Opponent preview: Everything to know about Notre Dame

To support student journalism and the content you love, become a member of The Daily Orange today.

Syracuse continued its hot play with an 82-72 win over Virginia Tech on Wednesday night, picking up its eighth win in 10 games. The Orange are now in a five-way tie for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 4-2 conference record. Joe Girard III notched 15 of his 24 points in the second half, and Jesse Edwards rebounded from a four-point outing against Virginia, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds. Reserve forward Maliq Brown added his first career double-double, too.

Next up for SU is Notre Dame, a middling squad that had lost its last three games before eking out a one-point overtime win against Georgia Tech on Tuesday. After starting the season 5-0, ND has lost eight of 12 games and is 1-5 in conference play. Both Syracuse and the Irish opened up their ACC schedules in early December in South Bend, Indiana, where Judah Mintz hit a late layup to secure a win for the Orange.

Here’s everything to know about the Fighting Irish before Saturday night’s tip-off:

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 32-22.

Last time they played

As mentioned, SU and Notre Dame faced off on December 3 at Purcell Pavillion, with Syracuse coming out on top, 62-61. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Orange and kickstarted a five-game winning streak.

Edwards turned in one of his best performances of the season, registering 22 points and 16 rebounds and Girard returned from a sluggish performance days early against Illinois to add 20 points. Mintz finished with only nine, but had the biggest two of the game after converting on a go-ahead bucket with less than a minute left. The freshman adjusted in mid-air to finish the layup and Notre Dame’s final shot landed short.

The Fighting Irish took 33 of their 60 shots from beyond the arc, and started hot from deep in the first half (going 8-for-18) before cooling off in the second, when they scored just 26 points. Dane Goodwin led the team with 16 points, making 3-of-4 3-point attempts and Cormac Ryan notched 14. Syracuse held Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Nate Laszewski, to two points.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 72% chance of winning, with a projected score of 73-66.

The Fighting Irish report

If Syracuse plays the way it has over the past month-plus (outside of the first halves against Pitt and Virginia) it shouldn’t have much of a problem with Notre Dame. The main key for the Orange will be to continue the defensive strategy they utilized against Virginia Tech — where they extended the 2-3 zone to shut down 3-point opportunities. Starling, Goodwin, Ryan, Trey Wertz and Marcus Hammond are all capable shooters, and SU’s guards and wings will have to be active.

Offensively, SU will need the same production it’s gotten from Girard over the past few games, while Edwards will need to assert himself inside again. In December, ND sent double teams toward Edwards in the second half, mostly shutting him down. The center will have to make good decisions passing the ball if surrounded by multiple defenders, something he said he’s been working on in recent weeks. With Benny Williams and Chris Bell getting limited minutes, the Orange also need production from Brown and Justin Taylor, who played well against Virginia Tech.

Stat to know: 19.8%

Notre Dame ranks 353rd nationally, and dead last amongst ACC teams, in offensive rebounding percentage, grabbing only 19.8% of its misses. This is good news for a Syracuse squad which is 339th in the country in defensive rebounding, and besides Edwards (and Brown, as of late), has gotten few boards from its forwards. In December, though, ND secured 12 offensive rebounds, with Goodwin and 6-foot-8 freshman Ven-Allen Lubin each grabbing four.

Player to watch: Nate Laszewski, forward, No. 14

Laszewski’s two-point performance against the Orange earlier this season was his worst of this season and a rarity for the senior. He’s only had three games with less than nine points this season and just two games with less than seven rebounds. It’s likely that Notre Dame will jack up a significant number of 3s on Saturday, leaving Laszewski to do most of his work on the glass or on easy baseline looks. He’s also knocked down four 3s twice this year, making him a tough threat to contain inside and outside.