Game Thread | Pittsburgh at Notre Dame

Pittsburgh (14-8, 5-6) at Notre Dame (13-8, 4-6)

Date: February 5th

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Purcell Pavilion | Notre Dame, Ind.

TV:  ACC Network | Steve Schlanger and Dan Bonner

ACC Standings

Quick Facts 

- Notre Dame and Pitt will meet for the 66^th time on Wednesday. 

- The Irish lead the series 34-31 and hold a record of 18-11 at home against the Panthers.

- John Mooney is second in the nation in rebounds-per-game with a 13.2 average. 

- Mooney has recorded double-doubles in 17 of 20 games played this season. 

- Notre Dame leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.78. 

- Sophomore Dane Goodwin, who has scored in double figures in each of Notre Dame’s last six games, is the only player in the ACC averaging double figures this season with less than three games started. 

- Rex Pflueger needs one more rebound to reach 400 in his career. That would make him the 28th active NCAA player and eighth major conference player to score 700 points with 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 130 steals in a career.

THE STARTERS

Notre Dame

Pittsburgh 

Preview

Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 76.8
Pittsburgh: 66.2

Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 68.8
Pittsburgh: 62.6

FG%
Notre Dame: 42.9%
Pittsburgh: 41.4%

Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 38.5
Pittsburgh: 35.2

Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 17.3
Pittsburgh: 12.5

Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 4.0
Pittsburgh: 3.5

Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 5.9
Pittsburgh: 7.5

A reminder for those going to the game or planning to watch - the game is a 6:30 pm tip. 

Notre Dame will end a three-game homestand on Wednesday evening, but more importantly, the Irish have a chance to go 3-0 and get to 5-6 in ACC play. 

For the Irish, it comes down to offense and scoring the basketball. Head coach Mike Brey admitted on Monday the defensive hype he created early in December was a smokescreen and it might have paid off as his team is hitting positive strides offensively. 

“I knew that was what we had to hang our hat on then,” said Brey. “I was really selling our defense. Don't get me wrong; we were working at it and moving our feet. We were also doing it because that was the only way we could win. You go back and look at the offense trying to get rolling so we can take some pressure off our defense. 

"That was a sales job. We're sharp defensively. We know we have to play it in spurts and play some zone, but when we can get in those offensive spurts, I hope we can find our rhythm there and can continue it." 

With that said, Notre Dame will need to slow down Pitt point guard Xavier Johnson, who has made or assisted on 43 percent of the Panthers field goals over the last five games. Johnson, a sophomore, has 19 field goals and 32 assists. 

The matchup with Notre Dame point guard Prentiss Hubb is worth tuning in for as it could be the switch the Irish sophomore needs to play better at home.

“It's amazing where I've tried to put my finger on that one,” Brey explained. “When people poke at him at Georgia Tech after he shot the air ball or the crowd pokes at him, he gets going. I haven't verbalized this to him, but he has a little bit of a 'Us against the world' on the road. He's even more talkative in the huddles. I have to figure out how to get that road mindset where he's me against the world. He's shown it on the road. 

"He's been good with the ball here. He had some rebounds and plays defense. He just hasn't had the scoring punch here. He loves when they're on him. I should plant three students on the baseline to just rip him starting with the starting lineups." 

But it all comes down to simply winning this one as the Irish have road trips to Clemson, Virginia and Duke in the next 10 days, but also end the trip with North Carolina just two days after Duke. 

"It would unbelievable to get the third one here,” stated Brey. “To get to 5-6 in this league before what we have staring at us next week would be really huge." 

If Notre Dame hits 11 three-pointers and holds Pitt to under 68 points, the Irish win. 

Prediction: Notre Dame 74 Pitt 65