Game Thread | Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma | Jimmy V Classic
Notre Dame (6-1) vs. Oklahoma (6-1) - Jimmy V Classic
Date: December 4
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden (19,812)
TV: ESPN
QUICK FACTS
- Tuesday will be the first meeting between the two programs.
- It will also be the first time Mike Brey and Lon Kruger have faced each other as opposing coaches.
- Notre Dame is 50-20 all-time against the Big 12.
- The Irish hold a record for 59-51 at Madison Square Garden and 12-21 under Brey at MSG.
- Notre Dame assistant coach Ryan Humphrey played his first two seasons at Oklahoma.
- This will be Notre Dame’s first game away from Purcell Pavilion this season.
- Notre Dame junior forward John Mooney leads the ACC in double-doubles with three.
THE STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 9.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| TJ Gibbs | 13.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| Rex Pflueger | 8.3 | 4.6 | 3.3 |
| DJ Harvey | 10.0 | 5.0 | 0.9 |
| John Mooney | 11.0 | 8.9 | 0.6 |
Oklahoma
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Christian James | 19.1 | 3.9 | 2.1 |
| Aaron Calixte | 9.0 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Kristian Doolittle | 6.0 | 5.7 | 0.6 |
| Brady Manek | 8.9 | 9.1 | 1.3 |
| Jamuni McNeace | 9.9 | 7.0 | 0.9 |
Preview
When you talk about clones, Notre Dame and Oklahoma are very similar teams on paper. In fact, it would be shocking if two teams matched up closer to each other than the Irish and Sooners.
Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 77.7
Oklahoma: 73.4
Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 65.1
Oklahoma: 65.1
FG%
Notre Dame: 42.0%
Oklahoma: 45.7%
Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 40.3
Oklahoma: 41.1
Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 12.4
Oklahoma: 12.4
Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 5.9
Oklahoma: 5.0
Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 6.1
Oklahoma: 6.3
You get the point. Very even.
Oklahoma looks a little taller on paper and will start three seniors, so it’s easy to see the three-point spread in favor of the Sooners.
It will be an interesting game for Mike Brey as not only is it the first road game for his young guns, but it’s in Madison Square Garden. It’s hard for veteran teams to not get caught up in the surroundings, so I’m sure Brey might lose a few minutes of sleep on Monday night as he will play four freshmen in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
I won’t try and give insight on Oklahoma as Notre Dame is in the middle of playoff run, but the Irish will have to slow down Christian James to have a chance to win. James has topped the 20-point mark three times this season with a high of 29.
Perhaps the most impressive part of James’ game is his efficiency as he’s shooting 52.9% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range. Notre Dame doesn’t have a player producing at that level and it could be the difference in a close game.
Illinois was a good test and Notre Dame passed. Oklahoma beat a solid Florida squad and then got waxed by Wisconsin a few weeks ago, but it could be a very telling sign if the Irish get the win.
It will also be important to get the win as Notre Dame heads to UCLA on Saturday and then Indianapolis the week after to face Purdue.
Prediction: Oklahoma 78 Notre Dame 71