 career points, reaching the mark against Western Michigan on December 20, 2021.

Trey Wertz will be the next Irish player to reach 1,000 points, as he is at 981 entering the Texas A&M Corpus Christi game. Of those 981 points, 747 were scored at Santa Clara in from 2018-20.

Nate Laszewski will be the next Irish player to reach 1,000 points at Notre Dame and is currently at 925.   

IRISH INK NATIONALLY-RANKED RECRUITING CLASS

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball program and Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey have announced that three prospective student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Notre Dame and compete for the Fighting Irish in 2022-23.

The three-member class is composed of forwards Dom Campbell and Ven-Allen Lubin, along with guard J.J. Starling. All three are consensus top-100 players and four-star prospects which provide the Irish the 15th-ranked recruiting class by 24/7 Sports (fifth-best in the ACC) and the 18th-rated (fourth-best in the ACC) group from Rivals.

“Our new staff started with a plan in June and I really like how we stayed focused and committed while being on the road in June and July, then followed through when the visits on campus took place,” Brey said.

“It was a fabulous team effort by our coaching staff to get a three man class that will be part of a bright future for Notre Dame basketball. Our fans will love to watch these guys play and grow as part of our program.”

Dom Campbell | Forward | 6-9, 265 | Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) | Scarborough, ME

“Dom is a gifted low post guy with great hands and footwork. He has the ability to carve out space and step out as well. He can make really good decisions with the ball in his hands.”

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 96th overall, 11th power forward

24/7 4 star – 120th overall, 17th power forward, 2nd state

Ven-Allen Lubin | Forward | 6-8, 220 | Orlando Christian Prep | Orlando, FL

“Ven-Allen is a position less basketball player. He has the ability to post up, face up, run and change ends. He also brings great length on the defensive end.”

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 63rd overall, 8th power forward

24/7 4 Star – 114th overall, 22nd power forward, 18th state

ESPN 4 star – 75th overall, 12th power forward, 14th state

J.J. Starling | Guard | 6-4, 195  | La Lumiere School (IN) | Baldwinsville, NY

“J.J. is an explosive guard. You can’t pigeonhole him as a point guard or a two man, he does a little bit of everything. The most infectious thing is his energy and charisma that he plays with. He really engages his teammates and leads on the floor.”

– Mike Brey

Rivals 4 Star – 40th overall, 8th point guard

24/7 – 33rd overall, 7th point guard, 1st state

ESPN – 27th overall, 6th point guard, 3rd state

NOTRE DAME WILL MAKE TRIP TO HOWARD ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team will travel to Washington, D.C., on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 17, 2022, to face Howard University. The trip will mark the first road game for Notre Dame men’s basketball against one of the countries Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The game was previously scheduled for January 18, 2021, but was postponed due to the health and safety regulations put in place for the coronavirus pandemic. The game will be played at Howard’s Burr Gymnasium and nationally broadcast on Fox at 2:30 p.m. ET.

“I am as excited about this trip than any game we have scheduled for next season,” Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey said.

“We were so disappointed that we had to cancel last season’s game due to the pandemic, but the delay gives us an opportunity to really do it right. This game deserves the kind of atmosphere that only a full house at Burr Gymnasium can deliver. Our program’s first trip to an HBCU on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is another step in our commitment to remaining active participants in the push for social change in this country. This event will provide an amazing educational experience for our student-athletes, coaches, support staff and University.”

Since 2019, Howard ​has honored Dr. King’s Celebration of Excellence by hosting non conference contests with iconic, historical institutions. In the past two seasons, HU has greeted Ivy League perennials Harvard (2019) and Yale (2020) to The Burr.

“Dr. King’s impact on our world is remarkable, and his influence continues to be both felt and needed,” Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney said.

“It gives me chills to think that only a few miles from where Dr. King shifted the country with his infamous speeches, marches and meetings, our basketball programs will have a historic first by hosting Notre Dame at Howard University. We are pressing forward toward the beloved community Dr. King sought to achieve and I am honored to lead this program and work with my lifelong friend, Coach Mike Brey, to deepen the call for social justice with our players.”

The connections between Notre Dame men’s basketball, the Howard coaching staff and the Washington, DC, area run deep. Mike Brey graduated from DeMatha High School. Kenny Blakeney also is a DeMatha graduate, played at Duke (1992-95) while Mike Brey was an assistant with the Blue Devils and was the head assistant coach under Brey at Delaware (2002-05).

The game also marks the return to the D.C. area for  Irish senior Prentiss Hubb (Upper Marlboro), who graduated from Gonzaga High School. Hubb is the latest Notre Dame standout to call the Washington, D.C., area home, as the ‘D.C. Pipeline’ has included Austin Carr, Adrian Dantley, Jerian Grant, Bob Whitmore, Don Williams, Monty Williams, Collis Jones, Tracy Jackson, Tom Sluby, Sid Catlett and Notre Dame President Emeritus Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.

Notre Dame has welcomed 10 different HBCUs to campus for 12 men’s basketball games throughout the program’s history. The trip to Howard will be the first road trip for the Irish to an HBCU and the first for an Atlantic Coast Conference team since Miami (Florida) played at Savannah State on December 19, 2013.

The contest marks the first against a Power Five Conference team for Howard at home since Oregon State visited Burr Gymnasium on November 27, 2010.