Buzzketball Central: #20 Virginia Tech Hokies (20-6, 9-5) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-13, 3-10) 4pm Feb 23 2019 ESPN

Game day!We seek our fifth ACC road win🏀 vs. Notre Dame📍 Notre Dame, Ind.🕚 4 p.m. ET📈 https://t.co/sGUc8X66Hh📻 https://t.co/Y5WNShWqwM📺 ESPN💻 https://t.co/Z84pIgEZwH#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/78RRVsVErH— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 23, 2019

GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: February 23rd 4PM
Opponent: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Site: Purcell Pavillion
Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network
Talent: Jon Laaser & Mike Burnop
TV: ESPN Tom Hart & Jimmy Dykes
Live Stats: HokieSports.com
Game Notes: Virginia Tech
Sirius: 84 XM: 84 Internet: 84

Can Buzzketball handle them on the road?

Being that Buzzketball has shown that even as badly as they have played offensively that they can stay in games and that will be critical on the road against Notre Dame. This will be the twelfth meeting of the two programs going back to the 1973 NIT championship, which the Hokies won. Virginia Tech is 3-8 all-time against Notre Dame so no time like the present to continue evening out this rivalry.

The Fighting Irish are coached by Mike Brey, in his nineteenth year at the helm of Notre Dame. In nineteen years, Notre Dame is 412-205 under Brey and his team has won 20+ games fourteen times. He has led them to the NCAA Tournament twelve times, with two elite eight appearances. Notre Dame has been to the post season in all but one season under Brey. Brey also was the head coach of Delaware, going 99-52, so has an overall coaching record of 511-257.

The Fighting Irish came into our last contest 10-3 and now find themselves at 13-13, struggling to find an identity and dealing with a turnover of talent without personnel ready to take over those positions. Notre Dame is 3-10 in the conference with one win over Georgia Tech and two over Boston College. They have managed 70 points in conference play just twice this season. ACC play has definitely not been kind to the Irish, who are shooting just 36% as a team in conference play.

Notre Dame much like the Hokies in the ACC this season, have endured several significant injuries and a transfer. Most notably, the Fighting Irish lost Senior guard Rex Pflueger to a torn ACL in their game against Purdue. Pflueger was third on the team in scoring, second in rebounding and first in assists. The Irish also lost Robby Carmody, a Freshman guard expected to contribute greatly off the bench. He picked up a shoulder injury in their fourth game and is using a redshirt this year to recover. Elijah Burns, a captain of the team, announced in November his intention to seek a graduate transfer after his December graduation and has left the program. Burns impact statistically was not significant but his experience and leadership off the bench were a much bigger impact on this team.

Defensively, the Fighting Irish are a very situationally based defensive team. This means against Tech we may see man to man and probably some high perimeter zone with defensive players switching off over or under screens to prevent quick penetration by the Hokies guards while also challenging the Hokies from getting open shots on the perimeter. The other aspect that we may see a lot of is to double team in the post to prevent easy access to the rim and force a good perimeter pass. If the Fighting Irish tries utilizing the post double team, expect to see NAW take the interior pass at the free throw line and then force Notre Dame to decide how to approach him.

Offensively, Notre Dame runs a four out, one in motion offense very similar to the Hokies. They don't rely on significant size on the floor much like the Hokies as well. They have been forced to an even smaller lineup with season ending injuries sustained so far. The Irish shoot almost 26 three point attempts per game, hitting on 9 of them. This means the Irish find almost 27 points a game from behind the perimeter. The Hokies will have to be able to close out on the perimeter to keep the Irish hitting at or below their usual 34% from outside. The Fighting Irish get 16 points on 22 attempts at the free throw line this season where as a team they are shooting 75% on the season. They are averaging only 34 points inside the arc so far this season.

#GamedayGuide:🏀 vs. @NDmbb 📍 South Bend, IN🕚 4PM ET📺 @ESPN#getBETTER pic.twitter.com/BXbcU1WTwh— Buzz Williams (@TeamCoachBuzz) February 23, 2019

Fighting Irish Backcourt

Temple Gibbs, (#2), 6'3, 200 Lbs Junior Guard has been thrust into the role of floor leader for the Irish this season between injuries and graduation. He went almost ten games averaging right at 40 minutes a game but has had a few games to recover and will likely bring fresh legs to this contest. He is averaging 13.9 PPG, 2 RPG, and 3.6 APG. He is knocking down the outside shot at 34% and 73% from the line which is significantly worse than last season where he was over 40% from outside and 83% from the line.

D.J. Harvey, (#5) 6'6, 220 Lbs, Sophomore Guard moved to starter this year but is now being counted on to provide much more with the injury to Rex Pflueger. He is putting up 10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 0.7 APG. He is shooting 36% from outside and 78% from the line.

