NOTRE DAME AT SYRACUSE
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (9-4, 0-2) begins its run through 18 consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference games to end the regular season at Syracuse (8-5, 1-1) on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
- Notre Dame and Syracuse will be meeting for the 51st time on Saturday afternoon, with the Orange holding a 29-21 advantage in the series. The Irish are 2-4 against Syracuse in ACC play and were 8-22 against the Orange as a member of the BIG EAST Conference.
- With a last-second Rex Pflueger tip in, Notre Dame claimed a victory in its last visit to the Carrier Dome on Jan. 6, 2018, 51-49. The Irish will be looking to post consecutive wins at the Carrier Dome since the Irish won their first three visits to the Dome in 1986, 1990 and 1992.
- The two teams first met in Achbold Gym at Syracuse on Feb. 12, 1914. After a 27-year hiatus, the teams met back in Syracuse in 1931. The Orange’s first trip to Notre Dame occurred in 1932 (a 26-18 victory, the first in the series for Notre Dame, in The Fieldhouse).
- Notre Dame won seven consecutive games against the Orange from 1932 through 1942, before the series went on another long hiatus. The two teams met in Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 9, 1985, with the Orange claiming a victory and the series has remained constant since that point (with the teams becoming BIG EAST Conference opponents in 1995-96 and moving to the ACC in 2013-14).
- The Irish and Orange will meet again in Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday, January 22, at 7 p.m. ET.
| NOTRE DAME | GAME DAY INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, January 4, 2020 |
| Time | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Site: | Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY • Capacity 33,000 |
| TV: | ESPN2 • Jason Benetti (play-by-play) • Dan Dakich (analyst) |
| Radio: | Notre Dame Radio Network • Jack Nolan (play-by-play) Available locally on WSBT AM/FM and worldwide on und.com. |
| Tickets: | Tickets available via the Notre Dame Vivid Ticket Exhange |
Notre Dame MBB Notes at Syracuse (PDF)
BY THE NUMBERS: IRISH AT ORANGE
|
1 |
Notre Dame leads the country in least amount of fouls committed per game (11.6). |
|
t-1st |
Senior John Mooney is tied for first the nation in rebounds-per-game with a 13.5 average. Mooney has recorded double-doubles in 10 of 12 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. |
|
1.90 |
Notre Dame leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.90. The Irish are ahead of Virginia Tech (1.72) and Gonzaga (1.61). The Irish have 237 assists this season compared to just 125 turnovers. The NCAA record for assist-to-turnover ratio in a season is 2.01 by West Virginia in 2006. |
|
2 |
Notre Dame is second in the country in turnovers per game, averaging 9.6. The Irish are just behind Virginia Tech at 9.5. |
|
3 |
Notre Dame is the only ACC team with three players in the top six of the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio. T.J. Gibbs is second (3.43), Rex Pflueger is fifth (2.29) and Prentiss Hubb is sixth (2.25). In addition, all three players rank in the top 25 among major conference players this season (Gibbs third, Pflueger 22nd, Hubb 23rd). |
|
3.43 |
Senior T.J. Gibbs boasts a 3.43 assist-to-turnover ratio, a number ranked third in the country among major conference players (Abissa Bede, Virginia Tech, 4.15; Connor McCaffery, Iowa, 4.00). These three players are the only major conference players with a 3.4+ assist to turnover ratio this year. |
|
4 |
John Mooney has posted four games this season with 16-plus points and 16-plus rebounds – the most of any player in Division I. Mooney joins Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu (three) and WVU’s Oscar Tshiebwe (two) as the only major conference players with multiple such games this season. |
|
10 |
John Mooney is tied for the lead in the country with 10 double-doubles in 2019-20 (he also has logged seven consecutive double-doubles entering the Syracuse game). |
|
10.3 |
John Mooney’s stats continue to pace the nation and place the Orlando, Florida, native as the best rebounder in the country. Tied for first in overall rebounding in Division I, Mooney leads all Division I players with a 10.3 defensive rebounds per game average and is the only Division I player averaging over 10 defensive rebounds per game. |
|
11.6 |
The Irish continue their tradition of ‘defend without fouling’ in 2019-20 – currently ranked first in the country in personal fouls per game (11.6 – ahead of Virginia Tech’s 11.9 and Virginia’s 12.1). 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. |
