Game Thread | Virginia Tech at Notre Dame
Virginia Tech (14-10, 4-9) at Notre Dame (10-14, 2-11)
Date: Feb. 11th
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Where: Purcell Pavilion | South Bend, Ind.
TV: ACC Network Extra & Regional Sports Networks | Evan Lepler and Terrence Oglesby
Line: Virginia Tech -5.0
O/U: 143
QUICK FACTS
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 9-8
- Virginia Tech won the last meeting 87-80 in Brooklyn and owns a four-game winning streak in the series.
- Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan have hit a combined 635 career three-pointers
- Notre Dame is third in the ACC in three-point percentage at 36.6 percent.
- Cormac Ryan has scored in double figures in five straight games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| JJ Starling | 11.9 | 3.0 | 1.2 |
| Marcus Hammond | 8.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 |
| Cormac Ryan | 11.6 | 4.2 | 2.5 |
| Dane Goodwin | 11.9 | 5.3 | 2.3 |
| Nate Laszewski | 14.2 | 7.0 | 1.5 |
Virginia Tech
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Sean Pedulla | 15.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Hunter Cattoor | 10.8 | 4.0 | 2.3 |
| MJ Collins Jr. | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 |
| Grant Basile | 15.6 | 5.6 | 2.0 |
| Justyn Mutts | 13.0 | 7.2 | 4.5 |
Preview
| Category | Virginia Tech | Notre Dame |
| Points | 74.0 | 70.3 |
| Opponent Points | 68.1 | 71.9 |
| FG% | 47.1% | 44.7% |
| Rebounds | 34.3 | 31.0 |
| Assists | 15.3 | 12.3 |
| Blocks | 3.5 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 5.2 | 4.7 |
The season hasn’t gone the way Notre Dame or Virginia Tech expected it to go as both teams sit in the bottom four spots in the ACC.
Notre Dame’s issues with closing out games and simply giving effort at times have been well documented, but for the Hokies, it comes down to significant issues on the road. Virginia Tech is 0-7 on the road this season entering Saturday’s game at Purcell Pavilion, yet it’s the Hokies that are favored by five points and hold a 71.9 percent of winning per ESPN.
Why are the Hokies favored? It starts with the ability to control the paint. Big men Grant Basile is coming off a 33-point game against Boston College this week and Justyn Mutts has been a thorn in Notre Dame’s side for the last few years. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Ven-Allen Lubin back in the starting lineup for a second straight game as Mike Brey could make the decision to go big to begin the game.
Notre Dame has also lost six of its last seven games with the only win coming against Louisville. The Irish are fresh off a heartbreaking loss to Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets got a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer on Wednesday night.
Brey’s team will need to keep Lubin and Nate Laszewski out of foul trouble and be competitive on the glass on Saturday afternoon, which means limiting offensive rebounds and second-chance points. On offense, Notre Dame likely needs to get to double-digit three-pointers made to make this one competitive. The Irish average nine treys a game and will need to make from deep, but they will need to find a way to be more efficient on the offensive end as the Hokies can score and score quickly.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Rebound Snap Pullover Jacket
