Opponent preview: What to know about Notre Dame, Syracuse’s 1st ACC opponent

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Syracuse’s losing streak has now hit three after a 73-44 thumping against No. 16 Illinois on Tuesday night. SU shot less than 30% from the field, and no players reached double-digit points. Judah Mintz hit just 3-of-16 attempts and Joe Girard III was held scoreless. The Orange are now 3-4 for the first time in Jim Boeheim’s 46-year tenure as head coach.

SU now opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 6-1 after an 18-point win against Michigan State Wednesday night. After leaving ND, Syracuse won’t play another conference game until hosting Pitt on December 20.

Here’s everything to know about Notre Dame ahead of Saturday’s afternoon matchup:

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 31-23.

Last time they played

The Orange traveled to South Bend, Indiana for a Wednesday night tilt last February, and fell to the Fighting Irish, 79-69. Jimmy Boeheim notched a career-high 27 points and Buddy Boeheim added 20, but SU’s defense struggled, allowing four Notre Dame players to reach double-digit points.

Forward Paul Atkinson Jr. had 20 points and 17 rebounds, helping ND outrebound Syracuse 41-28. Nate Laszewski added 17 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Cormac Ryan (16 points) and Blake Welsey (13) also reached double figures.

The Orange struggled from behind the arc, making only 26.1% of their 3s. Buddy, Jimmy and Girard all missed at least four from deep. After the game was tied at 45-45 early in the second half, Notre Dame pulled away with a 15-3 run. Syracuse got within two, but ND closed out the game on a 7-0 run. It was the start of a four-game losing streak for SU, leading to its first losing season in Boehim’s tenure.

The Fighting Irish Report

Notre Dame has been a strong offensive team so far this season led by Laszewski, who has notched 18.2 points per contest. Laszewski is also the team leader in rebounds (8.7 per game) and blocks (0.8). The senior forward is also fourth in the country in percentage of minutes played, receiving 94% of ND’s center minutes. The fact that he shoots 43% from 3-point range makes him an even tougher option to contain.

Freshman guard JJ Starling, from Baldwsinville, is the team’s third-leading scorer at 12.8 points per game while averaging over 33 minutes. Senior guard Dane Goodwin is the Irish’s No. 2 scorer at 14.3 per game, and is their best 3-point shooter, knocking down over 48% from beyond the arc.

The only time the Fighting Irish have struggled to score this season came against St. Bonaventure, when they finished with only 51 points. They’re a tough team to stop despite averaging nearly 20 seconds each possession. But Notre Dame is also seventh-best nationally at turnover percentage, and quite efficient from 2-point range and the free throw line.

How Syracuse beats Notre Dame

Syracuse showed against Illinois that it has a lot of work to do to get its season back on track. The Orange actually played well defensively against a Fighting Illini team that ranks 17th in effective field percentage, per KenPom, but generated absolutely nothing on the offensive end. The first step at picking up a win Saturday: put the ball in the basket. And that starts with Girard, who’s struggled mightily in his last three games, and Mintz, who is an incredibly explosive player that acted like a true freshman against St. John’s, Bryant and Illinois.

SU also needs help from its secondary options, primarily Chris Bell, Justin Taylor and Benny Williams. All three have looked solid in spurts this season, but getting a game where all three play well will significantly help the Orange. The Orange have good 3-point shooters, but are only making 32.5% of their deep shots.

As always, Syracuse needs Jesse Edwards to stay out of foul trouble. The center has shown what he’s capable of in the last two games, notching 38 rebounds and five blocks while not even making a huge impact on the offensive end. SU needs him out on the court, otherwise it’ll likely struggle against a Notre Dame team that does well on the defensive glass. Mounir Hima has shown promise in the last two games he’s played, and will need to continue that when Edwards needs a breather (or is in foul trouble) against ND.

Stat to know: 3.46

The Fighting Irish have 3.46 years of Division-I experience, per KenPom, good for sixth-best nationally and second-best in the ACC, only behind Virginia. Syracuse, meanwhile, ranks 286th in the country with only 1.39 years of experience, mainly of its five new freshmen and the departures of Buddy, Jimmy and Cole Swider. While Starling is just a freshman, several of Notre Dame’s key players, including Cormac Ryan, Laszewski and Goodwin are seniors, giving it valuable experience as ACC play opens.

Player to watch: JJ Starling, guard, No. 1

Starling was one of the highest-ranked recruits in this year’s class, and was the top player in New York, per 247Sports. He spent his first two years of high school at Baldwinsville High School, and played for the Albany-based City Rocks AAU team, which also helped produce Symir Torrence, Girard and Buddy.

The freshman has proven to be a key part of the Fighting Irish this season, ranking third on the team in points per game and 3-point shooting. Starling will be one of the players ND likely uses to attack Syracuse’s 2-3 zone as both a scoring threat on the perimeter and a passing one at the free throw line.