| WHO: | Notre Dame 15-7, 8-3 at NC State 10-13, 3-9 |
| WHAT: | Irish camp two-game road swing at NC State |
| WHERE: | PNC Arena | Raleigh, NC |
| WHEN: | Saturday, February 5, 2022 | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ACC Network | Play-by-Play: Wes Durham | Analyst: Dan Bonner |
| RADIO: | Play-by-Play: Tony Simeone | Live locally on WSBT-AM 960/FM 96.1, worldwide on und.com |
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball completes its three-game road swing and run of four games in seven days when it faces NC State (10-13, 3-9) in Raleigh for the second meeting between the Irish and the Wolfpack in 11 days. Notre Dame is finishing off a string of four games in seven days in Saturday afternoon’s matinee (3 p.m. ET) on the ACC Network.
GAME TRENDS
In 2021-22 the Notre Dame is:
• 12-0 when they shoot better than their opponent.
• 10-0 when they make 10-or-more three-point field goals.
• 5-1 in the last five road games.
• 8-1 when a Notre Dame player scores 20-or-more points.
A NOTRE DAME WIN WOULD…
… be the second victory over NC State in 11 days.
… improve the Irish to 5-2 on the road in ACC play.
… push the Irish record to 5-2 on Saturday’s this season.
… cap a run of four games in seven days with a 3-1 record.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
|
23 |
Dane Goodwin |
SR |
6-4 |
202 |
Upper Arlington, OH |
14.6 ppg |
4.7 rpg |
.504 FG |
.490 3FG |
.881 FT |
• Has established himself as one of the most efficient and skilled scorers in the country, coming off 14-point effort at Miami.
• Has scored in double figures in 21 of 22 games this season.
• 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 |
14.1 ppg |
3.3 rpg |
2.7 APG |
25 STL |
• One of the most dynamic playmaking freshmen in the country, owns five 20-point scoring games this season.
• National Freshman of the Week on January 10 (CBSSports/BWAA) and three-time ACC Freshman of the Week (including this 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.
• See page 4 for more breakdowns of Wesley’s noteworthy rookie season.
|
20 |
Paul Atkinson Jr. |
GR |
6-9 |
230 |
W. Palm Beach, FL |
12.2 ppg |
6.6 rpg |
.604 FG |
.774 FT |
17 BLK |
• Has found his groove in the post in last three ACC games, averaging 17.0 ppg and 9.6 rpg.
• Coming off his best game in an Irish uniform with 23 points and 11 rebounds at Miami, shooting 11-of-16 from the field.
• 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale, did not participate in 2020-21 as the Ivy League canceled all intercollegiate athletics.
• Ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in 2020-21.
|
3 |
Prentiss Hubb |
SR |
6-3 |
176 |
Upper Marlboro, MD |
8.5 ppg |
2.7 rpg |
3.6 apg |
• Scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half of the victory at Miami, adding six assists.
• Has continued his penchant for game-winning plays this season, securing the win over Virginia on Saturday with two free throws at :04 remaining; a driving lay up with :19 left to be the game-sealing basket at Howard (his first game back at the DMV after playing he area during his prep career) and the game-winning jumper at Pittsburgh with :05 left.
• Leads all ACC players in assist/turnover ratio (5.6) in league play.
• Preseason All-ACC Second Team.
|
14 |
Nate Laszewski |
SR |
6-10 |
235 |
Jupiter, FL |
8.8 ppg |
7.3 rpg |
.489 FG |
.444 3FG |
• Became the 67th player in Notre Dame men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points against Duke.
• Led ND to victory over NC State with 18 pts, 11 reb, including a personal 8-0 run to erase a five point deficit early in the second half.
• Scored over 20 points four times last season and has six 20-point games in his career.
OFF THE BENCH
|
5 |
Cormac Ryan |
SR |
6-5 |
195 |
New York, NY |
7.2 ppg |
4.5 rpg |
.333 3FG |
.737 FT |
• The team’s best on-ball defender who routinely assumes the assignment of the opponents best perimeter scoring threat.
• Filled up the stat line against No. 10/12 Kentucky with seven points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
• Scored 21 points in the first half in the victory at Duke last year, eventually scoring career-best 28 points.
|
2 |
Trey Wertz |
SR |
6-5 |
192 |
Charlotte, NC |
4.0 ppg |
1.9 rpg |
2.4 apg |
• Went three-for-three from three point range at Louisville, surpassing 1,000 career points (747 scored at Santa Clara).
• Provides ball handling and a scoring punch off the bench.
• 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
|
2 |
Notre Dame is the only major conference team with two shooters in the nation’s top 10 in 3FG% – Dane Goodwin (2nd, .490) and senior Nate Laszewski (11th, .444). |
|
5 |
Notre Dame is the first team in the nation this season to have five 1,000 career point scorers on its roster – Paul Atkinson Jr., Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Trey Wertz and Nate Laszewski. |
|
5.6 |
Assist/turnover ratio for senior Prentiss Hubb in ACC play this year – the best by far for any league player. It also is the best for any player in the country in conference play with more than five games played. |
|
8.7 |
Another look at Prentiss Hubb’s assist/turnover ratio. Since committing three turnovers at Georgia Tech on Jan. 3, Hubb has played seven games and 246 minutes of ACC competition with just three turnovers. His assist/turnover ratio during that run is 8.7. |
|
7 |
Notre Dame will confer an NCAA Division I men’s basketball-best seven degrees in the spring of 2022 – undergraduate degrees to R. Carmody, D. Goodwin, P. Hubb, N. Laszewski, C. Ryan and T. Wertz, along with a graduate degree to P. Atkinson Jr. |
|
9.8 |
Assists per game for Notre Dame’s two primary ball handlers – Prentiss Hubb and Blake Wesley – in the last four ACC victories for the Irish over NC State, Louisville, Virginia and Miami. |
|
10 |
Notre Dame is 10-0 in 2021-22 when they connect on 10-or-more 3FGs. In the team’s run of 10 wins in their last 13 games, the Irish have posted 10-or-more 3FGs eight times. |
|
17 |
Points-per-game average in the last two ACC games (vs. Virginia, Duke at Miami) for graduate student Paul Atkinson Jr. He also has averaged nine rebounds in the past three contests and coming off his first 20/10 performance at Notre Dame Saturday (23 pts, 11 reb). |
|
14.1 |
Points-per-game average for freshman Blake Wesley, which is the third-best average in the ACC and fifth-best among major conference true freshman (see page 6 for more details). |