Game Thread | Louisville at Notre Dame
Louisville (11-12, 5-8) at Notre Dame (16-7, 9-3)
Date: Feb. 9
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Purcell Pavilion | Notre Dame, Ind.
TV: ESPNU | Anish Shroff and Jordan Cornette
Line: Notre Dame -7.0
O/U: 135.5
Quick Facts
- Louisville leads the all-time series 27-16.
- Mike Brey and Mike Pegues will meet head-to-head for the first time on Wednesday.
- Pegues was coached by Brey at Delaware.
- There are only two true freshmen in the country who have scored 300 points with 70 rebounds, 60 assists and 25 steals - Weber State’s Dillon Jones and Notre Dame's Blake Wesley.
- With nine wins in their first 12 ACC games, the 2021-22 team has matched the 2014-15 squad for the best start to ACC competition in program history.
- Prentiss Hubb’s assist to turnover ratio in ACC play is 6.1. It’s the best for any player in conference play with more than five games played.
- Notre Dame has held its last five ACC opponents to 65 points or less - the best streak for the program since it joined the league in 2013-14.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 8.7 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
| Blake Wesley | 14.1 | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| Dane Goodwin | 14.5 | 5.0 | 1.3 |
| Nate Laszewski | 8.4 | 7.0 | 0.8 |
| Paul Atkinson Jr. | 12.3 | 6.8 | 1.4 |
Louisville
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Mason Faulkner | 5.3 | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| Noah Locke | 9.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 |
| Dre Davis | 7.5 | 3.1 | 0.9 |
| Sydney Curry | 5.3 | 3.4 | 0.5 |
| Matt Cross | 6.8 | 4.2 | 0.5 |
Preview
| Category | Louisville | Notre Dame |
| Points | 69.0 | 70.0 |
| Opponent Points | 70.0 | 65.5 |
| FG% | 42.0% | 45.2% |
| Rebounds | 37.6 | 33.6 |
| Assists | 12.8 | 13.7 |
| Blocks | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 6.1 | 5.4 |
Notre Dame will have a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the ACC on Wednesday night. Yes, I'll repeat that again. With a win, Notre Dame will move into sole possession of first place in the ACC.
It's a big game and the Irish will face a Louisville team that has faded and faded quickly following the firing of Chris Mack. The Cardinals have won just once over the last nine games, including five losses in a row.
Nate Laszewski's health is important as the senior forward will be a game-time decision after suffering a contusion after knocking knees on Saturday.
Brey was hopeful he could play, but he's also made sure the team will be ready if Laszewski can't play.
"Probably a game-time decision," Brey stated on Tuesday. "I think we have to prepare and we have prepared yesterday and we will today like we will not have him.
"The MRI came back positively. There is no structural, it's a bruise, but it's a pretty good bruise. Knee to the outside of the knee. He's tender. Game-time decision. Crazy things have happened.
"He's tough and durable. I think we have to prepare accordingly."
If Laszewski can't go, sophomore Matt Zona would get the nod as Brey has inserted him into a role the last two days of practice.
Louisville will get a boost to its lineup as leading scorer Malik Williams returns from a suspension. Williams didn't play against Syracuse or North Carolina and will bring his 10 points and 8.7 rebounds back to the lineup.
Cardinals interim head coach Mike Pegues did not state whether Williams would start on Wednesday.
It should be a big night for Paul Atkinson Jr., who won ACC Player of the Week, as he averaged 17 points and 10 boards last week.
Atkinson scored 13 points in Notre Dame's 82-70 win over Louisville on January 22nd and it's led to a big stretch from the graduate transfer.
"I do think there was a bit of an adjustment period physically with what was coming at him at this level," Brey said. "I think as I've watched him the last two weeks, he's kind of grasped that now. He's learned to use some craftiness when he can't be athletic.
"Now, he's underrated athletically. He's bouncy and has great feet. I think it's a great story that the Ivy League Player of the Year was the ACC Player of the Week. That's stuff that's going with transfers, grad transfers and portals. I'm really proud of him."
As for the pressure of being in the race to win the ACC regular-season title, Brey simply wants his guys to keep chasing it.
"We talked about handling our business and keeping pressure on everyone else in the league. Can we handle our business? We certainly would like to bounce back from a tough performance the last time we played here against Duke.
"I think we're going to have an unbelievable atmosphere. I think we're close to a sellout. Our students will be ready to roll.
"Can we keep chasing it? I dropped the regular-season champions thing a month ago. I think they've digested that and let's play for it."
Louisville Last Five
@ Syracuse - 92-69 L
UNC - 90-83 L/OT
Duke - 75-65 L
@ Virginia - 64-52 L
Notre Dame - 82-70 L
Notre Dame Last Five
@ NC State - 69-57 W
@ Miami - 68-64 W
Duke - 57-43 L
Virginia - 69-65 W
NC State - 73-65 W