Notre Dame @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2019 ) Syracuse 72, Notre Dame 62

After a couple of early-season ACC contests, Syracuse and Notre Dame begin league play in full swing Saturday when they meet on the Orange's home court. Syracuse has won four of its last five, a run that began with a victory against league foe Georgia Tech.

Syracuse also faced ACC rival and defending national champion Virginia in its season opener, losing 48-34, while Notre Dame took on North Carolina in its season opener and fell short in that one. The Fighting Irish also have faced Boston College and lost to the Eagles, although they have since won three of their last four. Most recently, Notre Dame topped Alabama A&M 82-56 and T.J. Gibbs said afterwards: "This gives us a little more confidence going into conference play. We've got to be tough; we've got to be smart, and we've got to value the ball each possession. Just let it happen." Syracuse is coming off a 14-point victory against Niagara, after which coach Jim Boeheim noted: "We need to grow as a team. It's going to be a day-to-day thing. We've got to get better. We're not good enough right now."

TIME: 4 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN2

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (9-4, 0-2 ACC): In the win over Alabama A&M, John Mooney notched his seventh consecutive double-double with 16 points and 18 rebounds, not to mention three blocks and a pair of assists. The senior forward averages 14.9 points and 13.5 rebounds, which is tied for the top mark in the country entering Friday's action, and he has grabbed double-digit rebounds in every game since the seaso-n opener. Fellow senior Gibbs is averaging 12.3 points and had a team-high 17 points the last time out on 7-of-10 shooting after scuffling to 6-of-22 shooting in the previous two games.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (8-5, 1-1): Elijah Hughes, who had a team-high 19 points and a career high-tying nine assists against Niagara, leads the team in scoring (19.8) and assists (4.7) and is second in blocks (1.1) despite standing just 6-6. Buddy Boeheim (15.2 points) has scored at least 14 points in five straight games and has knocked down at least three 3-pointers in every game during that stretch. Bourama Sidibe had his second double-double of the season against Niagara with 10 points and 13 rebounds and chipped in five blocks, as well.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Syracuse F Marek Dolezaj has 12 blocks, 10 of which have come in three games.

2. Syracuse won the only meeting last season, 72-62, as Hughes scored 22 points.

3. Gibbs has one turnover (and 16 assists) in 125 minutes over the last four games.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 77, Syracuse 74