After a big win on the big stage against the Michigan Wolverines, the Blue Devils refocus and return to ACC Play against Notre Dame on the road.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame enters Tuesday with a 12-15 record and a conference record of 3-11. They do have a winning record on their home floor at 9-5. Notre Dame ranks seventh in the ACC in three-point shooting percentage (35.6%), led by Braeden Shrewsberry, son of head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who shoots 40.6% (fourth in the ACC) from long distance. Cole Certa leads the ACC and ranks 22nd in the nation by shooting 89.6% from the free-throw line. Carson Towt tops the conference in offensive rebounding (3.70 per game) and is second in total rebounds with 254.
Freshman Jalen Haralson leads the Irish in scoring at 15.5 points per game; he also leads the team with 2.6 per contest. Haralson was ruled out for this game, nursing an ankle injury. Braeden Schewsberry scores the ball at a 12.1 per game clip for the Irish, with Cole Certa adding another double-figure scorer at 12 per game. Carson Towt is the leading rebounder for Notre Dame at 9.4 per game.
Last Time Out:
The Fighting Irish (12-15, 3-11) suffered a 68-73 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers (10-17, 3-11) inside the Petersen Events Center. Both teams struggled to get going offensively in the first half, then both found some rhythm in the second. The Irish scored a first-half season low of 20 and trailed by three at the half. They then erased an 11-point second-half deficit to claim a lead with 6:30 remaining before a big 15-3 Pitt run gave the home team some cushion. The Irish then mounted a late offensive flurry to pull within three in the final seconds, until the final buzzer sounded with a five-point loss.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke is No. 2 in NET rankings and is the national leader with 12 Quad-1 wins. (Feb. 22). They’ve secured nine top-25 victories with wins over No. 1 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Florida, No. 20 Louisville (twice), No. 20 Clemson, No. 22 Arkansas, No. 24 SMU and No. 25 Kansas. Duke is one of just two teams ranked in the top seven nationally in both offensive efficiency (127.1, 7th) and defensive efficiency (89.8, 3rd) ratings. (KenPom) The Blue Devils lead the ACC and are fifth nationally in scoring margin (+19.3) and rank seventh in the country in rebounding margin (+10.0). They also rank third in the nation and first in the ACC in scoring defense (63.1 ppg).
Cameron Boozer is the nation’s fifth-leading scorer with an ACC-high 22.6 points per game and tops the ACC in rebounding (10.0 rpg), is ninth in steals (1.6 spg), 13th in assists (4.0 apg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.582). Isaiah Evans ranks second in the ACC in free-throw percentage (.882). Evans and Patrick Ngongba both are averaging double figures for Jon Scheyer’s team at 14.7 and 10.6 points per game, respectively.
Last Time Out:
In a battle of top-three teams that did not disappoint, No. 3 Duke edged No. 1 Michigan 68-63 Saturday evening inside Capital One Arena. The Blue Devils used an elite defensive effort to seal the victory, as the Wolverines were limited to just eight field goals in the final 20 minutes and held to their lowest point total of the season.
Cameron Boozer nearly finished with a triple-double, totaling 18 points, including seven of Duke’s final nine, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, as well as two blocks. Patrick Ngongba II turned in 11 points, two blocks, and six boards, including a key offensive rebound in the final minute to help Duke’s offensive effort. Isaiah Evans (14) and Caleb Foster (12) also reached double digits for the Blue Devils.
Final Thoughts
The Irish have played short-handed for the majority of this season, and against Duke on Tuesday, it’s trending that way again. Heralded freshman Jalen Haralson is “probably out” for Micah Shewsberry’s team, which will limit them significantly. Haralson is averaging a team-high 15.5 points a game and is the second-leading assist man on the team. Without him, the Irish still possess firepower, but they are less athletic on the perimeter without him. Logan Imes, Cole Certa, and Ryder Frost are all capable scorers. Frost went 4-5 from range in Notre Dame’s last outing. Braeden Shrewsberry is the team’s leading marksman at nearly 41% from 3; if the Irish can get Duke in rotation, it could open up easy looks for the home team. Duke has to stay disciplined defensively and limit second chance opportunities generated from Carson Towt’s rebounding ability. There is much more for Duke to lose in this game than gain in this game, and I expect Notre Dame to come out like that’s the case, with an edge, especially in their home gym. I expect Notre Dame to hoist quite a bit of 3-point shots, both good ones and bad ones; Duke has to be solid in their closeouts—period.
Coaching against human nature will be important for this game. Duke is coming off of a big event, and returning to ACC play naturally might feel like a step down, so Jon Scheyer and staff have to instill the value of coming ready to play and each game being an opportunity. Being recently ranked #1 in the AP Poll puts an even bigger target on Duke’s back, but as they say, a ranking isn’t something you hang a banner for, but you do have to go out and justify it, day in and day out. “You haven’t won anything yet“—that has to be the mantra
