Game Preview: Notre Dame (12-3, 2-0) at Syracuse (12-3, 1-1)
Notre Dame (12-3, 2-0) at Syracuse (12-3, 1-1)
Date: January 6th
Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
TV: ESPN2
QUICK FACTS
- Syracuse leads the all-time series 28-20.
- Notre Dame has not won in the Carrier Dome since Jan. 30, 2007.
- The 2-0 start in ACC play is the third time in five seasons since joining the conference.
- Notre Dame will be without forward Bonzie Colson for eight weeks as he fractured his foot last week in practice.
- The Irish will likely be without point guard Matt Farrell as he recovers from a sprained ankle.
- Freshman DJ Harvey got his first start on Wednesday and scored a career-high 17 points.
- Over the last four wins, Rex Pflueger is averaging 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
- Bonzie Colson has scored in double figures in 30 consecutive games.
THE STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| TJ Gibbs | 14.6 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Rex Pflueger | 9.3 | 4.4 | 2.7 |
| DJ Harvey | 5.9 | 2.3 | 0.5 |
| John Mooney | 3.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 |
| Martinas Geben | 8.9 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
Syracuse
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Frank Howard | 15.8 | 3.5 | 5.9 |
| Tyus Battle | 19.4 | 2.8 | 1.5 |
| Oshae Brissett | 15.5 | 9.7 | 1.2 |
| Matthew Moyer | 4.7 | 5.5 | 0.5 |
| Paschal Chukwu | 5.7 | 5.9 | 0.3 |
National Rankings
| Category | Notre Dame | Syracuse |
| Scoring Offense | 81.7 (51) | 71.4 (259) |
| Scoring Defense | 65.1 (40) | 62.9 (20) |
| Rebound Margin | 2.3 (136) | 9.3 (10) |
| Assist Per Game | 14.8 (129) | 12.2 (285) |
| FG% Offense | 49.2% (28) | 43.1% (259) |
| FG% Defense | 39.9% (42) | 38.6% (19) |
| Three-Pointers Per Game | 8.3 (121) | 5.5 (327) |
| Three-Point Percentage | 40.1% (30) | 30.7% (318) |
| Free-Throw Percentage | 76.8% (24) | 70.7% (180) |
| Assist-Turnover Ratio | 1.56 (12) | 0.93 (256) |
Preview
Mike Brey became the all-time wins leader on Wednesday as he passed Digger Phelps for the top spot with 394 wins, but it was costly as the Irish likely lost Matt Farrell for Saturday's game at Syracuse.
The senior point guard took a hard fall on a drive to the rim in the first half and never returned to the game.
"He’ll be very questionable for Saturday," Brey said after the win on Wednesday. "I would hope he’d be healthy to play Wednesday in Atlanta. He just twisted it and he has some swelling. It’s one of those that I don’t think will be ready for Saturday.”
However, it's not just Farrell's injury that will hurt the Irish against the Orange. All-American Bonzie Colson is out eight weeks with a fractured foot and it's not the recipe for success heading into one of the toughest environments in the country.
Notre Dame will be down its two best players on the road but also facing on the nation's most frustrating defenses as Syracuse brings a difficult 2-3 zone to the table.
The Irish have shot the three-pointer well this year (40.1%) but it will be a tall task to do that against a longer Syracuse team. The Orange will also eliminate second-chance points for the Notre Dame as they dominate the boards (+9.3).
Notre Dame will need to battle on the boards to keep Syracuse to one shot but also force at least 17 turnovers on the day. If the Irish can get in passing lanes and get some transition buckets, they should be able to hang in there.
However, if Syracuse gets on a roll and the Carrier Dome gets momentum, it could be over quickly for the Irish as offense could be hard to come by. TJ Gibbs will have the attention of the Orange defense, but who can step up?
Rex Pflueger has averaged 14.3 points over the last four wins and DJ Harvey is coming off a career-high 17 points on Wednesday, but will they be able to raise their games against the 2-3 zone? Harvey could be the key as he can hit a jumper from the top of the key and if Notre Dame can get him the ball at the elbow, he could give the Orange problems.
It will likely be a long afternoon for Notre Dame, but it will be a great learning experience for Harvey, Nic Djogo and John Mooney to play in this type of environment with trips to Duke, North Carolina and Virginia coming up.
Prediction: Syracuse 81 Notre Dame 65