Crossroads Classic – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Notre Dame ready to face Indiana in Crossroads Classic

Regrettably, this is the final year of this event.

Coming off a thrilling win over Kentucky, Notre Dame is about to face another tough test against Indiana. The teams will meet in Indianapolis as part of the 11th and final edition of the Crossroads Classic. Although a 4-6 record in this event so far will keep the Irish from a final winning record, they still can leave it behind on a high note. They will have to do it against a Hoosiers team that has split its past four games after winning its first six.

Although Irish senior Dane Goodwin’s team-leading 14.3 points a game are impressive, the key to success in this game might come down to two newcomers. Freshman and South Bend native Blake Wesley has been nothing short of impressive, and being named the most recent ACC Rookie of the Week reflects that. Transfer Paul Atkinson Jr. has a field-goal percentage of .661, which is the best of any returning Division I player. While too soon to tell if those two will get the Irish on a roll after a 4-4 start, it certainly is encouraging.

One more thing: Fighting Irish Wire will be on location at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to cover this game. This is an exciting moment for us, and we hope it will help lead to additional opportunities down the road. Either way, we’ll see you in Indianapolis!

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Notre Dame in 2022 NCAA Tournament per Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology

Think the Irish can make the next NCAA Tournament?

Yes, it’s way too early to be thinking about the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but that hasn’t stopped college basketball fans from doing so. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi is one of them, and he’s released his latest Bracketology. Notre Dame fans undoubtedly want to forget about the 11-15 season they just experienced, but they’ll be pleased to know that Lunardi has the next iteration of the Irish as one of the last teams to make the tournament without having to play in the First Four. Specifically, he lists the Irish as a No. 10 seed against Indiana, so maybe the Crossroads Classic will serve as a preview for March?

Lunardi has good reason to be bullish about Notre Dame, which will receive a boost from Yale transfer Paul Atkinson and South Bend natives J.R. Konieczny and Blake Wesley. The Irish also will return their top three scorers from the past season as seniors: Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin. This is a program desperate for good things as it hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2017. Fortunately, there’s reason to think that those good things are close ahead.

Notre Dame was Butler’s first opponent inside Hinkle Fieldhouse

The historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler’s campus turned 93 years old Sunday. What does this possibly have to do with Notre Dame?

The historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler’s campus turned 93 years old Sunday. What does this possibly have to do with Notre Dame? Well, somebody had to be Butler’s first opponent in the building, and it just so happened to be the Irish, then the defending national champions. In a final score that would have been seen as a defensive struggle even at that time, the Irish suffered a 21-13 loss in overtime.

Notre Dame has an all-time record of 28-17 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, although it hasn’t played there since 1995. In fact, the Irish and Bulldogs only have met on two occasions in the years since: The 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Although the programs take part in the annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis, they never play each other so that Indiana and Purdue can save their matchup or matchups for the Big Ten season. Hopefully, this in-state rivalry can be revived to some degree in the not-too-distant future as there is a lot of potential here.

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 Readies for Purdue in Annual Crossroads Classic

The Crossroads Classic has become an item for my bucket list. I won’t be able to cross it off this year, but the games must go on.

The Crossroads Classic has become an item for my bucket list. I won’t be able to cross it off this year, but the games must go on. What better way to celebrate the holidays in the Hoosier State by watching four of the most prominent colleges in the state compete in the sports it’s known for? This year, Notre Dame has drawn Purdue as its opponent, and Indiana will face Butler in the other game.

This is the 10th season of the event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Irish are looking to right the ship both with this season (2-3) and this event (4-5). Though they have a nice weapon leading ACC scorer Prentiss Hubb (19.4 points a game), they need more contributions from a bench that has provided very few early in the season. That could change now that Trey Wertz is in the rotation, and would help if Nikola Djogo, the only other substitute to log substantial minutes thus far, got something going. Otherwise, the starters could get burned out quickly, even if Mike Brey says they’ve been conditioned to play many minutes a game.

Notre Dame Basketball: Alabama A&M Final Nonconference Opponent

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 …

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.

Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Can’t Finish Comeback vs. Hoosiers

Drawing a tough Indiana team in the annual Crossroads Classic, Notre Dame could have let itself get smoked. Instead, it hung in until the very end and nearly won it. However, it’s unlikely anyone on the team is thinking of this as anything but a …

Notre Dame (8-4) turned a 17-point deficit into a five-point lead with 3:42 left. But Armaan Franklin made two 3-pointers after that, including one that gave Indiana (11-1) the lead with 15.7 seconds left. John Mooney missed a game-tying layup, and Rex Pflueger was unable to connect on a half-court shot at the buzzer.

Mooney tied for the team lead in scoring with Dane Goodwin for 15 points and had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Nate Laszewski met the bare minimum for a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Juwan Durham added 11 points.

Already ravaged by injuries to their rotation, the Irish momentarily suffered another blow when T.J. Gibbs went back to the locker room in the first half clutching his left leg. Though he returned before halftime, he appeared bothered by the leg while on the floor. Pfluger also was bitten by the injury bug with a sore groin before going back into the game a short time later.

Notre Dame Basketball: Ready for Indiana in Crossroads Classic

Indiana is known for basketball like Wisconsin is known for dairy, so the Crossroads Classic that’s been held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse every year since 2011 always feels like an early Christmas present for local hoops fans. Notre Dame (8-3) has split its first eight appearances, and this year, it faces Indiana (10-1), which came back to beat the Irish in overtime when these teams last met in the event in 2017. The Hoosiers have won three of the teams’ four Crossroads Classic meetings.

The Irish have been hot from 3-point range, making 35 3s over their past two games, a school record for that span. No Notre Dame team ever had made at least 15 3-pointers in back-to-back games until last week.

Dane Goodwin has been superb off the bench in the first half, scoring 16 in that frame against Detroit Mercy, followed by 14 in the win over UCLA, which was Mike Brey’s 800th career game.