Exactly 24 hours after the Notre Dame football team kicks off in the Camping World Bowl, the men’s basketball team will return from a week-long holiday break by taking on Alabama A&M for the very first time at Purcell Pavilion. The Bulldogs are the first SWAC team to visit South Bend since Grambling in 2014.
The Irish enter their final nonconference game of the season having lost three of their past five contests, most recently a tough Crossroads Classic defeat to Indiana. Look for them to rely on their two-way play once again. John Mooney has been the leader there with nine double-doubles in 11 games, but Nate Laszewski is coming off the first double-double of his collegiate career, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds as a substitute in the Indiana loss.
The Irish have taken better care of the ball lately, averaging 7.5 rebounds over their past two games after coughing it up at least 10 times in five of their previous six. It’s progress, but a trend that will have to continue as the remainder of the ACC schedule awaits.