Notre Dame @ Clemson preview
Littlejohn Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Mar 2, 2024 ) Clemson 62, Notre Dame 69
No. 13 Clemson is in a groove after several notable results have made the team a contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Notre Dame finally might be heading in the right direction.
The teams will meet Wednesday night at Clemson, S.C.
The Tigers (22-5, 14-2) hold a four-game winning streak and sit just one game out of first place in the conference.
"We have a confidence group, an older group," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "You've got to have pieces that got to fit."
Tigers senior guard Jaeden Zackery is coming off a 19-point outing in Saturday's 79-69 victory at SMU. He set his career high with five 3-point baskets.
"He can do that; he's more than capable of making five 3s in a game," Brownell said. "A good older player. ... Our ability to shoot the ball and to share the ball was absolutely terrific."
Another sign of the Tigers' clicking offense came with the team's 24 assists for its most in a game since November 2023.
Chase Hunter keeps scoring for Clemson, as he has 1,688 career points, moving to ninth on the program's all-time scoring list during the weekend. Brownell said the attention opponents are paying to Hunter might create other openings in the backcourt for players such as Zackery.
With 14 ACC victories, the Tigers already have matched the program record for conference victories that was set two years ago.
Notre Dame (12-15, 6-10) has won two of its last four games and probably is one victory away from clinching one of the 15 spots in the ACC tournament next month, although the Fighting Irish might make the field without winning again.
"We've got a great challenge coming up in our next game," Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said. "You go on the road and play a very good team."
Notre Dame topped visiting Pitt 76-72 on Saturday to complete a three-game homestand. The victory came with some strange-looking lineup combinations.
"Adjusting on the fly, I think is probably really good for us," Shrewsberry said. "We had some lineups that probably never played before."
The Irish were without injured Tae Davis and Braeden Shrewsberry for the Pitt game, but they received valuable contributions from players who bolstered their normal production. J.R. Konieczny and Cole Certa provided all their points in the second half.
"You don't have guys you count on to score," Micah Shrewsberry said. "They stayed ready."
Certa, a freshman, had a season-high 12 points and Konieczny finished with 10.
"They were going to do whatever possible to scratch, claw, get the job done," Micah Shrewsberry said.
The coach said Certa's contributions were clutch, especially for a player who has limited playing time for stretches of the season.
"It's hard to make shots in inconsistent minutes, no matter who you are," Shrewsberry said. "... That dude has unwavering confidence. He believes the next shot is going in."
Certa said the goal is to try to make an impact every time he's in a game.
"Every time I check in, the other four guys on the court really instill confidence in me," Certa said.
Two of Notre Dame's ACC victories this season have come in road games.
If Clemson beats Notre Dame, it will give the Tigers at least 23 wins for the third consecutive season. Duke is the only other ACC school to win at least 23 games each of the last three years.
--Field Level Media