Notre Dame Has Bad Start, Can’t Recover vs. No. 20 Virginia Tech

Notre Dame struggled in the second half the last time it played No. 20 Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame struggled in the second half the last time it played No. 20 Virginia Tech. That cost the Irish in what otherwise might have been a closer game. These teams met again Wednesday at Purcell Pavilion. Things didn’t go any better this time in a 62-51 Irish loss, extending their drought against Top 25 teams dating back to beating No. 6 Wichita State in the 2017 Maui Invitational.

The shooting issues that plagued Notre Dame last time continued in the first half of this game as it made only two field goals in the first nine-and-a-half minutes. With 5:10 remaining before halftime, the Hokies went up, 25-10, and that proved to be too much of a hole for the Irish to dig themselves out of. They did a better job of matching the Hokies in the second half, only being outscored by two points. But the deficit was in double digits practically the whole time, so any notion of entertaining a real comeback merely was a pipe dream.

The Hokies’ Nahiem Alleyne and Justyn Mutts had identical shooting lines of 7-of-14 from the field, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively. Mutts grabbed 11 rebounds to achieve a double-double, a feat he shared with Keve Aluma (14 points, 12 rebounds). Off the bench, Hunter Cattoor scored 12 of his 13 points on four 3-pointers. He also had a game-high three steals.

Prentiss Hubb practically did all of the offensive work for the Irish, leading all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting. No other Notre Dame player reached double figures. Dane Goodwin (eight points) and Trey Wertz (seven) both shot 0 of 4 from 3-point range on a night the Irish were 3 of 18 there. And whether or not Cormac Ryan’s absence had anything to do with this, the Irish didn’t help their cause with an 8-to-12 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Wertz Amazes, But Notre Dame Falls to Purdue in Crossroads Classic

Notre Dame has been high on Trey Wertz from the moment he transferred.

Notre Dame has been high on Trey Wertz from the moment he transferred. After he played well in his Irish debut against No. 21 Duke, Mike Brey rewarded him with his first start in the Crossroads Classic against Purdue. In turn, Wertz justified Brey’s decision by leading all scorers with 27 points, including five 3-pointers, and recording a team-high five assists. It wasn’t enough as the Boilermakers earned an 88-78 victory.

Dec 19, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Dane Goodwin (23) dribbles the ball while Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) defends in the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Irish (2-4) had all the makings of a team that can stick around but not get over the hump. They trailed by double digits frequently in the first half but went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to five heading into the locker room. Early in the second half, Dane Goodwin and Nikola Djogo combined to hit three consecutive 3-pointers to tie it at 53. The Boilermakers (6-2) responded by going on their own 9-0 run and never trailed again.

Dec 19, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) fouls Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Juwan Durham (11) in the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Hunter Jr. and Sasha Stefanovic scored 18 points apiece for the Boilermakers and combined to hit 9 of their 14 3s. Hunter also dished out a game-high eight assists. Mason Gillis barely missed a double-double to the tune of 12 points and nine rebounds. Trevion Williams rounded out the Boilermakers’ top scorers with 14 points.

Dec 19, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) dribbles the ball while Purdue Boilermakers guard Eric Hunter Jr. (2) defends in the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Cormac Ryan complimented his fellow transfer in Wertz with 14 points. Nate Laszewski scored 13, and Djogo had 11 off the bench. In a surprise disappointment, Prentiss Hubb, the ACC’s leading scorer, was held without a point. However, he tied with Goodwin to lead the Irish with six rebounds.

Notre Dame Unable to Solve No. 22 Duke in ACC Opener

Did Notre Dame think it had a chance against No. 22 Duke without having to face Jalen Johnson?

Did Notre Dame think it had a chance against No. 22 Duke without having to face Jalen Johnson? Probably, because anyone who goes into a game with a losing attitude shouldn’t be playing college basketball. But there are reasons the Blue Devils are ranked, and the Irish are not. The latest is a 75-65 win by the more talented Blue Devils at Purcell Pavilion.

Dec 16, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Juwan Durham (11) and Duke Blue Devils forward Patrick Tape (12) jump for the opening tip at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The Irish (2-3, 0-1) never led this game, but they didn’t let it get out of hand either. They never let the deficit get bigger than 11 in the first half, and they got within five near the halfway point of the second. But the Blue Devils (3-2, 1-0) responded to that by scoring nine unanswered points and leading by double digits the rest of the way. Given that they did more with more opportunities (31 of 60 from the field vs. 23 of 49 for the Irish), that should have been the result.

Dec 16, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey talks to his players during a time out in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Hurt led the Blue Devils with 18 points, three assists and two blocks. D.J. Steward scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had a game-high two steals. Jeremy Roach had 14 points, and Jaemyn Brakefield scored 10 in 24 minutes off the bench.

Dec 16, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Dane Goodwin (23) shoots a three point basket over Duke Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach (3) in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Dane Goodwin was scorching with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Prentiss Hubb scored 12 and tied with Cormac Ryan with three assists. Trey Wertz made his Irish debut with nine points in 21 minutes as a substitute.

Mike Brey Speaks Ahead of Notre Dame’s Game at Kentucky

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands.

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands. Fresh off a difficult, injury-riddled season, improvement doesn’t appear to be that obvious, and the team still is very thin. Still, Mike Brey sees it as a learning experience for a team led by juniors Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin.

“We are older, and I think we’ve kind of found out a little more about ourselves through these first three games,” Brey said during a Thursday news conference.

