Syracuse (11- 7, 4-3 Atlantic Coast) travels to Notre Dame (11-6, 2-4) on Wednesday at the Joyce Center. The Orange enter the matchup with the Irish following three straight conference wins while Notre Dame is coming off a 78-74 win over Georgia Tech.

Here’s what to know about Notre Dame ahead of the matchup.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 29-22

Gambling odds: Notre Dame is favored by 4.5 points, per Oddsshark.com

Last time they played: This was the game that will forever be remembered as the “one JG3 almost stole.” After Joseph Girard III was fouled and stepped over by Prentiss Hubb late in the second half, the freshman guard went on a scoring spree. Girard dropped 10 consecutive points for the Orange, including two 3-pointers. But a four-point lead with 3:37 left in the game wasn’t enough for Syracuse. Notre Dame forward John Mooney finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds in an 88-87 Notre Dame win at the Carrier Dome on Jan. 4.

The Notre Dame report: Much of Notre Dame’s scoring comes from the two players that lit up the Orange two weeks ago, Hubb and Mooney. The pair combined for 50 points which — along with T.J. Gibbs’ 21 points — contributed most of the Fighting Irish’s points. Much of Notre Dame’s offense came from inserting the ball at the high post and then distributing. The Athletic’s Matthew Gutierrez tweeted a screenshot of such players Tuesday.

Re-watched Syracuse-Notre Dame from 2 weeks ago. The bulk of the Irish’s 88 points — 88! — started in these two setups. High post & short corner wide open. Notre Dame guards start high to bring up the zone…. Then UND exploited all of that space near the rim with two passes. pic.twitter.com/Tor2RTBYId

— Matthew Gutierrez (@MatthewGut21) January 21, 2020

Notre Dame, like Virginia Tech, scores an abnormal amount of its points from beyond the arc. Nearly 40% of the Fighting Irish’s scoring comes from 3-pointers, which ranks 14th in the country. Notre Dame doesn’t convert particularly well from that area of the court, though, with a 34.5 3-point percentage. The inconsistent shooting reflects why Notre Dame hasn’t been a dominant force in the ACC this year, but it certainly has a formula. If strong play down low combines with successful 3-point shooting, it could be a long night for the Orange.

How Syracuse beats the Irish: Syracuse is a different team than the last time it played Notre Dame. Well, at least it’s playing like one. Since allowing 88 points to Notre Dame four games ago, Syracuse hasn’t allowed more than 69. Orange players, and even Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, claim that the zone is operating better now. Forwards and guards alike have been more active in closing out on 3-point shots and denying feeds from the high post. If Syracuse continues that on Wednesday, it can win this game by limiting Notre Dame’s scoring and keeping up with the Fighting Irish offense.

Stat to know: 25.5 — Notre Dame gets 25.5% of its minutes played from its bench. That’s 300th in the country per KenPom and could impact the game if an ND player gets into foul trouble.

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 41% chance to win the game, with a projected final score of 72-69 in favor of Notre Dame.

Player to watch: John Mooney, No. 33, Forward

Mooney is one of the most dominant low-post players in the country. Last time out against Syracuse, he thrashed the Orange for 28 points and 14 rebounds. Mooney averages 15.4 points per game and 13.9 rebounds. Pretty much no matter what happens on Wednesday, it’s almost a guarantee Mooney will have a double-double. He’s had one in every game except for two this season.

Published on January 21, 2020 at 10:27 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44