Game Thread | Notre Dame at Pitt
Notre Dame (6-5, 0-1) at Pittsburgh (5-7, 0-1)
Date: Dec. 28th
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Where: Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV: ACC Network | Doug Sherman and Chris Spatola
Line: Notre Dame -4.0
O/U: 127.0
Quick Facts
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 35-31
- Mike Brey holds a record of 2-1 against Jeff Capel.
- Nine players in country are averaging 15.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and shooting over 47 percent from three-point range. Dane Goodwin is the only player matching those stats and shooting over 90 percent from the free throw line.
- Dane Goodwin has scored in double figures in 11 straight games.
- Blake Wesley’s 13.5 ppg is third best in the ACC for a true freshman.
- Nate Laszewski's 7.3 rpg is No. 9 in the ACC.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 7.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Blake Wesley | 13.5 | 3.2 | 2.1 |
| Dane Goodwin | 15.3 | 5.5 | 0.6 |
| Nate Laszewski | 7.8 | 7.3 | 0.7 |
| Paul Atkinson Jr. | 11.8 | 6.4 | 1.6 |
Pittsburgh
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Femi Odukale | 12.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| Jamarius Burton | 11. | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| William Jeffress | 5.4 | 4.9 | 1.2 |
| Mouhamadou Gueye | 7.3 | 6.1 | 1.0 |
| John Hugley | 14.5 | 8.1 | 1.5 |
Preview
| Category | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh |
| Points | 70.3 | 60.7 |
| Opponent Points | 65.3 | 63.7 |
| FG% | 44.4% | 40.6% |
| Rebounds | 34.3 | 37.0 |
| Assists | 13.3 | 11.3 |
| Blocks | 2.7 | 4.1 |
| Steals | 5.5 | 4.7 |
Notre Dame has faced talented big men all year and the Irish will face another one on Tuesday night as John Hugley will draw the attention of Mike Brey.
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound sophomore enters tonight's game averaging 14.5 ppg and 8.1 rpg, including 25 and 14 game against Minnesota earlier this fall.
The good news for Notre Dame is Hugley isn't Kofi Cockburn or Oscar Tshiebwe and most of all, the Irish are riding some momentum on the offensive end as they've topped 80 points in back-to-back games.
Now, the scoring came against Western Michigan and Texas A&M Corpus Christi, but it was a much-needed confidence boost for Brey's team.
Pitt isn't Duke or a top 25 team, so this game comes down to Notre Dame not beating itself. If the Irish can rebound and find a way to score, Notre Dame could pull to 1-1 in ACC play.
This is a big game. Notre Dame can't fall to 0-2 in the ACC as Duke and North Carolina come to South Bend in the next week. If the Irish fall, Notre Dame could be looking a significant 0-4 hole five days into January. Not ideal.