The Irish will face another underachieving team in Kentucky on Saturday. After a season-opening win over Morehead State, the Wildcats have dropped three in a row. That means a lot of pressure from a rabid fan base expecting more out of a team led by BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke, two freshmen currently projected as lottery picks in next year’s NBA draft. Brey expected excitement when he worked with John Calipari to get these teams together for the first time since their thrilling 2015 Elite Eight matchup, but he probably didn’t expect it would pair up teams trying to find their footing.

“I think both teams have their backs up against the wall right now,” Brey said.

The Wildcats have enough talent that a win in Lexington would mean the world to the Irish. It would give them a great boost heading into ACC play, and they need one. The conference is stacked this year, so there’s almost no game the Irish can waltz right into expecting things to go easily.

“If you look further into our schedule, it’s not like we’ve got one week and say, ‘Hey, there’s a win where we can feel better about ourselves,’ ” Brey said.

What Brey can feel better about is knowing that whatever the Irish do runs through Hubb. It’s difficult to come to any other conclusion regarding the team leader in scoring (22.3) and assists (5.3). Hubb also is one of four players averaging at least 35 minutes a game. But even if the Irish weren’t so stretched out, would Hubb playing so much necessarily be a bad thing?

“It all comes off of [Prentiss],” Brey said. “It’s hard to take him out of the game.”

Hubb’s 37.7 minutes a game are tied with Cormac Ryan, who had a frustrating game against the Buckeyes. He was shut out in the second half leading all scorers with 15 in the first. Though he was guarded more closely after the first 20 minutes, he also might have run out of gas. He had to sit out last season after transferring from Stanford, and now, he’s playing almost entire games.

“Overall, Cormac’s really trying,” Brey said. “His body is getting conditioned into extended minutes…It’s very new territory for Cormac.”

Notre Dame’s Battle With No. 22 Ohio State Comes Up Short

Notre Dame proved itself a worth competitor in this year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with No. 22 Ohio State.

Notre Dame proved itself a worth competitor in this year’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with No. 22 Ohio State. In fact, it led for the majority of the contest. However, the good times couldn’t last as the Irish blew an 11-point lead in the second half and lost, 90-85.

Dec 8, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Nate Laszewski (14) goes up for a shot as Ohio State Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell (32) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The game was tied at 75 with three minutes to go, and the Irish (1-2) got within one three times after that. They trailed, 88-85, with 17 seconds left and the shot clock turned off. Some tough defense by the Buckeyes (4-0) prevented an easy shot. Then, with time almost gone, the Irish got sloppy in desperation and ended up throwing the ball out of bounds without even getting an attempt, allowing C.J. Walker to ice the game with two free throws.

After missing all five field-goal attempts in the first half, E.J. Lundell came alive in the second to lead the Buckeyes with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. He and Walker (16 points) combined to shoot a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. Justice Sueing also scored 16, and Duane Washington Jr. had 13. Justin Ahrens’ 12 points off the bench were triple the scoring output of the Irish’s substitutes.

Dec 8, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Prentiss Hubb (3) dribbles as Ohio State Buckeyes guard CJ Walker (13) defends in the second half at the Purcell Pavilion. Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Prentiss Hubb scored a career-high 26 points and dished out a game-high six assists. Nate Laszewski came within a rebound of a double-double with 17 and nine. Dane Goodwin scored 16, and Cormac Ryan led all first-half scorers with 15 before being kept out of the points column in the second half. The Irish’s chances for victory were hampered after Juwan Durham fouled out with seven points and nine rebounds, which was pointed out on the ESPN2 broadcast as a rarity for a Notre Dame player.

Notre Dame Lets No. 12 Michigan State Run Away With Drought

Notre Dame learned a hard lesson in its season opener against Michigan State: Don’t let a blue blood hang around.

Notre Dame learned a hard lesson in its season opener against Michigan State: Don’t give an opening to a blue blood. Otherwise, you could find yourself too far behind too late. That’s exactly what happened in an 80-70 loss.

The Irish stayed with the Spartans for much of the first half and even took a 26-22 lead with over seven minutes left. After that, the bottom fell out as the Irish’s shooting went cold, and the Spartans went on a 28-0 run that extended into the second half. Even after that streak ended, the Spartans continued to build their lead, and a 13-3 Irish run over the final four minutes made it a final score that was closer than the game would indicate.

“It’s a great example of how fragile a game is,” Irish coach Mike Brey said.

Aaron Henry was the Spartans’ top scorer with 14 points, Joey Hauser had a double-double of 10 points and 16 rebounds, and Rocket Watts scored 13 to lead a bench that outscored the Irish’s, 39-6.

“We’ve got to keep finding some guys to come off the bench to help us,” Brey said.

Meanwhile, the starters carried the load on a night when none of them played fewer than 30 minutes. In what could be a sign of the season to come, Prentiss Hubb led all scorers with 23 points. Though he also recorded a game-high five turnovers, Brey has full confidence in the junior who’s the highest scoring returnee from last season.

“It’s Prentiss’ team,” Brey said. “He’s the one talking in the huddle.”

Cormac Ryan, seeing his first college basketball action since transferring from Stanford, scored 13 points and saw all of his field goals come from 3-point range. Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin both had 12. At the very least, the top of the Irish’s depth chart appears it will be productive this season.

“We just gotta play for a full 40 minutes,” Hubb said.

Doing that against a team as stacked as Michigan State wasn’t easy, but Hubb sees some good coming out of it.

“I think it’s a learning experience,” he said. “We got to play against a really physical team, and they pushed the ball really hard, and I think that going forward, we’re going to have to be able to dig in and box out and rebound and just match other teams’ intensities.”