Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD
Notre Dame Basketball
Date: December 10
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
Time: 12:00 p.m. Et
TV: CBS
- Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is 7-6 against Villanova.
- In the Brey era, Notre Dame is 7-4 when facing the defending National Champion.
- The Irish are currently on a four-game winning streaking against the defending National Champion.
Matt Farrell: 12.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 5.4 apg
Steve Vasturia: 16.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.1 apg
VJ Beachem: 16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.0 apg
Bonzie Colson: 17.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 2.0 apg
Martinas Geben: 3.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 0.7 apg
Villanova
Jalen Brunson: 13.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 3.4 apg
Mikal Bridges: 11.1 ppg, 5.1 and 2.7 apg
Josh Hart: 17.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 3.8 apg
Darryl Reynolds: 6.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 0.6 apg
Kris Jenkins: 14.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.8 apg
Scoring Offense: Villanova: 80.9 ppg (58) – Notre Dame: 88.9 ppg (11)
Scoring Defense: Villanova: 62.6 (35) – Notre Dame: 63.7 (44)
Rebound Margin: Villanova: 5.3 (67) – Notre Dame: 5.6 (59)
Field-Goal Percentage: Villanova: 50% (18) – Notre Dame: 47.6% (69)
Three-Point Percentage: Villanova: 40.6% (26) – Notre Dame: 41.3% (16)
Three-Pointers Made: Villanova: 10.6 (11) – Notre Dame: 11 (5)
Free-Throw Percentage Villanova: 76.1% (36) – Notre Dame: 85.9% (1)
It doesn’t get much bigger than playing the No. 1 team in the country and Notre Dame will have a chance to make some major noise on Saturday afternoon. Both teams matchup with each other and it will be a guard heavy matchup.
Another interesting facet on Saturday will be the veteran teams. Notre Dame and Villanova haven’t made their program on one and done players, but rather upperclassmen.
“I think Saturday’s kind of neat and where maybe the discussion can be around two teams with veterans back that have won instead of a lottery pick freshman, who maybe is hurt, but maybe he’ll be back before Christmas,” said Brey. “Or a lottery pick freshman who is getting his butt beat.
“We’ve got two teams that have won a lot the last two years and they’re older driven. I think it’s a refreshing story and I hope CBS and (Bill) Raftery run with it.”
Saturday will also likely be a shootout, as both teams are extremely talented on the offensive end, but also shoot the three-ball well.
It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame uses its bench on Saturday, as they have played a consistent nine players through the first nine games of the season, but will Brey condense the rotation against better competition? Where does Beachem, Vasturia and Colson get breaks against elite teams?
Saturday will be a telling sign at where Notre Dame can go this season. With a win, the Irish can take the momentum into next weekend’s matchup against Purdue, but a loss could see the Irish slide to two losses by the end of next weekend.
Hoops Preview: (1) Villanova (9-0) vs (23) Notre Dame (9-0)
December 10, 2016
2,398
#1 Villanova (9-0) vs #23 Notre Dame (9-0)
Date: December 10
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
Time: 12:00 p.m. Et
TV: CBS
Quick Facts
- Saturday will be the 36th meeting between the two schools. Villanova leads the all-time series 18-17.- Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is 7-6 against Villanova.
- In the Brey era, Notre Dame is 7-4 when facing the defending National Champion.
- The Irish are currently on a four-game winning streaking against the defending National Champion.
The Starters
Notre DameMatt Farrell: 12.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 5.4 apg
Steve Vasturia: 16.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.1 apg
VJ Beachem: 16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.0 apg
Bonzie Colson: 17.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 2.0 apg
Martinas Geben: 3.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 0.7 apg
Villanova
Jalen Brunson: 13.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 3.4 apg
Mikal Bridges: 11.1 ppg, 5.1 and 2.7 apg
Josh Hart: 17.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 3.8 apg
Darryl Reynolds: 6.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 0.6 apg
Kris Jenkins: 14.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.8 apg
How They Matchup
(National Rank)Scoring Offense: Villanova: 80.9 ppg (58) – Notre Dame: 88.9 ppg (11)
Scoring Defense: Villanova: 62.6 (35) – Notre Dame: 63.7 (44)
Rebound Margin: Villanova: 5.3 (67) – Notre Dame: 5.6 (59)
Field-Goal Percentage: Villanova: 50% (18) – Notre Dame: 47.6% (69)
Three-Point Percentage: Villanova: 40.6% (26) – Notre Dame: 41.3% (16)
Three-Pointers Made: Villanova: 10.6 (11) – Notre Dame: 11 (5)
Free-Throw Percentage Villanova: 76.1% (36) – Notre Dame: 85.9% (1)
It doesn’t get much bigger than playing the No. 1 team in the country and Notre Dame will have a chance to make some major noise on Saturday afternoon. Both teams matchup with each other and it will be a guard heavy matchup.
Another interesting facet on Saturday will be the veteran teams. Notre Dame and Villanova haven’t made their program on one and done players, but rather upperclassmen.
“I think Saturday’s kind of neat and where maybe the discussion can be around two teams with veterans back that have won instead of a lottery pick freshman, who maybe is hurt, but maybe he’ll be back before Christmas,” said Brey. “Or a lottery pick freshman who is getting his butt beat.
“We’ve got two teams that have won a lot the last two years and they’re older driven. I think it’s a refreshing story and I hope CBS and (Bill) Raftery run with it.”
Saturday will also likely be a shootout, as both teams are extremely talented on the offensive end, but also shoot the three-ball well.
It will be interesting to see how Notre Dame uses its bench on Saturday, as they have played a consistent nine players through the first nine games of the season, but will Brey condense the rotation against better competition? Where does Beachem, Vasturia and Colson get breaks against elite teams?
Saturday will be a telling sign at where Notre Dame can go this season. With a win, the Irish can take the momentum into next weekend’s matchup against Purdue, but a loss could see the Irish slide to two losses by the end of next weekend.
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