Game Thread | Syracuse at Notre Dame

Syracuse (15-12, 9-7) at Notre Dame (19-8, 12-4)

Date: Feb. 23

Time: 7:00 PM ET 

Where: Purcell Pavilion | Notre Dame, Ind. 

TV: ESPNews 

Line: Notre Dame -.50

O/U: 146

ACC Standings

Quick Facts 

- Syracuse leads the all-time series 31-22. 

- Mike Brey is 9-19 against Jim Boeheim.

- Freshman Blake Wesley is poised to become the first rookie in the country this season to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds, 50 3FGM, 70 assists and 30 steals.

- Wesley is averaging 17.6 points per game over the last four games.

- Cormac Ryan is averaging 11.0 points per game since stepping into the starting lineup against Louisville on Feb. 9.

- Dane Goodwin leads the ACC in three-point shooting at 46.4 percent. 

PROJECTED STARTERS

Notre Dame

Syracuse    

Preview

The Syracuse 2-3 zone will travel to Purcell Pavilion for a Wednesday night clash with the Fighting Irish. Syracuse’s zone is always a 40-minute roller coaster and Mike Brey believes his team will need to match the intensity from the Orange on the defensive end. 

“They (Syracuse) played overtime the other night and they're coming in - they're coming in feeling good about themselves,” stated Brey. “They've been winning. They're really gifted. The four of those guys offensively are so gifted and they really shoot the heck out of it. You're not going to stop them.

"Our three-point percentage defense is second in the league. We made great progress there and it's really going to be tested there tomorrow night." 

Notre Dame will enter the game shooting a respectable 37.2 percent from three, but Brey believes the key will be staying patient to find opportunities to drive against the zone. 

"We've been really good getting foul line touches,” explained Brey. “Dane (Goodwin) has a lot of experience being the foul line touch guy. We've ball screened it. I don't want not to drive it and take it out of our drivers hands. 

"For Blake (Wesley), it's been this is going to be different because you're going to play 60 possessions against a zone. You may have to swing it five times before you get a driving opportunity. I'm trying to get him mentally ready for that.” 

One player to watch is senior forward Nate Laszewski, who missed Tuesday's practice due to a stomach virus. Laszewski has battled a knee contusion for most of the month and is an important piece to Brey’s seven-man rotation, especially against a 2-3 zone. 

"Nate is a little under the weather with a stomach virus,” Brey said on Tuesday. “He'll miss today and we'll try to get him ready, but he'll probably be a game time decision for us. The knee is trending the right way.

"We'll get (Matt) Zona and JR (Konieczny) in a white shirt and ready to go." 

In the big picture, Notre Dame is 11-1 at home this season and hopes to continue the magic inside Purcell Pavilion as the Irish are one game back from first place Duke. 

"It should be a great atmosphere,” said Brey. “I know I have the students for two of the last three. Spring break, the Pitt game, The Legion will be in Key West, Miami and Tampa. They've been great to us. We're going to ride that and our home crowd has really helped us. 

"We don't escape the Boston College game without some energy in this building. It's really helped our guys. It's just been a neat culture and atmosphere this year. 

"Every game we have is going to be a hard game. It's going to be hard. I don't care what the record is of the team in the league. Boston College last week, hard. Georgia Tech - all I know is when we played them in Atlanta, we escaped. These guys are really good. Hard games coming."