Tag: Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Notre Dame in the Crossroads Classic through the years

The Irish could have fared better during this event.

Notre Dame is set to face Indiana in what will be the final Crossroads Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The four-team event, which includes Purdue and Butler, has been held every December since 2011 but is coming to an end after this season. It’s a pity an event meant to celebrate all things basketball in a state known for the sport will not exist anymore, especially since it hasn’t been around for very long.

However, all things must come to an end, and the time for this one to wrap up is now.

The Irish are 4-6 in the Crossroads Classic, so they will have a losing record all time for the event. Here is how those games have gone:

Mike Brey speaks after Notre Dame loses to Indiana

It took a lot of trouble to get this post up.

INDIANAPOLIS — Full disclosure: This was not an easy post to make after Notre Dame’s loss to Indiana. This being my first time at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, it was difficult to find the interview room, especially since I was the last one to leave my courtside seat. That being the case, I only caught the final few answers of Mike Brey’s postgame’s news conference. Still, I hope I was were able to capture a few quotes that Irish fans will find meaningful.

On top of that, my laptop never recognized the arena’s Wi-Fi for some reason, so I was connected to an Ethernet cable that happened to be at my spot during the game. No one in the media room afterward was able to find one for me, rendering any remaining work on site unattainable. The only way I could get this particular post up was to walk to a Starbucks half a mile away.

Such is the life of a journalist. You live, learn and ultimately come away from certain experiences better than you were before. Still, I wouldn’t trade this day for anything. Hopefully, I will have a better sense of timing and direction next time along with a Wi-Fi network my laptop will recognize.

One more Notre Dame Crossroads Classic loss for the road

The Irish won’t miss this event at all.

INDIANAPOLIS — Notre Dame’s decision to back out of the Crossroads Classic led to the event’s demise. Given its history in the event, it probably won’t missed in South Bend. Indiana dealt the Irish one more bad memory by beating them, 64-56, to give the program a final event record of 4-7.

During the second half, the Irish (4-5) erased a 10-point Hoosiers (9-2) lead with an 11-1 run, tying the game at 46 with over eight minutes to go. That was as good as it got for the rest of the game as the Hoosiers went on an 8-0 run that came too late for the Irish to overcome. Soon after, a two-handed dunk by future NBA player Trayce Jackson-Davis served as the final dagger and whipped the heavy Hoosiers contingent at Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a frenzy.

Appropriately, Jackson-Davis was the most productive Hoosier with 17 points and 12 rebounds, completing a double-double. Parker Stewart had 12 points, most of which came on three 3-pointers. Xavier Johnson scored 11 despite shooting only 3 of 11 from the field and committing four turnovers. Race Thompson also had 11.

Dane Goodwin, one of three active Irish players to play in the Crossroads Classic four times, was responsible for much of the Irish’s scoring with a team-high 15 points. Blake Wesley was just behind with 14 points, though he was compounded by 5-of-16 shooting from the field. Paul Atkinson Jr. had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with four steals.

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Notre Dame vs. Indiana: First-Half Analysis

This game isn’t over by a long shot.

INDIANAPOLIS ⁠— Notre Dame might be tired of the Crossroads Classic, but it still showed up to play in the last one. With the jury still out on what type of team this is, some might have been a little surprised to see it play well against Indiana in the first half. Whatever the Irish are, they’ll be happy to have only a 30-27 deficit against the Hoosiers at halftime.

Shortly after the Irish fell behind, 8-7, with a little over five minutes gone, Paul Atkinson Jr. made a jumper to give his team a lead it would not relinquish until two-and-a-half minutes remained in the first half. A mostly decent display of offense (though it was both sloppy and nonexistent in the final minutes) and timely defense in which it forced several turnovers put the Irish in great position in front of a mostly pro-Hoosiers crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Barring a dramatic reversal in the second half, this will be far from a cakewalk, unlike the Purdue-Butler game that took place right before this one.

Blake Wesley is primed for another big game after leading the Irish with eight first-half points. Dane Goodwin isn’t far behind with seven, so the two players everyone is keeping their eye on have not disappointed so far. Atkinson has been superb on defense with five rebounds and three steals.

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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