Dec. 4, 2017
NDMBB vs Ball State Game Notes 
Ball State at NDMBB Game Notes
WHO: No. 9/8 Notre Dame (7-1) vs. Ball State (4-4)
WHAT: Second game of a two-game homestand for the Fighting Irish
WHERE: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center (9,149)
WHEN: Tuesday, December 5, 2017, 7:00 p.m. ET
TICKETS: Available at und.com/buytickets
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Video available via ACC Network Extra with Nik Valdiserri (play-by-play), Juan Jose Rodridguez (analyst) and Tamara Brown (sideline). Available anywhere the WatchESPN app is accessible.
Radio broadcast on the Notre Dame Basketball Radio Network with Jack Nolan (play-by-play) and Zach Hillesland (analyst). Available locally on WSBT AM 960/FM 96.1, SiriusXM Channel 81 and via the Notre Dame Basketball Network affiliates (list available on page 8 of the Game Notes package).
Here are Five Things To Know about the Notre Dame – Ball State matchup –
NOTRE DAME VS. BALL STATE – BY THE NUMBERS
|
1 |
Sophomore guard T.J. Gibbs leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.57. Gibbs has committed just seven turnovers in 2017-18. Gibbs also leads the ACC in three-point field goal shooting at .541. |
|
2 |
Notre Dame has claimed back-to-back in-season tournament titles over the past two seasons – the 2016 Legend Classic in Barclays Center and the 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Nov 22. Senior guard Matt Farrell was named Most Valuable Player of both tournaments, averaging 19.4 points in five games. See page 3 for more on Farrell’s career in-season tournament statistics. |
|
3 |
Number of 20-point games so far this season for T.J. Gibbs. The first three 20-point games of his career, Gibbs has also increased his career-high for points in a game in each performance (21 vs. DePaul, 23 vs. Chicago State, 26 vs. LSU). |
|
4 |
Senior forward Bonzie Colson is fourth in the ACC in scoring (18.8 ppg) and is the only ACC player to rank among the league leaders in five different statistical categories. See page 3 for more details. |
|
19 |
Steals in 2017-18 for junior guard Rex Pflueger, including four against St. Francis Brooklyn in Notre Dame’s most recent victory. Pflueger is third on the team in steals, rebounds (37, 4.6) and assists (19, 2.4). |
|
25 |
Bonzie Colson has scored in double figures in 25 consecutive games and leads all current ACC players in career double-doubles (27) and rebounds (766). |
|
40 |
Notre Dame has held six of its eight opponents to less than .400 field goal shooting this season – and only one opponent (Michigan State, .517) has managed to make more than 50 percent of its shots. |
|
44 |
Points scored over the past four games by senior forward Martinas Geben. Among those contests include the game-winning free throws vs. No. 6/6 Wichita State in the 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational championship game and his first career double-double (14 pts, 10 reb) vs. St. Francis Brooklyn. |
|
82 |
Percentage of wins at home (.818) for Mike Brey teams against in-state schools. Notre Dame and Ball State will be meeting for the first time during the Brey era on Tuesday. See page 3 for more details. |
|
129 |
Career blocked shots for Bonzie Colson, which is fifth in Notre Dame men’s basketball history with Troy Murphy. Colson will be looking to pass Irish assistant coach Ryan Humphrey (157) and move into fourth place in the Irish record books this season. |
|
766 |
Career rebounds for Bonzie Colson, the 10th Irish player to reach the 1,300-point, 700-rebound career plateau. |
NOTRE DAME – BALL STATE SERIES HISTORY
Notre Dame and and Ball State will be meeting for the 10th time and the first time since the 1976 season. The Irish are 9-0 all-time against the Cardinals with all nine of those victories coming on Notre Dame’s home court (7-0 in the Fieldhouse, 2-0 at Purcell Pavilion).
Tuesday’s meeting will mark the third consecutive meeting that the Irish will enter the game with Ball State ranked in the top 16 of both national polls.