Prentiss Hubb, (#3) 6'3, 167 Lbs, Freshman Guard is averaging 7.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 3.7 APG has picked up much of the ball distribution that Pflueger had been relied on before. Hubb is getting over 30 MPG as a freshman and is shooting 38% inside, 22% outside, and 60% from the line. Not sure why he is getting so much play at this point unless Brey just feels its only a matter of time before he shines.

Dane Goodwin, (#23) 6'6, 203 Lbs Freshman Guard is the Irish sixth man, but contributes more than some starters in averaging 6.3 PPG, 3 RPG, and 1.1 APG. Goodwin is only getting 20 MPG off the bench but is shooting 52% inside, 32% outside and 77% from the line.

Fighting Irish Frontcourt

John Mooney, (#33), 6'9, 245 Lbs Junior Forward has improved his numbers all season regardless of how the Irish have done in conference. He is averaging 14.1 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 1.2 APG. He is shooting 51% inside, an impressive 38% outside on 2.7 attempts per game and is hitting 80% of his free throws. He doesn't get in much foul trouble.

Nate Laszewski (#14) 6'10, 200 Lbs, Freshman Forward, is averaging 6.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG. He is hitting 59% of his interior shots, 42% of his perimeter shots on 3.2 attempts per contest, and 83% of his free throws. He is averaging 16 minutes per contest so far.

Juwan Durham (#11) 6'11, 207 Lbs Junior Forward, is averaging 7.1 PPG and 4.5 RPG. Durham is also averaging an amazing 3.3 BPG. He is hitting 62% inside, doesn't shoot from the perimeter and hits 65% of his free throws. He is managing all this in just over 14 minutes per contest.

What to expect from Notre Dame?

The Irish have struggled mightily after the loss of Rex Pflueger for the season. Losses to the top of the conference are not that unexpected but losses to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech show how this season have turned for the Irish. One area the Irish have strived is their ability to get to the free throw line. This season they have scored on average 5 more points than their opponents at the line in each game.

Notre Dame relies much more on the one Power Forward spot on the floor this season than in most seasons in the past. Three bigs combine for about 54 minutes, and put in 24.7 points of Notre Dames 70.7 points per game. The ACC schedule has taken almost a 7 points per game toll on their overall offensive production as a team.

The "bench players" contribute greatly, because much like Buzz does in certain instances, Brey this season is holding out a couple of his better shooters and overall defensive players until the first media timeout and then getting them in to disrupt the flow of the game for opponents. Nikola Djogo is likely to see much more playing time as he has come on strong in recent games. He had a breakout game with 21 points in a win over Boston College.

The Irish will use the 2-3 High Zone defense for most of the game and Tech may even see some Diamond and One to keep Blackshear off balance. Mike Brey intends to focus on the Hokies outside shooters because it drives the Hokies offense. They will attempt to disrupt passing lanes at the top of the key but will collapse into clog the lane with penetration. With this they are hoping to make Tech make mistakes with the ball as they deal with a lot of bodies inside.

The Hokies

Did you know? 🤔With KJ joining the 1K club, we are now one of only six teams in DI to have three 1,000-point scorers 💪🏀 Kerry Blackshear Jr. (@kjblack15)🏀 Justin Robinson (@5Alive_)🏀 Ahmed Hill (@MED_XIII)#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/akNMPps3Nq— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 20, 2019

Tech needs to keep a high paced tempo for as long as they can to start the game. It will be critical that Nickiel Alexander-Walker finds his rhythm again, as his struggles since Robinson went out have been noticeable. There should be a major focus on getting NAW either into the lane by driving the ball or taking a pass. This will help with creating open shots and also getting NAW on a big that doesn't have the agility to match. Neither team gets in much foul trouble so any major differential at the free throw line could be a deciding factor.

Blackshear being the focus of the offense needs to find a second tier in this game. Fortunately, Horne and the two freshman will be an important contribution in this game with the Irish focusing on Blackshear. It will give him a critical break late in the game so he finishes out strong.

Hitting perimeter shots is the lifeblood of this offense. Buzz needs NAW and Blackshear to create openings for clean looks from Hill and Outlaw. Hill needs to find his shot, and not short arm them in this contest. Tech cannot afford another 3-28 night. Right now the Hokies rely on the perimeter for 11 baskets to Notre Dame's 9. Neither team can afford much of a drop off in that production.

In Closing

Expect to see a faster paced game than the Irish would like but maybe not as fast as Buzz would prefer. The Hokies need to go fast to run the Irish bigs into the ground, so they have tired legs late, where they are more likely to reach than be in position, sending the Hokies to the line for critical free throws.

The Hokies need to find steady production from outside and should win this game comfortably, even with the absence of Robinson. The Irish this season just do not have the talent that we have come to expect and should still be a team that the Hokies can beat without their senior leader.

Expect the entire roster to make an impact, including Kabongo and Wilkins in getting the Hokies over .500 in ACC play.

Tech wins 72-61, with the Hokies steadily pulling away making critical free throws down the stretch. Blackshear and NAW will likely be the key to a successful finish in this one even with how quiet NAW has been in recent games.