Game Thread | Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame (3-3) at Boston College (5-3)
Date: Dec. 3
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Where: Conte Forum
TV: ACC Network | Jon Meterparel and Malcolm Huckaby
Line: Notre Dame -5.0
O/U: 132.0
Quick Facts
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 24-12.
- Mike Brey and Earl Grant will face off for the first time on Friday.
- Nate Laszewski is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and it ranks No. 3 in the ACC.
- Dane Goodwin is the only player in the country averaging 15.0 points per game, while shooting 48.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three and 93.0 from the free throw line.
- Freshman Blake Wesley scored 24 points against Illinois and 18 in the second half.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 6.0 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| Cormac Ryan | 9.5 | 4.0 | 2.0 |
| Dane Goodwin | 15.0 | 5.7 | 0.7 |
| Nate Laszewski | 8.5 | 9.3 | 1.0 |
| Paul Atkinson Jr. | 12.3 | 6.3 | 1.3 |
Boston College
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Makai Ashton-Langford | 10.9 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| DaMarr Langford Jr. | 12.4 | 5.0 | 2.3 |
| Jaeden Zackery | 10.9 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| TJ Bickerstaff | 10.5 | 7.9 | 0.9 |
| James Karnik | 7.3 | 4.9 | 0.4 |
Preview
| Category | Notre Dame | Boston College |
| Points | 71.0 | 67.8 |
| Opponent Points | 65.7 | 60.1 |
| FG% | 44.5% | 44.4% |
| Rebounds | 36.5 | 36.5 |
| Assists | 12.2 | 11.5 |
| Blocks | 3.2 | 2.9 |
| Steals | 5.0 | 6.6 |
Notre Dame has lost its last two games and the results haven't exactly been pretty.
It's not time to hit the panic button as the Irish have only played six games, but Mike Brey does need to make some tough decisions sooner than later.
The first would be to start freshman guard Blake Wesley.
Yes, it's a bold move considering the veteran presence on the roster and how early in the season it is, but Wesley is Notre Dame's best player and it's time for him to grow, even if that means living through his mistakes.
On Monday night, the 6-foot-5, 185-pounder scored 24 points at Illinois on 9-of-12 shooting and pulled down three boards.
Wesley is shooting 53.8 percent from the field on the year and averaging 13.0 points per game, which ranks third on the team in 20.2 minutes a night.
"It's a little bit of even more of a coming-out for (Wesley)," Brey said following the loss to Illinois. "We just in the second half said run our team and make decisions and I thought he was fabulous. He's very fortunate that he plays with some senior guards that allow and know, go make plays for us and me.
"I thought his decisions on when to score off the ball-screen and when to find his teammates was simply fabulous. He's very special, and we just gotta keep grooming him and how to play around him and off of him."
Now, if Wesley isn't starting tonight, it's not the end of the world, but Notre Dame needs to have Prentiss Hubb or Nate Laszewski step up on the offensive end.
Both players are averaging under 10 points a game and Hubb is shooting just 22.4 percent from the floor. That can't happen in year four or period at this level.
Notre Dame starting 1-0 in ACC play tonight is also important as the Irish play at Pitt to end December and then get the pleasure of hosting Duke and North Carolina to start January.
A win of Boston College won't move the needle in sexy wins, but it's a win the program needs to get on the right track as Kentucky comes to Purcell Pavilion next weekend.