Notre Dame (6-1) faces its toughest test of the season to date Wednesday when it visits No. 3 Maryland (8-0) for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The teams have not met since Jan. 15, 2014, a 74-66 win for the Terrapins. It will be the Irish’s first true road game and their first contest against a ranked opponent since suffering their only loss of the season Nov. 6 at No. 9 North Carolina.
Looking for their fifth ACC/Big Ten Challenge victory in seven appearances, the Irish once again will rely on John Mooney to do the heavy lifting. Mooney posted a double-double in four of his first five games and extended his streak of at least 13 rebounds to four games Nov. 26 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson. If the Preseason All ACC First-Team member can make it five straight 13-board games, he will be the first Irish player to do it since Luke Harangody in 2008-09.
Also recording double-doubles in Juwan Durham, doing so twice over the past three games. With Mooney sidelined by illness Nov. 18 vs. Presbyterian, Durham had 11 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. In the Fairleigh Dickinson game, he scored 12 points, grabbed 11 boards and blocked four more shots. Joining Mooney against North Carolina last season, Durham is the sixth Notre Dame player under Mike Brey to reach double figures in scoring and rebounding while also achieving four blocks.
Through seven games, Rex Pflueger has done his best to come back from the torn ACL that prematurely ended his season last year. In addition to averaging 7.3 points a game, he is one of 12 major conference players to average at least four rebounds (4.1), three assists (3.4) and two steals (2.0). Other prominent players in that group include Georgia’s Anthony Edwards, North Carolina’s Cole Anthony and Kansas’ Devon Dotson.