Game Thread | Notre Dame at Syracuse
Notre Dame (9-4, 0-2) at Syracuse (8-5, 1-1)
Date: January 4th
Time: 4:00p.m. ET
Where: Carrier Dome | Syracuse, N.Y.
TV: ESPN2 | Jason Benetti and Dan Dakich
Quick Facts
- Notre Dame and Indiana will meet for the 51st time on Saturday.
- The Orange lead the all-time series 29-21 and a 4-2 advantage in ACC play.
- John Mooney is tied for first in the nation in rebounds per game at 13.5.
- Notre Dame leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.90.
- The Irish are also second in the country in turnovers per game at 9.6.
- TJ Gibbs is third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.43.
- Dane Goodwin is averaging 12.0 points per game off the bench.
THE STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 10.8 | 1.9 | 4.8 |
| TJ Gibbs | 12.3 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
| Rex Pflueger | 5.2 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| John Mooney | 14.9 | 13.5 | 2.0 |
| Juwan Durham | 8.7 | 6.1 | 0.8 |
Syracuse
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Elijah Hughes | 19.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| Joe Girard III | 11.3 | 2.3 | 4.5 |
| Buddy Boeheim | 15.2 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| Bourama Sidibe | 5.8 | 7.7 | 0.2 |
| Marek Dolezaj | 10.0 | 6.4 | 2.8 |
Preview
Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 75.2
Syracuse: 73.5
Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 63.3
Syracuse: 65.2
FG%
Notre Dame: 42.1%
Syracuse: 44.1%
Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 40.7
Syracuse: 35.3
Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 18.2
Syracuse: 17.5
Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 4.5
Syracuse: 4.5
Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 6.4
Syracuse: 7.8
Notre Dame might have started ACC play to open the season, but the new year is here and it’s conference play from here on out for Mike Brey’s squad.
The Irish and Orange will tip on Saturday afternoon and both are looking for a crucial win. Both programs went 1-4 against major conferences in during non-conference play with the only difference being Syracuse beat Georgia Tech to start January 1-1 in the ACC, while Notre Dame will start 0-2.
"We're coming out of a hole at 0-2,” stated Brey. “The good thing is there are 18 chances to work your way back into the mix. It's different. I do feel our younger guys are growing up a little bit and this will be a heck of an experience for them in that building."
Saturday will be Notre Dame’s first trip to the Carrier Dome since Rex Pflueger’s tip-in at the buzzer in 2018 to secure a 51-49 win.
The Carrier Dome isn’t an easy place to play as opponents must deal with the Syracuse zone, but also unique surroundings.
Brey made a trip on Friday night to the Carrier Dome to make sure his team got a few shots up.
"That can be overrated a little bit,” Brey said of the Carrier Dome. “I try to get our guys to understand it's still hoops and the whole bit. We'll get in there Friday night. We can't practice there, but we'll go back to the gym at 8:00 and shoot a little bit.
"Our sophomores have never been in the building. It is a little different when you stand there coaching wise and you look around and there is all kinds of depth. If you talk to your guys too much about it, then they start thinking in their backswing."
As for a win, Notre Dame won just once on the road in the ACC last season (Boston College) and while the Irish aren't favored on Saturday, Brey feels his team is due to finish.
"We need one," said Brey. "I love how we've played at home and our offensive numbers at home other than the Boston College game. We've played some road games where we couldn't finish. Ones where we could have got it and it does wonders for your confidence when you do."
From an outside perspective, Notre Dame has improved over the last month, but the Irish need to prove they can win in a hostile environment on the road before one can be confident in predicting them to win.
Three-point shooting will be the key for Notre Dame on Saturday. Syracuse shoots almost 48 percent of its field goals from three, while the Irish take 46 percent of its shots from beyond the arc.
Prediction: Syracuse 64 Notre Dame 58
Mooney's Passing Assists Irish
ISD Video | Mike Brey talks Jim Boeheim