Game Thread | Notre Dame vs. Purdue
Notre Dame (2-3) vs. Purdue (5-2) | Crossroads Classic
Date: December 19th
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: ESPN2 | Jordan Bernfield and Robbie Hummel
Line: Purdue -6.0
Quick Facts
- Mike Brey is 3-1 against Matt Painter and 4-1 against Purdue.
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 23-21, including 11-5 at neutral sites.
- Notre Dame will be taking part in its 10th Crossroads Classic this weekend. The Irish are 4-5 in the event and 3-1 against Purdue.
- Junior guard Prentiss Hubb is tied for the ACC lead in points-per-game at 19.4.
- Notre Dame is fourth in the country and first in the ACC in free throw percentage at 81.6% - and no Irish player is shooting less than 73% from the charity stripe.
THE STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 19.4 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| Cormac Ryan | 10.2 | 4.4 | 4.0 |
| Dane Goodwin | 15.4 | 5.0 | 2.4 |
| Nate Laszewski | 14.6 | 9.2 | 0.2 |
| Juwan Durham | 6.8 | 5.6 | 1.8 |
Purdue
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Sasha Stefanovic | 11.7 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| Eric Hunter Jr. | 13.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| Brandon Newman | 9.3 | 3.7 | 2.0 |
| Mason Gillis | 5.1 | 2.3 | 1.1 |
| Zach Edey | 11.6 | 4.4 | 0.1 |
Preview
Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 72.4
Purdue: 72.7
Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 75.6
Purdue: 63.1
FG%
Notre Dame: 44.6%
Purdue: 47.2%
Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 34.0
Purdue: 36.7
Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 13.6
Purdue: 17.1
Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 3.8
Purdue: 2.9
Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 4.2
Purdue: 5.3
Saturday is an important game for the Notre Dame basketball program as the Irish are walking a fine of battling and heading for a potential dumpster fire. Now, it’s worth noting the Irish play one of the most difficult schedules in the country this month, but Notre Dame didn’t show much fight against Duke on Wednesday night as the defense left much to be desired.
Mike Brey questioned the defensive effort from his team and even hinted at the starting lineup potentially being changed as the Irish take on Purdue.
"I think that's something we really have to address and if guys minutes change or starters change for Saturday, we'll do what we have to do early in the season,” stated Brey.
The most likely scenario would be moving guard Trey Wertz into the starting five and taking Juwan Durham out. Durham has struggled with more minutes and could be more productive in shorter spurts. It leaves Notre Dame extremely small, but they would gain an advantage on the offensive end as Wertz showed he could drive against Duke.
There are other options as Cormac Ryan could come off the bench, but you would think Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszeewski and Dane Goodwin are safe from reduced minutes as they have carried the Irish thus far.
Goodwin has been a bright spot as he’s averaging 15.4 points per game and scored 25 against Duke.
“He's playing really well,” explained Brey. “He's been playing great for us. He tried to carry us tonight and kind of did. If Hubb and Ryan can't get into a rhythm, we're going to be in trouble.”
Yet this game comes down to defense.
"I think I need to help them understand is if they sit down and defend a little better and maybe get something out in transition, it can jumpstart their offense,” Brey stated. “I thought disappointing offensive possessions affected us defensively."
It’s early in the year, but Notre Dame needs a win with games at Syracuse and Virginia at home coming up to finish the month. It’s a crucial game for the psyche of the program and if the Irish play defense and rebound, the Irish can win. As of now, it’s just still hard to predict them to win.
Prediction: Purdue 71 Notre Dame 64
Note: Jaden Ivey, the son of Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey, is averaging 8.0 points per game for the Boilermakers off the bench.