Game Thread | Notre Dame at Wake Forest
Notre Dame (10-18, 2-15) at Wake Forest (17-11, 9-8)
Date: February 25th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Winston-Salem, N.C.
TV: ACC Network | Jay Atler and Randolph Childress
Line: Wake Forest -7.0
O/U: 150.5
QUICK FACTS
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 8-7.
- Wake Forest beat Notre Dame 81-64 on Feb. 4th.
- Dane Goodwin, Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan have made a combined 654 threes in their careers.
- The Irish are No. 3 in the ACC in three-pointers made per game at 8.9.
- Notre Dame is on a six-game losing streak and have not won an ACC game on the road this season.
- Former 2023 Notre Dame signee Parker Friedrichsen committed to Wake Forest on Feb. 20th.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| JJ Starling | 11.2 | 2.8 | 1.1 |
| Dane Goodwin | 11.9 | 5.1 | 2.1 |
| Cormac Ryan | 11.6 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | 6.0 | 4.4 | 0.4 |
| Nate Laszewski | 14.3 | 7.2 | 1.4 |
Wake Forest
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Tyree Appleby | 18.5 | 3.4 | 6.3 |
| Daivien Williamson | 7.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Cameron Hildreth | 12.9 | 5.5 | 2.8 |
| Matthew Marsh | 6.5 | 4.4 | 0.2 |
| Andrew Carr | 11.4 | 5.8 | 1.3 |
Preview
| Category | Notre Dame | Wake Forest |
| Points | 69.8 | 77.9 |
| Opponent Points | 71.6 | 74.5 |
| FG% | 44.7% | 46.9% |
| Rebounds | 31.0 | 33.9 |
| Assists | 12.0 | 13.1 |
| Blocks | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 4.6 | 6.0 |
Notre Dame won’t face 6-foot-6 sharp shooter Damari Monsanto on Saturday as he tore his patella tendon earlier this week against NC State. Monsanto scored 28 points, including going 8-of-13 from three in the first meeting with the Irish. It’s obviously not a situation where Notre Dame is glad not to see No. 30 on the court, but it will impact Saturday’s game in Winston-Salem.
The Demon Deacons could start Daivien Williamson, who is averaging 7.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 0.7 apg, as he started the game in South Bend. Freshman Bobi Klintman could also be an option as he started the second half in place of Monsanto against NC State. Klintman is a 6-foot-10 big man from Sweden and is averaging 4.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg - and he scored 10 points in the first meeting against the Irish.
Regardless of who starts for Monsanto, Notre Dame will have its hands full with Tyree Appleby, who is well on his way to a first-team All-ACC selection as he leads the conference in points per game (18.5) and assists per game (6.3).
Notre Dame will need to play defense and rebound on Saturday evening. It’s as simple as that. Wake Forest shot 52.7 percent from the field in South Bend earlier this month, which included going 14-for-30 from three-point range. The Irish were also out-rebounded 41-33. It’s not a recipe for success, especially for Mike Brey’s team.
The Irish could also be without Marcus Hammond, who was banged up in the second half of Wednesday’s game against North Carolina. Notre Dame has depth at guard, but Hammond had been a consistent presence as of late on the offensive end. The good news there is freshman JJ Starling seemed to get back on track against the Tar Heels as he scored in double figures for the first time in five games and shot 44 percent from the floor.
But for Notre Dame to get its first ACC road win of the year, it’s likely going to take two of the big three (Goodwin/Laszewski/Ryan) scoring more than 15 points. All three have had big nights throughout ACC play, but not often together and to end the six-game losing streak, Brey will need his veterans to step up in a hostile environment.
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