Notre Dame vs. BALL STATE Series History (9-0, Home 9-0)
|
Date |
ND Rank |
Opp Rank |
Opponent |
W/L |
ND |
Opp |
City |
Site |
|
12/13/1933 |
Ball State |
W |
43 |
22 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
12/1/1937 |
Ball State |
W |
43 |
28 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
12/3/1938 |
Ball State |
W |
70 |
30 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
11/28/1942 |
Ball State |
W |
56 |
42 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
12/7/1946 |
Ball State |
W |
80 |
31 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
12/3/1953 |
Ball State |
W |
84 |
63 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
12/4/1964 |
Ball State |
W |
116 |
82 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Fieldhouse |
||
|
2/26/1974 |
2 / 2 |
Ball State |
W |
93 |
69 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
|
|
1/14/1976 |
15 / 16 |
Ball State |
W |
119 |
78 |
Notre Dame, IN |
Purcell Pavilion |
NOTRE DAME VS. IN-STATE SCHOOLS
Notre Dame has been competing on the basketball court since 1898 and every season since 1907-08. The state of Indiana boasts a strong basketball tradition, so it is no surprise that the Irish have played 350 games against in-state schools in 111 years of varsity basketball.
Notre Dame is 202-148 (.577) all-time against in-state schools, which includes institutions such as Indiana, Purdue, Franklin College and DePauw.
In the Mike Brey era (2000-01 – present) the Irish have faced an in-state school 24 times, posting an 17-7 record (.708). At home, the Irish are even stronger, boasting a 9-2 record (.818) vs. in-state schools under Coach Brey.
MIKE BREY VS. IN-STATE SCHOOLS
|
School |
Overall Record |
Home Record |
Away Record |
Neutral Record |
ND Ranked Record |
|
Butler |
1-1 |
– |
– |
1-1 |
1-0 |
|
Evansville |
1-0 |
1-0 |
– |
– |
1-0 |
|
Fort Wayne |
5-0 |
4-0 |
1-0 |
– |
3-0 |
|
Indiana State |
1-1 |
1-1 |
– |
– |
1-1 |
|
Indiana |
3-4 |
0-1 |
1-1 |
2-3 |
1-0 |
|
Purdue |
3-1 |
1-0 |
– |
2-1 |
2-1 |
|
IUPUI |
2-0 |
2-0 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Valparaiso |
1-0 |
– |
– |
1-0 |
1-0 |
|
Totals |
17-7 (.708) |
9-2 (.818) |
2-1 (.667) |
6-5 (.545) |
10-2 (.833) |
VETERAN IRISH TEAM ACCEPTS ROAD CHALLENGES
Notre Dame will play seven of its first 13 games this season, all of those games occurring before Atlantic Coast Conference play begins, away from Purcell Pavilion. The seven away games before conference play this year marks the most since 2001-02, when Mike Brey’s second Notre Dame team played in the Hawaii-Pacific Thanksgiving tournament (three games), against DePaul in the United Center, at Indiana, at Miami (Ohio) and at Canisius (along with a neutral site game with Alabama in the New Orleans Arena).
Notre Dame finished 22-11 and 10-6 in the BIG EAST and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2001-02.
The Irish join North Carolina and Miami at the only ACC teams this season to play seven games away from their respective home courts before conference play begins.
COLSON PACING THE ACC IN FIVE STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Bonzie Colson, the Preseason Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, has been backing up that accolade with his play on the court early in the 2017-18 season. Colson is currently the only ACC player to rank among the top five in five different individual statistical categories:
|
Category |
Rank |
Statistic |
|
Scoring |
t-4th |
18.8 |
|
Rebounding |
3rd |
9.8 |
|
Steals |
5th |
2.13 |
|
Blocked Shots |
4th |
2.63 |
|
Defensive Rebounds |
1st |
7.75 |