|
12.0 |
Best sixth man in the country? Sophomore Dane Goodwin (averaging 12.0 ppg off the bench this year) is making a case for that title. Only three major conference players average over 12 points per game off the bench (with at least 10 games played). Goodwin’s 12.0 average is third among those players (led by Vanderbilt’s Saban Lee with a 16.4 average and Jaden Schackleford from Alabama with a 12.6 average). |
|
17.5 |
Points-per-game average over the past four games for Dane Goodwin, the first four-game double-digit scoring streak of his career. Goodwin also is shooting .481 (13-27) from three-point range during the four-game stretch. |
|
18.2 |
Notre Dame is currently ranked third in the country and first in the ACC in assists per game with a 18.2 average. The Irish have four games this season with over 20 team assists (22 vs. Howard, 24 vs. FDU, school-record tying 33 vs. Detroit Mercy, 23 vs. Alabama A&M). |
|
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. |
|
51 |
Notre Dame and Syracuse will be meeting for the 51st time on Saturday afternoon. The Orange hold a 29-21 advantage in the series. The Irish are looking to claim consecutive wins in the Carrier Dome for the first time since 1990 and 1992. |
|
802 |
Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey achieved 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 (426), 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). |
STATISTICAL MILESTONES AHEAD
Notre Dame’s veteran players are approaching some noteworthy statistical milestones:
|
Player |
Milestone |
Current Stat |
All-Time ND Rank |
Brey-Era Rank |
|
T.J. Gibbs |
4000 minutes |
3467 |
9 |
9 |
|
John Mooney |
700 rebounds |
692 |
21 |
7 |
|
T.J. Gibbs |
350 assists |
326 |
16 |
10 |
|
Rex Pflueger |
300 assists |
288 |
21 |
11 |
|
T.J. Gibbs |
200 3FGM |
197 |
10 |
10 |
|
Rex Pflueger |
130 games |
123 |
8 |
8 |
|
Juwan Durham |
100 blocks |
99 |
9 |
8 |
PFLUEGER APPROACHING NOTEWORTHY CAREER MILESTONE COMBINATION
Graduate student Rex Pflueger is approaching a combination of career statistical totals that would make him one of just four Irish players to ever reach those statistical marks in combination.
Pflueger is approaching 700 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 150 steals in his Notre Dame career – only Chris Thomas (2002-05), David Graves (1999-02) and Tory Jackson (2007-10) have reached those statistical marks.
Entering the Syracuse, Pflueger is at 664 points, 380 rebounds, 288 assists and 124 steals.
|
Player |
Years |
Points (700+) |
Rebounds (400+) |
Assists (300+) |
Steals (150+) |
|
Chris Thomas |
2002-05 |
2,195 |
528 |
833 |
244 |
|
David Graves |
1999-02 |
1,746 |
620 |
340 |
202 |
|
Tory Jackson |
2007-10 |
1,231 |
526 |
694 |
211 |
|
Rex Pflueger |
2015-current |
664 |
380 |
288 |
124 |
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 10 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. So far, in 2019-20, the Irish are ahead of Virginia Tech (11.9) for the NCAA lead in least amount of fouls per game (11.6).
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 |
11.6 |
1 |
1 |
MOONEY TIED FOR FIRST IN THE COUNTRY IN REBOUNDING
Senior forward John Mooney is currently tied for the lead in the nation in rebounds per game with a 13.5 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 |
|
JOHN MOONEY |
NOTRE DAME |
13.5 |
|
Kevin Marfo |
Quinnipiac |
13.5 |
|
Willie Jackson |
Toledo |
12.2 |
|
Cletrell Pope |
Bethune-Cookman |
11.7 |
|
Daniel Oturu |
Minnesota |
11.7 |
|
James Butler |
Drexel |
11.6 |
|
Manny Camper |
Siena |
11.6 |
|
Justin Bean |
Utah State |
11.5 |
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 career rebounding chart is on 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 |
692 |
|
Rob Kurz |
2004-08 |
650 |
MOONEY POSTS DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN 10 OF FIRST 12 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 10 double-doubles in 12 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 |
|
Alabama A&M |
16 |
18 |
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 2.5 (2.745) and is one of just three Notre Dame players to average over 2.0 blocks per game in their career:
|
Player |
Seasons |
Blocks Per Game |
|
Ryan Humphrey |
2000-02 |
2.8 |
|
JUWAN DURHAM |
2018-current |
2.5 |
|
LaPhonso Ellis |
1988-92 |
2.1 |
Durham’s 99 total blocks at Notre Dame currently rank him ninth all-time (see sidebar, page 5). Jordan Cornette is the Notre Dame blocked shots record holder with 201 from 2001-05.