Game Thread | Notre Dame at Howard
Notre Dame (10-6) at Howard (6-7)
Date: Jan 17th
Time: 2:30 PM ET
Where: Burr Gymnasium | Washington D.C.
TV: FOX | Tim Brando and Jim Jackson
Line: Notre Dame -11.0
O/U: 149.5
Quick Facts
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 1-0.
- Mike Brey is 1-0 against Kenny Blakeney.
- Brey and Blakeney both played at DeMatha Catholic of coaching legend Morgan Wooten.
- Blakeney was also recruited to Duke by Brey.
- Monday’s game will make Notre Dame’s first road game against an HBCU program.
- Dane Goodwin has scored in double figures in 16 straight games.
- Blake Wesley’s 14.7 ppg is second-best in the ACC for a true freshman.
- Prentiss Hubb became the ninth player in program history to log 500 career assists on Saturday.
- Notre Dame is 7-0 when hitting 10 or more three-pointers this season.
- Longtime Mike Brey assistant Rod Balanis is Howard’s associate head coach.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 7.9 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Blake Wesley | 14.7 | 3.2 | 2.3 |
| Dane Goodwin | 15.3 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
| Nate Laszewski | 8.0 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Paul Atkinson Jr. | 11.9 | 6.5 | 1.6 |
Howard
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Elijah Hawkins | 12.4 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
| Tai Bibbs | 10.8 | 3.3 | 2.2 |
| Kyle Foster | 15.2 | 4.2 | 1.5 |
| Steve Settle III | 13.5 | 4.2 | 1.6 |
| Randall Brumant | 8.8 | 5.8 | 1.1 |
Preview
| Category | Notre Dame | Howard |
| Points | 71.0 | 79.2 |
| Opponent Points | 66.3 | 70.7 |
| FG% | 44.8% | 47.3% |
| Rebounds | 33.5 | 34.9 |
| Assists | 13.6 | 16.0 |
| Blocks | 2.3 | 3.2 |
| Steals | 5.5 | 8.4 |
Who doesn't love a little Monday afternoon basketball? Notre Dame and Howard will tip off this afternoon as it marks the first time the Irish will play an HBCU on the road. The game is littered with connections between the two programs and DeMatha Catholic, so it should be a fun day on the court and also a competitive one.
Mike Brey's team will enter the game with more talent, while Howard will have depth and athleticism. Kenny Blakeney's team will look to press Notre Dame and speed up the game as Howard is a Top 50 team in pace of play.
Elijah Hawkins, a DeMatha Catholic alum, will challenge the Irish defense. The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder is a handful as he can score, but he also leads the Bison in assists (6.4 apg). Hawkins recorded 16 points and 11 assists against Villanova earlier this year and will have another chance to perform under the bright lights on Monday.
As it relates to Notre Dame, it starts on the defensive end as Virginia Tech shot 59.2 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three on Saturday. This year, Brey's team has played much better defense, but the Virginia Tech game was a lapse in focus.
Offensively, Notre Dame needs a heavy dose of Dane Goodwin and Blake Wesley. Goodwin has scored in double figures in all 16 games this season and Wesley has a double-figure streak of 13 games.
Paul Atkinson Jr. got back on track against the Hokies with 19 points, but after that, it's whoever shows up on the offensive end.
Expect Howard to feed off the energy of the crowd as Burr Gymnasium will be rocking, so it will be crucial for the Irish to figure out a way to take the crowd out early.
Howard Last Five
Norfolk State - 77-74 L
@ Harvard - 77-69 L
North Carolina AT&T - 79-57 W
@ Georgetown - 85-73 L
American - 90-56 W
Notre Dame Last Five
@ Virginia Tech 79-73 L
Clemson - 72-56 W
@ Georgia Tech - 72-68 W
North Carolina - 78-73 W
@ Pitt - 68-67 W