Game Thread | Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame (7-10, 2-4) at Boston College (10-6, 1-4)
Date: January 15th
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
TV: ESPNU
Line: Boston College -9.5
O/U: 135.5
QUICK FACTS
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series 25-15.
- The Eagles won the last meeting 84-72 last January.
- The Irish are 9-9 at Conte Forum, but they have lost the last three games in Chestnut Hill
- Freshman Markus Burton has scored in double figures in 10 straight games
- Burton (4.0 apg) is the only player on the Irish roster averaging more than 1.0 assists per game
- ESPN’s Matchup Predictor: 86.1% in favor of Boston College
PROJECTED STARTERS
NOTRE DAME
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Markus Burton | 16.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| JR Konieczny | 9.5 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
| Julian Roper II | 7.5 | 4.5 | 0.6 |
| Carey Booth | 6.5 | 4.4 | 0.5 |
| Kebba Njie | 4.7 | 6.0 | 0.7 |
BOSTON COLLEGE
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Jaeden Zackery | 11.7 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
| Claudell Harris Jr. | 15.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 |
| Prince Aligbe | 6.6 | 4.8 | 0.6 |
| Devin McGlockton | 10.3 | 6.4 | 1.1 |
| Quinten Post | 16.9 | 7.7 | 3.3 |
TEAM STATS
| STAT | NOTRE DAME | BOSTON COLLEGE |
| Scoring Offense | 63.0 | 78.9 |
| Scoring Defense | 65.2 | 73.7 |
| FG% | 40.2% | 46.9% |
| Rebounds | 37.4 | 35.6 |
| Assists | 9.8 | 14.4 |
| Blocks | 2.6 | 4.1 |
| Steals | 5.8 | 6.5 |
| Turnovers | 13.6 (-2.9) | 10.2 (+1.9) |
THOUGHTS
It’s hard to predict this game given both teams have major concerns about who will be able to play on Monday evening after a short turnaround. Notre Dame forward Tae Davis (8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) missed Saturday’s game due to a sprained ankle and is listed as day-to-day. It’d probably be a little aggressive and risky to play him, but we’ll see.
Boston College was without two starters and a key reserve during Saturday’s loss to Clemson as the Eagles went through the stomach flu. Eagles head coach Earl Grant was unsure when his players would return, but ESPN setting the line at -8.5 and giving Boston College an 86.1 percent chance to win is probably a good omen for the home team.
If the Irish are without Davis, Notre Dame will be better equipped to handle it against Boston College given the lack of athleticism and length compared to Florida State. That said, Quinten Post is one of the best big men in the ACC and gave the Irish fits a year ago in the meeting at Boston College. Post scored 29 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in the 84-72 win.
Kebba Njie has done a good job on the defensive end over the last few weeks and this will be another test for him. Njie limited Duke All-American Kyle Filipowski to seven points on 2-of-12 shooting. If Njie can shut down another top ACC big man, it would speak volumes.
Offensively, Notre Dame continues to be a mess after Markus Burton. JR Konieczny is flirting with Burton as the only players to average in double figures at 9.5 ppg.
In the end, this game will come down to how much Notre Dame wants it on the quick turnaround. This is a team that hasn’t adapted to new game plans or change all year and they’ve had one day to adjust to Boston College.
It will likely come down to the first four minutes of the second half. The Irish have struggled to start the second half in multiple games, including the last few. And yes, it’s an important game as the Irish have a tough stretch coming up with home games against Miami and Boston College, but then a three-game road trip to Virginia, Pitt and Duke.
“It’s a quick turnaround to playing Boston College on Monday,” Shrewsberry said. “The last I checked, us and Boston College are the only two teams that play on one day rest this whole season. Not that I went through everyone's schedule and checked that out to see if anyone else played on a one-day rest. There’s no excuses for us.”
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